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Tag: il palio

What does a PR agency do? A Freshly Baked Media Kit

What does a PR agency do? A Freshly Baked Media Kit

November 2, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, best restaurant in chapel hill, Creative PR, Creative Tactics, event PR, il palio, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Restaurant PRLeave a Comment on What does a PR agency do? A Freshly Baked Media Kit

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, wanted to break into the national culinary scene and gain acclaim as a leading restaurant in the Southeast. As part of a comprehensive PR strategy, Clairemont Communications secured a coveted invitation for Executive Chef Teddy Diggs to cook a dinner at the James Beard House, the country’s leading culinary organization.

A Tasty Media Kit

To secure an invitation to the James Beard House, Clairemont creatively positioned Chef Teddy as the country’s newest kind of “sommelier,” an olive oil expert qualified by his extensive culinary experience with Italy’s olive oil producing regions. Clairemont then crafted themed pitches to pique the interest of busy culinary writers in New York City. To accompany the pitches, we devised a media kit with one main ingredient: a wedge of Teddy’s renowned, freshly baked Sea Salt and Rosemary Focaccia. We paired the tasty sample with an opportunity for an in-person interview with Teddy as well as an invitation to the Italian Olive Oil Feast at the James Beard House. It was all in the details! We orchestrated the bread’s perfectly timed journey from Il Palio’s ovens to New York’s news desks within 24 hours.

Results

  1. Clairemont placed six national media stories in coveted outlets such as Saveur, The Daily Meal and Food Republic. Social media posts reached approximately 1.2 million followers on Twitter alone, far exceeding the original goal.
  2. As a direct result of our media kit, Clairemont secured dinner attendance from five key media from outlets like Food and Wine Magazine and NBC’s Today Show.

Bolstered by diner reviews and media coverage, Il Palio earned a Silver Medal from food critics as a “Best Restaurant in the Triangle in 2017.” In addition, the James Beard dinner sparked the “Taste of James Beard,” a collaborative dinner with leading Raleigh chefs that Chef Teddy hosted upon return, leveraging his New York trip to attract new customers and boost sales at Il Palio.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio earned a Best in Category and an Honorable Mention by the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). We are proud that this campaign represents one of the 198 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

Feature image courtesy of Sandra Benton.

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What does a PR agency do? Il Palio at the James Beard House

What does a PR agency do? Il Palio at the James Beard House

July 10, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, best restaurant in chapel hill, Creative PR, Creative Tactics, event PR, il palio, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Restaurant PR

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, wanted to break into the national culinary scene and gain acclaim as one of the leading restaurants in the Southeast. When Il Palio turned to Clairemont Communications for help, Clairemont devised a creative tactic to target the innermost circle of food influencers, the James Beard Foundation, and forge relationships between Il Palio’s chef Teddy Diggs and these national culinary gatekeepers.

STRATEGY

We positioned Chef Teddy to the James Beard Foundation as the country’s newest kind of “sommelier,” an olive oil expert, qualified by his extensive culinary experience in Italy’s olive oil producing regions. In addition, we seeded the social media landscape with posts that tied him to other James-Beard-winning chefs and James Beard Foundation activities to forge connections.

Clairemont leveraged the dinner as a news angle for busy New York food reporters. Pitches like “Olive You, Darling” utilized the upcoming Valentine’s season to include a timely editorial hook, while “Olive Oil: The New Wine” positioned olive oil as a luxurious, soiree-worthy staple for New York’s posh publications. Clairemont overnighted media kits featuring Teddy’s hallmark fresh Rosemary and Sea Salt Olive Oil Focaccia with an accompanying dinner invitation. Clairemont also leveraged the James Beard Dinner to boost visibility at home, inviting Raleigh influencers to join the dinner remotely via the James Beard live camera feed.

EXECUTION

To ensure quality from start to finish, Clairemont held weekly client meetings to discuss dinner themes, messaging and tactics. We frequently toured the kitchen, interviewed staff and observed the cooking process to accurately portray Il Palio’s specialties and culture. Clairemont provided on-site support at media interviews and the James Beard House to ensure concise messaging.

RESULTS

  1. The James Beard Foundation invited Chef Teddy to cook at the James Beard House in February 2017.
  2. Clairemont secured in-person interviews with two media and dinner attendance from five key media from outlets like Food and Wine Magazine and NBC’s Today Show, surpassing the original objectives.
  3. With the objective of three stories, Clairemont placed six national media stories by December 2017 in coveted outlets such as Saveur, The Daily Meal and Food Republic. Social media posts reached approximately 1.2 million followers on Twitter alone, far exceeding the original goal.

Clairemont successfully positioned Il Palio as a desirable, modern dining hotspot. Bolstered by diner reviews and media coverage, Il Palio earned a Silver Medal from food critics as a “Best Restaurant in the Triangle in 2017.” In addition, the James Beard dinner sparked the “Taste of James Beard,” a collaborative dinner with leading Raleigh chefs that Chef Teddy hosted upon return, leveraging his New York trip to attract new customers and boost sales at Il Palio.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio won an Honorable Mention by the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA). We are proud that this campaign represents one of the 190 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

Image courtesy of the James Beard House.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? A Taste of Italy at Il Palio

What Does a PR Agency Do? A Taste of Italy at Il Palio

December 27, 2017January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, food pr, il palio, PR social media, raleigh agency, raleigh dining

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, was in the midst of a $1 million renovation, featuring a fresh look and a revamped menu by its new chef, Teddy Diggs. Il Palio turned to Clairemont Communications to create a social media strategy that would refresh the restaurant’s image and win the hearts of young diners.

