Orange Slices

This summer, the PGA Tour announced that patrons would be allowed to bring their cell phones onto the course of the Wyndham Championship, a PGA tour event in RLF’s home town of Greensboro, N.C. Golf traditionalists were initially wary of the idea, while other members of the golf community applauded (well, golf-clapped) the association’s forward-thinking mobile device policy. The Wyndham’s marketing staff jumped at the opportunity to create its own iPhone application.

From a marketing and communications perspective, this is an insightful and effective strategy. As RLF Communications’ CEO and President Monty Hagler told Yahoo! Sports, “It’s very forward thinking of the Wyndham Championship to integrate an iPhone app and social media tactics into its overall communications strategy.”

RLF caught up with Mark Brazil, Wyndham Championship tournament director, to discuss how the app came about and how it affected marketing efforts for the Wyndham.

RLF Communications: What gave you the idea for the iPhone app?

Mark Brazil: I was in West Virginia at the Greenbrier Classic, and one of the PGA TOUR guys showed me the Greenbrier Classic iPhone app.  I immediately realized how cool it would be for us to do the same at the Wyndham Championship since we were testing a new mobile device policy for the PGA TOUR.  When their tournament was over, I asked Clai Watkins, our tournament coordinator, to contact the Greenbrier people to get their help in creating our own iPhone App so that we could take advantage of our cell phone test a couple of weeks later. It definitely seemed like something we should do.

RLF: What were you hoping to accomplish?

MB: One of the reasons the PGA TOUR was testing a mobile device policy during the Wyndham Championship was to improve the fan experience, and since we were obviously a big supporter of the new policy, we wanted to do anything we could to show the many benefits of being able to have a cell phone on-course. We wanted to make the entire tournament experience more convenient for patrons. Being able to use a cell phone in a designated area allowed fans to keep in touch with business and family while enjoying our PGA TOUR event, but we realized we could do more.  For instance, a course map and parking maps were readily available via our iPhone app. Live scoring was linked to the app so an individual could keep up-to-date with all players—not just who he or she happened to be following on-course at that time. We had great weather at the Wyndham Championship this year, but if that had not been the case, we would have had a new and very effective way to get weather warning information to our patrons. 

RLF: Were you pleased with the general response the app received?

MB: We were very pleased. Because the process started so close to the tournament, we didn’t announce the Wyndham Championship iPhone App until the morning of the first round of the tournament.  By the weekend, we already had more than 1,000 downloads.

We knew there would be interest, but we were blown away with that number of downloads in such a short period of time.  I have to give Clai some additional credit here.  She spearheads our social media effort, and she has worked hard to increase our fans and followers on Facebook and Twitter. When we sent the iPhone App information to our social media sites, posted it on our website and distributed a press release through the mainstream media, we got a lot of attention in a short period of time.

RLF: Did the tournament garner more media coverage or experience increased turnout because of the app?

MB: Yes.  Multiple media outlets did stories on our iPhone App, and that drew additional attention to the mobile device test we did for the PGA TOUR.   A lot of blogs discussed the app, and all of that is very positive for the TOUR’s mobile device policy test as well we as the Wyndham Championship.  I think some positive media attention was generated because of the forward-thinking nature of the app. The media world is constantly changing, and I think in this instance, we made some positive decisions and capitalized on them.  I really appreciate Clai’s great work and the Greenbrier Classic staff for their help in getting this done so quickly.  As for attendance, we were close to a sellout for Saturday’s third round, and we sold out the final round on Sunday.  I cannot say for sure if the Wyndham Championship iPhone App played a role in our attendance success, but feel safe in saying there’s an excellent chance it did.

PR professionals take note— the success of the Wyndham iPhone app is proof positive that there’s a place for mobile marketing in even the most traditional industries. We’ll see where the PGA’s cell phone policy goes and whether tournament-specific apps catch on or not, but if the Wyndham’s experience is any indication, we’re betting they will.

Last night, RLF Communications and the International Civil Rights Center & Museum were honored with a Triad first for advertising – the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) prestigious Mosaic award for AAF’s District 3 (NC, SC and Va). The Mosaic award recognizes advertising and creative excellence for successfully integrated multicultural and diversity campaigns. The event was hosted by the Triad chapter of the AAF and held at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.

RLF also received eight ADDY® awards from the AAF regional level. Led by Creative Director Ron Irons, the agency earned five Gold ADDY® and three Silver ADDY® awards. All awards were presented for print, outdoor and campaign ads created on behalf of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.

Earlier this year, RLF won 14 ADDY® awards at the local level and two national Silver ADDY® awards for a total of 25 honors for this campaign.

RLF Creative Director Ron Irons Receives AAF Mosaic Award

Even in a deep recession, the public relations profession is turning out amazing and meaningful work for clients.

