Tag: PR Agency

Trends Tuesday- Triangle DQ

Jasmin SessomsBlog, The Clairemont Team, Trends, , ,

Everyone has their own way to decompress after a long week. Although I love to pamper myself with a tranquil massage or veg out on the couch for never-ending Lifetime movies, I discovered this past weekend that a quick stop to Triangle Dairy Queen satisfied my sweet tooth and had me smiling the rest of the day. Since Triangle DQ is one of our esteemed clients, I know the Blizzard menu like the back of my hand.

So what’s so prodigious about Triangle DQ you ask? For me, I love knowing there is always a new Blizzard waiting for me as soon as I step into the door. Leave the classic Neapolitan flavors behind as you bask in the glory of the Salted Caramel Truffle Blizzard of the Month. If salted caramel truffles, buttery toffee pieces, choco chunks and rich cocoa fudge – just to name a few options – aren’t enticing you into a Triangle DQ store, the new DQ Bakes items are sure to do the trick.

I was ecstatic to hear about the new menu options DQ would be introducing and the opportunity to try them out for myself. DQ Bakes is a new line that features artisan sandwiches, snack melts and deserts a la mode. If you are already in love with the traditional menu items, the new additions to the menu take your taste buds to a whole different level.

Did I mention that the Clairemont team got a VIP tasting of the new menu additions? The girls and I spent an entire lunch hour serving as official taste testers for the brand. Not only was the food delicious, but owner and operator Andy Valkanoff was one of the first in the state to offer the new menu.

But for me, the DQ treats are what are sure to keep me coming back for more. Create a special birthday with a custom DQ ice cream cake, make mom smile with a Blizzard after dinner. So this weekend, skip the massage and ditch the gym. I am sure that DQ will aid in a blissful weekend and if not, your next Blizzard is on me.

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Friday Five: 5 Office Faves

Cherith AndesBlog, Free Advice, The Clairemont Team, , ,

Since 2015 marks Clairemont’s fifth anniversary, we’re doing several lists of “fives.” It’s no lie that the Clairemont crew loves to travel; some favorite client trips include recent visits to Austin to Tampa. But since the life of a PR rep includes a fair number of days in office, I’ve curated a list of five tools that fuel my time while I’m at the Clairemont House.

1. Something Hot, Something Cold
Coffee and NalgeneWho knew that dehydration negatively affects concentration? I stay armed with a Nalgene of chilled water and a steaming cup of java—sometimes Starbucks, sometimes whatever is left over from yesterday’s coffee pot. (Don’t judge.)


2. Vitamin C for the Brain
Stephen King captured it best: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Yes, PR professionals—and Bookscommunicators in general—should regularly invest time exploring the written word. However, for afternoon slumps or mental blocks, I’ll reach for a book, a magazine, a Far Side comic—anything to introduce a fresh flow of ideas. Nationally renowned publications such as The Wall Street Journal command a distinctive cadence that I find helpful to jump-start my thoughts. I’ve perused everything from poetry (a friend of mine swears that poetry is like jumping jacks for the brain) to the back of a Cheerios box. And it works.


3. Evernote
Evernote ImageWhile the market peddles a plethora of organizational software, I’ve found a friend in Evernote, Apple’s note-taking application. Dubbed as “the workspace for your life’s work,” Evernote provides a user-friendly system for recording, curating, organizing and accessing data—from lists and tables to videos and sound bites. The functionality allows me to keep tabs on client projects with ease.

4. Kicks
AsicsThese bad boys. Nope, they’re not aesthetically appealing, and the idea of donning sneakers with my pencil skirts gives me flashbacks to that frightful skort-and-Keds trend a la 1993. But nonetheless, a brisk walk around the block does wonders to freshen my perspective, boost energy and revitalize creativity.

5. These People
It sounds like a given, but corporate America doesn’t always afford us the luxury of a collaborative environment. Clairemont TeamStruggling with a paragraph? Searching for a fresh idea? Need a hand assembling media kits? The shared passion and investment of my colleagues offer a great resource for encouragement and inspiration. And you know what? We have a lot more fun when do it together.

