Raleigh Public Relations Society
The Raleigh Public Relations Society (RPRS) aims to advance the art and science of public relations and to strengthen communication, understanding and cooperation among the diverse individuals, groups, and institutions of the Society.
The Power of Reinvention: Five Simple Ways to Get More out of Work and Life…Post Pandemic
We were pumped to have a full (Zoom) house today for “The Power of Reinvention: Five Simple Ways to Get More out of Work and Life…Post Pandemic” with Jes Averhart!
If you missed us, the recording is available below or on YouTube at https://youtu.be/FFZZSV-wDtA.
Have ideas or request for our next gathering? Send them our way!
We are looking for 10-12 Triangle-area volunteers to serve as judges to review submissions from our partners at the Maine PR Council for their annual awards program.
Judges will review entries online and fill out a Word Doc scoresheet for each entry the week of January 18. For those who complete judging, we’ll send you a $20 Target gift card to share our appreciation since we can’t gather for pizza and wine for judging as a group as we have in the past! Please email Lisa@RaleighwoodMedia.com to sign up. (PS: We won’t know the time commitment until we get our number of entries and judges lined up, but we’ll do our best to keep it quick.)
Melissa Bartoletta, E-RYT 200, is an Integrated Vinyasa yoga teacher AND marketing professional located in the Raleigh-Durham area. Her yoga practice is rooted in her optimism and excitement for life. Sharing in life’s natural and energetic journey is a major foundation of her teaching. After earning a degree in Sports Psychology from West Virginia University, Melissa relocated to Vail, Colorado, and was introduced to Integrated Vinyasa Flow through her teacher, Julia Clarke. She found a true connection to this style of yoga practice and took on studies at the Colorado School of Yoga to complete her 200-Hour teacher training.
Melissa strives to make the practice of yoga accessible to all through her class sequences, mindful modifications, and a passionate influence of music and rhythm. She is never-stopping to learn from experiences on and off her mat and will challenge you to do the same. Her classes will encourage you to let loose, move intentionally, and dance with the higher vibrations of life. We are all creatures and love and deserve to fulfill our composition!
Here at the Raleigh Public Relations Society, we know work can get stressful for all of our members, so we invited Melissa to lead us in a class of movement you can do at work, at your desk, with no equipment required. So let’s fire up the Spotify playlist Melissa created for us and get to it via the webinar recording below…
As a special bonus, Melissa has prepared a handy one-sheeter for us sharing her tips for wellness for working professionals!
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your talents with us!
Today at our first RPRS Lunch & Learn of 2020, we had the pleasure of yielding the floor to Seth Palmer (@Seth_Palmer) Director of Regulatory Affairs and External Communications, at NC REALTORS®. Seth gave us generous insight into his daily practices and also generously shared his thought leadership on best practices when executing communications around hot button topics, especially politics in the south!
Seth has more than 11 years of experience in government affairs and communications as a staffer and consultant. Prior to joining NC REALTORS® in 2014, Seth served in multiple roles in North Carolina government, including on the staffs of the House Majority Leader, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of the Department of Transportation.
As part of our “exit interview” with Seth after lunch, he shared things he’s listening to and reading these days, in case you’re looking for a little inspiration for your Stitcher or Kindle lists:
“As far as something that I would consider a “good read/listen,” I would have to go with The Daily podcast from the NY Times. I read a lot of stuff for work and listen to a lot of children’s music so this gives me a daily dose of news that I really need. It is also a longer-format, deeper dive which helps me get through the 30-minute commute from my house in Fuquay to my office in North Hills. I also throw in the ESPN Daily podcast for my needed sports stories.”
What are Seth’s top takeaways for marketers broaching sensitive topics? Putting into practice age-old adages that stand the test of time:
We sincerely appreciate Seth taking the time out of his workweek to share his own take on professional communications with this month’s lunch attendees. Please stay tuned to our Events page for details on February’s after-hours event and March’s annual spring networking breakfast!
Many thanks to all of the guests who joined us at Transfer Co. on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, to celebrate the best in professional communications that Raleigh-area practitioners have to offer!
The food provided by many of the food hall vendors was delish, our local celebrity MC Hayes Permar brought lots of laughs and industry stories, and our 2019 President and Awards Chair Lindsay Priester and Carolin Lehmann handed out many, many awards to YOU, our submitting organizations.
