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Category: The Clairemont Team

5 benefits of working in the office

5 benefits of working in the office

November 8, 2021January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, PR, PR Agency, Public Relations, Raleigh PR

During the pandemic, working from home became the norm. We are excited to report that in the past few weeks, the Clairemont team officially transitioned back to working at The Clairemont House for the first time since March 2020. Being together in person has made us realize how valuable onsite work can be. Keep reading to learn our top 5 forgotten benefits of working in the office.

1. Collaborative work environment

To start, being in person at an office with your team creates a collaborative work environment. Now instead of exchanging ideas through never-ending email chains or logging onto yet another Zoom call, you can schedule meetings in person, stop by a coworker’s desk to ask a question or pop down the hall, depending on your office set-up. 

2. Adds structure to your schedule

Another benefit of working in the office is that it creates structure and encourages a healthy work-life balance. Working in the same space you relax in can make it harder to turn off your brain when it is time to rest. Physically being in a new environment will separate your work life from your home life. Commuting to work also allows the time to take a break and to reflect or just let your brain rest between activities.

3. Easier to build professional relationships

This next benefit is especially important for young, entry-level professionals or employees new to the organization. It is that working in an office makes it easier to build professional relationships. There are simply more opportunities to share experiences and develop connections with coworkers when you are in person. Being in a conference room or taking a lunch break together gives you an opportunity to connect that sitting on mute with your camera off doesn’t. 

4. Eliminates outside distractions

Another benefit of working in the office is that it eliminates outside distractions. We can all admit that home offices come with their own set of distractions. Whether it’s the dog barking, the doorbell ringing or balancing a partner’s home workspace with your own, working from home can be distracting. Having the option to go to work creates space from your home life and can make it easier to focus on your work. 

5. Improves efficiency

Working in the office improves efficiency by eliminating distractions, reducing screen fatigue and improving communication amongst the team. Explaining ideas or asking a question virtually can take up more time than you would imagine. Typing every detail in an email and waiting for a response often creates a lag time that working in the office eliminates.

We are excited to be back together and collaborate as a team to best serve our clients. Let us know if you agree with our 5 benefits of working in the office or if you have any other benefits. See you in the office!

By Clairemont intern Anna Beth McCormick, a senior at N.C. State.

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This Raleigh PR Agency is in (The Office)

This Raleigh PR Agency is in (The Office)

November 4, 2021January 31, 2023 Dana PhelpsBlog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team

It was 10:15 a.m. when I surrendered. It was the first day for this Raleigh PR agency to be back in the office. After being barefoot 80 percent of the time since early 2020, how could I possibly make it through an entire workday in heels? Fortunately, no one seemed to mind that I walked around the rest of the day without shoes. Nothing like a nasty plague to relax a slightly stuffy dress code.

In fact, I realized what people really care about in the office has changed drastically. That wasn’t until after planning Clairemont’s return to the office. I had fretted if our new team members would like the location of their desks. New artwork was added to freshen our space. I fussed over details such as having colorful pens in the supply cabinet. I even pondered buying a fancy espresso machine.

One Sunday afternoon before our return to the office, I stood in The Clairemont House by myself. And it felt really lonely. That’s when it hit me. As much as I love tweaking the decor in this beautiful old home in downtown Raleigh that serves as the office of our PR agency, buying snacks and supplies and planning surprises isn’t the most important thing about Clairemont, it is the people.

As I unlocked the door our first morning back in the office, I was giddy with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see my colleagues walking up the steps and through the front door. I couldn’t wait to gather around the kitchen island and brainstorm creative solutions to a client challenge or simply talk about a cute puppy pic on social media. And I couldn’t wait to invite clients back into our office for face-to-face collaboration that no video conferencing software can replace.

We’ll be writing more about our return to the office journey in the weeks ahead! Follow along and share your own observations about how and where you are working as we round out 2021. In the meantime, check out our return to work fun on Clairemont’s Instagram!

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MEET DEREK, OUR NEWEST MEMBER

MEET DEREK, OUR NEWEST MEMBER

October 25, 2021January 31, 2023 Derek BullingtonBlog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont TeamClairemont Communications, D.C., Derek Bullington, Minneapolis, PR, PR Agency, Public Relations, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Washington D.C.

For the past three years, I have been a Clairemont Communications client while working with the International Association of Fire Chiefs on the volunteer firefighters campaign for the state of North Carolina. The Clairemont team made us feel like we were their only client. They were going above and beyond on our deliverables. No matter how hard it was to rein in all our crazy ideas. The excitement and eagerness to support the client always impressed me.

Client

During my time as a Clairemont client, I formed a very close bond with the team. I started to really enjoy learning the ins and outs of public relations. A seed was planted in the back of my mind that this would be a great career fit for me. Something I would truly enjoy doing. I also started to see how my background in art and my career in the non-profit sector for 11 years prepared me to work in PR.

