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Tag: UNC

The Latest Adventure For Our New Intern

The Latest Adventure For Our New Intern

May 28, 2019July 15, 2022 Clairemont InternBlog, The Clairemont Team, TravelFrance, internship, PR Intern, travel, UNC, writingLeave a Comment on The Latest Adventure For Our New Intern

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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Meet Lindsey, Clairemont Intern

Meet Lindsey, Clairemont Intern

September 12, 2017July 15, 2022 Clairemont InternBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, The Clairemont TeamChapel Hill, Clairemont Team interns, intern, student, UNCLeave a Comment on Meet Lindsey, Clairemont Intern

Fashion has been something that has always captured my attention. From the time my mom gave me a purse that read “I Love Shoes” for Christmas to my very first designer anything, I’ve been obsessed and completely infatuated with the culture and creativity behind the fashion industry.

As I grew up, I soon realized that I, unfortunately, didn’t inherit the artist gene that basically every other member of my family had. So I quickly had to consider and learn other areas of the fashion industry that I could pursue.

Having moved to Asheville, North Carolina from New Jersey made me realize some key changes in the culture around me, especially within fashion. It taught me a lot about how to pursue a dream and stay true to what you believe in although it may be challenging when faced with criticism from your peers.

Then, during my sophomore year of high school, I got the opportunity to tour Diane von Furstenberg’s corporate headquarters. I knew right then that I wanted nothing more than to work in the fashion industry and decided fashion journalism was the path I wanted to take.

A Change of Pace

After spending countless hours honing my reporting skills through high school and into my freshman year of college, I came to the conclusion that the journalism industry wasn’t a fit. I switched from studying reporting to PR and haven’t regretted a single second of pursuing a career in this industry.

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern and live in New York City, which has always been the city of my dreams. I’m pretty positive it took me all summer to even realize I was actually living out my dream in my dream city. It taught me an incredible amount about PR in general but, more importantly, about my own drive and work ethic. Diving right in to an industry in a brand new city is hard, but I can’t even begin to describe how valuable an experience like that is for a young professional.

Why I Love the PR Industry

I think that the PR industry has so much room for creativity, and how dependent it is on person-to-person interaction isn’t something you find in every career. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and most importantly, it’s important; after dipping my toes into my first internship, I took away the idea that really every brand or client relies on the work PR practitioners establish. Everything from social media to traditional news articles are intertwined and codependent, thanks to the work that goes in from the PR side.

Now after returning back to my second home at UNC-Chapel Hill, I have been able to understand so much more about why I love PR. I am so excited to continue working with it while interning at Clairemont Communications this semester.

Written by Lindsey Hoover, junior at UNC-Chapel Hill.

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Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

September 6, 2017July 15, 2022 Clairemont InternBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, interns, Introduction, Raleigh PR Agency, student, UNCLeave a Comment on Meet Elizabeth, Clairemont Intern

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s first-year orientation, students meet with an academic advisor to discuss what they hope to study at the university (and, by extension, pursue for the rest of their lives). Unfortunately, this meeting was a stressful experience for a rising first-year student who had no idea what she wanted to study.

An Undecided Start

With theater as one of her passions in high school, Elizabeth performs the title role in the spring 2014 production of "Cinderella."
With theater as one of her passions in high school, Elizabeth performing the title role in the spring 2014 production of “Cinderella.”

In high school, I had lots of interests: English literature and writing, environmental science, theater, psychology … even some parts of chemistry were fun. My interests were extensive, but I wasn’t ready to commit to any of them. I received very mixed messages due to my uncertainty. Wise adults (mainly family members) assured me that it’s completely normal to enter into college undecided and that I would figure it out in time.

Elizabeth's orientation group poses for a creative photo competition during her first-year orientation on June 27, 2014.
Elizabeth’s orientation group during a creative photo competition during her first-year orientation on June 27, 2014.