Crisis Communications
French|West|Vaughan – Wilmington and Island Beaches Invites Visitors to Comeback Post-Florence with Integrated Campaign – SILVER
Integrated Communications
Largemouth Communications – Ascom Breaks Through the Noise at HiMSS – SILVER
Media Events
Largemouth Communications – Stewart Takes The Dillon – SILVER
French|West|Vaughan – PSCU in NYC: The Launch of Inaugural Payments Research Study – SILVER
Clairemont Communications – Vita Vite Midtown Hosts a Toast-Worthy Preview – SILVER
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler ICONS at the Austin Motel – GOLD
Organizational or Branding
Clairemont Communications – Who Says? Journelle Forces Lingerie Conversations into Limelight – Honorable Mention
Clairemont Communications – Western Governors University Builds a Brand in North Carolina – SILVER
Bang for the Buck
North Carolina Museum of Art – Cocktails for O’Keeffe – Honorable Mention
Sports Program
French|West|Vaughan – Moe’s Southwest Grill of the Triangle Shows its School Spirit – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Certified Angus Beef Super Bowl LIII (53) Takeover – GOLD
Special Events
APCO Worldwide – How EPRI Electrified 2018 – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – PSCU Goes “Beyond Limits” During Member Forum 2019 – Silver
Tompkins International – Supply Chain Leadership Forum (SCLF) – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Theodore Alexander and Charles, 9th Earl Spencer Debut Royal Furniture Line – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – Certified Angus Beef Super Bowl LIII (53) Takeover – Gold
Sustainability / Corporate Social Responsibility
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler’s Sustainability Goals are Rooted in Traceable Cotton – Silver
Social Media
French|West|Vaughan– Influencing Millennial Parents and Fitness Enthusiasts with Healthy Sweetpotato Recipes – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Reimagining Holiday Traditions with Riceland – Gold
French|West|Vaughan – The Super Bowl of Rodeo Right At Your Fingertips – Gold
Benecomms – Marketing On Pointe: Shining a Spotlight onOne Community’s Local Ballet – Gold
French|West|Vaughan – Influencing Holiday Comfort & Joy for Wrangler – Gold
French|West|Vaughan – Cowboy Up: Wrangler Launches Branded GIFs – Platinum
Cowboy Up: Wrangler Launches Branded GIFs
With innovation at the core of the brand’s business strategy, Wrangler introduced the first-of-its-kind branded GIFs during the Super Bowl of rodeo, the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo. To align with the brand’s biggest event during the 10-day rodeo, French|West|Vaughan developed a video tutorial showcasing how Instagram users can share the GIFs, and distributed the tutorial to Western influencers, cowboys, and cowgirls ahead of Wrangler’s “Magic of Rodeo” party and the Wrangler NFR.Before the rodeo began, the GIFs received 847K views – making it the most creative engagement and awareness tactic by the brand in years at their largest event.
Community Relations
Media Partners, Inc. (MPI) – RAYSAC “Be In The Picture” Campaign – Honorable Mention
Media Partners, Inc. (MPI) – Horizon Behavioral Health “Off-Opioids” Campaign – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Teamwork, Timing and Rock: Roll Magic: Bringing the Teen Cancer America Story to Millions – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Lighting a Fire for Everyday Heroes – Platinum
Your house is on fire. You call 911. The bell rings at the closest station but no firefighters suit up and hop on the truck. It’s unimaginable yet, all too familiar in some NC communities due to the critical shortage of volunteer firefighters. The North Carolina Association of Fire Chiefs (NCAFC) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) tapped Clairemont Communications and The Felice Agency to launch a communications campaign in an effort to recruit volunteer firefighters across NC. Clairemont’s work resulted in 17 news stories, a surge in online traffic and an increase of approximately 170 new volunteers.
