By Faye Fang

EDITOR’S NOTE: The author sits on the PR committee for UNC-Chapel Hill’s First Amendment Day.

My bus buddy in fifth grade wasn’t allowed to read Harry Potter. I personally thought it was the kind of strange, especially since my mother was happy for me to read ANYTHING. But it was understandable, because her parents didn’t allow it. What is unfathomable to me is a childhood without Scout Finch, Huckleberry Finn and yes, Harriet the Spy, just because your school district, not your parents, thought they were unsuitable for children to read about. As an avid reader now, I am pretty grateful that we have a fairly well-defined and agreed upon first amendment that can guarantee some of our basic rights, especially when it comes to speech and press.

Lucky for me, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is celebrating my favorite amendment all day September 30, making First Amendment Day my new favorite holiday (after my birthday, of course). The campus-wide event organized by the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy, will engage undergraduates and graduate school students, to discuss the First Amendment’s role in the their lives as UNC-CH students. Students and campus leaders, including Chancellor Holden Thorp, will read excerpts from banned books, sing banned music and discuss the importance of the First Amendment, especially at a public university.

The event is a PR practitioner’s dream come true, because of its relevancy to all areas, organizations and studies on campus. This year, Heelprint Communications, a student-run strategic communications firm, had the honor to work with the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy to increase student recruitment, turn-out and participation through an extensive social media campaign. In addition to Facebook, and Twitter, more traditional tactics such as press releases, media pitches and fliers will also promote the First Amendment Day as a celebration of the university as a marketplace of ideas.

The event is not limited to UNC-CH students and staff. Those of the greater Raleigh-Durham area are welcome to join in for the events and the discussions! So, if you are a fan of freedom of speech, religion, press and assembly, why not?

Useful Links:

For complete schedule and updates of event.

Funding

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By Kelly Reiser

Search no more, music lovers! Raleigh is bringing three days of parties, festivities and, of course, great music to you this September. Local bands, international talent and a great time, what else could you ask for in a weekend?

On September 9, 10 and 11, Raleigh will be hosting The Independent Weekly’s Hopscotch Music Festival. Kept hush-hush for months, Hopscotch has gained some very big names in music, drawing attention from across the south, and the highly anticipated event is just around the corner.

The goal of the festival is pairing internationally and regionally recognized artists in order to gain recognition for the rich local talent. Featured will be better-known bands such as Lucero, Public Enemy, Broken Social Scene and Panda Bear, but also some well-know regional bands like Raleigh’s Bowerbirds and Chapel Hill’s The Love Language.

As an indoor/outdoor festival, Hopscotch will highlight Raleigh as a fast-growing and cultured metropolis, where music is in the streets. Artists will not only play downtown on a main stage in City Plaza, but also at the city’s most notorious night clubs, cafes and music venues including Lincoln Theater, The Pour House and Five Star.

From a PR perspective, this event will put Raleigh on the map. Since coming into office in November 2001, Mayor Charles Meeker has worked hard to make Raleigh a noteworthy southern city, and I would say he has done a fabulous job. He has delivered consistent results when it comes to working to revamp the city of Raleigh, among which include building a new convention center and downtown amphitheater, reworking the public transportation system and creating a plan for Dorthea Dix. The Hopscotch Music Festival is another great supplement to these efforts.

For a full schedule of the day events, parties and other information, visit New Raleigh.

Hope to see everyone there!

Here are some links about other Raleigh news and events:

Go Downtown Raleigh

Raleigh News Blog

Visit Raleigh

The Raleigh Connoisseur

Over the past 4 years, I have seen my soon-to-be  alma mater go through numerous changes with the attempt to better the campus, student life and the surrounding community. I am very proud to say that for the second consecutive year in a row North Carolina Central University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the top public historically black college in the nation.

