Tag: clairemont intern

Superhero Interns Wanted!

Dana PhelpsBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont Team, , , , 2 Comments on Superhero Interns Wanted!

What’s your PR superhero power? We want it! 

Clairemont is seeking a creative, highly motivated candidate for an internship with its award-winning public relations team. The candidate will work with team members to create and implement public relations strategy and creative campaigns for Clairemont’s clients.

Responsibilities might include:

  • Crafting creative messages and blog posts
  • Drafting key documents (news releases and media alerts) and distributing as appropriate
  • Contributing to team and client meetings
  • Creating formative research for the agency and clients
  • Developing and maintaining necessary client database information, including media contact lists and online/digital communicators
  • Reading and tracking key coverage and crafting reports for clients
  • Drafting and implementing social media strategy
  • Managing on-site events as needed
  • Attend industry and networking events

…and much more!

Qualifications:

  • Completed at least two years of college, preferably in journalism, PR or communication/marketing
  • Strong skills in creative and professional writing, critical thinking and effective teamwork
  • Proficiency in social media platforms, networking sites and trends
  • Experience in design, photography and videography highly preferred
  • Ability to work a minimum of 10 hours per week
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
  • A previous internship in PR is preferred
  • A zany sense of fun and creativity

Compensation: This is an hourly paid position with course credit offered if applicable.
Terms: Clairemont typically offers spring, summer and fall semester internship terms.

To Apply: Send your cover letter, resume and writing samples to Dana Phelps at d@clairemontcommunications.com.

 

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Hollywood, Here I Come!

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

Before College 

Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to be when I got older. What I did know was that I loved movies, television, music and the stars that came along with them. I never thought I could make a career out of that since I didn’t have an interest in acting, singing or directing. So, when it came time to decide a major at UNC-Chapel Hill, I had no idea what to choose, leading me to scour the internet for a solution.

After searching for potential careers and majors for about 15 minutes and taking a personality-based career questionnaire, I knew with absolute certainty that I would get a doctorate in psychology and become a therapist. However, I’d soon find out that my quick Google search would lead me down the completely wrong path!

Finding PR

All of my plans came crashing down after taking one psychology class at UNC. After final semester grades came, it was evident that I needed to reconsider my choice. This time of transition led me to take different classes to explore my options. Among these classes was a PR writing course, which turned out to be the hardest yet most rewarding class of my college career.

When I walked into class on the first day and had to write an entire news release, I never thought I would survive the semester. In the end, this class taught me how to think on my feet and write effectively under pressure. It laid the foundation for me changing my major and even landing an internship in New York City!

My summer in New York City, June 8, 2019

Looking Forward to the Future 

While there are many significant aspects of public relations, what I love most is that many PR skills and practices can be applied in almost any field! I hope to take what I learn to the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, where I aspire to be a publicist for singers, actors and others in entertainment.

Coincidentally, my sister is also following a career path in the entertainment industry by earning her master’s degree in filmmaking and directing. Maybe one day I can be her publicist! Until then, I’m looking forward to learning and growing my knowledge of PR during my semester internship at Clairemont Communications!

Me and my sister

Did you know? Clairemont is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Check out this blog post to find out how!  

By Clairemont intern Taylor Bolden, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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From Shoe Blow Out to Custom Knockouts

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agency, , ,

All it took was less than a minute of the most anticipated college basketball game of the season. Ticket prices hovered just below those of the Super Bowl LIII, and celebrities from around the country had flown to North Carolina to watch what many sports fans call one of the greatest rivalries of all times, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels versus the Duke Blue Devils.

This year’s game had an even higher percentage of viewers than normal. Duke’s Forward Zion Williamson, the likely number one pick in the 2019 NBA draft and arguably the biggest basketball powerhouse since young LeBron James, had developed an enormous following. It was 30 seconds into the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Williamson jumped down and planted his feet. Jaws dropped as Williamson tore entirely through his left Nike shoe, leaving him flat on the floor with a minor knee injury. Far from a tiny rip or hole in the shoe, the sole was completely ripped.

Within hours, Nike found themselves trending on social media. Viral videos of former President Barack Obama (who sat courtside at the game) saying, “His shoe broke!” took the internet by storm, and close-up pictures of Williamson’s destroyed Nike PG 2.5’s were the front-page story for countless sports outlets.

Nike Works to Dissolve Crisis

One of the hardest parts of crisis management is the inability to predict when a crisis (big or small) will happen. Unfortunately for Nike, this shoe fiasco hit during the most-watched game of the regular season, with 4.34 million viewers on ESPN.

Nike, however, pulled out all of the stops to diffuse the crisis. Immediately after the incident, the company released an official statement acknowledging the broken shoe and identifying the actions it was taking.

“We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”

When Nike stocks dropped by more than 1 percent the following Thursday morning, Nike decided to go the extra mile. That same day, the company sent a team of upper-level employees to Durham to meet with Zion Williamson and his coach Mike Krzyzewski to figure out what had gone wrong. Following their meeting in Durham, the team then flew across the globe to China. They personally oversaw the construction of a more durable and resilient shoe for Williamson.

The priority treatment didn’t stop there. Within the same week, the Nike team returned to Durham with a variety of shoe alternatives for Williamson. Nike wanted to ensure the same incident wouldn’t happen again and that Williamson would be ready for his anticipated and suspenseful return to the court in the ACC Tournament against Syracuse.