Magazines
Tompkins International – MonarchFx Ad – Honorable Mention
Media Kits
French|West|Vaughan – J. Peterman Media Kit – Gold
Videos – Long-Form Productions
Coastal Credit Union – Coffee with Chuck – Silver
North Carolina Museum of Art – “Art + Nature + People: Find Yourself at the NCMA” – Silver
APCO Worldwide – Bringing the GRE to Life – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler Legends- Gold
Websites
Clairemont Communications – Your People Are Here – Briar Chapel’s Website Refresh – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – North Carolina SweetPotato Commission Gets a Sweet New Look – Gold
Social Media
APCO Worldwide – Elevating Patheon by Thermo Fisher Scientific at DCAT Week 2019 – Honorable Mention
French|West|Vaughan – Wilmington and Beaches Invites Visitors to Comeback Post-Florence Through Authentic Social Storytelling – Silver
Publication – External or Internal
Coastal Credit Union – Community & Member Impact Report – Honorable Mention
Multimedia – Streaming or Podcast
Largemouth Communications – Eaton Battle of the Holmes Livestream – Silver
Writing – Op/Ed
Clairemont Communications Writing – WGU North Carolina Takes Higher Education to Another Level – Silver
Writing – News Releases
Clairemont Communications – Transfer Co. Food Hall Hits the Downtown Scene – Gold
Writing – Blog or Feature
Largemouth Communications – Forbes Series: CloudFactory on “AI, Data and the Future of Work” – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Briar Chapel’s Four Great Gains of Going Green – Silver
Media Relations
French|West|Vaughan – Racing for the Future: ABB Helps Pave the Way for E-Mobility with Formula E Racing – Silver
French|West|Vaughan – Wilmington and Island Beaches Encourages Visitors to Comeback Post-Florence with Earned Media Campaign – Silver
Largemouth Communications – Fork & Salad Brings “Aloha Spirit” to the Mainland – Silver
Clairemont Communications – Royal Media Affairs with Lord Spencer and Theodore Alexander – Platinum
Imagine hanging out in Toronto, one of the greatest cities in the world, with Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, just five days after Prince Harry’s royal wedding. This is exactly what Clairemont Communications got to do when hired to promote a furniture collection that Lord Spencer designed in partnership with North Carolina-based furniture manufacturer, Theodore Alexander. Clairemont’s noble efforts generated royal results, including a feature story on Canada’s most watched morning show, several lifestyle magazine articles and placements in The Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.
Word of Mouth
French|West|Vaughan – Wrangler Claps Back – Lil Nas X Collection – Platinum
Wrangler Claps Back – Lil Nas X Collection
“Wrangler on my booty” captured the ears and hearts of millions and after rapper Lil Nas X launched his hit, “Old Town Road.” The single landed in the number one spot on Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 14 weeks in a row (and counting), and the attention led Wrangler to capitalize on the famous lyrics and launch a limited-edition Lil Nas X-inspired capsule collection. Within a lightning short period of just 10 days, a fully integrated marketing campaign launched Wrangler into viral excitement resulting in 2B+ earned media impressions, 16.7M social impressions, 1.7M social mentions, 133K public content engagements and 11.3K new social media followers.
“Kat’s dedication to the Museum has brought international attention to the NCMA, front-page newspaper placements, trackable revenue through social media, and some of the largest increases in new social media followers since the Museum channels were started. In the last year, key achievements include seven front page and cover placements; viral marketing campaigns like the Art in Bloom trash cans and Georgia O’Keeffe-inspired cocktail program; announcement and coverage of the hiring of the Museum’s new director, Dr. Valerie Hillings; and promotion for special exhibition You Are Here and its featured new acquisition by art superstar Yayoi (YAH-yoy) Kusama, which became the fourth most-attended exhibition in Museum history.” – Karlie Marlowe, NC Museum of Art
Inside a historic home nestled in downtown Raleigh is an energetic, creative, passionate PR team: Clairemont Communications. When the Clairemont team members aren’t strategizing in the brightly appointed office, they are facilitating media interviews with Lord Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, hosting a beloved chocolatier at Charleston Wine and Food Festival, conducting deskside briefings with the chancellor of WGU North Carolina or meeting with a fashion client in New York City. As Clairemont approaches its 10-year anniversary, founder Dana Phelps said, “I follow the advice of ‘hire people smarter than you,’ and it is my privilege to work each day with the smart, kind, caring and funny women who make Clairemont Communications what it is today.”
The Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement is presented to an individual who has made lasting and meaningful contributions to the field of public relations over the course of a career. It is given in memory of Watt Huntley, who served as public relations chief at Carolina Power & Light in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Huntley also served as President of the Raleigh Public Relations Society, and so the organization’s highest honor bears his name.
This year we’re excited to honor Dana Phelps from Clairemont Communications.