Pretty simple tools, right? What tips do you have for staying productive at the office?

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The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 30 – #favmoments

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Raleigh PR Agency, ,

Today is my 30th day! Woohoo! Although I thought I would have a serious sense of relief when I finished my ever-present responsibility of daily blogging, I have appreciated the experience of sharing my work days on the blog.

For 30 days, I have learned the ropes at Clairemont, and I am thrilled to share my top moments with you today.

My favorite moments at Clairemont to date: (Cheesy, but they make me grin.)

  1. Walking in on my very first day and meeting Mrs. Hughens with a smile. I was greeted with a brand new desk, a Macbook and pink accessories. I was at the first day of my first job, and I felt special.
  2. Learning all of the new apps I would be using each day. In undergrad, I only used Apple for editing in my sound and video production classes. Receiving my Macbook was confirmation that this was a fresh start.
  3. Learning about each of the clients and what my role would be on each account.
  4. Meeting Mrs. Hughens’ dog, Billy. He is a sweetie pie, and rubbing him in the office brings joy to my day.
  5. Learning how to take the initiative on my assigned tasks. I have learned to go the extra mile when researching accounts and client work.
  6. Getting a sweet treat from PDQ–the new seasonal shake, Toffee Coffee.
  7. Collaborative learning in the office. Since the office setup is so cozy, we get a chance to talk each day. If I have a quick question, there is no problem asking for help from Sarah or Cherith.
  8. The expertise of my boss. In our conversations over the past 30 days, I have had multiple opportunities to ask her opinion or counsel, and these mini lessons have given me invaluable information to help with my start in PR.
  9. The team. Every day I get the chance to work with an amazing, supportive group. I think we could conquer the PR world.
  10. My first field trip with the team. On our recent new business pitch out of the office, I got a chance to be a part of the meeting. Not only did I get the opportunity to talk to the prospective client, but I also got to sing for them!
  11. My special Valentine’s Day chocolate heart from Mrs. Hughens. I think the best part about my job is knowing that my boss cares. That’s what makes it a joy to come into work.

What was your favorite blog moment of mine?

Editor’s Note: Clairemont enthusiastically welcomes Jasmin Sessoms to our team! Follow this former beauty queen’s journey as she documents her first 30 days in a Raleigh PR agency.

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The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 29 – Snow Day

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

The winter advisory has the Clairemont team bundled up in our respective households. Today, I realized how valuable it is to have good communication with colleagues and a positive team spirit. I think teams that perform well are shown to have more positive interactions than negative ones.

I think that this reigns true on a day like today for the Clairemont team. Even though we aren’t physically together, we have spent the entire day corresponding via email and text message to stay alert on important tasks and serve our client needs. Since your workplace is where you devote countless hours of your life, getting along and working efficiently with your colleagues is imperative.

With a list of tasks for today, I set out to finish a few projects. With the  InSpire Awards‘ early bird deadline tomorrow, the team is putting together our best entries for submissions. With all of the hustle and bustle of deadlines around the office, the importance of a positive team spirit has never been more necessary. Since I wasn’t a part of the team for some of the projects being submitted for awards, I have spent most of my day putting together photo albums and media coverage reports for the awards. This requires me to be able to juggle multiple tasks at once and train my brain to quickly toggle between accounts.

The realization of how much work goes into one account amazed me. I realized while putting together coverage reports just how much goes into making sure events go seamlessly and smoothly. The team took a divide-and-conquer approach so that everyone would be able to accomplish equal amounts of work and not feel like they were responsible for more than they could handle as an individual.

So, how can you shape a successful team? Knowing that trust and respect are vital components for building relationships in the workplace, you should commit to cultivate both. You can create positive collaborations in the office by offering more praise, smiles and high fives.

How do you define a good team?

