Skip to content

615-294-1886

d@clairemontcommunications.com

Clairemont Communications

Clairemont Communications

  • About Us
  • Awards
  • Blog
  • Our Work
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Awards
  • Blog
  • Our Work
  • Services
  • Contact Us

Tag: apartment public relations

Encouraging Creativity

Encouraging Creativity

July 25, 2016January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Counselors Academy, Raleigh PR Agencyapartment public relations, CAPRSA, Counselors Academy, creativity, Disney, PRSA

This article originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of PRSA’s Tactics. You can read it online here.

Changing It Up to Encourage Creativity

Dana Phelps Hughens

“The definition of insanity is repeating the same behaviors and expecting a different outcome.” – Albert Einstein

For the past several months, this column has been focused on the changes our industry is facing. This month we are changing it up to highlight ways to do things differently in order to achieve greater results.

Last year, I shared a photograph of four women that was taken in the early 1900s with our team at Clairemont Communications. Each team member was asked to write a story about the photo, and the stories were shared on our blog as part of a contest. The author of the story that had the most votes won a prize.

This was Clairemont’s first Creative Challenge. Part professional development and part team building, this exercise tapped into our imaginations with a creative writing exercise far different than that of say, writing a client news release. However, the brainstorming and story mapping were a similar process to many things we do for our clients. Additionally, social media influence was put to the test as team members solicited their professional and personal networks for votes – another task related to we do for clients daily.

Earlier this year we challenged ourselves to step out of our comfort zones when we decided to take a non-traditional approach to thanking our clients by producing what we called our gratitude video. In addition to our team singing the words to Andy Grammer’s “Good to Be Alive,” our clients danced along with us to celebrate our accomplishments together. Check it out on our Facebook page!

Not only do our clients embrace our creative and sometimes wacky ways, they rely on us for fresh ideas for pitches, promotional campaigns and special events. Otherwise, it would prove difficult to produce results month after month and year after year.

We recently met with a prospect seeking to change agencies after an engagement that had spanned nearly two decades. He didn’t seem particularly dissatisfied with the existing PR firm and yet not fully satisfied either. Upon further discussion, it was revealed that the only real issue with the incumbent was that it had been around long enough to learn all the things that didn’t work.

Wow. I never want to be that agency leader who says, “We already tried that” or “Just do it the same way, and it will be good enough.” We all know it is easy to get stuck in a rut. We’ve all been there, and help is on the way.

This year we are opening the Counselors Academy conference with “Think Differently: The Biggest Barrier to Innovation Is Our Own Expertise,” an interactive keynote with Duncan Wardle, vice president of Disney’s Creative Inc.

Duncan works with his team across all Disney corporate divisions as creative ideation consultants. They design engaging, collaborative ideation forums that capture unlikely connections and lead to new thinking and revolutionary ideas. During his Counselors Academy session, he will explore the myths around creativity and innovation, provide tangible innovation tools and help us get out of our own “Rivers of Expertise” to think differently.

To be part of this session and exchange ideas on creativity with other PR agency leaders, join us May 1 to 3, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. More information can be found at caprsa.com and on Facebook in The Official Counselors Academy Facebook Group.

Dana Phelps Hughens is CEO of Clairemont Communications based in Raleigh, N.C. She serves as an assembly delegate for the North Carolina chapter of PRSA and on the board of Counselors Academy. Dana is known as @blah2voila on Instagram and Twitter.

Read More
Marketing Real Estate to Millennials

Marketing Real Estate to Millennials

August 18, 2015January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, Real Estate PRapartment marketing, apartment PR, apartment public relations, development pr, lease pr, Raleigh PR, real estate PR, real estate public relations1 Comment on Marketing Real Estate to Millennials

The trends of the lease-up landscape have shifted to “empty-nesters”—and not just baby boomers looking to downsize. Millennials, those born between 1980 and 2000, have staked a claim in the market demand for apartments. In response, lease-up offerings have shifted over the past 10 years to accommodate the preferences of these diverse “digital natives.”

Courtesy of Lincoln Apartments
Courtesy of Lincoln Apartments

1. It’s the finer things of life. According to Brian Toomey, director of acquisitions, Banner Property Management, members of the millennial generation grew up amidst the custom finishes, top shelf materials and private luxury bathrooms of their parents’ suburban homes. And although they still crave these high-end touches, millennials can’t afford the high-end price tags, turning instead to apartment rentals. Hence, lease-up developers must design units that feature quality finishes and incorporate leading design trends. Farewell, linoleum.

2. It’s all about the lifestyle, too. Millennials love life and love to live life. They loathe to waste time commuting to a job or—worse—tending to yard work, moments that could otherwise be invested in experiences and relationships. In response, the demand has skyrocketed for apartments located within a short drive, bus ride or bike ride to major employment hubs. Forty-five minute commutes are a relic. Farewell, drive time.

3. And it’s all about commitment—or the lack thereof. Millennials experienced firsthand the real estate market upheavals that wreaked havoc on their parents’ financial standings. As young professionals, members of this generation are more apt to rent their first living spaces right out of college than to scrap and save for a home. Farewell, mortgages.