These words of reassurance were directly opposed on that fateful orientation day in that unpleasant academic advising meeting when I sat with a girl who knew exactly what she wanted to study before attending one class. As she talked with the advisor while I patiently waited my turn, I couldn’t help but envy her situation. She spoke with such confidence in what she would study, and the advisor neatly and excitedly outlined her next four years. When it was my turn, I stammered awkwardly that I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study, and the advisor similarly stammered that I could focus on getting my general education requirements out of the way first.

I left the meeting feeling discouraged and frustrated. I turned to the girl with whom I shared the meeting, and I asked her what exactly her intended major was, since I had never heard of it before. Basically, she explained to me, public relations is the clean-up crew for when a company has a crisis. I felt shocked to learn of the existence of such a field, and I felt intrigued by the wide variety of classes that encompassed the public relations major – history, political science, economics, journalism. Little did I know that day I became (very informally) introduced to what is now my passion.

A Deepened Relationship

Elizabeth discusses her work as a communications intern with local non-profit BikeWalk NC to fellow students at a conference in April 2016 through the UNC-CH School of Social Work.
Elizabeth as a communications intern with local non-profit BikeWalk NC at a conference in April 2016 through the UNC-CH School of Social Work.

Since that orientation day over three years ago, my relationship with public relations has deepened rapidly and dramatically. I declared the major in my second semester after taking an introductory journalism class and speaking to professors about this mysterious field. Through the award-winning UNC School of Media and Journalism and its dedicated faculty, I learned the rules, practices, materials and importance of the field. My sophomore year, I worked as a communications intern for an advocacy non-profit for bicycling and walking, and the next year I experienced the fast-paced nature of a public relations agency, juggling projects for diverse clients ranging from restaurants to healthcare providers. Every experience in and out of the classroom affirmed for me that I had made the right decision. I found something I was good at and enjoyed doing.

Public Relations and I: An unexpected match 

Reflecting on my academic life at UNC-CH, I’m glad that my path to finding public relations was a process and not a pre-determined script. I allowed myself to explore the field, which made my choice to pursue it all the more thoughtful and rewarding. As I’m still the girl who has an interest in so many things, I take comfort and joy in knowing that public relations will allow me to follow any of those interests. To every field I explore, I aim to bring the public relations skills I’ve acquired to help build stronger, better organizations, whether they’re in theater, education, environmental issues … but maybe not chemistry this time.

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

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PR People: Elizabeth Poindexter

PR People: Elizabeth Poindexter

May 12, 2017July 15, 2022 Sarah HattmanBlog, PR People, Public Relationsbroadcast journalism, donor relations, earned media, PR, Public Relations, Triangle PR, UNC, UNC Health CareLeave a Comment on PR People: Elizabeth Poindexter

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.

Are you interested in being featured in “PR People?” Send us a message on Facebook to share your story!

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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Next World Media Symposium

Next World Media Symposium

October 24, 2013July 15, 2022 Margot HorganBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, In Our Community#NextWorldUNC, Next World, Next World Media Symposium, Technology Trends, UNCLeave a Comment on Next World Media Symposium

Undoubtedly you’ve heard the oft-repeated claim that technology is changing how we do things. And while some lament and others celebrate this fact, it’s becoming an inescapable truth within the communication industry.

UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication professors John Sweeney, Gary Kayye and JoAnn Sciarrino are amongst those celebrating. On Friday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the three are hosting the Next World Media Symposium in UNC’s Carroll Hall room 33.

The event – inspired by TED Talks – will showcase prominent industry and academic leaders with provocative views of media and branding. Keynote speaker Daryl Evans, vice president of advertising and marcom at AT&T (did you know that at $1.59 billion, AT&T has one of the largest media-spending budgets of any brand?) and others will highlight new trends, new tools and new ways to compete in changing industries of advertising, public relations, marketing and branding.

Within hours of registration opening on Oct. 4, all spots to attend the free event were filled. However, you can still stay in the loop by following the hashtag #NextWorldUNC in addition to joining the waitlist. Plus, make sure to stay tuned for a blog posts by Clairemont interns, Sam Halle and Kate Fedder, who will be attending the event and keeping us all posted on the latest and greatest tech trends!

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