That thought has resonated for me during the last month, since I attended the SABRE awards dinner at the gorgeous Cipriani building across from Grand Central Station in New York City in May. More than 1,000 public relations professionals had gathered for one of the big three awards shows to honor the best campaigns and teams in our industry (the PR Week Awards and Silver Anvil Awards are the other two major national awards).

Paul Holmes, the organizer of the SABRE Awards – which stands for Superior Achievement in Branding and Reputation – set the tone for the evening when he remarked that despite all of the economic troubles that have challenged our industry, the number of entries for SABRE recognition set a record (1,700) and the quality had never been higher.

As Paul noted, public relations has demonstrated that reach and frequency are not enough to create successful outcomes in today’s world. There must be engagement as well, and public relations has taken a leadership position among the communications disciplines in creating engaging, meaningful campaigns. This is particularly true in the realm of social media, which our profession has done a remarkable job of weaving into the overall communications mix.

Over the course of five hours (from the first cocktail to the closing coffee), Aleasha Vuncannon and I had the opportunity to talk with fascinating professionals from around the country, review the lists of finalists for the awards in each category, and enjoy the pageantry of an event as a participant (instead of as a behind-the-scenes organizer, which is our normal role!).

And when our time came, when the finalists for the top campaign in the category of Educational & Cultural Institutions were announced, we were thrilled to hear that our work in partnership with the International Civil Rights Center & Museum had been recognized as the best in our business. We had felt like it was worthy of this recognition. We knew how hard our team had worked and how much had been accomplished. Yet, we still held our breath in anticipation as the winner was announced, because every campaign that had made the finals had strong results.  It felt good to scream when we heard the results.

Here is a brief glimpse into the work that we did for the grand opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum:

After the dinner, Aleasha and I walked through Times Square at midnight, dressed in our best clothes, carrying a deceptively heavy trophy and reflecting on the evening (not surprisingly, no one batted an eye at us or thought we were out-of-place in the crazy scene that is Times Square). It feels good to do great work for clients, to create campaigns that generate meaningful results and advance our client’s objectives. We do this work not for awards, but when we strive to be one of the very best agencies in our industry, it is evenings like this that provide the mileposts to let us know that our agency is on the right road.

Everyone gets in a rut now and then.  Mine usually come towards the end of a long season – like this past winter.  A season which, for those of us in the south, was quite brutal.  Getting away from routines always perks things up, and in the Triad in spring, the biggest getaway from the normal is the High Point International Home Furnishings Show.

Despite not being able to book a restaurant, hotel or rental car for a 10-day stretch, I love living next to the furniture capital of the world.  It’s where the world’s finest in design convene for a three-city, six-day trade show.  Trade show is a bit of a misnomer, for it conjures up images of 10-foot by 10-foot booths, swathed in scrim and decorated with vinyl signs.  High Point’s “trade show” spaces range from 10-feet-square to 10,000 square feet.   Showrooms are brimming with not only the latest product but also the most updated way to merchandise it.  For example, these scrimshaw brushes from Peninsula Collection, are used as a curtain to create spatial separation or vertical art.

High Point hosts the international giants and the intrepid young artists.  Ben Caldwell, a young entrepreneur from South Carolina, made his debut this market with some eye-raising yet sustainable and chat-worthy designs.  This chair is made from 350 retired decks of Las Vegas playing cards.  And yes, you can sit in it.  I tried.

The most exciting addition to High Point’s round up hasn’t been an exhibitor, it’s been an exhibit.  For the past two shows, attendees have been entertained, bumfuzzled and bewildered by the Amazed exhibit.  Last year the exhibit interpreted a “Trip to Ahhs” for the 70^th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz, through a series of artists’ vignettes. My personal favorite was Glenda the Good Witch, made entirely of bubble gum, and her antithesis, the Wicked Witch of the West, fashioned from Tootsie Rolls.  There were national monuments made from crayons and world icons on toast.

This spring, the theme was the “Ten Senses of Good Vibration”.  Artists took inspiration from classic songs and develop a sort of visual performance art to express their ideas.  Most striking, albeit morbid, was one artist’s take on the first music video ever shown on MTV.  Ironically, ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ was chosen to make MTV history.  As the vignette below shows, the artist mimicked the literal death of the radio star (tucked inside the casket, wrapped in miles of VCR tape).

Using edible materials seemed to be in some artists minds again this year.  But this time, no candy.  Serious food stuffs — in the form of pasta, herbs, beans and spices depicted leaders of social change.

Some portraits made a literal translation from materials to man.   Like Che Guevara, for instance, whose visage was formed from spicy peppercorns.

