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Tag: Creative PR

Where’s the Wonder?

Where’s the Wonder?

October 29, 2019January 31, 2023 Cherith AndesBlog, Inspirational, Professional Developmentcreative marketing, Creative PR, creativity, professional development, reading

I just ran across an Instagram graphic detailing 15 time management skills. This was after reading a blog on five ways to improve your writing, nine tips to produce error-free projects and three ideas to maximize your workflow.

Since when did life become one giant checklist?

The question gave me pause. Real pause. Like … enough that my 15 time management skills checklist wouldn’t have approved.

Originally, I ventured into marketing and public relations because of its open door into a world of creativity. While good PR is founded on thorough research and solid strategy, great PR adds the unexpected, a streak of color or a head-tilting idea. The industry has become steeped in analytics, big data and ROI. And yes, while we exist to achieve results, data is not the only goal.

What happened to sitting around the coffee bar spinning out “what if” scenarios? What happened to diving down a rabbit hole of reading just to indulge your inner nerd? What happened to team brainstorms that use crazy props like Play-Doh or Lucky Charms cereal boxes? (I’ve done both.)

What happened to the whimsy of creativity?

On a recent trip to Carolina Beach, I popped into a nook that housed a hybrid coffee shop, pastry mecca and used bookstore.

It was here that I stumbled on a blind date.

The book shop owner had repurposed a vintage card catalogue (Google that one, millennials and Gen Z) and filled its drawers with novels wrapped in brown paper and string. The paper read “Blind Date with a Book” followed by hand-scrawled reviews of the publication. Without the aid of cover art, I could only rely on the intriguing verbiage to get a sense of the secret gem wrapped in the paper.

It was delightful. No title. No images. Just tight, poignant phrases that thoroughly piqued my interest. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was dive nose-first into whatever book contained this “funny, barbed, delightfully winsome storytelling.”

And that’s what I want us to recapture. Just for a spell here and there, shake off the taskmaster of to-dos and deadlines. Let your curiosity wander. Explore a new corner. Try new words. Heck, take a different route to the grocery store. Creativity isn’t a task that can be defined, prescribed and checked off the list. It’s an attitude of pervading curiosity that leads to new ideas, fresh perspective and often, a fascinating journey.

What makes our work effective isn’t the efficiency; it’s the sense of play.

It’s time to reignite your wonder.

Looking for a place to start?

Check out our team’s sources of inspiration. 

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What does a PR agency do? A Freshly Baked Media Kit

What does a PR agency do? A Freshly Baked Media Kit

November 2, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, best restaurant in chapel hill, Creative PR, Creative Tactics, event PR, il palio, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Restaurant PRLeave a Comment on What does a PR agency do? A Freshly Baked Media Kit

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, wanted to break into the national culinary scene and gain acclaim as a leading restaurant in the Southeast. As part of a comprehensive PR strategy, Clairemont Communications secured a coveted invitation for Executive Chef Teddy Diggs to cook a dinner at the James Beard House, the country’s leading culinary organization.

A Tasty Media Kit

To secure an invitation to the James Beard House, Clairemont creatively positioned Chef Teddy as the country’s newest kind of “sommelier,” an olive oil expert qualified by his extensive culinary experience with Italy’s olive oil producing regions. Clairemont then crafted themed pitches to pique the interest of busy culinary writers in New York City. To accompany the pitches, we devised a media kit with one main ingredient: a wedge of Teddy’s renowned, freshly baked Sea Salt and Rosemary Focaccia. We paired the tasty sample with an opportunity for an in-person interview with Teddy as well as an invitation to the Italian Olive Oil Feast at the James Beard House. It was all in the details! We orchestrated the bread’s perfectly timed journey from Il Palio’s ovens to New York’s news desks within 24 hours.

Results

  1. Clairemont placed six national media stories in coveted outlets such as Saveur, The Daily Meal and Food Republic. Social media posts reached approximately 1.2 million followers on Twitter alone, far exceeding the original goal.
  2. As a direct result of our media kit, Clairemont secured dinner attendance from five key media from outlets like Food and Wine Magazine and NBC’s Today Show.

