Tag: PR Intern

Finding PR in a Pandemic

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

Similar to many college students, I work in the restaurant industry. Over the years I have been asked so many questions that I have learned not to be surprised by anything. Sometimes I get wrapped up in a conversation with a customer who wants to know everything about me, where I go to school and what I want to do with my life. The one question that never fails to surprise me is “Why are you studying communication at a STEM school?” 

The question is fair, especially if the person asking knows NC State for its College of Engineering or athletics. Therefore, in my time at State, I have made it my responsibility to work hard to debunk the stereotype that you need to be focused on STEM at a mostly STEM school. My experience as a communication student has been the perfect balance of challenge and opportunity, and here’s why.

Finding Opportunities

When I came to NC State in the fall of 2018, I found my place in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, studying communication. While I had no idea what was ahead of me, I did know that I only wanted to take the bare minimum of math and science classes! I would have traded my Geology 101 class (which was NOT “rocks for jocks” like I had been told), a five-minute walk from where I lived, for the trek across campus to the Court of North Carolina for my communication, journalism and English classes any day.

Then, in spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I was finishing up my sophomore year coursework at my parents’ house, grieving what might have been a summer traveling or a high-profile internship, and scrambling to find something productive to fill my time. Spring 2020 reminds me of the restaurant slang “in the weeds.” The phrase is used to describe getting behind on a busy night, and at the time, that was exactly how I felt. In hindsight, I’m sure most everyone felt this way. But I was able to channel my “work harder” mentality inspired by a STEM school environment to help find opportunities in a doomed situation. I stayed connected to campus by writing for NC State’s student newspaper, Technician, and attending virtual events with my PRSSA chapter. When both organizations were seeking leadership for the next school year, I was ready to apply!

I couldn’t have imagined that some of my most influential experiences yet at NC State would occur during this time.

In May 2020 I was hired as a news editor for Technician and elected to the board of our PRSSA chapter. Two irreplaceable experiences I don’t believe would have been possible if everything was “normal.” Both the newspaper and PRSSA taught me more about what I wanted to do with my career than any summer internship could. I planned virtual events, networked and recruited new members to campus organizations in a time when most students were desperate for a connection to campus life. I helped lead a student newspaper through a pandemic entirely through Zoom calls while simultaneously becoming a stronger writer, student and leader. And, believe it or not, I was still able to make the most out of a summer in a pandemic!

The PRSSA E-board during our first-ever virtual ‘PR Day’ networking event in November 2020.

Joining Clairemont

While I was proud of the work I was doing, I learned that I didn’t want to be a news journalist. Inspired by my experiences with PRSSA, I decided I wanted to intern at a PR agency. 

To anyone who asks me why I study communication at a STEM school, the answer is “why not?” The relationships and experiences I have gained at NC State have led me to so many opportunities, including finding Clairemont Communications.

Joining the Clairemont team this summer is the next exciting step on my career journey. I am eager to work alongside the Clairemont team and clients, gain industry knowledge and build confidence as an aspiring PR professional. Thank you, NC State, for getting me here, I wouldn’t have it any other way!

By Clairemont intern Anna Beth McCormick, a senior at NC State University.

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Books, Backpacking and B2C

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

I grew up with my head in the clouds, and my nose in a book.

Books were my way to learn about faraway places and fascinating people. Before I discovered that I had a passion for traveling, books were my way to fly around the globe without leaving my living room. 

As I got older, I began to wonder how I could build a future out of an affinity for words. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to do much soul searching to find the perfect fit. Being the Tar Heel born-and-bred that I was, the second that I learned about UNC’s nationally top-ranked Hussman School of Journalism and Media, I was sold. 

I promise that this face doesn’t reflect my love of being a Tar Heel! 

Stumbling upon PR

In the fall of 2017, I entered the Hussman School planning to study journalism. In the spring I took a PR class as an elective and instantly fell in love. I realized that while I love to write, I love the strategy and planning that goes behind PR campaigns just as much. Writing to further strategic goals? Hello, dream job!  

Over my (almost!) four years at UNC, I’ve been fortunate enough to study abroad twice and visit 11 countries, all while earning the degree of my dreams. While studying in Sydney, Australia in the fall of 2019, I gained great first-hand PR experience on a global scale by interning with boutique PR firm Hollinshead Communications. 

At Hollinshead, I dipped my paintbrush into many buckets including working on influencer marketing campaigns and event launches. I also got to work with some amazing clients, my favorite being American Express. 

An open-air cinema event I helped plan and execute for client AmEx.

Choosing Clairemont

Even before I decided to apply to a job with Clairemont, I had admired the firm’s work for quite some time. However, it wasn’t until my interview that I knew Clairemont was the right fit for me. 

