Tag Archive for: Boston PR agency
We’ll just come right out and say it: we LOVE Beantown! As one of the most historic cities in the country, Boston has a lot to offer from unique activities, great food, and lastly, is home to some amazing brands.
Throughout the year, we routinely invite editors and influencers spanning a variety of lifestyle, food, and travel publications to join us for brand excursions to aspirational places like Santa Barbara and Sonoma County. While these locations are breathtaking in their own ways, we decided it was time to take advantage of our own backyard and prove that Boston in fact is a great travel destination.
This is why we invited 10 editors to come experience all of Beantown’s unique qualities in our first Boston Experience, a new program added to our House Program series.
Take me out to the ball game
It wouldn’t be a trip to Boston without a chance to watch the Sox play at Fenway Park. As soon as the editors landed in Logan Airport, we made our way over to Fenway – in Safr vehicles, a new Boston-born ridesharing app – to watch the Boston team play the Blue Jays (spoiler: they crushed the Jays). Even though some of our New Yorkers were hesitate about sporting those Boston B’s on their caps, everyone enjoyed a Fenway Frank, or two, and were psyched to be able to experience a ball park that has so much history – Green Monster and all.
Best view in Boston
For their weekend in Boston, the media had the pleasure of staying at one of Boston’s newest boutique hotels, The Envoy Hotel. Situated along the water in one of the city’s fast growing neighborhoods, the Innovation District, the views from this hot spot are unmatched.
After a Red Sox game, we rounded off the evening with a boozy social on the Envoy Hotel’s stunning rooftop, drinking in the city skyline as well as a few signature cocktails.
Unforgettable brand experiences
The next morning, we were up at the crack of dawn to watch the fishing boats at Boston Fish Pier unload their daily catch. Legal Sea Foods gave us the behind the scenes scoop on how they choose their premium fish and what goes into making sure all their restaurants are getting the best and freshest fish.
Later that evening, our group dined with Legal Sea Foods at their Harborside location in the Seaport. It all began with Executive Chef Rich Vellante’s oyster shucking demo – that you can find live on Food Network’s Facebook page.
And the night concluded with a true sea-to-table dining experience where the media tasted Legal Sea Food’s freshest seafood dishes. Also at the table, was Legal Seafood’s CEO Roger Berkowitz who dined with the media and chatted about his journey with the brand.
Demarco Williams, Forbes Travel Guide editor, wrote about his experience with Roger Berkowitz. Check it out here.
After a classic duck tour excursion, the best way to get up to speed on your Boston history, the day peaked with a surprise trip to Ocean Spray’s cranberry bog just outside of the city. Knee-deep in cranberries, the media learned about cranberry harvest and finished off the experience with a bog-side luncheon. Needless to say, the group was berry pleased with the amazing Instagram pics they got from this adventure.
Feasting, beasting and sight-seeing
The next morning we kicked off the day the right way with a scenic run along the freedom trail in Hoka One One kicks!
And followed it with a lunch rendezvous to ArtBar in Cambridge where the staff pulled out all the stops – oysters, shrimp, mini tacos, a s’mores bar, and a sorbet bar!
And from ArtBar’s patio, a boat picked us up for a little rosè and a cruise around the harbor with 90+ Cellars and Discover Boating.
Boston
Namast’ay in Boston
We sent off our media with a restful rooftop yoga class, hosted by Boston- born brand Crane & Lion.
Who knew there was so much to do in our very own backyard? Check out the social chatter from this experience on Instagram at #CBCBostonExperience.
There’s something to be said about a weekend getaway to America’s wine region, Sonoma County. Breathtaking countryside, endless vineyards, the finest farm-to-table cuisine, all tucked into the rolling hills of Northern California. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and unplug – or to simply indulge in amazing food and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
For 24 editors spanning a variety of lifestyle publications, this blissful vacation daydream became a reality during CBC’s Cooking Cottage experience from April 29-May 4.
The CBC Cooking Cottage is part of our House Program series and was born from the desire to provide editors and bloggers the opportunity to engage with a variety of brands in a tangible, meaningful way. Representatives from publications like Good Housekeeping, Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Women’s Health, and more attended the organized oasis and left with a weekend experience they won’t forget.
Each day featured a new set of socially-engaging activities, each hosted by a different brand. The agenda included events like a wine and cheese at Arrowood Vineyard with President Cheese, an exclusive poolside yoga class with Clif Bar, tours of two Jackson Family Wines vineyards, a Pinot and Potatoes Paint Night with Alexia, and many delicious meals in between.
The Cooking Cottage experience gave participants an enchanting taste of the rich Sonoma culture, as well as an insider’s look at highly-coveted brands like Omaha Steaks, Sambazon, Stonewall Kitchen, and Simply Organic.