In previous years, NCCU has collected a lot of negative attention, with the threat of several programs losing their accreditation and low test scores. Since 2006 Central has made a complete turn around while finally gaining some respect amongst other prestigious colleges and universities.  In the U.S News annual listing, NCCU was placed at number 11 among more than 100 black colleges, only dropping one spot from last year. All other institutions that held the top 10 spots were private colleges,  making NCCU the top public school on the list.

To make the list, the HBCU must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students. The schools are then judged by a peer assessment survey, which is given to those in position and grades the faculty’s dedication to teaching. Central was also ranked 36th among public Southern regional universities, and 74th overall among schools in the region.

I believe NCCU’s recent national recognition is one of the main reasons why the number of incoming freshman has experienced a huge leap from previous years. As a senior in high school, before I did my research I had no clue what or even where NCCU was. Now they house a very diverse group of over 1300 freshman coming from as far as California, making it one of the largest freshman classes the school has had in years. PR-wise, the new recognition is helping Central build a positive perception around their brand, and the increase in students is also bringing more money into the school and surrounding community. They have also stepped up their social media game up by creating a twitter account and freshman blog, which allows newcomers to document and share their first year experiences.

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By Kaitlyn Barnes

After hearing about Cameron Village’s Travel the Village event three weeks ago, I have been reading more and more about start-up companies and their innovative publicity strategies.  The event took place on July 21 and featured local artists and designers—folks whose works were hanging up or enclosed in glass cases in Cameron Village shops.

With my start-up business PR research, I was particularly interested in one of the event’s focal brands, Lumina Clothing Company.  Started in 2009 by three friends at N.C. State who were frustrated with the local tie scene, the group decided to make their own polka-dotted and striped ties and bow ties, among vibrant-colored solids and other patterns.

I found Lumina’s publicity history to include a well-rounded website, work with other local entrepreneurs, utilization of @facebook, and attendance of local events like Travel the Village.  From a consumer perspective I was impressed and intrigued merely by the information provided on their website.  Is there more to love than hearing about three college kids’ success, and why they named their company after “the” Wrightsville Beach hangout back in 1905?

From a PR perspective, I was impressed but also left with questions.  Social media and the Internet are creating all kinds of new opportunities these days.  Even three college-aged entrepreneurs working with a restricted budget and limited time have found a way to make businesses out of their market frustrations.  But ultimately, I wondered, from a mass communications stand-point, what makes these companies marketable and sustainable?

That’s when I heard about Raleigh Denim.  Featured on UNC-TV just last week this small start-up has shown how local can change to national audiences within a few months.  Raleigh Denim was started by Sarah and Victor Lytvinenko with the goal of re-stimulating North Carolina’s garment industry in a period of little growth and cut-backs in almost every market sector.  They set out with major expectations.  They wanted to use local materials, from within a 200 mile radius.  They wanted local thread, local employees and local machinery.  And finally, with a brand tag reading “Handcrafted By Non Automated Jeansmiths” Raleigh Denim was born.

The couple decided in order to make Raleigh Denim the premium, yet local, brand they desired, they would have to reach out to the metropolises of America—New York, Los Angeles for example—not the Old North State.  With a little sleep, a lot of driving and strong motivation, they launched their denim line at Barney’s Coop in New York City.

It’s all about innovation and identifying accurate audiences, I guess.  I wonder now though, if you go big, can you go home??  And if you stay small how hard is it to go big?  Will Lumina be able to easily start reaching national audiences or should they have thought about that at the onset of launching the brand?  And will Raleigh Denim ever really draw that local Raleigh crowd they set out to benefit?

GOOGLE SOURCE

By Jennie Klahre

Raleigh-Durham International Airport is about to grow – in size.  But in passengers?  I’m not so sure.

The addition of Terminal 2 is one of the Triangle’s largest public works projects in years, totaling $570 million.  It will be able to sustain 11.4 million passengers annually, which is more than 2 million more than traveled through the entire airport in 2009.

