Tag: Triangle PR

PR People: Elizabeth Poindexter

Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relations, , , , , , ,

Elizabeth Poindexter

Job title and function: I am the director of communications for the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Allied Health Sciences, a position I’ve held since October 2015. Our department is fairly complex. It houses seven different programs (including physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology), in addition to several other programs and centers. I plan our department’s internal and external communication efforts. Internal efforts include our departmental e-newsletter, internal communications alongside the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Health Care, clinic updates and donor relations. Externally, we promote our students, faculty and staff in a variety of different settings, including through earned media and owned media outlets.

Most rewarding thing about working in PR today: For me, promoting meaningful work is the most rewarding part of working in PR. Even though our department’s work is complex, I love distilling that work into meaningful stories that are easy to relate to for an outside audience. Not everyone knows about Allied Health, but almost everyone knows someone who has worked with a therapist or clinician regardless of the discipline. Forming a connection in someone’s mind between our work and how it relates to them is very rewarding, whether we are communicating with potential students, donors, faculty members or others. Similarly, with my background in broadcast journalism, it is rewarding to continue to do that type of work through different avenues, and I love having a more tailored, fine-tuned message to constantly promote.

Craziest/most challenging thing you’ve done in PR: One adjustment I made in my current role included re-evaluating how my degree in journalism could still be a strong suit in the world of PR. There are several aspects I’ve carried over: the ability to write well, working on deadlines and interview skills. Other skills, such as maintaining objectivity, are an example of something I’ve had to occasionally reconsider. At the end of the day, I work to put our department’s best interests at the forefront of our communication and don’t necessarily approach that work as I would have in the newsroom.

Advice for new PR pros: If you haven’t worked in journalism or learned about it, you should! That is the one piece of advice I constantly repeat. My time in the newsroom definitely helped me understand what it is really like to work alongside PR professionals, and it also motivated me to do a good job once I transitioned into PR. I also recommend continuing to learn about new skills or ideas as the landscape of PR and communication changes; good PR doesn’t always mean a well-crafted press release.

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Sarah Hattman, APR is president-elect for the North Carolina chapter of Public Relations Society of America and has been working in PR since she left television news. She grew up in North Carolina and was excited to move back to her home state in 2012 and then join Clairemont Communications, a Raleigh PR agency. 
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Il Palio, Siena Hotel Hire Clairemont

Cherith AndesBlog, Clairemont Client News, Restaurant PR + Hospitality PR, , , , , , ,

Raleigh PR Agency Represents Top Autograph Collection Hotel in the Americas

Clairemont Communications, a full-service public relations agency with a focus on blending traditional communications and social media, has been named agency of record for Il Palio and The Siena Hotel Autograph Collection, the Triangle’s longest-standing AAA-rated Four Diamond restaurant and hotel.

Located in Chapel Hill, N.C., The Siena Hotel selected Clairemont to devise a long-term public relations strategy and spearhead communications during a major renovation to Il Palio, the boutique hotel’s premiere Italian restaurant. The Siena recently secured the Hotel of the Year Award for the Autograph Collection in the Americas by Marriott International.

“As we revitalize our classic ambience to showcase our modern feel, we understand the challenges of commanding the attention of fresh audiences,” said Anthony Carey, general manager, The Siena Hotel. “With a proven track record of creating award-winning PR campaigns, Clairemont is the ideal choice to escort us through this next phase of growth.”

Teddy Diggs, executive chef, Il Palio
Teddy Diggs, executive chef, Il Palio

Clairemont will work with The Siena Hotel executive team to unveil new features of Il Palio, the hotel’s Italian restaurant, including a structural overhaul by New City Design. Culinary innovations, led by acclaimed Chef Teddy Diggs, will include a custom-designed wood-fired grill—one of the few in the Triangle region—a chef’s table and an open kitchen. Upon re-opening in September, Chef Diggs will debut an expanded menu designed to highlight regional Italian cooking and reflect discoveries from his culinary tour of Italy, such as hand-made pastas and simple, rustic flavors expertly crafted with the wood-fired grill.

“We’re honored to work with The Siena Hotel to reintroduce Il Palio to its loyal customer base as well as to open the doors to a new generation of diners and foodies in the Triangle,” said Dana Hughens, chief executive officer, Clairemont Communications.