Williamson didn’t disappoint. His return following the shoe fiasco was a basketball game filled with one-armed dunks and electrifying energy that led Duke to a quarterfinals victory. After the game, Williamson raved about his custom knockout pair of Nike Kyrie 4’s to reporters, giving an enthusiastic thanks to Nike and the steps they had taken for him.

Nike’s Next Steps

While not every company can afford to fly around the world to appease a client, public relations professionals can still take a note out of Nike’s crisis management handbook. Nike was thorough and strategic in its crisis management. Since Zion Williamson is one of the most popular players in the country, it reflected highly on Nike that the team took the time to oversee the production of a custom shoe, reinforcing the idea that even a corporate powerhouse believes in a personal touch and quality care. Nike didn’t try to deny its responsibility in the crisis. Instead, they owned up to the isolated incident and went above and beyond to ensure Williamson and devoted fans were satisfied.

Nike’s actions are also a great look for a future endorsement deal with prodigy Williamson, who will be signing a contract with one lucky shoe company once he goes pro later this year.

Want to learn more about how social media can be detrimental during a crisis? Check out our blog post on Social Media in Crisis.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Meet Alex, Clairemont Intern

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The Search for my Unicorn

Walking onto the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s campus four years ago, I was determined. I was in search of an elusive “passion.” I had no idea what I wanted to do. Much like the mythical unicorn, a “passion” to study seemed just out of reach, improbable of being real. I wanted to walk into a class and realize, “This is it; this is what I want to do with my life!” I envied my friends who had concrete dreams and career plans of being a doctor or a high school teacher. I knew that I loved people, writing and embracing my creative side, but I couldn’t figure out how to translate that into a major.

My academic advisor came to know me well, as I switched my major from English to Pre-Business to Management in Society. With each new major I declared, I found bits and pieces of things I enjoyed, but it still felt like something was missing. As the end of sophomore year came around, I decided to sign up for a class in one concentration I hadn’t considered: public relations.

It was an Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations class. I only vaguely knew what PR entailed at the time, but I figured, why not?

My Light Bulb Moment

That class was a game-changer for me.

I realized I could have a job that encompassed so many of my interests. I could tell a client’s story through writing, brainstorm creative campaigns and engage with people in a field of work that was constantly evolving. Working with real-life clients was especially exciting, since I could see the tangible effects that my work had for different organizations.

As I worked my way through various PR classes, I finally found what I had been looking for at UNC-CH. It wasn’t a single light bulb moment or a swift discovery. The more I learned, the more my interest in PR turned into passion. I enjoyed the fast-paced environment and the creative side I got to use.

What Comes Next?

I wear a lot of different hats: writer, people-person, adventurer … even competitive jump roper and fitness instructor. With PR, I have found a concentration that allows me to engage with everything I love. I can do videography for my jump rope club, I write blog posts about my travel and fitness goals, and I can help others tell their stories, too.

I am looking forward to continuing my learning as an intern at Clairemont Communications this spring. As I finish up my last semester of classes at UNC and get ready to enter the “real world,” I am unbelievably excited for what comes next.

Written by Clairemont intern Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC.

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Meet Jackson, Clairemont Intern

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MY LIFE

I have been creating as long as I can remember. When I was five years old, I directed and starred in my first short film. When I was 10, I made a music video parody that got almost 9 million views. Throughout my time in middle school and high school, I learned the Adobe Creative Suite. I soon had amassed a large portfolio, and I used it to get an internship at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta, Georgia. After living by myself for a summer in Atlanta, I am eager to get back to the film industry there. I have many goals for myself as I start my senior year of high school, and I plan to accomplish them before next summer.

BEARFELF

Over the years of constantly creating, I have started many projects and shared them through social media. My most recently successful endeavor has been creating comics for Instagram. Drawing has always been a great form of creative expression for me. I lately have been pushing myself to draw constantly in order to develop a distinct style. In October of 2017 I drew a three-panel comic parodying Garfield, except with a bear — thus the name “Bearfelf.”

After my friends told me it was golden, I started up an Instagram account. Everyone I showed it to loved it, but I needed to show it to more people. I decided to become a business account and use the Instagram promotion tool. With the help of a $50-dollar investment from a friend, Bearfelf finally took off, and our audience grew more and more. Today we are still growing more than ever, and we recently made a deal to have Bearfelf comics printed in a popular online magazine.

BIG DREAM

It may seem as if I am a young amateur, but I strongly believe in collaboration. Back in 2015 when I was running a Lego YouTube channel with 10,000 subscribers, I met my friend from Canada, Brody. Though we live approximately 1400 miles apart, over the years we have been fueling each other’s creative ideas. We have written, shot, directed and edited a mini-series in the span of two weeks. We also both work on Bearfelf, holding brainstorm sessions on Skype on the weekends.

After months of development we are soon to release a Bearfelf video game. Recently, we have started work on our first album in an effort to be the first band that performs in two countries at once. We keep ourselves busy by constantly creating. The Big Dream is a mindset that anyone can have. It is a mindset that you can achieve anything you want if you put in the hard work right now.

Written by Jackson Hughens, Clairemont intern.

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