If I learned anything in art school, it was to embrace my creative side and to be flexible in the work I do. Creativity and flexibility are important skills in PR. You need to be able to pitch innovative ideas and ready to change directions if they do not work. I had also gained a basic skill set that would be valuable in the PR industry. Writing press releases and building relationships with a variety of companies and individuals throughout my career in non-profits set me up for a career in PR. As my luck would have it, a position opened with the Clairemont team, and I immediately jumped at the opportunity to apply.

Client to employee

After participating in a thorough interview process and the anticipation of a job offer, I was getting ready to switch careers and move down to Raleigh! I am so excited to be here and to learn under Dana and her team! Not only do I get to work with an amazing group, but I get to use the creativity that has been dormant for so long while working a typical desk job. Only 10 weeks into the job and I am already back to creating art in my spare time. This is something that I haven’t done in several years. I think my parents would be glad that I’m finally putting my college degree to good use by carrying that artistic spark over to my work with Clairemont.

My years in non-profit were not all bad, quite the opposite. During this time I worked for some of the top medical societies, the YMCA, Travelers Insurance and the IAFC. I broke out of my introverted bubble and built relationships with diverse groups. I worked with the top pharmaceutical companies and medical research institutions, at-risk youth, did fundraising and helped recruit and retain volunteer firefighters nationwide. While I enjoyed my work in non-profit organizations and collected an amazing amount of knowledge and skills, I am ready to see what I can bring to Clairemont.

Settling in to Raleigh

My career has taken me from Washington D.C. to Tucson, AZ, out to Minneapolis and Northern Virginia. I have experienced some of the hottest and coldest weather the U.S. has to offer. It seems like Raleigh will be a good mix (but the humidity!) and I’m thrilled to settle here. I have enjoyed exploring an amazing city that seems to not stop growing and diversifying. Some of the best food and drinks I have ever had, have been here in Raleigh. I have joined group cycling rides and explored the many parks and festivals Raleigh has to offer. In Raleigh, I believe I have found my new home away from home and look forward to continued amazement with this area. I’m excited to make new memories and reach the next level of my career here at Clairemont Communications.

You can follow Derek on Instagram @DerekBullington

 

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Life Styled By Social Media

Life Styled By Social Media

July 14, 2021January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, PR People, The Clairemont Teamfashion, internship, Raleigh PR, Social Media

The best career advice I received was from my favorite high school English teacher who told us that no matter the career we chose, we should find something we were passionate about. After all, we would only spend the rest of our lives doing it. This advice rang true when I made the decision to follow my passions and pursue my love of fashion at NC State University. 

I have always loved fashion. As a little girl, I would spend hours dressing up my dolls just to instantly undress and style them in another fabulous look. As a teenager, I spent Saturdays selling my wardrobe to replenish it with the newest styles at Valley Hills Mall. Clothing is more than a basic need to me; it’s a form of self-expression. 

I never knew fashion marketing was something I could study until I stumbled upon NC State’s Summer Textile Exploration Program for high school students interested in pursuing fashion at the Wilson College of Textiles. STEP taught me that there are endless career opportunities in the fashion industry and that a degree in fashion textile management would provide me with a well-rounded education and marketing skills that are valuable in any industry.

In fall 2017, I came to NC State as a fashion textile management major with a concentration in brand management and marketing at the Wilson College of Textiles. 

Around that time, I started my blog, The Brightest of the Bunch, and began creating fashion content on social media. My love for blogging inspired me to add an extra dimension to my degree and minor in journalism. Content creation led me to realize that fashion wasn’t my only passion and I wanted to focus on blogging and social media.

I planned to continue blogging and shift my content to focus on travel in spring 2020 while I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy in a fashion marketing program. When the pandemic hit, all of my creative plans went out the window. Instead, in February 2020 I was sent home from Italy, stuck in my tiny hometown, Morganton, NC, and had lost all inspiration and motivation to create content. It was like everything was on pause. 

As the summer progressed, I began to panic about my future. I had always dreamed that my social media platforms would take off before I started to apply for jobs. Now my senior year was creeping up, and I rarely felt like I had the energy to be on camera or take photos of myself, let alone start my career. 

I decided to apply for social media internships where I would be able to tap back into my passions without having to be the face of the content. I started doing social media work with start-ups and small businesses, and I loved that with each of these organizations there was a purpose behind the content I was creating. I thrived on being able to create for multiple industries and helping entrepreneurs reach their goals. 

Throughout my senior year, I continued to manage social media for different clients. I realized that working at an agency was the next step for me when Maia Guterbock, a former Clairemont intern, spoke in my Editorial and Opinion Writing class. She talked about her own blog and creative work at Clairemont including a post on “How brands get the ha-ha’s” and a review of the Best 2021 Superbowl commercials. I was inspired by all of it! 

