Tag: Raleigh PR Agency

Quality Over Quantity: Why I Stuck with Clairemont

Clairemont InternBlog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team, , , , ,

It wasn’t long before I knew I really liked working at Clairemont. Within the first week, I dove head-first into follow-up calls, blog posts and coverage reports – the building blocks of PR that I’d practiced in classes and previous internships.

James Huff, chef at Babalu Tapas & Tacos, teaches WRAL’s Kathy Hanrahan how to make its delicious guacamole in the week before the restaurant’s opening.

What captured me most about Clairemont, however, was the opportunities it provided me to interact directly with clients. On my second day, I met a Clairemont team member at Babalu Tapas & Tacos, a Chapel Hill restaurant for which Clairemont planned a grand opening. I witnessed media interviews, listened to Clairemont strategize with the Babalu marketing team and talked with the owner about his journey to Chapel Hill.

In essence, I quickly learned that Clairemont was a good fit for me.

Throughout the fall semester, I gained on-site experience with various clients and strengthened my writing, pitching and researching skills. I felt challenged and excited by the work; I felt proud of what I produced and eager to learn from the Clairemont team. Clairemont’s welcoming and intimate environment allowed me to feel not only part of the team but also at home.

So, naturally, I didn’t want my time with Clairemont to end when the fall semester did. I decided to extend my internship through the spring semester, a decision that marks the purpose of this post. Aside from simply enjoying the workplace, there are valuable reasons to lengthen an internship, especially one with a PR agency.

Why Stay?

Students pose with Andy Valkanoff, owner of Triangle Dairy Queen, who launched their award-winning Blizzard contraption at the DQ Upside-Down or Free Competition.

Improve the quality of your work: Products you create are stronger and completed more quickly when you know what your clients need and what your supervisors expect. You learn these things with time, so the longer you stay with an internship, the faster you’ll be able to churn out work that satisfies those needs.

Deepen the nature of your work: Fully understanding your clients and their PR needs can take months. With that sound familiarity under your belt, you can deepen your involvement with them by taking on bigger projects and greater responsibilities. You may even play a larger hand at strategizing campaigns for clients, which furthers your experience as a PR pro.

Strengthen connections: It’s no secret that relationships also develop with time. Lengthening your internship experience allows you to cultivate client relationships that are built on communication, understanding and trust. You’ll also strengthen connections with your coworkers and supervisors, who serve as mentors on the job and key resources for career guidance.

The Clairemont team showcases its hard work recognized at the 2017 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication.

Moreover, deciding to stay with an internship signals that you’re in tune with yourself. As you move through different work experiences, you discover which elements create your dream workplace. Especially in the PR world, no two agencies operate identically; each has its own culture, clients, specialties, employees … you get the picture. Embrace the variety, and recognize when an internship aces your checklist.

I’m thankful for Clairemont’s significant role in my blossoming PR career. It’s great to be back.

Written by Clairemont intern Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Wendell Falls Busts Real Estate Myths

Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , ,

Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential developer, launched its newest master-planned community – Wendell Falls – in May 2015. Newland turned to Clairemont Communications to showcase the strengths of eastern Wake County and unveil the community as the conveniently located living destination that it is.

Strategy

Clairemont crafted a strategy that incorporated media relations, special events and community partnerships. Since research showed that buyers valued a sense of community, our methods highlighted the fun, relational atmosphere at Wendell Falls and provided opportunities for audiences to interact with the brand, whether through online campaigns or in-person events. 

Method

The Hoedown Showdown: Clairemont worked with Wendell Falls to plan a barn-raising themed celebration to commemorate the community’s first anniversary. Clairemont created the Wendell Falls Hoedown Showdown, a celebrity square-dancing competition hosted at the anniversary event. We invited TV, print and online personalities to do-si-do for a little dough ($1,000) to donate to a charity of his or her choice. Media received creative invitations that included a “wanted” poster and a cowboy hat, which one TV reporter even sported on her morning show! Clairemont successfully recruited nine media representatives to compete and another three influencers to judge the competition, resulting in print and television coverage as well as influencer posts to approximately 52,200 followers on Twitter alone.

Jam with Us! – Community Events: To attract prospective homebuyers, Clairemont ditched standard home tours and helped to launch a series of creative on-site events. Since the information center is called the “Farmhouse,” the team rolled out Farmhouse Jams, an outdoor summer concert series featuring local bands and Grounds Café’s “brews and brews,” the on-site café’s beer and coffee. Holiday Sip and Shops attracted home shoppers to peruse Raleigh’s finest hand-crafted gifts, and open-house weekends were transformed into themed celebrations highlighting unexpected home features.