US Airways and Continental Airlines will move to the new terminal that will include 36 gates, three check-in counters and abundant room for security lanes.  Terminal 2 will feature 37 shops and restaurants, including Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  Terminal 1 will still house Southwest, JetBlue and AirTran, but will probably see less foot traffic.

And that’s not all.  Plans for Terminal 1 renovations are already in the works.  The space will get new restrooms, carpet and paint.  The budget has yet to be set.

Although Charles Hayes, president of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, believes these additions will benefit the future economy, I’m wary that the economy will not be growing anytime soon.  Airport officials expect 2010 traffic to mirror last year’s, not double or triple it.  It is simply a prediction that airport passenger numbers will grow and thrive in the years to come.  And if they don’t, the airport and its PR professionals will have to take the fall for it.

While it has been reported that economic recovery is on the way, there is no guarantee.  According to the United States Department of Labor, North Carolina is still reporting an unemployment rate of 10% and the North Carolina Employment Security Commission states that we have a long way to go before we’re back to normal.

So, if foot and air traffic fail to increase in the next few years, how will airport officials justify the $570 million?  It would have been more strategic for the airport to have waited until they were reporting an increase in the number of passengers using the terminal and an expanding profit.  After all, one of the first things hit when the economy goes south is the tourism industry.  Vacationing is put on the back burner while people focus on spending money on necessities rather than amenities.  New shops and restaurants might seem nice and create a welcoming atmosphere for passengers, but I rarely see people stopping to buy gifts at airport shops.  I usually walk past vacant magazine racks and toy stores on the way to my gate.

Studies should have been conducted to determine if the current size of the airport was hindering processes and services.  It doesn’t seem to me that overcrowding was a problem or passengers were complaining about the facility.  While expansions are always tricky during economic downtimes, I think more could have been done to justify the addition of Terminal 2.

Photo:  Wikipedia

By James Schlegelmilch

The writers here at RPR are excited to announce the launch of MMI Public Relations’ Facebook page!

The staff at MMI looks forward to using Facebook as a resource for sharing content and interacting with the Triangle community. The page will serve as a forum for news, community and client events and conferences, company happenings, blog posts as well as a place for the staff and public to share their favorite examples of current cases of good PR, as well as PR gone bad.

Stop by and check out our staff’s growing collection of photos, favorite fanpages and get easy access to MMI’s own YouTube channel, which is updated with the team’s latest video creations.

Be sure to check out MMI’s Foursquare tab and  jockey for the position of “Mayor.” Don’t forget to read tips left by staff of fun things to check out when stopping by the office.  Consider it a sort of MMI culture treasure hunt.

It has been a great time spending a portion of my time here as an intern contributing to this project, and we all hope you will stop by to give MMI a thumbs up on Facebook and share your comments and feedback as the company expands its presence in the social media world!

So come by and say ‘hello’, share your stories and opinions, meet the staff or just browse our favorite links and pages.  If you like what you see become a fan and tell your friends.  The crew at MMI Public Relations looks forward to meeting you!

By Jessica Lam

Raleigh got just what it needed – a new downtown amphitheater.  Opened last month, this new outdoor concert venue is becoming a major hit for Raleigh folks and visitors.

Over the weekend, the Raleigh Downtown Amphitheater (Facebook page here) hosted Paramore (@Paramore), which opened with Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara), on Friday as part of the Honda Civic Tour.  On Sunday, Shinedown (@Shinedown), Puddle of Mudd (@puddleofmudd) and Chevelle (@chevelleinc) performed.  The News and Observer (@Newsobserver) reports that  both concerts garnered over 4,000 fans, even in the scorching temperatures prone to July in North Carolina.

Not only is this new outdoor concert proving to be the new Raleigh hot spot for performers and fans, but also for the surrounding businesses.  Located at the heart of downtown Raleigh, local businesses are booming with guests.  But this amphitheater it is facing, in my opinion, a really big problem already – brand identity.

