Tag: communication trends

NC Sweeps 2019 James Beard Nominations

Clairemont InternBlog, In Our Community, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , , ,

On February 27, 2019, the James Beard Foundation announced its coveted list of Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists for 2019. 

…and boy, did North Carolina talent make an appearance!

Occasionally dubbed the “Oscars” of the culinary realm, the James Beard Award program recognizes the outstanding achievements of food and beverage professionals throughout the United States. The awards present a cornerstone in the foundation’s mission to “celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse and sustainable for everyone.”

Here in North Carolina, we’re privileged, thrilled, jazzed, pumped, sha-zammed (you name it!) to enjoy a rich culinary scene — from fine dining to craft breweries to original concepts that blend ethnic fusions.

So we want to give a huge shout out to the shining list of North Carolina food and beverage stars who were named 2019 James Beard semifinalists!

Best Chef: Southeast

Best New Restaurant

Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer

Outstanding Pastry Chef

From beer to BBQ, from fine dining to fish and seafood, the powerhouses run the gamut of mouthwatering cuisine. Congratulations to all of you! (And we’re already planning our next trips to your establishments!)

Written by Clairemont Intern Ru Wolle, a senior at NCSU. 
Photos from Canva.

Read More

Emojis vs. Emoticons

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Marketing, Public Relations, , , , , , ,

A few days ago, Facebook released a new way to share your emotions on posts. You can now select from five emojis ranging from love to sad. CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that the Facebook community has been asking for a dislike button for years, but he wanted to showcase a variety of emotions. To see the new reactions options, hold down the like button and then tap either like, love, haha, wow, sad or angry.

How do you feel about Facebook’s newest change? Were you really hoping for a dislike button, or do the new additions have you seeing the heart-eyed emoji?

What does this all mean for emoticons? Well, nothing. That’s because emojis and emoticons are two different things and using the two terms interchangeably in conversation isn’t correct. So what’s the difference?

Emoticons

According to The Guardian, an emoticon is a facial representation used to convey emotion in a text only medium. The last time I remember using an emoticon would have to have been in high school (okay, maybe my freshman year in college before I morphed into an iPhone-carrying, FaceTime-obsessed diva). No one is just smiling 🙂 anymore.

Emojis

Instead of showcasing only facial expressions, emojis are actual pictures, ranging from people and families to cars, trucks and specific flags of different countries. Emojis are the colorful, playful characters that make our text conversations a tad bit juicier. Seriously, why settle for a few combinations when you can scroll through what seems like thousands of choices to describe your mood, location and even the food that you’re nibbling that day?

As PR professionals, we have to make sure that we are always sensitive to dialects, trends and different generations’ perspectives on communication. Since emojis and emoticons are a language of their own, they may be able to break down language barriers and even assist in awkward conversations. As social media continues to grow, pictorial representations of feelings play a huge role in our communication. However, we should be mindful of the usage of emojis in business settings. Sending the kissy face to clients may not be the best choice in the professional world.

What do you think about using emojis and emoticons in our industry? How often do you use them? Comment to us on Facebook!

heart eyes

Read More

Trends Tuesday: Doorstep Delivery

Cherith AndesBlog, Marketing, Trends, , , , , 1 Comment on Trends Tuesday: Doorstep Delivery

The trend kicked off circa 1910 with the Wells Fargo Wagon, a legendary red coach that hand-delivered goodies to America’s townsfolk. Nearly a century later, the doorstep delivery concept has emerged as one of the nation’s leading economic trends. America has shifted from the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping experience in favor of online subscription delivery services, a new business model that curates and tailors a box of items to fit your preferences. Best of all, your personalized package appears weekly on your porch, as if by magic. Voila.

Subscription Boxes: All the Rage
With manageable shipping charges and forgiving return policies, subscription boxes have permeated nearly every sector of retail. The stalwart Birch Box, for example, boasts nearly 800,000 active global subscribers who enjoy its grooming and lifestyle products. Pet owners pamper their pooches with customized collars and flavored toys from Bark Box, while Lego fans stock their arsenal with Brick Loot‘s specialty items. (Bonus tip: Check out this review from a special Clairemont friend, Pugnacious10.)

What’s the Draw?
What happened to the traditional haul to the mall? Our harried schedules combined with our waning attention spans drive consumers to seek instant gratification. But this burgeoning trend reveals even more about the American psyche. Forbes.com suggests that consumers may thrive off of the adrenaline of a weekly surprise or crave the ego boost of hand-picked packages.

Customize Your Com
Communication trends, too, must respond to the public’s yen for customized experiences. Apple’s app, News360, allows users to hand-craft a newsfeed, and Facebook personalizes its infamous ads based on the user’s recent internet searches. (No doubt my newsfeed will be jammed with Loot Crate‘s promos after this blog.) Our audiences won’t settle for the traditional “spray and pray” public relations methods. From media pitches to tweets, effective communication stands on the three-legged stool of specificity, individuality and tailored timing.

For a Little Retail Therapy…
Then again, some of us just plain like to shop. And if that’s the case, check out these top 20 box picks. Our favorite, however, is our own client’s freshness in a box . Papa Spud’s is a North Carolina CSA (Community Supported Agricultural) service that delivers local, seasonal groceries straight to your door—from fresh produce, dairy and meat to granola, chocolate and jams.

Timely AND tasty!

Read More