Hand-in-Hand – Partnerships: Clairemont aligned Wendell Falls with key local organizations to increase visibility and connection with the community. For example, during the Eastern Carolina Farm Tour, Wendell Falls launched a family friendly party bus to chauffeur families to tour local farms while they enjoyed, food, beverages and activities.

And…action! – Videos: To combat the perception that Wendell Falls is remotely located, Clairemont conceptualized a “Faster Than” video challenge. Team members “raced” in their cars from a starting point in downtown Raleigh to several prominent suburbs, including Wendell Falls. The contest, captured via mounted GoPro cameras, revealed that drivers can get to Wendell Falls from downtown Raleigh faster than to other surrounding areas. Clairemont also created a video – titled “Our Coffee Cares” – to unveil the story of the Guatemalan family that selects and sources the coffee for Grounds, the on-site café at Wendell Falls.

Beyond the Books – School Campaign: Clairemont did a little homework to bust the myth that the area’s education was subpar. Based on extensive tours and interviews, we first developed a resource to “unveil your child’s future.” This brochure, webpage and blog series highlighted Wendell’s “hidden gem” – a surprising variety of academic options, programs and tracks. The campaign prompted the marketing manager to dub it “the best school tool we’ve had to date!”

Creative Media Pitches: Clairemont brainstormed creative angles beyond home construction to pique the interest of reporters. Our pitches showcased Wendell Falls’ commitment to green building along with the vibrant community lifestyle.

Results

In direct correlation with our stated objectives above, we met every goal, exceeded expectations and produced the following results:

  1. Clairemont secured a total of 13 news stories and blogs.
  2. Special events drew an aditional 1,800 people on-site.
  3. Home sales increased by 250 percent in 2016.

Clairemont successfully positioned Wendell Falls as one of the top places to live in Wake County, efforts that have helped Wendell Falls meet its annual sales goal and earned the community the title as Best Master Planned Community in East Wake County by The News & Observer.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Wendell Falls earned a Platinum Award in Organizational Identity/Promotion 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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Clairemont’s Holiday Gift Guide

Cherith AndesBlog, In Our Community, The Clairemont Team, , ,

‘Tis the season for spiced lattes and Santa’s sleigh! Since the Triangle is brimming with exceptional craftsmanship, like vinyl hand bags and award-winning bakeries, we’ve curated treasures for our own holiday gift guide. Hidden nooks, surprising gems and even well-loved hotspots — give these goodies a gander!

Best of the South Basket

Vita Vite

Raleigh’s beloved wine bar and art gallery doesn’t just offer memorable sips and savory bites. Tastemaker and owner Lindsay selects hallmarks from southern artisans — an array of whimsical wares, delightful reads and scrumptious flavors. Her stylish gift basket might feature a savory sauce, wine-themed candles, Bloody Mary mix or the Garden & Gun Southerner’s Handbook. Stop by Vita Vite to collect your own treasure basket, and check out her retail selection for other goodies, like a wine bag or decanter. And of course, peruse VV’s collection of local southern art — distinct pieces perfect for a holiday gift.

Chocolate Bars, Boxes and Bon Bons

Videri Chocolate Factory

Image courtesy of Videri.

Local favorites Sam and Starr Ratto take chocolate from cocoa bean to Christmas blessing. Luscious, gourmet chocolates include festive holiday bark and collections of truffles, like Bourbon, Maple Curry Caramel and Cranberry Ganache truffles (with a whiff of rosemary). Or ask the master chocolatiers to select their prize favorites in a personalized box — packaged, ribbon-wrapped and ready for under the tree!

 

The Gift of Health (and abs)

Image courtesy of barre3.

barre3

Located in Raleigh’s Five Points, barre3 offers a heart-pumping deep-muscle workout by combining functional training with ballet barre, pilates and yoga. We love the spa-esque studio, complete with towel service, purified water and, of course, a play lounge for the kiddos. The small class sizes and wide offerings accommodate any schedule, from you brave 6 a.m.-ers to the late-evening exercisers. Gift a membership!

The Gift of Relaxation

Spectiv

Image courtesy of Spectiv.

Let’s face it. Meditation is hard — especially amidst the holiday hustle. But what if you could give that special someone the gift of relaxation that doubles as an interior design and party planning feature? Now you can with Spectiv — a TV channel that streams 4K content, creating a relaxing atmosphere with beautiful scenery. From Alabama to Italy…from snowy peaks to sandy shores, you can take your room somewhere new that matches your mood and provides calm and clarity. As a bonus, you can choose art for your walls with Spectiv or set a backdrop for an event — like a white Christmas for your holiday party. At $9.99 per month on Apple TV or Roku, this one’s an affordable luxury. 

Stocking Stuffer Paradise

Briggs Hardware

Image courtesy of Briggs Hardware.

