NOVEMBER 10TH, 2010
The seventh annual Goblin Gallop was a great success and chronicled the best results ever for Henry County’s Hands of Hope Clinic. The Goblin Gallop raised $2,000 more than last year, increased the number of sponsors from 33 to 40, and grew in the number of runners and onlookers by 10 percent.
The race received news coverage through the Henry Daily Herald, the Henry Neighbor, an interview with “Talk of the Town” a local TV talk show, and landed a spot on Atlanta’s Creative Loafing event calendar. This pre-event media coverage helped drive attendance and sponsorship.
In the weeks leading up to the Goblin Gallop, EOS sent out a press release and media alert announcing the event to local news publications, large employer company newsletters and reporters. We followed up with emails and phone calls to ensure our contacts had the event details and other information readily available.
We also used social media as another way to reach people and provide them with Goblin Gallop information. Posting event info on the Heron Bay blog and creating an event on Facebook made the information accessible for runners and volunteers. Our integrated approach contributed to the overall success of the Goblin Gallop and the local coverage we received helped to create local “buzz” about the event that may not have been available if PR had not been a part of the plan.
PR helps to sustain the community’s reputation and showcases the heart of Heron Bay. Events like Goblin Gallop are newsworthy because they show the community’s dedication to helping Henry County residents in need with their support of local organizations like the Hands of Hope Clinic.
NOVEMBER 10TH, 2010
This week I’m in Belfast for a Coke video shoot.
OCTOBER 14TH, 2010
Margaret and I traveled to Waxhaw, North Carolina just outside of Charlotte to get acquainted with Millbridge and Cureton, the two newest master-planned communities purchased by our client Landeavor. We toured the great amenities of these communities and visited Waxhaw’s charming main street. We are looking forward to working with Landeavor on creating new integrated marketing campaigns for these two residential communities targeting the Charlotte market in 2011….stay tuned!
SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2010
I headed to Chattanooga today for a video shoot at the Coca-Cola Chattanooga bottling plant. Before the shoot I wandered through the hallways that were filled with a lot of Coca-Cola memorabilia from over the years. It was really interesting to see how the brand has evolved!
As part of an integrated campaign with the Coca-Cola Commercial Execution team, we’re developing a video series showcasing successful bottler best practices through interviews with global bottlers.
During this two hour shoot, we managed an interactive roundtable discussion and conducted one-on-one interviews. With the end goal of opening a worldwide dialogue for peer-to-peer bottler communication, I am excited to see how Coca-Cola will use the videos internally to spur growth and momentum.
The Chattanooga bottling plant was Coke’s first bottling plant and I really enjoyed shooting the video there.
SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2010
In today’s competitive world, businesses only get one shot, so first impressions are important. Moda Floors and Interiors is the first and only Shaw Design Center in the Atlanta-area. The first of their kind and located in the trendy West Midtown Design District, distinguishing themselves from other showrooms in the area was a must. So, Moda put their trust in the goddesses at EOS and asked us to create and manage the grand opening event.
Here is a quick look at what we did:
- The theme. We created a theme to distinguish Moda’s event from other grand openings. “Step into Style” was active, conveyed forward movement and assured invitees of a trend-setting event.
- The guest list: We invited trade professionals and consumer clients to the Grand Opening events, customized for each target audience’s specific needs.
- Promotions: We needed to get media exposure for our event and let people in the Atlanta-area know that Moda is here and waiting to serve every remodeling need. We pushed the “Step into Style” theme on Facebook to create consumer buzz and distributed a press release to local media. Ad creative was placed in local publications such as the AJC and Atlanta Intown.
- Giveaway: Some people would say that an event is only as good as it’s goodie bag. Great incentives compel attendence, so we created custom “goodies” to give out at both events. We produced recyclable shopping bags with the Moda logo that were filled with tape measurers(every designers must-have tool), pens and t-shirts all with Moda and Shaw logos. 75 gift bags were given out to guests at both events. Of course, they also had a press kit and product information on Moda’s extensive offerings.
- The VIP Treatment: We used the VIP treatment to keep our guests engaged. Things like an open bar and hors d’oeuvres from award-winning caterer Legendary Event, and special event photographer, Tom Grason snapping pictures of the fun was a great way to document the event and help reporters do post-event stories. Check out some photos of all the fun!