On the other hand, I have no idea why JFK was made from lasagna and rotini. But contemplating the reasons a historied president was developed from complex carbohydrates did cause me to think about creating things other than dinner. The imagination of these artists and the innovation they bring to the Market reminds me that while furniture manufacturing has moved offshore (and had significant consequences on the economy in North Carolina), the inspiration for what will shape our lives is still vibrant and alive.

On the other hand, I have no idea why JFK was made from lasagna and rotini. But contemplating the reasons a historied president was developed from complex carbohydrates did cause me to think about creating things other than dinner. The imagination of these artists and the innovation they bring to the Market reminds me that while furniture manufacturing has moved offshore (and had significant consequences on the economy in North Carolina), the inspiration for what will shape our lives is still vibrant and alive.

RLF Communications, led by its Creative Director Ron Irons, had a big night at the AAF Triad’s Addy Awards on Saturday. More than 150 people representing advertising agencies throughout the Triad attended this annual event honoring the best creative work in the region. Though it was RLF’s first time  entering this competition, it sure wasn’t beginner’s luck that we ended the night with 14 awards – all for  work done on behalf of our client, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

RLF won the “Best of Show”, the evening’s highest honor, for the following ad:

RLF won a “Judge’s Choice” award (one of two) for the following ad:

In addition, RLF took home eight Gold ADDY awards and four Silver ADDY awards for other creative work on behalf of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. Congratulations to Ron Irons and everyone at RLF Communications for these well-earned honors

Click here to see more creative work for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum.

The past year has seen the unfortunate folding of many magazines, including the recent announcement by Conde Nast that they are closing Gourmet, along with three other titles. Earlier this year, Conde Nast folded another RLF favorite – Domino. The death of this popular magazine was mourned by many and it seemed there was really no substitute. Enter Lonny.

Lonny is an online-only magazine cofounded by the former editor of Domino. Their mission:

“By embracing an online platform we provide inspiration at the click of a finger, directly connecting our readers to their favorite products and resources. Our freedom from page limits means that we can share more content in each issue, delivering an intimate look into the way people really live. “

I spent hours “flipping” through the pages of this pretty pub, oozing over the beautiful photographs, great interviews and quality (not to mention quantity!) content.

I love that many of the elements featured in Lonny are directly accessible to me as a reader. For instance, a simple point and click on the gorgeous gilded mirror from page 28,  and I’m instantly taken to the online retailer who sells that mirror. Although this feature could be bad for my bank account, it’s definitely great for the future of online content. Let’s hope this trend continues and we see even more magazines being reborn on the Web.

Photo Credit: EatItAtlanta.com

A self confessed foodie, I am not an easy dinner companion.  I wince at the idea of going to Outback with the girls, I eschew bar and grill chains and I hold a particular distaste for restaurants that seem incapable of allowing anything remotely healthy to appear on their menus.

I’ve been fortunate enough to dine at some wonderful places over the years – La Masseria in Las Vegas, Mozza in L.A., and Magnolia Grill in Durham being some of my favorites.  That said, I don’t require an expensive meal.  Chick-Fil-A makes an excellent chicken sandwich and The Biscuit Factory in High Point is home to the best biscuit I’ve ever put in my mouth.

So imagine my excitement when, this fall, a local upscale restaurant approached RLF about PR opportunities.  Highly regarded as one of the city’s best dining establishments, they still struggled with top-of-mind awareness from the community and the region.  One look at their Web site and our mission was clear:  Web overhaul was the number one priority.  If the Web site and story was even half as good as its food, the reservation list would always be full.

Clients still underestimate the value of a good Web site.  It is the public face of a business. It needs to exude the same experience a customer will have with the actual product or service. In the high end restaurant world, having an appealing Web site should matter just as much as having an aesthetic presentation or an appetizing menu

While researching restaurant Web sites, I was shocked to learn how few establishments actually have an appealing site.  The Web is littered with mediocre restaurant sites that have template layouts and unappetizing colors. Even high end, celebrity chefs have sites that are pedestrian. Where is the creativity that reflects their menu and philosophy on food?

Out of all my disappointment came one bright shining star. Kudos to chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller. The site for his internationally recognized French Laundry is a paragon of great restaurant presentation. Not only is it visually appealing but it tells a wonderful story; a marriage of culinary passion and purveyor partnerships.

If only other restaurateurs knew what Keller does. The site must be edible – worthy of consumption and 30 seconds of someone’s time. If the site is unappealing, people assume the establishment and its food are as well, no matter what menu is posted online.

Advice to restaurants – cook up the same excitement on your Web site that you do in the kitchen. Bon appétit.

This is the first in a series of posts that will take you directly to the right side of the brain of Ron Irons, the Creative Director at RLF, and give you the opportunity to see some of the ideas that he creates and develops at their genesis. Oh, brother!