Posted Jul 23, 2010 by Khaner Walker - Account Supervisor |
Whenever your rival school’s athletic program gets in trouble for something, it’s hard to not gloat. Well here at FWV we’re chock-full of Heels and Wolves and we’ve all basically fine-tuned the art of gloating to a science.
With that disclaimer, I’ll jump into what we’re really here to talk about, the funny intersection of college sports and politics.
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall is running for the U.S. Senate and make no mistake about it, she’s running hard. The first female to hold a statewide office in N.C., she enjoys a political machine from Murphy to Manteo that’s been fine-tuned since stepping foot into office in 1996. She’ll need every inch of that network and every outstanding favor from the past 14 years if she’s going to beat incumbent Richard Burr (see Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Burr?).
That’s why it came as somewhat of a surprise that led to a, “Well that’s smart” when I heard her on sports talk radio station 99.9 “The Fan” decrying the recent UNC-Chapel Hill/sports agent debacle. (I won’t delve into the story but the N&O has a good article on it here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/23/593879/davis-ncaa-will-rule-quickly.html).
Similar to how Marshall’s office polices the practices of businesses and lobbyists, she made the smart move to do the same for sports agents on the campuses of our 16 public universities – knowing North Carolinians keep their Tarheels, Pirates, etc., very close to their heart.
When I was a young boy I remember going to the State Fair and hearing over the loudspeakers, “Welcome to the North Carolina State Fair. I’m Commissioner of Agriculture Jim Graham…..” A brilliant politician and master of marketing, the “Sodfather” was one of the state’s longest-serving politicians (1965-2000). I’m sure the hundreds of thousands fair-goers associating the good times of the fair with him might have helped him there.
While elected officials aren’t supposed to use their office for election purposes, the line between politicking and state business can be a murky one. Marshall has shown a masterful move here and appears to be getting ready for a tough fight by pulling out the brass knuckles and chains – tactics she’ll need to win.
As we get closer to Labor Day and the “official” start of campaign season, we’ll see if Elaine has the grit and more importantly, the cash, to make this race winnable. As of right now, it’s at least shaping up to be a good one to watch.
Oh, and hahahaha @ Tar Heel “Nation.”
Posted Jul 6, 2010 by Amanda Fennell - Promotion Coordinator |
The fourteen Triangle-area Moe’s Southwest Grill locations recently announced their partnership with the 2009 Triple-A National Champion Durham Bulls to launch a three-year promotional deal. 
As part of that deal, we are working with the Triangle marketing cooperative to attend events in the community with the help of the first-ever Wool E. Bull Moe-bile vehicle, which travels with the team’s well-loved mascot, Wool E. Bull, to an estimated 300 events and special appearances every year. Throughout the season, the Wool E. promotional team attends games, community and store events to play games and offer chances to win prizes including Durham Bulls tickets and an iPad.
As part of the promo team, we see first-hand the positive interaction consumers are having with the Moe’s brand. Whether at a store radio remote or out at a fundraising 5k, we see people making the connection that Moe’s is not just a place to eat but a part of our community. 
Durham Bulls’ fans are also enjoying the Moe’s presence at games throughout the season. Moe’s is all about fun, family, friends and great food, it’s a perfect pairing with America’s favorite pastime.
In addition, the partnership with the Bulls benefits fans by providing them with exclusive catering offers by visiting www.MoesTriangleCatering.com. There are specials for both kids and adults that can used for meetings, parties and backyard fiestas. So be sure to honk if you see the Moe-bile around town, stop by to toss a game of “Moe’s Bags” or pick up a popular hand fun in the sweltering North Carolina summer, and call your local Moe’s to spice up your next office meeting or party.
Posted Jul 1, 2010 by Robin Adkins Vosler - Vice President |
I am sure there are a lot of people that are tired of hearing about the oil spill, others that are constantly intrigued by the daily updates, and those people that are actually suffering the devastation that President Obama has called the worst environmental disaster America has ever faced. Regardless of where you stand, here is an initiative that FWV was able to accomplish on behalf of our client Security Point Media in an effort to assist in any way we can.
Before the oil had even hit Florida’s beaches, the negative effects on the tourism industry began washing ashore. Of all the threatened states, Florida has the most to lose. Tourism is its economic lifeblood, its largest industry, generating $60 billion in spending from more than 80 million visitors a year, bringing in 21 percent of all state sales taxes and employing nearly 1 million Floridians. Tourism is already experiencing signs of suffering even in areas as yet unaffected by oil on the beach.
As the innovator of airport security checkpoint advertising, Security Point Media has the ability to engage with an elusive but highly coveted group of consumers: people who like to travel. By enlisting the support of the American Advertising Federation and along with Zappos.com, the company conceived the “Champion a Cause” Creative Challenge hoping to leverage the creative juices of over 40,000 AAF members nationwide. The challenge is to design a SecureTray® campaign advertisement reminding travelers that the Sunshine State is open for business. The goal is to keep Florida-bound flights full.
The 1st place winning design will be produced and featured in select airports across the country compliments of SecurityPoint Media, and will also receive $1,000. Prizes will also be awarded to 2nd and 3rd place. All winners will be featured on the AAF website, the SecurityPoint Media website and in a press release announcement.