AUGUST 25TH, 2010
People always say it’s important for creatives to have excellent presentation skills, but to be honest, I never believed it. I just thought it was one of those things that if I do, it’ll help, but if I don’t, it’s not going to kill me. Like when my parents used to tell me to eat my veggies. Well, this is not true. At all. If you can’t present, it will kill your career.
Why? In short and simple terms: because no matter how great an idea is, it won’t come to fruition if the client doesn’t believe in it. And a client won’t believe in something unless it’s presented in terms they understand.
As creatives, we don’t think like others. We dance to the beat of our own ipod shuffle. And often times it’s hard to explain how we arrive at a concept. It’s funny how we can be master communicators when it comes to the benefits of someone else’s product or service, but when we try to communicate our own thought process, we might as well be speaking in tongues.
Enter the invaluable skill of presenting your work. Now, I am by no means a pro at this. Yet. But I have learned a few helpful tips since I’ve been here at EOS. Read on…
- The creative brief is your Bible. This little guy will figuratively and literally get you and your client on the same page. When in doubt, refer to the brief when presenting. The strategy is all there in black and white.
- Go through your thought process. Most of us in advertising and marketing know that good creative can only come from well-mined thought and research, but your client does not. So when you present, tell them what you learned about the history of their industry, what you liked and didn’t like about the competition’s website, anything that says you’ve put time and effort into learning about their brand.
- Write out your reasoning before you present. Yes, I realize this is tedious and a little silly, but I promise, it helps. This is my form of practicing in front of an audience. Why did I choose a serif typeface instead of a sans-serif, how do certain design elements interact with others…WRITE IT ALL DOWN. No need to write it like you’re giving the State of the Union Address - just get it on paper.
So yes, “Great ideas need landing gear as well as wings.” And for creatives, our landing gear is found in the form of the presentation. Ease the client into the concept. Make sure they know you weighed all possible options. You didn’t leave a stone unturned. If you can master the art of the presentation, you will see your ideas take off.
JULY 30TH, 2010
Over the last two months, we’ve scripted, produced and launched two best practice videos for The Coca-Cola Immediate Consumption team. Working with local market directors, we created two, 15-minute videos showcasing successful business practice case studies that positively impacted sales volume in Canada, Great Britain, North America, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.
As a follow-up to the case study launches, we led an initiative to host WebEx’s for each best practice to drive awareness and interest. Not only did these events give the teams a chance to provide more information about their successful implementation, but more importantly, we engaged associates from around the world to ask questions pertaining to implementing these programs for execution in their local markets.
Not only did we directly interact with global associates across The Coca-Cola System, but we also saw an increase in visits to the video best practices before and after the WebEx events. The moral of the story: expose your audience to messages multiple times for maximum impact and changing behavior.
MAY 14TH, 2010
April was an awesome month for our new client, Minerva Real Estate Investments. They asked us to develop a campaign for their residential golf & country club community, Heron Bay in Locust Grove. We created an advertising and social media blitz driven by the deadline for the homeownership tax credit. Our campaign strategy - The Smart Move Right Now - gave potential homeowners 5 reasons they should move to Heron Bay. We created online and print ads, developed an email campaign for prospects and Realtors, wrote blog posts and revamped their Facebook and Twitter pages, all in an effort to drive traffic to the sales center.
The results of the campaign were amazing. The community’s web traffic grew by 30% and their social media following grew but, more importantly, traffic to the sales center increased and Heron Bay sold 19 homes in 6 weeks! We are looking forward to developing more targeted campaigns for Heron Bay in the future.
We’ve seen a lot of interest and activity among our other real estate clients and some new business opportunities as well. We’re looking forward to getting busy again in this category we know and love!
APRIL 23RD, 2010
We are looking for a graphic design intern for the EOS summer internship program. Our ideal candidate will be a graphic design student or recent grad with experience in Adobe CS4 - Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. S/he will have the opportunity to participate in brainstorming sessions, help to produce print and web marketing materials and assist with day-to-day office duties.
This paid internship is a great way to gain real world experience and work with some of the best creative minds in the business. If you’re interested, please click here to download the job description and learn how to apply for the position. Thanks and good luck!