Success for a business, or practically anything, does not mean much without establishing itself with an image.  The Raleigh Downtown Amphitheater has yet to find a sponsor, meaning no official name, like the RBC Center or the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion (Facebook page here).  From a PR perspective, coming up with a name completes the whole package.  People can refer to the amphitheater with its proper name, giving it an identity (i.e. calling semi-adhesive, square-shaped sheets of paper Post-It notes).  Furthermore, a name describes personality – kind of like how we name our pets.

So, I am beginning to wonder if the Raleigh Downtown Amphitheater will be able to attract the same types of performers that other concert venues have been doing for years.  Looking at a performer’s point of view, would you want to please your fans at a nameless location or a concert that means something to locals?

Moreover, will this new amphitheater get a new name before it is simply known as “the Raleigh Downtown Amphitheater”?  I hope so, because sometimes generic just doesn’t cut it.

Photo source: Geograph

By Kaitlyn Barnes

Looking for a place to settle a business deal in the presence of Marc Basnight, Mayor Charles Meeker, and the world’s largest private collection of Wild Turkey decanters?  Entrepreneur Magazine thinks they have found just the place, deeming Angus Barn’s Wild Turkey Lounge the best bar in Raleigh to conduct business.

Along with the Angus Barn were all the major national city’s and their business biggwigg bars—including D.C.’s Proof, New York’s Gilt and Los Angeles’ The Chateau Marmont.

Proof has seen its share of political stars including White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.  Gilt is a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Palace Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.  The Chateau Marmont mixes drinks for Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore et al while overlooking Sunset Boulevard.

While trying to imagine the amount of money spent in each of these locations, I have to ask…what makes these places the place to be?  Is it the atmosphere, the community of celebrities, drink selection or location?  What is the bar’s promotional focus, or is it all a word of mouth phenomenon?

Case in point: Wild Turkey Lounge of Angus Barn.  The restaurant opened in 1960 by Thad Eure, Jr. and is now run by his daughter.  The steak house itself is one of the most well-known in the city, if not in the state, with an annual sales volume of $10 million.  Atmosphere of the Lounge includes leather seats, dark wood-paneled walls lined with rustic ornaments including the occasional deer head and musket; drink of choice, I would guess, includes some form of bourbon.  The description is dripping with hints of southern aristocracy, while bringing you back to your good ole’ boy, hunting cabin roots.  Hot dang!

My theory for the success of these places lies in what customers reflect upon when entering—their upbringing, southern hospitality, with a shade of hoity toity deal-makin’.  If the place smells like money, you can bet your bottom dollar, there is money being made.  This holds true in Proof, Gilt and The Chateau Marmont (the last of which even sounds like money).

What really sells Wild Turkey on the up-and-coming and the already-have-arrived crowd in Raleigh is its deep-south flavor.  The question now is, how does a restaurant, bar, lounge, or any establishment create and sustain such an ambience?  And how do you then promote it?

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By Jessica Lam

Summer is here, that means school is out, fun-filled days in the sun and the season for love. Animal love that is.

With families itching for summer fun, the NC Zoo knows exactly what you should do – come by for a visit. The News and Observer (@Newsobserver) recently reported that visits to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro reached a 13 year attendance high for the month of June, despite the hot and humid weather.

Although the NC Zoo opened a new lemur exhibit, Lemur Island, that has been attracting North Carolina families, we all know public relations worked a little magic for this dramatic increase in visits. Let’s take a look at how PR can really make a difference.

It all starts with knowing your audience. The United States is currently facing tough financial waters. Many families have made cuts to their household budgets to stay afloat in these harsh conditions. And one of the top categories to save a few bucks from is vacations.  As a result, families either don’t go or find other ways to have fun without making too big of a dent in their wallets.

