By SUSAN FROST  

Hello Future. Hello Opportunity.

The City of Snellville wanted a fresh start. In 2010, they hired an economic development manager and made the decision to create a new town center where community and commerce could thrive.

In partnership with globally recognized DPZ of Seaside, Florida fame, and distinguished city planners Clark, Patterson Lee, EOS worked with residents, businesses and employees of The City of Snellville to study, research, poll and understand the opportunities to create a new Town Center for Snellville’s future. After more than 1,000 Snellville community members participated in our quantitative online surveys and qualitative one-on-one interviews, as well as a four-day envisioning charrette, and branding workshop, the City’s future plan to develop a new Towne Center as a place that welcomed the future through entrepreneurial opportunity and the friendly neighbors of Snellville was complete.

On Monday, May 2, more than 140 Snellville constituents gathered with reporters and the Snellville City Council for the great reveal… a monumental plan for Snellville’s future.

For more about the City of Snellville’s plans, check out: www.thetownecenteratsnellville.com, or follow the news on Facebook.

By ELYSE HAMMETT  

Take Your PR Game to the Next Level

At PRSA, April is Accreditation month. Throughout the nation, public relations practitioners celebrate the voluntary certification process many publicists pursue. Do I recommend it? Yes. Did it bolster my career? Yes. Was it hard as heck? Yes. Would I do it again? Yes, and in fact have (another blog post for another day).

In today’s instant information age, where niche knowledge is a leverage point, certification in public relations is a differentiator. Just as accounting issues are better managed by a CPA, or heart issues by a cardiologist in lieu of a general practitioner, an accredited professional has the proven knowledge, skills and abilities to provide candid and vital reputation management consulting.

But, just like losing weight and working out, preparation for Accreditation requires time and discipline. If you are considering the APR program, contact my dear colleagues, Ray Crockett and Karlie Lahm via PRSA Georgia’s website.

By MOLLY DAVIS  

Get the Right Idea and the Idea Right

Social networks have changed the way that people work, think and live. Accessible by smart phones and other devices, networks like Facebook and Twitter have greatly contributed to the social media phenomenon of today. Businesses big and small alike are realizing the importance of real time interaction and plan to jump into social media with both feet.

Using social media marketing, brands can connect to a larger network of people, in a way that is cost and time effective. The overlap between professional and personal networks results in increased exposure and also establishes a platform where the consumer’s voice can be heard. Consumers are talking about products and services online and by focusing on social networks; businesses can actively participate in the conversation and directly communicate with fans and followers.

As the communication channels continue to evolve, traditional practices and ideals will be challenged and businesses will be forced to regroup, rethink and re-strategize. Too often companies become intrigued by social media and disregard traditional media—ultimately losing sight of the big picture. Know your target audience and where to reach them. As marketers, it’s imperative that we get the right idea and the idea right.

Some people believe that in this technology age traditional media outlets like television, radio and print are DEAD. Last time I checked, Robin Roberts hasn’t quit her day job, Bert Weiss and members of Q100’s Bert Show still wake up every morning at 3 a.m. to entertain us on our way to work and I am still smiling and dialing reporters at the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Traditional media outlets are still very much alive and with millions of loyal viewers, listeners and readers, marketing and PR efforts will not go unnoticed. Integrating a balance between both social and traditional media practices is the key to implementing a successful marketing and PR plan.

Stay active, stay engaged and stay relevant.

It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day, Lovely Day

By MARGARET GEARING  

A Goddess Insight: Vision, Value and Valor

Five years ago, Susan and I sat in my sunroom and formed a company on the foundation of a vision to create uncompromised marketing.  As visionaries, thinkers, doers, and hard-workers, we’ve cut through the challenges of new communication channels, market changes and the Great Recession to provide vision and value to our clients. 

Sarah Shaw, executive editor of The Entreprenette, recently interviewed me on the characteristics EOS’ looks for in sourcing great employee partners.  Check out an excerpt from this article here.

By MARGARET GEARING  

The Amazing Race

The weekend of February 25th,  my daughter Allie and I traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to try out for the Amazing Race. Only 200 people are allowed to try-out and we secured our spot in line as number 199! We had a great time in Cincinnati and all and all it was a great experience. Stay tuned, because for all we know, you could be seeing Allie and I on the next season of the Amazing Race!!

By SUSAN FROST  

New Perspectives. New People

As we continue to expand our public relations and social media practice, we are excited to announce our new public relations coordinator, Molly Davis!

Molly served as an intern in the fall of 2010 where her inquisitive nature, coupled with her positive attitude made her a great addition to the EOS team.  

As an irrepressible public relations enthusiast, and a social media user since high school, Molly implements campaigns and promotions for our clients as well as brings a fresh twist to today’s marketing dilemmas with her social media savvy and interactive media knowledge.

Welcome Molly!