But don’t just take our word for it. Scroll through the amazing photos posted by our guests on the hashtag #CBCcottage on Instagram.
Until next year, Cooking Cottage!
There’s something to be said about a weekend getaway to America’s wine region, Sonoma County. Breathtaking countryside, endless vineyards, the finest farm-to-table cuisine, all tucked into the rolling hills of Northern California. It’s the perfect spot to unwind and unplug – or to simply indulge in amazing food and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
For 24 editors spanning a variety of lifestyle publications, this blissful vacation daydream became a reality during CBC’s Cooking Cottage experience from April 29-May 4.
The CBC Cooking Cottage is part of our House Program series and was born from the desire to provide editors and bloggers the opportunity to engage with a variety of brands in a tangible, meaningful way. Representatives from publications like Good Housekeeping, Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Women’s Health, and more attended the organized oasis and left with a weekend experience they won’t forget.
Each day featured a new set of socially-engaging activities, each hosted by a different brand. The agenda included events like a wine and cheese at Arrowood Vineyard with President Cheese, an exclusive poolside yoga class with Clif Bar, tours of two Jackson Family Wines vineyards, a Pinot and Potatoes Paint Night with Alexia, and many delicious meals in between.
The Cooking Cottage experience gave participants an enchanting taste of the rich Sonoma culture, as well as an insider’s look at highly-coveted brands like Omaha Steaks, Sambazon, Stonewall Kitchen, and Simply Organic.
But don’t just take our word for it. Scroll through the amazing photos posted by our guests on the hashtag #CBCcottage on Instagram.
Until next year, Cooking Cottage!
Full Metal Jackasses? Not exactly…
The Orvis Media Shootout is one of the full brand immersion media relations events we do each year at Cercone Brown & Co. The idea is to give the media an authentic experience that encompasses every aspect of our clients’ brand: the product, the culture, the people … all without hard selling.
For the Shootout, everyone from the Wall Street Journal and CNN to NBCToday and Self take a step inside the legendary world of Orvis. They shoot, flycast, eat game, see bird dogs in action … you get the point.
Anyway, MAXIM had such a great time they went back to for another shot at the clays. This “Full Metal Jackasses” video says it all.
Agency’s Earth Day Campaign for Nalgene Highlights Nation’s Least Wasteful Cities; Urges Environmental Responsibility Across U.S.
Boston, Mass. (May 7, 2010) – Advertising and PR agency Cercone Brown & Co. (CBC) was recently bestowed one of the PR industry’s top honors: a 2010 Bulldog Award for “Best Green Campaign.”
Recognized from a total pool of 800 submissions, the Boston PR agency earned a Silver award for its “America’s Least Wasteful Cities” program, developed for reusable bottle icon Nalgene. The program combined social media, online marketing and traditional media relations to reach millions across America. The Twitter campaign alone reached more than one million prospects.
“Many ‘experts’ will have you believe that social media alone is the silver bullet for PR campaigns today. But it’s really the combination of traditional media relations and social media marketing that makes the online universe come alive,” said Cercone Brown & Co. partner Len Cercone. “Creating content that people want to share is the key, whether that be from journalist to reader or person to person.”
Launched in April, the news was featured on the home page of USA Today, AOL, numerous green and news blogs and scores of TV stations, newspapers and magazines nationwide. Each piece of coverage fueled sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Digg and other social sites, as well as through the campaign site itself. As a result, the news reached more than 4 million people within one month.
“Thanks to our partnership with CBC, Nalgene continues to think beyond the bottle,” said Tiffany Teaford, product manager/product development lead ,Nalgene-Outdoor. “The award-winning Least Wasteful Cities campaign reflects Nalgene’s broader mission of empowering people to create change, once choice at a time.”
The Campaign: America’s Least Wasteful Cities
During a time when many Americans sought to make environmentally friendly decisions in their lives, the “America’s Least Wasteful Cities” campaign identified wasteful behaviors in everyday actions.
As the focal point of the campaign, Cercone Brown & Co. designed an online research survey, polling 3,750 participants in the largest 25 cities (based on DMA) on waste-focused habits – from recycling, to using public transportation, to shutting off lights. When the results were tallied, San Francisco earned the title of America’s Least Wasteful City, while Atlanta ranked last.
With the news launched just prior to Earth Day, Boston PR agency Cercone Brown & Co. leveraged traditional public relations tactics along with social media tools, including Twitter and Facebook, to spread the word directly to consumers and online press alike.
In addition, the PR agency deployed a content-filled online microsite, which educated millions of Americans on their own wasteful behaviors, while providing an intimate setting for consumers to interact with the Nalgene brand.
Visitors were invited to purchase a special Nalgene bottle designed by Cercone Brown & Co., with a portion of the proceeds going to the Surfrider Foundation, an environmental organization dedicated to protecting the world’s waves and beaches.