Gathering from this concept, the NC Zoo promotes themselves on the idea that North Carolina families don’t have to go far or spend too much for a great family activity. Driving within the state minimizes the money spent on gas compared to something out of state. Families also have no need to book hotels for a simple day trip. Further, NC Zoo admission tickets cost almost the same as the movie theater, making animal adventures extremely affordable.

Now, we look at the NC Zoo budget. North Carolina state supports the NC Zoo and with state budget cuts in just about every department, the zoo needed to find economical ways to draw visitors in. With this said, the NC Zoo turns to free and effective social media sites.

Setting up a working social networking site is a smart move for people and their businesses to increase exposure. NC Zoo’s Facebook page has around 6,000 fans and growing. Facebook fans allow the NC Zoo to track how many people like or even dislike anything they post, giving instant feedback. It also allows the zoo to gauge what their primary audience consists of in order to better market events and announcements.

But more on the networking side of social networking, Facebook enables NC Zoo fans to respond quickly and easily to comments, photos, etc. on the page. This response will then show up on the News Feed of fan friends, generating instant buzz. Similiar to this, is NC Zoo’s Twitter page ( @NCZoo ). With the help of retweeting and mentions, viral marketing reaches even more people. But most importantly, word of mouth marketing from friends and followers help promote the NC Zoo with actual results. Friends and followers listen more to people they know than strangers.

So congrats to the NC Zoo! You deserve it and keep up the good PR work!

Photo credit: flickr

By James Schlegelmilch

The past few weeks have been filled with stories of N.C. State Highway Patrol misconduct, and this week marks the beginning of the search for S.H.P. commander.

On Friday, Colonel Randy Glover submitted his resignation to Gov. Bev Perdue after just one year of service.  However, the colonel’s resignation does not take effect until September 1.  While his resignation was voluntary, some state officials, like N.C. GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer, said his removal was necessary and outside leadership would need to be brought in to fix this crisis.  “The Highway Patrol needs new command.  It’s a mystery to everybody in North Carolina why he still has that job,” Fetzer said last Monday.

Thursday, Highway patrol officers were asked to turn in personal cellular phone records to investigators.  While some troopers are decrying this policy as illegal and unnecessary, officials say that it is necessary to ensure that patrol officers were not using large amounts of work time to conduct personal business. Allegations continue to pile up against patrol officers, as just this past Friday another officer was placed on administrative duty while she is the subject of a criminal investigation for general misconduct.

Two weeks ago Gov. Perdue called a meeting with 160 officers to try and stop this string of very public ethical lapses.  The meeting included more than two hours of hearings followed by questions from reporters aimed at Col. Glover and Gov. Perdue.  The most public of the allegations had been the resignation of patrol spokesman Major Everett Clendenin after the release of phone records showing more than 2,600 romantic text messages between him and another trooper.  Within the same month, one trooper resigned after his arrest for drunk-driving and felony hit-and-run.  One case involved four officers being relieved of duty when a trooper was pulled over for drunk-driving and instead of being given a sobriety test and taken into custody, officers brought him to a hotel to sleep it off.

The public has been made well aware of the misconduct of the State Highway Patrol, but few of the questions raised have been answered.  Have we seen the end of these allegations?  How much tax-payer money has been misused in the course of this misconduct, either in paying the salaries of these troopers or otherwise?  Who has been turning a blind eye to this misconduct, and who’s going to clean it up?  Still one of the most important questions remaining to be answered is how is the S.H.P. going to restore the general public’s faith in the agency?

PR crisis happen all the time, but when one strikes at this level it becomes even more difficult to address.  It is even more difficult when the agency in question is charged with the keeping the public safe, and the officials have such power, as enforcing the law.

One of the first steps in handling a crisis is to have a leader step forward and take responsibility.  What do you do when these leaders are resigning, who answers for them?  Something as simple as removing the violators in question will not restore the public’s trust.  Only the coming weeks will show the state plans to address this crisis and, most importantly, keep it from happening again.

Photo Source: Ildar Sagdejev