At the time, I was nearing the year-and-a-half mark of working as a communications intern for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Information Technology Services (ITS). I loved every second of my internship but knew that it was time to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. 

At ITS, I was trusted to work on many different projects, from writing blogs and social media posts to editing videos and taking professional headshots. Because of this experience, I wanted to find the opportunity to continue producing meaningful work in my next internship. 

During my interview with Clairemont, I instantly fell in love with the girl-boss atmosphere at the firm. It was also clear that I wouldn’t be expected to fill my time with coffee grabbing, but would get to exercise my creativity on client projects. 

I am ecstatic to join the Clairemont team and learn more about PR every step of the way.

By Clairemont intern Anne Claire Foreman, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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The Latest Adventure For Our New Intern

Clairemont InternBlog, The Clairemont Team, Travel, , , , ,

More than anything, I’m a writer. I love the beautiful ways words come together to convey emotion and ideas. This love for writing shaped my time at UNC-Chapel Hill, where I recently graduated with a degree in English and minors in public relations and creative writing. In fact, public relations’ capacity for storytelling is what initially drew me to this field. Crafting a narrative across all types of content is so important for any brand, whether through blog posts, witty social media captions or succinct press releases. PR affords me the platform to put my skills in writing to professional use. It also ensures variety, because every day is a new challenge with new tasks to tackle. I’m so excited to learn more about the PR industry during my time at Clairemont Communications, where I know that the close-knit environment will offer many opportunities to exercise my creativity and take ownership of projects.

My curiosity and eagerness to learn new things has made travel another passion of mine. During my junior year of college, I studied abroad for four months in Reims, France, which is a small city in the Champagne region. During my time there, I traveled to seven different countries, improved my French, grew more independent, and— perhaps most importantly— became a Champagne snob! I’ve always been taken with France’s beautiful language and laidback culture, so having the chance to live there and try an endless number of pastries was beyond fabulous.

In my last semester at UNC, I took a travel writing class that inspired me to seek adventure and discover new places. So, although it may be unconventional, at the end of the summer I will move to Lyon, France for a year to be an au pair. This experience will not only be personally enriching but also professionally beneficial as I will gain skills in leadership, cross-cultural communication and conversational French. It also doesn’t hurt that Lyon is the food capital of France, and I am a self-professed foodie! As I am interested in PR, content creation and freelance journalism, I hope to merge my skills in creativity and writing with my love for travel in a future career.

Fun Facts:

  • I make a mean cheese board and an even meaner lemon pie.
  • I adore Shakespeare, and (to my friends’ horror) have been known to quote passages of Macbeth at random. If I’m feeling really spunky I’ll even dust off my Chaucerian Middle English!
  • I am a California girl and a Carolina girl because I grew up on both coasts.
  • Dogs, shoes and tacos are a sure-fire way to my heart.
  • If I see a book sale, there is no force in the world that can stop me from browsing.

If your inner wanderlust has been calling to you as well, check out this post about the curiosity-sparking, mind-opening benefits of exploration!

Written by Clairemont intern Piper Anderson, a recent graduate of UNC.

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Crisis Com: A Crock-Pot Crack Up

Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , ,

NBC’s hit TV series “This Is Us” wrapped up an emotional third season last week. Since fans are still reeling from the dramatic ending, I can’t help but think back to the events that played out after last year’s season finale, bringing together a few of my favorite things: Crock-Pot, a strategic PR crisis plan and actor Milo Ventimiglia. (I bet you didn’t ever expect those three things in the same sentence.)

For Ashley Mowrey, director of global social media marketing, Newell Brands, January 24 of last year was just a typical morning. She woke up at 6 a.m. to get ready and picked up her phone to scroll through Twitter. Almost immediately she realized that the Newell brand Crock-Pot was trending. Sure, we all love a classic Crock-Pot dinner, but even she could admit that Crock-Pot trending on Twitter was a little unusual. Little did Mowrey know, one of the most unusual crises she had ever encountered was beginning to take form.

So what was it that led Crock-Pot to be a hot-topic item on Twitter? The night before “This Is Us” had finally revealed to fans how beloved protagonist and fictional father Jack Pearson was killed. A slow cooker identical to the Crock-Pot had caught on fire after the family’s Super Bowl party, burning down their Pittsburgh home and killing Jack Pearson.

“This Is Us” fans were both outraged and devastated at the loss of a character who had won over the hearts of so many. They  immediately took to Twitter by storm. Fans tweeted videos of themselves throwing away their Crock-Pots, and some vowed never to use their Crock-Pot again. Luckily, Mowrey and the crisis management team with help from Edelman reacted strategically, and here are six lessons we can pull from the Crock-Pot playbook.