By ELYSE HAMMETT  

Communities Shape Who We Are…

Residents of Snellville

Mama swears that I learned to read via the pages of Southern Living magazine.  I have 1970’s-era Kodak photographs of me curled up in an easy chair immersed in the featured communities.  So, last week as I listened to Scott Ball, a principal with the internationally renowned Duany Plater – Zyberk (DPZ), talk about New Urbanism and illustrate how town centers create “rooms” that eliminate suburban sprawl as well as places where friends and business associates live, work and play, I was taken from the moment he said, “Hello”… 

With millions working in front of a computer screen 10 hours every day, coupled with Atlanta’s average commute of 35 minutes (each way!), communities who have destination places for quality face-to-face time are those who have succeeded.   Tree-lined sidewalks that lead to local diners, wine café’s, and frozen yogurt parlors, or shoe boutiques where girlfriends gather to chat about their workweek and try on shoes provide the sense of place residents needs to engage, nurture, participate and encourage sustainable growth.   Where there is a sense of place, residents will spend their time and their money.

EOS is partnering with Clark Patterson Lee and DPK to serve the City of Snellville  by creating a new town center and a brand for this new destination.  We’ll be using an interactive planning and design process that will include focus groups, public information meetings, multi-day design charrette, and more.  Join the conversation on Snellville’s Facebook page and help shape the future of this great Gwinnett community:  Snellville Georgia.   

By ELYSE HAMMETT  

EOS Marketing & Communications Chosen To Lead Snellville Town Center Branding Initiative

EOS has been selected as a part of team retained by the City of Snellville to create a brand and comprehensive communications plan for the city’s new town center.    Working in conjunction with Clark Patterson Lee and Duany Plater-Zyberk, EOS will create a brand strategy that resonates with the target audiences of Snellville’s Town Center district.  In addition, the firm has been tasked with developing a communications program that encourages two-way communication between the center and its constituents.

The three firms will serve Snellville by guiding the city in creating a well-crafted town center that promotes sustainable economic development, establishes a promotable image, and outlines physical enhancements necessary to bring the vision to reality.  Snellville City Council selected Clark Patterson Lee, a full-service planning and design firm located in Suwanee, based upon their service as the city’s engineer since 2004.  Clark Patterson Lee’s team will be joined by two key project partners:  Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company (DPZ) and EOS Marketing, both located in Atlanta.  DPZ is internationally recognized as the co-founders of the Congress for New Urbanism, and leaders in the direction and practice of community master planning and traditional neighborhood development.  The collective team of architects, branding experts, development specialists, engineers, marketing analysts and strategists, urban designers, planners and public relations practitioners will address all of the issues and needs identified by the City of Snellville.

Using an interactive planning and design process that engages the community and its business owners, the project will include focus group meetings with key stakeholders, public information meetings and a multi-day design charrette offering the community at-large opportunities for hands-on design input. 

“We’re excited about partnering with EOS and the expertise they bring to our Town Center efforts,” said Eric G. Van Otteren – economic development manager, City of Snellville.  “They listen to the needs and wants of their clients and craft strong messages that resonate. In today’s busy world, we need both a brand and a communications strategy that will cut through the clutter and that we can be proud of.” 

By AMBER LUKE  

Consumer-created commercials creating a stir in the ad industry

In the wake of the Super Bowl, it’s only natural that an ad agency sound off on the commercials. Give their two cents on what worked and what didn’t. But as I tell people all too often, the more time we spend criticizing, the less room we make for creating. So this year’s Super Bowl blog post is more of an open forum. A “leave you with something to think about” type deal.

In the last five years we’ve seen a trend emerge in Super Bowl advertising: that of the consumer-created TV spot. Between Doritos and Pepsi Max, PepsiCo had six consumer-created ads in the Super Bowl this year. SIX! That’s a whole lotta advertising dollars not going to the ad industry.

Now, as someone who makes a living off of being an ad creative, I must admit, when this trend first started, I was not happy about it. I won’t lie, I was mildly threatened and even a little offended that some Joe Shmoe thought he could do my job better than me. But as I’ve thought about it more and seen it evolve, I’ve discovered two things:

1.       The premise of the consumer-created ad is quite smart really. In fact, the concept was actually created by an advertising agency. If you think about it, it’s nothing more than using a focus group to create the commercial, baiting them with money (albeit small) and 15 minutes of fame. Of course these people will hit the spot when it comes to speaking to the target audience. They ARE the target audience.

2.       While they are mildly entertaining, there is one thing all of these ads have in common: they lack staying power. Think about all the Super bowl ads you remember. The really great ones. Were any of them the result of a contest?

For me, the most memorable ones have been The Budweiser frogs, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird’s Nothing but Net for McDonalds, Bud’s Wasssssup campaign, and more recently, Old Spice’s Smell Like a Man. All of which were created and produced by advertising agencies.

So after giving the consumer-created commercial trend some thought, you know what I say? The more, the merrier, guys. Because you may be able to speak to your fellow target audience and get your 15 minutes, but when it comes to selling something you know nothing about, that’s where the ad agency shines.