After interviewing at Clairemont, I knew this was the internship for me. Working with clients to help refine their brand, and create and execute social media campaigns is right up my alley. I’m excited to grow in my creativity and experience and expand my PR knowledge this summer.

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Finding PR in a Pandemic

Finding PR in a Pandemic

June 11, 2021January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont Teaminternship, new hire, PR Intern, Storytelling, writing

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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clairemontcommunications

Have you heard about Meta’s newest social media 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!
SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc SNEAK PEEK! @dellthepig landed at @wendellfallsnc (client) today, and rumor has it that @blah2voila has already been hamming it up with Dell! We know you want a selfie with Dell to post on Pigstagram, too!
We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of P We are proud to represent Raleigh as a member of Public Relations Consultants Group, allowing us to offer clients expertise and support across the country! Clairemont founder, Dana Phelps aka @blah2voila, recently attended the PRCG conference in Oklahoma City.
2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Comm 2022 has been a fantastic year for Clairemont Communications! Visit our blog for the full 2022 year in review!
As communications professionals, we wear a variety As communications professionals, we wear a variety of hats to meet our clients’ needs.
 
We’re writers, social media managers, photographers, marketers, editors, content creators- the list goes on and on.
 
Check out our recent blog post to learn what @olivia.noles , account coordinator here at Clairemont, does on a weekly and monthly basis.
#communicationsagency #communicationsmajor #pragencylife #pragency #raleighpr
This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voi This Friday, Clairemont’s Dana Phelps, @blah2voila , will be speaking at the 2022 @nc_prsa Strategic Communication & MarCom Conference! Phelps is a repeat presenter at this annual conference, and this year she is leading a session called Growing from Communication Technician to Strategic Counselor during which she will share three of her coined concepts: knowcasting, morecasting and collabolighthing. Visit our blog for the link to register for the conference!
@clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative g @clairemontcommunications and @yellowdogcreative go together like the bacon and eggs! And speaking of bacon and eggs, have you been to @therainbowluncheonette yet? YUM!
Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc Later this year, Clairemont client @wendellfallsnc, a master-planned community just 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, will welcome @parksideraleigh, a Raleigh-favorite restaurant known for its fresh, made-from-scratch dishes, to the community!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Parkside.
“What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we “What exactly does a PR Agency do?” Because we get this question often, we have a series on our blog where we dive into our recent projects to give you a look at what a PR Agency really does.
 
For example, a statewide resource for small businesses recently hired Clairemont to devise an executive visibility campaign to help position the organization and its director as the leading small business resource in North Carolina.
 
Head to our blog to read what exactly an executive visibility campaign entails and to learn more about our services!
So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let So you say it’s National Coffee Day? We say let us tell you about our new favorite @drink321coffee ! If you are in Raleigh, go see Paul, the other Paul, Emma  or whichever smiling faces are working today. We LOVE this place and the coffee! ❤️❤️❤️
Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest mas Our client @wendellfallsnc, one of the largest master-planned communities in the Triangle, closed on its first age-eligible rental community plan, Arden at Wendell Falls, that will offer 140 open-concept units and exclusive onsite amenities!
 
Visit our blog to see the @trianglebizjrnl coverage and read the full feature in the TBJ to learn more about Arden at Wendell Falls.
Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by Staying in Raleigh this Labor Day weekend? Stop by client @vitaviteraleigh for good snacks and great wine!🍷 Both locations are open normal hours Friday-Sunday and closed on Monday.
You never know who might be hanging out at The Cla You never know who might be hanging out at The Clairemont House. Thanks to @yellowdogcreative for helping save this buddy. Notice that we speak lizard. Or skink. Or gecko or whatever he is. Or maybe it’s the extra caffeine before our client presentation.
Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh Yep, our town is pretty cool. #raleigh
Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting Who wants to have a Friday afternoon porch meeting?
Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street Congrats to our new neighbor on Bloodworth Street South @raleighwineshop ! @blah2voila was there today representing Clairemont at the grand opening festivities and enjoying the @grandchamphospitality sandwich pop up. Yum! 🍷🥪
It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers ar It’s National Volunteer Month, and volunteers are needed more than ever! Many organizations with scarce resources rely on volunteers and would not exist without them. Visit our recent blog post to read about the organizations Clairemont has supported and how you can make a difference in your community!
Authenticity is trending, and research shows that Authenticity is trending, and research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to view user-generated content as authentic. Read our recent blog post to learn about UGC, how it can benefit your brand and how to use it in your marketing strategy.
From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 From social values to behavior patterns, COVID-19 has left an impact on every sector of life, including marketing. Read our blog on marketing in a post-COVID world to learn how things have changed and how that should impact your business strategy.
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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