What does this mean for marketing and PR in the real estate industry?

1. Feature the features. It’s a given that marketing communication strategies for apartments should highlight the amenities. More attention, however, should be invested in showcasing the distinctive design elements of a unit. Craft creative tactics to spotlight custom finishes and quality lifestyle offerings that welcome the millennial buyer as a VIP guest in an upscale apartment.

@FirstLadyLincoln
@FirstLadyLincoln

2. Go the distance to show the distance. Create clever ways to emphasize the accessible commute to nearby employment and lifestyle options. The Lincoln Apartments, one of Raleigh’s newest upscale complexes (and a Clairemont client), is grand opening its luxury development this fall in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Through a creative Instagram account dubbed “The First Lady of Lincoln,” Lincoln and Clairemont staff are showcasing the “Lincoln Lifestyle.” These first-hand snapshots capture downtown Raleigh’s trendy restaurants, festivals, entertainment venues and cultural hotspots–all a short walk or bike ride from the Lincoln’s front door.

(PS: Give it a gander! Check out the “Lincoln Lifestyle” and downtown Raleigh on Instagram at @FirstLadyLincoln!)

3. Live life with them. This tip is beget from years of research + experience + aw, heck, I’m a millennial (sort of). Millennials shudder at overt marketing messages. Since we’re busy digging through paperwork to ensure we haven’t been hoodwinked by legalese, transparency becomes a legitimate PR strategy. Be genuine. Showcase the warm, accessible side of your company—from the quirks of your personable staff to the fun at your company’s parties. Transparency goes a long way to forge trust with the millennial generation as it chooses its first home after graduation.

What tips would you add to this list?

 

 

Read More

Categories

  • APR
  • Awards
  • Blog
  • Case Studies
  • Clairemont Client News
  • Copy Cat
  • Counselors Academy
  • Entry-Level PR Job
  • Fashion
  • Free Advice
  • Furniture PR
  • Hiring a PR Firm
  • In Our Community
  • Inspirational
  • Internal Communications
  • Marketing
  • Oh Momma Monday
  • On the Record
  • Our Work
  • Owning a Business
  • Photo of the Week
  • PR People
  • Professional Development
  • Public Relations
  • Raleigh PR Agency
  • Real Estate PR
  • Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR
  • Social Media + Influencer Engagement
  • Starting a business
  • Sustainability
  • The Clairemont Team
  • Travel
  • Trends
  • Wonderfully Random

clairemontcommunications

SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc (client) today, and rumor has it that @blah2voila has already been hamming it up with Dell! We know you want a selfie with Dell to post on Pigstagram, too!
We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Comm 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications! Visit our blog for the full 2022 year in review!
As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
We’re writers, social media managers, photographers, marketers, editors, content creators- the list goes on and on.
 
Check out our recent blog post to learn what @olivia.noles , account coordinator here at Clairemont, does on a weekly and monthly basis.
#communicationsagency #communicationsmajor #pragencylife #pragency #raleighpr
This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voi This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voila , will be speaking at the 2022 @nc_prsa Strategic Communication & MarCom Conference! Phelps is a repeat presenter at this annual conference, and this year she is leading a session called Growing from Communication Technician to Strategic Counselor during which she will share three of her coined concepts: knowcasting, morecasting and collabolighthing. Visit our blog for the link to register for the conference!
@clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative g @clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative go together like the bacon and eggs! And speaking of bacon and eggs, have you been to @therainbowluncheonette yet? YUM!
Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc, a master-planned community just 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, will welcome @parksideraleigh, a Raleigh-favorite restaurant known for its fresh, made-from-scratch dishes, to the community!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
“What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we “What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we get this question often, we have a series on our blog where we dive into our recent projects to give you a look at what a PR Agency really does.
 
For example, a statewide resource for small businesses recently hired Clairemont to devise an executive visibility campaign to help position the organization and its director as the leading small business resource in North Carolina.
 
Head to our blog to read what exactly an executive visibility campaign entails and to learn more about our services!
So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by client @vitaviteraleigh for good snacks and great wine!🍷 Both locations are open normal hours Friday-Sunday and closed on Monday.
You never know who might be hanging out at The Cla You never know who might be hanging out at The Clairemont House. Thanks to @yellowdogcreative for helping save this buddy. Notice that we speak lizard. Or skink. Or gecko or whatever he is. Or maybe it’s the extra caffeine before our client presentation.
Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh
Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting?
Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street South @raleighwineshop ! @blah2voila was there today representing Clairemont at the grand opening festivities and enjoying the @grandchamphospitality sandwich pop up. Yum! 🍷🥪
It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 has left an impact on every sector of life, including marketing. Read our blog on marketing in a post-COVID world to learn how things have changed and how that should impact your business strategy.
We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
This spring, Ali de la Vega is joining the Clairem This spring, Ali de la Vega is joining the Clairemont team as an intern! Ali is a Junior at NC State who prides herself in being a daughter and a Christian as well as an amateur athlete, overachiever and older sister. Learn more about her background and how she found a love for PR on our website!
Load More Follow on Instagram
Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: realy-store by inverstheme.
Cleantalk Pixel