The prestigious 2010 Bulldog Award for the “America’s Least Wasteful Cities” campaign underscores Cercone Brown & Co.’s commitment to developing campaigns yielding socially responsible outcomes.
“As an action-oriented advertising and PR agency, we feel a tremendous amount of accountability toward our clients, the general public and the environment around us,” said Caroline Budney, director of corporate social responsibility at Boston PR agency Cercone Brown & Co. “With the ‘America’s Least Wasteful Cities’ campaign, we encourage the general public to make environmentally-responsible decisions by highlighting the impact simple, everyday actions can make.”
In addition to developing campaigns for individual clients, PR agency Cercone Brown & Co. is renowned for its annual Green House event, where the nation’s top “green” editors are immersed in the latest practical and planet-friendly products, services and technologies. This year’s experiential marketing event will take place in Boulder, Colo. in August. For more information on getting involved, visit the Green House website at http://www.cbcgreenhouse.com/.
About Cercone Brown & Co.
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Cercone Brown & Co. (CBC) provides branding, advertising, public relations and promotions services to companies in a range of industries. Founded in 2001, the company has worked with leading brands that include adidas, GMAC Insurance, Hasbro, Nantucket Nectars, Orvis, Cognos, Sperry Top-Sider, K2, The Timberland Company, Vibram and ZOOTS. For more information, visit www.cerconebrown.com, join the Cercone Brown Facebook page and follow Cercone Brown on Twitter.
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Cercone Brown & Co. Launches the First Annual Green House Marketing Program To Bring Awareness to Sustainable Living
When it comes to constructing or converting a home for “green living”, the common perception is that it’s expensive, inconvenient, and only for those who can afford the luxury of being eco-friendly.
However, one Boston PR agency, Cercone Brown & Co., aims to debunk these green stereotypes through a new program, the Green House. This May, just outside Burlington, Vt., Cercone Brown & Co. will immerse a Who’s Who of traditional and interactive press into a completely green-living environment.
The Green House is entirely eco-friendly, from energy efficiency and independence to the smallest details in its furnishings, fabrics and food. However, guests living this completely sustainable lifestyle will find the experience — from accommodations to travel to entertainment — not only affordable, but unexpectedly comfortable and convenient.
“The purpose of the Green House isn’t to try to convert folks to completely green living, but rather demonstrate that there are many often ingenious products and approaches that can make a big difference in the health of the planet and your finances,” said Emily McCavanagh, new business director, Cercone Brown & Co.
The House is expected to host 20 top consumer, green and business editors. While there, editors won’t just look, they’ll be encouraged to touch, taste and test brands in a living laboratory of the latest ecologically inspired products. Activities will include test-driving the new Honda Insight hybrid, taste-testing Green Mountain Coffee, and jogging in New Balance’s latest Earth-friendly shoes. Editors will also give back to their home-away-from-home by participating in a community service garden project to aid local families in need.
While PR teams from each company are encouraged to attend, the Green House honors a strict “no pitch” zone, instead endorsing genuine interactions with editors. This system ensures that Green House attendees have the best products of 2009/2010 at their disposal; no boundaries, no time constraints, no distractions.
The Green House: Vermont Living for the 21st Century
The Cercone Brown & Co. Green House is a “net zero” home, meaning it is intended to produce as much energy as it uses over the course of the year. Environmental features include geo-thermal heating, radiant concrete floors, triple pane windows, super insulated walls and roofs, active PV solar panels and significant south facing glass, which provides solar gain and great views down the valley.
Owned by the Vermont Building Resources and the Russell Family Farm, the Green House is certified by the Vermont Builds Green (VBS) program. The house is located on a 24-acre farm parcel with 14 acres set aside for continued farming.
The Green House concept is an outgrowth of Cercone Brown’s successful Summer House/Winter House programs (now in the fourth year) hosted in Nantucket, Mass. and Park City, Utah, respectively. Participating companies have included such leading brands as Subaru, Oakley, Vineyard Vines, Wente Vineyards, Baskin-Robbins, Zone Perfect, Seventh Generation, Nordic Track and many more. For information on attending or exhibiting in any of Cercone Brown & Co’s Houses, contact Noelle Guerin at 617-248-0680 x21 or nguerin@cerconebrown.com.
About Cercone Brown & Co.
Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Cercone Brown & Co. (CBC) provides branding, advertising, public relations and promotions services to companies in a range of industries. Founded in 2001, the company has worked with leading brands that include adidas, GMAC Insurance, Hasbro, Nantucket Nectars, Orvis, Cognos, Sperry Top-Sider, K2, The Timberland Company, Vibram and ZOOTS. For more information, visit www.cerconebrown.com.
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