We just can’t help ourselves with this one. Briggs Hardware, nestled downtown on Hargett Street, spruces up the traditional stock of rakes and brooms with a cornucopia of delightful gifts. In addition to customizable gift baskets, they display everything from teddy bears to special sauces to craft beer tap handles. Grab a box of Chapel Hill Toffee or a prized Melissa Doug toy for the tyke.

Supper for Your Soiree (Did you know?!)

Mellow Mushroom

Image courtesy of Mellow Mushroom.

We think this might be Raleigh’s best-kept catering secret! Give yourself the gift of a stress-free office party or holiday gala; let someone else do the cooking. Mellow Mushroom has transformed its signature flavors into a crowd-pleasing catering menu that is so much more than just pizza. From bruschetta to triple-chocolate brownies, you can customize a spread of fresh, flavorful dishes.

Happy holidays and happy shopping! Got any favorites we should mention? Go on — tell us!

 

 

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What Does a PR Agency Do? Unlocking Your Child’s Future

Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studies, , , , , , ,

Newland Communities, the country’s most prominent privately held residential developer, launched its newest master-planned community – Wendell Falls – in May of 2015. Since many families choose their homes based on the quality of the closest school system, Newland turned to Clairemont Communications to unveil the strengths of eastern Wake County’s academics and position Wendell Falls as a popular living destination for families.

Strategy and Tactics

Clairemont crafted a comprehensive strategic campaign to target families with school-aged children seeking homes in the Triangle area. As a component of the campaign, our team set the objective to develop an informative external publication highlighting the school system’s strengths to ambassadors and prospects. The touchstone publication supported a larger strategy to boost home sales by 100 percent in 2016.

Execution

Clairemont decided to craft a brochure that was clear, concise and easily portable, giving realtors the ability to physically pass them out without weighing them down from too much information. Our goal was to make the information readily available to realtors when they were asked questions about Wake County schools and to showcase the quality of education that the school system has to offer the prospective homebuyers and their families.

Results

Clairemont met the stated objective and far exceeded expectations, successfully creating an attractive, informative publication for  homebuyers and ambassadors. Complemented by additional family-centric marketing, sales increased by approximately 250 percent in 2016. Clairemont’s brochure even prompted one Wendell Falls representative to tout it as “the best school tool we’ve had to date!”

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Wendell Falls earned an Award of Excellence and a Best in Category from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America. We are proud that this campaign represents one 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.

*Cover image courtesy of Wendell Falls.

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“Out-of-Office” Outdated?

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , ,

When prepping for PTO, your mind is fixated on your much-anticipated, well-deserved time away, not on your out-of-office (“OOO”) email message.

However, take a moment to consider your OOO response. The tone, content and very existence of OOO messages have been thrown into the hot seat recently, as professionals debate what makes the ideal OOO message, if one at all. Here, we present the varying viewpoints. With which OOO response do you recommend?

The Traditional OOO: Direct, Short and Helpful

Supporters of the classic OOO message stand by its professional, succinct nature. CEO of officebroker.com Chris Meredith proffered 10 tips to crafting the effective, tried-and-true OOO email. The traditional OOO message doesn’t detail why you’re away, nor is it rude, funny or too friendly. It provides alternate contact details and correctly states when you’ll be back. Short, sweet and to the point.

The Revolutionized OOO: Clever and FunnySpice up your OOO message with a picture of baby sloths.

Visionary employees threw a curveball in the OOO email conversation and seized the email’s potential to “show your personality, generate leads and entertain your audience.” Content writers for Yesware and Travel and Leisure illustrate original approaches to the message, such as using it as a marketing opportunity (“I’m not here, but in the meantime, check out …”). Employees can exercise their rhyming skills in a poem or hone their sarcastic humor using witty jokes. Heck, even include a GIF or photo of adorable animals for good measure. Although unorthodox, the messages showcase creativity and appear more personalized to recipients.

The Outdated OOO?

Still, other professionals disagree with OOO emails altogether, deeming them unnecessary and unrealistic. The Huffington Post notes that even when physically An honest OOO email response by an overthinker.out of the office, employees likely have access to and check their email. Investment News criticizes OOO messages as a “terrible client touch point.” In order to maintain strong relationships with their clients, employees should remain available in the wake of immediate crises (and in PR, that’s one of our raisons d’être).

With such contrasting positions on OOO messages, it’s clear that no consensus has been reached on the issue. Ideally, the OOO email should strike a balance between (1) fulfilling your job duties even when off the clock, such as in the event of emergencies, and (2) allowing yourself to enjoy the vacation. Perhaps replacing the “out of office” expression with “currently unplugged from technology” may reflect a more realistic scenario.

What’s been your go-to OOO response? Before your next vacation, take some time to reassess in which camp you stand. Doing so will ensure that your clients and coworkers are appeased when you’re not there.

Written by Clairemont Intern Elizabeth Comtois, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

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