Editor’s Note: Clairemont enthusiastically welcomes Jasmin Sessoms to our team! Follow this former beauty queen’s journey as she documents her first 30 days in a Raleigh PR agency.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? T.MAC Restaurant Opening

Sarah HattmanBlog, Case Studies, Public Relations, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , ,

Client: T.MAC

Situational Analysis: The original T.MAC was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979. More than 30 years later the company has grown to include 30 restaurants – 25 of which are in Georgia. With the majority of its restaurants located in its home state, it is no surprise that T.MAC is well known there. However, T.MAC executives realized the company’s brand recognition wasn’t as strong outside of Georgia.

Until 2014, T.MAC was known as Taco Mac. In the restaurant’s early days, the founders had enough money to revamp the kitchen or change the sign outside the building that was once home to a taco stand. Ultimately, the kitchen remodel won and Taco Mac was born. The problem is that Taco Mac is known for its signature wings, not tacos. In fact, there is only one taco on its menu. T.MAC dropped the “aco” before it opened its first Triangle restaurant in Cary, but its team of executives knew they needed to do more to establish brand recognition in the months leading up to its opening, and they hired Clairemont Communications.

Planning: Based on extensive primary and secondary research, Clairemont established the objectives as follows:

  1. Develop local community relationships with T.MAC ahead of the opening, engaging at least 40 community influencers.
  2. Introduce media to T.MAC, securing at least 10 local print news stories and 25 blog and social media posts.
  3. Arrange meetings with local high schools and facilitate at least two sponsorships.
  4. Select two local non-profit organizations and donate a portion of opening week proceeds to those organizations.

Execution: In order to effectively meet the primary objectives, Clairemont focused its efforts on the following areas:

  • Local High School Sponsorships: By building relationships with local schools,  T.MAC was able to introduce itself to Cary families as part of the community and position itself as a place to hang out with teammates, friends and family. With a fall opening of the restaurant, high school football sponsorships provided opportunities to show T.MAC’s community involvement and give Cary families a reason to check out the restaurant.
  • Clairemont Social: Clairemont hosted a T.MAC social at The Clairemont House. The purpose was to give our network of contacts and influencers the opportunity to learn more about T.MAC, sample food from the menu and taste its local beer offerings and meet the T.MAC team. We hosted approximately 60 guests including media and local personalities, local business owners, hospitality professionals, leaders in the community, bloggers and foodies.
  • Media Preview Lunch: We invited targeted media to a special preview lunch at the restaurant two days prior to the opening. This allowed media to preview the restaurant and meet on-one-one with key members of the T.MAC team.
  • VIP Preview: Clairemont compiled a list of city officials, dignitaries, local media and local university administration for T.MAC to invite to special VIP dinner the evening before T.MAC opened to the public. T.MAC hosted 125 VIP’s who were able to sample the menu and beer selection for the complete T.MAC “experience.”
  • Check Presentation Event: Before T.MAC’s opening, Clairemont arranged and recommended two local non-profit organizations for T.MAC to support with money raised during the restaurant’s opening week. Less than a month after its opening, T.MAC donated $2,000 to both Life Experiences and JDFR each of the organizations. Clairemont arranged at check presentation ceremony and invited media to attend the event highlighting T.MAC as business that supports the community it serves.

Evaluation: The creative, tiered campaign exceeded expectations by engaging more than 75 target community influencers at the social at The Clairemont House, friends and family night and the VIP preview. We exceeded our goal media coverage and secured 10 traditional media placements 38 social media and blog posts, introducing T.MAC to the area. We also exceeded our goal and secured sponsorships with three local high schools. Clairemont met its goal and arranged for T.MAC to donate money to two local non-profit organizations that support the community.

We anticipate that we’ll continue to work on our goal of trying all of the beers that T.MAC has on tap for at least a few more months! In the meantime, we hope you enjoyed this Tasty Tuesday post, and stay tuned for more restaurant PR case studies that showcase the work Clairemont is doing with a variety of types of food service organizations.

Pilsner Glass

 

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