Bolstered by diner reviews and media coverage, Il Palio earned a Silver Medal from food critics as a “Best Restaurant in the Triangle in 2017.” In addition, the James Beard dinner sparked the “Taste of James Beard,” a collaborative dinner with leading Raleigh chefs that Chef Teddy hosted upon return, leveraging his New York trip to attract new customers and boost sales at Il Palio.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio earned a Best in Category and an Honorable Mention by the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). We are proud that this campaign represents one of the 198 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.

Feature image courtesy of Sandra Benton.

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What does a PR agency do? The Vita Vite Lifestyle

What does a PR agency do? The Vita Vite Lifestyle

July 24, 2018February 21, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, Creative PR, Creative Tactics, event PR, facebook for restaurants, PR for restaurants, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Vita Vite

Vita Vite, a wine bar and art gallery in downtown Raleigh, had quickly surfaced as a local hotspot since its grand opening in 2015. With her growing customer base, owner Lindsay Rice sought to leverage her Facebook social media presence to increase awareness, engagement and on-site traffic. Vita Vite turned to Clairemont Communications to craft a creative Facebook strategy that would transform casual observers into active, lifelong fans.

STRATEGY

Our objective was to increase Facebook followership by at least 25 percent by the end of 2017. Clairemont’s campaign portrayed Vita Vite not just as a wine bar but ultimately as a cultural lifestyle. To forge an emotional connection, Clairemont showcased the ways fans enjoyed Vita Vite. For example, since the target demographic valued fitness, friendships and their four-legged pup friends, content highlighted Vita Vite’s pooch-friendly porch, “Sip and Sweat” exercise classes and even board games for girls’ nights. The campaign solicited personal feedback (“Which Vita Vite nook is your favorite?”) and Vita Vite-themed personality quizzes (“Red, white or rose today?”). Vita Vite partnered with organizations like barre3 Fitness Studio and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance for social media takeovers to increase visibility along with advertised posts.

EXECUTION

To ensure quality from start to finish, Clairemont held weekly client calls to discuss our strategy and tactics, aligning each phase with client objectives. Checklists and thorough calendars guided the social media calendar, and Clairemont provided on-site support to capture, deliver and evaluate the content.

RESULTS

Clairemont’s initiative increased Facebook followership by 42 percent by the end of 2017 as well as increased engagement by 1.5 percent; this was a particularly notable byproduct since average Facebook engagement decreased by 20 percent in 2017 across all industries. In addition, Vita Vite reported one of its most successful sales years to date and a full schedule of sold-out events that increased traffic and revenue.

As a result, Vita Vite secured awards like “Best Place to Get a Glass of Wine” and “Best Girls’ Night Out Spot,” and owner Lindsay earned the Top 40 Under 40 and Women in Business awards from the Triangle Business Journal.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Vita Vite earned an Award of Excellence by the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA). We are proud that this campaign represents one of the 190 awards we’ve received since starting Clairemont in 2010.

Congratulations to Vita Vite owner Lindsay Rice who is launching her second VV location this August in North Hills!

To read more about the work we do with clients, please visit the case study section of our blog.

Image courtesy of Vita Vite.

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RPRS Luncheon: Think Outside the Box

RPRS Luncheon: Think Outside the Box

July 12, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, Public RelationsCreative PR, PR, Public Relations, Raleigh PR, RPRS

I had the opportunity to attend a luncheon hosted by the Raleigh Public Relations Society at the end of June. Mary Alice Holley, communications and marketing director, Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC), spoke on strategies she used to build relationships and awareness. I had a hard time thinking that strategies for land and water conservation also apply to outside fields, but there’s actually substantial overlap.

The biggest takeaway? (I mean, besides that 18 Seaboard, the venue for the June meeting, has show-stopping crème brûlée.) If you think outside the box and use creative PR, it could make all the difference.

Think of a New Audience

Photo credit to RPRS

One of the first things anyone in PR will do when developing a strategy is to determine the target audience. Holley recommends thinking of a new or unconventional audience. For the CTNC this meant not only targeting politicians and land owners but also “people who go to community gardens and walk trails.”

Anticipate Obstacles

Holley explained that, upon receiving her director position, many of the existing staff believed that developing communications strategies on the grassroots level was a waste of time. They wanted to go straight to the politicians, but Holley knew that bringing awareness would help the CTNC gain momentum. It’s a good thing she kept moving forward with her ideas! Since Holley became director, the CTNC has secured a record number of email subscribers, followers and donations. 