1. Choose your social media platform strategically.

Majority of the outrage towards Crock-Pot was surfacing on Twitter, a platform that (surprisingly) Crock-Pot was not using. Knowing the brand would have to react fast to douse the emotional flames, Mowrey instructed her team to create a Twitter account, @CrockPotCares. The brand began using the hashtag #CrockPotIsInnocent, so they could respond to people who were questioning the safety of their slow cooker and demanding a Crock-Pot boycott.

2. Be empathetic and genuine.

Even though the death of Jack Pearson was completely fictional, the team had to be empathetic and aware that fans were grieving. The loss of this character felt very real. All of Crock-Pot’s responses to Twitter fans were genuine, reassuring and also interwoven with facts that backed up the safety and quality of the Crock-Pot brand.

In addition to their Twitter account, they posted a message to Facebook, adorned with broken heart emojis and a heartfelt response:

“THIS IS US SPOILER ALERT. We’re still trying to mend our heart after watching This Is Us on Tuesday night. America’s favorite dad and husband deserved a better exit and Crock-Pot shares in your devastation. Don’t further add to this tragedy by throwing your Crock-Pot Slow Cooker away. It’s hard to pass something down from generation to generation if you throw it away (grandma won’t be too happy). Spending time with his family while enjoying comfort food from his Crock-Pot was one of his favorite things to do. Let’s all do our part and honor his legacy in the kitchen with Crock-Pot.”

3. Go the extra mile to make consumers happy.

Crock-Pot’s response went beyond what was expected. Instead of just releasing a traditional press release online, the team knew they had to level with “This Is Us” Twitter fans on the same platform and acknowledge what had happened on the show. The empathetic responses and personal touch (Crock-Pot went as far as gifting a distraught “This Is Us” fan a Crock-Pot for her wedding registry) gave them a leg up is resolving the crisis. They took the time to respond to every concerned “This Is Us” fan on social media instead of waiting for it to blow over.

4. Get creative with your strategy.

This was not a crisis that the brand could have ever predicted. Crock-Pot did nothing wrong, yet found itself pulled into the middle of a fictional death catastrophe that rattled consumers and left them questioning its products. So how do you respond to an issue that isn’t part of your crisis plan? Mowrey ditched the traditional handbook and got creative. Crock-Pot teamed up with “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman and actor Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Jack Pearson) to craft a well-planned Super Bowl ad that cleared the air for Crock-Pot.

5. Tell a compelling story.

In the ad, Milo Ventimiglia delivers a message to fans ahead of last year’s Super Bowl match-up, reminding audiences to find the ability to forgive … followed by a close-up of a Crock-Pot and the hashtag #CrockPotIsInnocent. The ad was a smashing success with viewers and one of the most watched Super Bowl ads of the season. In addition to their Super Bowl coverage, Crock-Pot partnered up with the Ellen DeGeneres show. When Ventimiglia appeared on Ellen, he made sure to defend the Crock-Pot brand, and fans at the taping of the show were gifted Crock-Pot appliances and gift cards. When it comes to spinning negative publicity into great publicity, Crock-Pot knew what they were doing. Between the Super Bowl ad and the rave reviews from the tv show’s cast members, Crock-Pot had solidified its version of the story in a way that caught the public’s attention.

6. Utilize the brand’s loyal followers.

Additionally, Crock-Pot enlisted the help of its trusty consumers. Crock-Pot has a loyal brand following, including many consumers who have used their slow cookers for years. They were quick to defend the Crock-Pot when the Twitter conversation began to unravel, which was a reassuring testimony to Crock-Pot of its faithful buyers.

A Crisis Communications Success Story

From Ventimiglia’s Super Bowl Ad to #CrockPotIsInnocent trending, the conversation began to shift in a matter of days in a favorable direction. Sales for the brand even saw an increase in weeks following the “This Is Us” episode, and Crock-Pot began selling personalized Pittsburgh Steeler Crock-Pots in honor of Jack Pearson.

Even though Mowrey’s head still starts to spin when she thinks back to that morning on January 24, she is proud of the work her team accomplished to resolve the crisis. This is a prime example of an issue that is completely unpredictable, but when handled right, can be a valuable lesson  for crisis communication professionals everywhere.

Want to read about another one of my favorite PR crisis recoveries? Check out my blog on Zion Williamson’s broken shoe, and Nike’s strategy to make (literal) amends.

Written by Alex Davis-Isaac, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. She heard Ashley Mowrey speak on the Crock-Pot crisis this past January at the Atlanta PRSA convention. 



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Meet Alex, Clairemont Intern

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

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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