Besides recognition, I hope that AAF members all around the country see the unique opportunity they have to contribute their creative talent in a way that will ultimately help the state of Florida in this time of crisis. And, I certainly am looking forward to viewing the designs and being a part of such positive project in light of this disaster.
SecurityPoint Media works in compliance with the Transportation Safety Administration and has successfully streamlined airport check-in processes in 22 airports nationwide. For more details, visit http://www.securitypointmedia.com.
Posted Jul 1, 2010 by Shannon Burton - Senior Account Executive |
Curious about the latest buzz in the world of coffee? Look no further than the pour-over.
All the rage in New York coffee bars and hip, happening restaurants throughout the city, coffee drinkers have discovered a new appreciation for the centuries old manual drip method of brewing coffee – pure and simple. Coffee connoisseurs have rechristened the technique as “the pour-over,” and say there is no better way to make a cup of coffee.
Preparation consists of a cone – lined with a filter and filled with ground coffee – sitting atop a coffee cup. Water is poured manually and slowly over the grounds and coffee drips into the cup below. A pour-over is made in front of the customer, often right at the table. The result? A fresh, perfectly brewed single cup of coffee any time of day.
The pour-over may be the latest coffee obsession, but the method dates back over 100 years when a German housewife named Melitta Bentz resolved to improve the taste of coffee (at the time, a gritty, murky beverage). She devised a paper filter, set it in a brass cup in which she had punched holes, and filled it with ground coffee. She then poured water over the grounds, and coffee – clean and clear – dripped into a drinking cup below. And thus, Melitta, the world’s first mega-brand in coffee, was born.
Serious coffee bars like NYC’s Abraço and Third Rail feature pour-over bars, and recently, Starbuck’s announced it will be doing the same. Pour-over coffee bars are showing up in restaurants like Maialino, the newest eatery from famed New York City restaurateur Danny Meyer.
For more on the pour-over trend, check out these articles in The New York Times Style Magazine and Vogue.
Posted Jul 1, 2010 by Jackie Burton - Vice President |
Divi Resorts, a collection of nine premium resorts on six stunning Caribbean islands, recently held the 10th annual “Taste of St. Croix” at its Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort. Inarguably the island’s most anticipated, exciting, attended and delicious affair, the annual tasting and competition highlights the delectable cuisine of St. Croix.
The beachfront soirée, held April 15, 2010, brought 1700 guests to the property for this year’s culinary celebration. More than 50 restaurants vied for “Best Of” awards in a range of categories, including Best Local Fare, Best Presentation and Best Vegetarian dish. Vintners from around the world also participated, offering event goers a sampling of their wines.
Celebrity judges for this year’s competition included Kevin Rathbun, known as the “Sultan of Steak,” whose three Atlanta restaurants have been given top honors by Details, Esquire and The Atlanta Constitution; Robert Trevino, an Iron Chef America contender and famous for his Nueva Latina cooking at his superb restaurant in San Juan; and Tim Love, culinary personality and chef/owner of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro and The Love Shack in Ft. Worth, TX.
Media attending this year’s event were writing for The Dallas Morning News, American Way and Caribbean Travel & Life, among others. Keep an eye out for stories in the upcoming winter travel issues of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Modern Luxury Bride and Ocean Home, too.
The Taste of St. Croix was started in 2001 as a modest affair at the Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort and now crowds amble up and down the beachfront for wine, music and song. Oh, did we mention there’s also a great after-party sponsored by Moet Chandon?
The Taste of St. Croix is the seminal event in what is now the five-day St. Croix Food & Wine Experience, named one of the best food festivals in the world by Forbes Traveler 2009. And, in addition to a good time, it does a good thing: all proceeds from the events benefit the St. Croix Foundation, which fosters economic, social and cultural development on the island.
So, who’s ready for next year’s event?
Posted Jun 30, 2010 by Jack Glasure - Executive Vice President & Principal |
As communications pros, we work hard to engage the English language as we were taught for so many years - particularly when speaking to members of the media and to agency clients. Over the past few years, I’ve been particularly tough on colleagues that use the word “like,” which has become pervasive across society (and even within my own family.) For some time, when someone close to me used “like” in slang and colloquial speech, I called them out for it to correct behavior. My ex-wife was the worst offender, and yes, it may have cost me a marriage because I interrupted her every time she tried to tell me about her day!
I’ve heard “like” used as an adverb meaning "nearly" or to indicate that the phrase in which it appears is to be taken metaphorically or as a hyperbole. For example, “I, like, died!”, or “They, like, hate you!”
It’s also been used as a quotative to introduce a quotation or impersonation. In this usage, like functions in conjunction with a verb, generally be (but also say, think, etc.), as in the following examples: “She was like, Oh my gosh no way!" He was like, "I'll be there in five minutes." “He was like, you need to leave the room right now!"
Like has also been used to paraphrase an implicitly unspoken idea or sentiment: “I was like, Who do they think they are?"
Arghh! To me it’s like hearing fingernails on a blackboard!