Activate the Plan

Holley stresses the importance exploring different messages and channels beyond the tried-and-true to reach your audience. For the CTNC Holley has implemented a strategy that involves letters to the editor, op-eds, field trips and traditional media. The CTNC uses action alerts that pique audience interest, increase awareness of the organization and gather emails.

Make Your Efforts Last

Photo credit to RPRS

It’s vital to maintain the interest of your current supporters and not only focus on the attention of fresh eyes or ears. Online content like a website or blog, fact sheets, media relations and events have all been used by the CTNC to keep interest and further inform its audiences. Holley also highly recommends taking the time to thank those that have supported you. The CTNC has officially thanked politicians that have voted for land and water conservation legislation.  Not only does this make supporters and advocates feel valued but it also helps to nurture a champion for your cause or organization.

What are some varied communication strategies you’ve seen or used? Here at Clairemont, we’re always conjuring up creative ideas for our clients. Drop us a line if you need some pizazz!

Written by Yasmine Evans, a senior at NC State University.

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What does a PR agency do? Il Palio at the James Beard House

What does a PR agency do? Il Palio at the James Beard House

July 10, 2018January 31, 2023 Clairemont InternAwards, Blog, Case Studiesaward winning PR, best restaurant in chapel hill, Creative PR, Creative Tactics, event PR, il palio, Raleigh PR, Raleigh PR Agency, Restaurant PR

Il Palio, Chapel Hill’s AAA-rated Four Diamond Italian restaurant, wanted to break into the national culinary scene and gain acclaim as one of the leading restaurants in the Southeast. When Il Palio turned to Clairemont Communications for help, Clairemont devised a creative tactic to target the innermost circle of food influencers, the James Beard Foundation, and forge relationships between Il Palio’s chef Teddy Diggs and these national culinary gatekeepers.

STRATEGY

We positioned Chef Teddy to the James Beard Foundation as the country’s newest kind of “sommelier,” an olive oil expert, qualified by his extensive culinary experience in Italy’s olive oil producing regions. In addition, we seeded the social media landscape with posts that tied him to other James-Beard-winning chefs and James Beard Foundation activities to forge connections.

Clairemont leveraged the dinner as a news angle for busy New York food reporters. Pitches like “Olive You, Darling” utilized the upcoming Valentine’s season to include a timely editorial hook, while “Olive Oil: The New Wine” positioned olive oil as a luxurious, soiree-worthy staple for New York’s posh publications. Clairemont overnighted media kits featuring Teddy’s hallmark fresh Rosemary and Sea Salt Olive Oil Focaccia with an accompanying dinner invitation. Clairemont also leveraged the James Beard Dinner to boost visibility at home, inviting Raleigh influencers to join the dinner remotely via the James Beard live camera feed.

EXECUTION

To ensure quality from start to finish, Clairemont held weekly client meetings to discuss dinner themes, messaging and tactics. We frequently toured the kitchen, interviewed staff and observed the cooking process to accurately portray Il Palio’s specialties and culture. Clairemont provided on-site support at media interviews and the James Beard House to ensure concise messaging.

RESULTS

  1. The James Beard Foundation invited Chef Teddy to cook at the James Beard House in February 2017.
  2. Clairemont secured in-person interviews with two media and dinner attendance from five key media from outlets like Food and Wine Magazine and NBC’s Today Show, surpassing the original objectives.
  3. With the objective of three stories, Clairemont placed six national media stories by December 2017 in coveted outlets such as Saveur, The Daily Meal and Food Republic. Social media posts reached approximately 1.2 million followers on Twitter alone, far exceeding the original goal.

Clairemont successfully positioned Il Palio as a desirable, modern dining hotspot. Bolstered by diner reviews and media coverage, Il Palio earned a Silver Medal from food critics as a “Best Restaurant in the Triangle in 2017.” In addition, the James Beard dinner sparked the “Taste of James Beard,” a collaborative dinner with leading Raleigh chefs that Chef Teddy hosted upon return, leveraging his New York trip to attract new customers and boost sales at Il Palio.

The work Clairemont Communications conducted in partnership with Il Palio won an Honorable Mention by the North Carolina Public Relations Society of America (NCPRSA). We are proud that this campaign represents one of the 190 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.

Image courtesy of the James Beard House.

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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!
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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.
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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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