The Scoop

In today’s crowded market, it often seems like consumer buying behavior is constantly being leveraged by incentives and rewards. And although it might look like these factors could be driving a lot of sales on the outside, it made me question; how important are customer-facing reward compared to other factors of the brand or company? And how do these factors stack up against the product itself? Well, I brought it to the RPRS board, and have reaped the following insights from these ladies:

1) Brand values: Most identified this as the single most important factor when choosing a company or brand to do business with, beyond the product or service being offered. However, not everyone would necessarily make this the sole factor when making a purchasing decision – they might still purchase a desired product from a company that isn’t their favorite. Seeking out companies that don’t perform animal testing was a trend that was mentioned more than once.

2) Charitable rewards: This is important, but not a requirement. Some seek out companies and brands that have a charitable reward, but do understand that they may not be able to find the product or service they’re looking for that will have a charitable aspect. To many, it’s seen as an added bonus, but not the most important element to making a purchasing decision.

3) Customer rewards: This was only viewed as an added plus, not a key decision-maker. But if it’s a company they already do business with, keeping up with membership rewards is certainly an enjoyed perk. This tactic seems to be successful for maintaining customer loyalty with existing relationships.

We all know that purchasing decisions can be attributed to far beyond the product being offered; we’re constantly influenced by marketing tactics, brand awareness campaigns, and promotions. But the product itself still remains number one.

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.

The Winners

CAMPAIGNS

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.

TACTICS

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.

PR Professional of the Year

Kat Harding, NC Museum of Art

“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

PR Team of the Year

Clairemont Communications

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.”

Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement

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.