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Tag: Restaurant PR

The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 27- New Biz

The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 27- New Biz

February 13, 2015January 31, 2023 Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Jobcreative PR agency, networking, new business, Raleigh PR Agency, Restaurant PR2 Comments on The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 27- New Biz

The Clairemont team is always on the go. With coffees in the morning, lunch meetings in the afternoon, and business meetings in the evening the team has a lot on its plate. Since I am still relatively new to Clairemont, I haven’t had the opportunity to have many trips out of the office. My days are spent engulfed in client work including research, social media planning and media coverage reports.

Yesterday, I got to attend my first meeting with a potential client, and happy doesn’t begin to describe my feelings about it. We “suited up” for the occasion and ironically all of our outfits coordinated. Although we didn’t plan it, I think cosmically our closets were intertwined. We all showed up wearing a shade of  Marsala – Pantone’s color of the year.

At the meeting, I had the chance to talk directly to the potential client. I started with a short anecdote about the backstory of how Mrs. Hughens sent me the offer for my very first job. I told them all about how she inquired about my favorite color and birthday. I was honored and impressed that she took the time to ask and make little old me feel so special.

I explained how that attention to detail is the Clairemont difference. Not only do we take the time to make sure the work is done right, we also strive to ensure that the work we do takes each account to the next level. The potential client thanked me for sharing and said that it aided in the decision making process.

Mrs. Hughens asked me to sing to close out the meeting. I hurriedly decided to sing Mariah Carey’s “Hero.” I think the lyrics describe Mrs. Hughens as the hero of Clairemont. With her expertise, new and existing clients can find the strength to carry on in their company.

Here is the snippet of what I sang:

And then a hero comes along
With the strength to carry on
And you cast your fears aside
And you know you can survive
So when you feel like hope is gone
Look inside you and be strong
And you’ll finally see the truth
That a hero lies in us (Clairemont)

I know it’s awful redundant, but everyday I realize this job is perfect for me. Sure, I have a copious amount to learn about PR, but I am confident in my aptitudes and where I fit in this team. I hope we receive good news about this account, but if not at least we know the team made a lasting impression.

Sometimes, being successful is simply the joy in knowing how you made someone feel. So my first “field trip” went well and I am looking forward to the day where I am off to new business coffees and lunches on my own.

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

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

February 10, 2015January 31, 2023 Sarah HattmanBlog, Case Studies, Public Relations, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PRaward winning PR, Clairemont Communications, PR Agency, Restaurant 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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The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 23 – DQ Cakes

The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 23 – DQ Cakes

February 9, 2015January 31, 2023 Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, Raleigh PR Agency, Wonderfully RandomRestaurant PR, the clairemont team, Triangle DQ

Sprinkles and icing and cakes! Oh my! Yesterday, the Clairemont team hosted a Frozen-themed Valentine’s Day event for one of our beloved clients,  Triangle Dairy Queen. After much planning and preparing, the day had finally approached us. Dairy Queen is famed for its ice cream cakes, and we wanted to give them an official introduction to our friends at Clairemont.

This event turned into a bona fide cake-decorating, finger-licking, Queen-Elsa-spotting party. Kids of all ages flocked from near and far to decorate a sweet treat for their moms and dads. With a little inspiration from the Dairy Queen team, cake beautifying began.

I think that the most gratifying moment of this event was to see the children’s faces brighten when they spotted their favorite Disney character, Queen Elsa, walk up to aid with their designs. What makes DQ cakes so special? All of the cakes at the Triangle Dairy Queen locations are made fresh in-house and are fully customizable for every occasion.

For more than 70 years, DQ has been crafting delicious treats for the entire family. The key to Dairy Queen’s success is simple: a combination of hard-working staff and great-tasting food. With three Triangle locations under our client’s belt, he and his staff are strongly embedded in the local culture and enjoy giving back to the community.

Although much has changed in the world since Dairy Queen’s inception, one constant has remained: DQ restaurants are still the place to find friends celebrating a birthday, stopping by after a date or simply enjoying a sweet treat. If you can’t think of a gift for Valentine’s Day, pop into Dairy Queen and request a custom-made ice cream cake for your sweetie. Dairy Queen’s scrumptious flavors combined with the staff’s boundless design expertise will provide the perfect treat to “heat up” your holiday.

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The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 22 – PDQ Shake

The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 22 – PDQ Shake

February 6, 2015January 31, 2023 Jasmin SessomsBlog, Clairemont Client News, Entry-Level PR Job, Raleigh PR Agencyfood pr, PR Agency, Raleigh PR, Restaurant PR

During a team lunch yesterday, we enjoyed a scrumptious treat. PDQ, one of our clients, has recently unveiled its newest seasonal shake, Toffee Coffee. Ready for the official review? The taste is mind-blowing. Decadent toffee pieces mix with the layers of rich coffee flavor for an indulgent melt-in-your-mouth experience. I have to warn you: this shake may lead to instantaneous happiness as well as an uncontrollable need to sing, dance and “shake” it out! We certainly couldn’t resist!

https://clairemontcommunications.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Shake-It-Off.m4v

Craving it already? PDQ, a fresh, fast-casual restaurant, offers multiple locations throughout the Triangle, plenty of opportunities to get your “toffee fix”! And please join us in congratulating PDQ as it opens its newest location this Sunday, February 8, in Winston-Salem. (Lucky Winston-Salem!)

Be sure to pop by PDQ and “Shake It Off” with a little Toffee Coffee this weekend.

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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Let’s Eat Cake: Clairemont is Five!

Let’s Eat Cake: Clairemont is Five!

January 5, 2015January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Public Relations, Raleigh PR Agencyaward winning PR, Furniture PR, Public Relations, Raleigh PR, real estate PR, Restaurant PR1 Comment on Let’s Eat Cake: Clairemont is Five!

It seems like yesterday that I tacked Monty Hagler’s letter on my wall announcing that RLF Communications had hit that important milestone of five years in business. “Wow,” I thought, “What an accomplishment! I can’t wait to say that for Clairemont.”

When you start a company, you read all kinds of scary facts about the number of businesses that never make it to a fifth anniversary. Thankfully, the days where doubts crept in have been far outweighed by the days that my inner voice shouted, “Woohoo, we are doing this! It is really happening!”

So many things have been learned including the fact that when you start a PR agency, it is hard to determine “the” day that you become official. Was it the day we got the business license? Was it the day we signed a lease? (Buying The Clairemont House two years later trumps that, though!) Was it the day we got our first client? Because of this, we plan to celebrate all year. We’re kicking off the festivities starting today since it was five years ago today that I didn’t go to work somewhere else due to the fact that I had announced the day before that I was starting a new agency.

It was also on this day in 2010 that I first blogged as Clairemont’s CEO and promised, amongst other things, random dancing. We’ll mark this milestone by dancing for five minutes on the hour for five hours today on the Clairemont porch. If you are local, please join us. Otherwise, feel free to cut a rug from where you are, but we’ll only believe you if you send us a video we can post on our Facebook page.

We have some exciting things in the works for 2015 and our fifth anniversary. Five seems to be a magical number for us right now. Check back here for more on all that real soon. Love and hugs to everyone who has cheered us on as we’ve felt like the Little Engine That Could! xoxox –D

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Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media pl Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media platform? It’s called Threads, and it’s being referred to as “the new Twitter.” Read everything you need to know about Threads in our latest blog post - link in bio!
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We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned We are so excited to share that Clairemont earned eight awards, five gold🥇and three silver🥈, at this year's Sir Walter Raleigh Awards hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society!🎉 We are beyond grateful to work with so many amazing partners, clients and industry friends!
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