Social Media Strategy

Clairemont’s “Taste of Italy” campaign leveraged the clout of food and culinary influencers to generate awareness among the target demographic – millennial diners – and increase traffic to Il Palio. Clairemont chose to harness the broad reach of social media to efficiently and rapidly boost Il Palio’s image to a large audience.

Execution

VIP dinners at Il Palio.

Customized Experiences: Il Palio hosted a “Foodie Funday” dinner where Chef Teddy selected dishes for each blogger’s preferences. Who wouldn’t want the chef’s creation customized just for you? Chef Teddy also invited a prominent blogger into the kitchen to co-create a proprietary pizza that he named after her and featured on his menu. Chef Teddy handcrafted The Perfect Date Night Dinner for another blogger and his wife. The personalized touch struck home, producing a flurry of coverage on social media and blogs, and securing reservations.

Instagram Takeovers: To reach broader audiences, Clairemont crafted Instagram takeovers to share a visual “taste” of Teddy’s cooking. Chef Teddy helmed the Instagram of StarChefs – a culinary publication with more than 30,000 followers – during his annual trip to Italy, unveiling first his inspiration abroad and then the application back at Il Palio. In preparation for the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival, he creatively shared “a day in the life of a man who plays with fire,” with the festival’s Instagram followers, showcasing his wood-fired grill dishes. These partnerships increased visibility and boost Il Palio’s own social media metrics.

Il Palio’s Instagram Takeover with StarChefs.

Results

Il Palio – boosted by diner reviews – earned a Gold Medal from food critics as a “2016 Best Restaurant in the Triangle.” Clairemont met every goal, exceeded expectations in addition to the following results:

  1. 10 media articles/posts, reaching a combined followership of more than 50,000 followers on Twitter alone
  2. Instagram takeovers in 2016 showcased the renovated restaurant, new menu and staff personality to approximately 45,000 followers

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio earned a Best in Category in Social Media and an Award of Excellence in Social Media from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. It also earned a Platinum Award in Social Media from the Raleigh Public Relations Society. We are proud that this campaign represents two of the 175 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

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Weekly Photo: Marriott Marvel

Weekly Photo: Marriott Marvel

June 3, 2016January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Photo of the Weekhospitality PR, hotel awards, hotel PR, il palio, manager of year, marriott award, the siena hotel

We already knew that client Anthony Carey, general manager of The Siena Hotel, was a shining star in the hospitality industry. So it was no surprise (but definitely an occasion for celebration!) when he earned national acclaim as the 2016 Eastern Region Full-Service General Manager of the Year for Marriott hotels in the Americas. 

The Marriott Award

Presented by Marriott International, this accolade recognizes the premiere service and leadership of only one general manager for all full-service Marriott brands, including Marriott, JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, EDITION, Gaylord Hotels and Resorts and Autograph Collection hotels.

The Siena Hotel’s Acclaim

The Siena Hotel, the Triangle’s longest-standing AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel, touts a growing list of regional and national accolades, including the prestigious 2015 Hotel of the Year Award for the Autograph Collection in the Americas, the Marriott Service Excellence Award and 19 consecutive Four Diamond awards from AAA. The Siena is ranked number one in Staff Service Overall in the Americas as well as one of the top hotels in Overall Guest Satisfaction for all full-service brands in the Marriott portfolio, including Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott and Renaissance brands. Il Palio, The Siena’s dining establishment led by Chef Teddy Diggs, is North Carolina’s only AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant and the longest-standing Four Diamond restaurant in the state.

Congratulations, Anthony!

Oh, and we couldn’t help but include this photo as well. As a pet-friendly hotel, The Siena hosts its fair share of four-legged guests. Anthony nabbed a new friend for this snapshot!

Anthony Carey and Puppy

Check out The Siena’s other shining accomplishments!

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Photo of the Week: Foodie Dinner

Photo of the Week: Foodie Dinner

November 20, 2015January 31, 2023 Jasmin SessomsBlog, Marketing, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PRaward winning PR, creative PR agency, il palio, italian restaurant, Marketing, networking, Raleigh Public Relations Agency, Restaurant PR, Social Media

Ever wonder how foodies take such fabulous photos of mouth-watering, scrumptious-looking plates? In this case, a little teamwork makes the dream work. Check out Trish Witek’s photo of food bloggers collaborating on how to get the best shot at Il Palio’s (client) VIP foodie dinner. As one food blogger shines an iPhone flashlight onto the dish, another friend zooms in on his camera for the perfect (well-lit!) shot.

As a strategy to engage key influencers in an ever-changing food industry and to highlight the grand reopening of the restaurant, Il Palio hosted 16 of the Triangle’s leading food bloggers for a special, four-course dinner event.

Love the work we do at Clairemont? Be sure to read our other foodie posts on the blog.

 

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