And now to my new pet peeve: In all honesty…; To be honest…; Honestly…; I’m going to be perfectly honest with you… These are incredibly over-used phrases for the inarticulate to make a point of statement, and it implies that the speaker usually lies, but will be honest this one time.
Honestly!
Posted Jun 29, 2010 by Chris Shigas - Vice President |
For quite some time, Facebook took criticism from corporate brands for not allowing creators of a company Facebook page to transfer ownership of the page. The creator of a Facebook page could never be removed, which caused plenty of frustration. If an agency created a page for a brand, the agency would always be an admin on the account. If a company employee created the page, he or she would always be on the account. Imagine if your employee took a new job with a competitor and remained an irremovable admin on your Facebook page?
This month, Facebook has quietly allowed any page admin to remove the page creator. It solves a lot of problems for agencies that build pages for clients, but here is a word of caution. The page creator can be removed by any admin without approval. Be extra careful when you select people to be an admin on your company Facebook page, because any admin could potentially hijack the page by removing all other admins.
This change is a long time coming. It would be better if the page creator had to approve the removal, but at least there is now a solution to an old problem of Facebook page admin management.
Posted Jun 28, 2010 by Katie Bishop - Account Executive |
In a recent People.com story, the entertainment magazine told its readers Indiana Jones (at least he is Indiana Jones to me and likely to you, too) wore Wrangler jeans when he wed long-time girlfriend, actress Calista Flockhart last week.
Ford not only wears Wrangler jeans in movies like the recent “Extraordinary Measures,” but he has also been wearing the brand for decades. For Wrangler, this fact being spread by a medium like People.com was ideal for letting consumers know A-list stars go to the leading denim brand for style for even the most important of occasions. It also gave them a great opportunity to promote it on Facebook:
This post immediately set off fan interaction. Men shared stories of wearing Wrangler while exchanging vows and women let everyone know Wrangler butts do indeed “drive them nuts.”
While we might not see Ford in Wrangler jeans in his upcoming film “Cowboys & Aliens” set to release next year, I’ll be looking for paparazzi shots of him showing off the brown leather patch on his honeymoon.
Posted Jun 23, 2010 by Khaner Walker - Account Supervisor |
When FWV client The Free Enterprise Nation (FEN) approached us with thoughts of writing a book last winter, we jumped at the chance and encouraged them to move forward with the process. Nearly six months later, “Unsustainable” is being printed and our team’s plans are bearing fruit.
Planning a national book tour has been one of the largest, yet rewarding projects I’ve ever worked on. There are a multitude of moving deadlines – however the bigger the task, the more fun we have. Here’s an inside glimpse at what is involved.
Nearly all major media outlets have book reviewers or producers devoted to reviewing new books. Identifying these individuals early on is key to coordinating a successful book tour. Frequently, book reviewers and producers require about 3-4 weeks to actually review a book, which means we were pitching that person several weeks in advance of them receiving the preview copy.
While long-lead media opportunities require a healthy amount of time in advance of the book’s release date, a media tour can normally be planned and executed within a much shorter turn-around. When booking a media tour, we focus on securing opportunities with 24-hour news stations, print reporters, national radio shows and highly trafficked news websites and blogs.
While the majority of national news outlets reside in NYC, there are other clusters of media around the nation that you should pay attention to. For FEN, a non-partisan political organization, Washington D.C. outlets were at the top of our list. When planning travel, include visits to hubs like these. The added publicity is a bonus, but more importantly you’ll be talking to an audience that is going to be more receptive to your message.
Whether it’s FWV client Nick Schuyler on Oprah talking about his book or FEN in-studio with FOX & Friends discussing “Unsustainable,” a publicity tour for a book’s new release is one of the best ways to get people talking about and more importantly, buying your new work.
Posted Jun 2, 2010 by Chris Shigas - Vice President |
If I get argumentative at home, my wife tells me: “you can be happy or you can be right… pick one.” As I guide clients through crisis communication events, her reminder rings in my ear.
In many cases, clients who are attacked (by the press, blogger, customer, etc.) have a natural instinct to become defensive and desire to strike back. Yet, a core crisis communication principle is you can’t win an argument. If you lose an argument, you lose. If you win an argument, you still lose because you have created hurtful feelings with your audience.
The subject is the focus of chapter six in Dale Carnegie’s "How to Win Friends and Influence People." It’s probably my fourth time reading through the classic. First published in 1937, it is the grandfather of all people skills books. In fact, I think it should be required reading for any public relations professional.
The book uses an example of a salesman selling a Chevy truck. If the customer says that Ford makes a great truck, don’t argue with him. You can say, “You are right. Ford does make a great truck.” It reduces the customer’s resistance. Now, you are free to tell him all of the things that make Chevy a great truck.
If customers feel like they are not being heard, they will speak louder. In fact, the crisis can spiral out of context. You have to change the positioning. Be sure that the customer knows that you heard their complaint. Validate the customer’s concerns and respond from common ground with your audience. Take the high road and position your response with communication that everyone will agree with. Avoiding arguments will go a long way in keeping your brand out of hot water.