Clairemont Communications, has provided strategic public relations counsel for a variety of award-winning clients, including restaurants such as PDQ, T.MAC and Grounds Café. Additionally, Clairemont’s experience spans a range of industries, from real estate with Newland Communities and education with Kenan-Flagner School of Business to furniture and home interiors with clients such as FurnitureLand South, Thomasville Furniture and Drexel-Heritage. Clairemont’s campaigns have garnered 106 industry awards from the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA) and Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS), recognizing strategic excellence in social media, media relations, community relations and event marketing in just five years.

Inspired by the beauty of Italy and located in Chapel Hill, N.C., The Siena Hotel is the premiere Autograph Collection Marriott hotel in the Americas. As the Triangle’s longest-standing AAA-rated Four Diamond hotel, The Siena offers an elegant European escape with 79 luxury rooms, 4,000 square feet of special event space and unparalleled onsite dining at renowned Il Palio restaurant. Legendary hospitality and elegant European architecture coupled with innovative services has earned The Siena the Hotel of the Year Award for the Autograph Collection in the Americas by Marriott International. The Siena Hotel is nestled just 1.5 miles from the heart of Chapel Hill with a convenient 15-minute drive to RDU International Airport, Duke University and the Research Triangle Park. For more information or to make reservations, visit www.thesienahotel.com or call 800-223-7379.

Il Palio is an award-winning Italian dining destination in Chapel Hill, N.C. and the premiere restaurant of The Siena Hotel Autograph Collection. Consistently awarded Four Diamonds by AAA and acclaimed by Conde’ Nast, Il Palio marries the traditional flavors of Italy with a casual elegance that showcases the culinary roots of rustic Italian cooking. Il Palio features wine from Italy’s 21 regions and vintifications produced in every corner of the Italian Peninsula, a selection that earned Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence. Executive Chef Teddy Diggs brings robust training from the Culinary Institute of America along with rich national experience, including appointments in the Washington D.C. dining spotlight and tenure at Martha’s Vineyard. Il Palio offers breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Sunday with a special brunch on Sundays. For more information, visit www.sienahotel.com/il-palio or call 800-223-7379.

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InSpire to Go Digital in 2015

Sarah HattmanAwards, Blog, Professional Development, Trends, , , , ,

We live in a digital world. The movies we watch, the music we listen to and the pictures and videos we take are all in digital form. For some of us, even the books we read are digital. As of 2015, I am happy to say that the the NCPRSA InSpire Awards are also digital.

Looking back, especially after writing the above paragraph, it’s hard to believe the decision was a tough one for me as the awards chair. I kept asking myself, “Will people accept or reject the format change? Is this really the year to make the switch?” But perhaps the biggest question I had was, “What about the thud factor?”

That’s right the thud factor. Having been involved in PRSA awards for several years – writing, submitting and judging entries – I know that there’s something impressive about flipping though an award binder that is stacked full of evidence of the entrant’s hard work and dedication. These binders make a loud thud when dropped on a table.

However, knowing that many other awards submissions are strictly online and the fact that the transition to digital was inevitable, I simply could not justify putting off the switch another year. Aside from just making the decision to make the switch to a digital format, I promised myself that I was going to stick to it. There would be no regrets, no matter what happened. And just think about all the paper we would save!

We are now a third of the way through the process and I’m excited to say that it has been smooth and easy – so far. Sure, I fielded many, many questions about the format and offered my advice on best practices when solicited. On the day of the final deadline, I thought my phone might never stop ringing as the calls came in back-to-back as the clock inched closer to the cutoff time for submissions. But, much to my surprise, no one challenged the format or the submission process.

Then it came time to sort through all 86 entries, organize them by category and enter them into a spreadsheet for the judging chapter. I found this step to be the most challenging, and ironically it had nothing to do with the digital format. In terms of format, it made the process of sending the entries to the PRSA Sierra Nevada Chapter for judging much easier. I did not have the challenge of boxing up all the entries or  lugging them the post office for shipping. There is also the fact that it was more cost effective to share a link with the judges as opposed to ship them.

It might be too soon to say with 100 percent certainty, but I think the digital switch has been a success. I invite you to attend this year’s banquet on May 12 and ask me after the awards are handed out to the winners!

 

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