Tag Archive for: cbc

Taste of Wine Country with CBC 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!

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!

Emerging Industry and Tech Trends for 2016

As 2015 is coming to an end and next year’s planning is kicking into full gear, it’s time to take a look at some emerging trends that will rule the digital landscape in 2016.

Different sources have varying perspectives on the top-tier trends, but for the most part everyone can agree that mobile and new gadgets in innovation will top the list. With the endless new devices topping holiday wish lists this season (iPad Pro, anyone?), marketers will definitely be zeroing in on optimizing their mobile platforms, and getting to the forefront of mobile ads.

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In an era where anything and everything is becoming digitalized, it’s important to keep an eye out for technological trends. Virtual Reality and 360 tech has had tons of buzz in 2015; it will be interesting to see where this takes us, and how advertisers will be able to integrate this into their projects.

Similarly, wearable tech like TomTom’s GPS watches will definitely be top of mind for advertisers in 2016. Whether or not the platforms will allow for advertising opportunities is still pending, but given the latest trends of social media brands opening up their platforms for advertisers, it wouldn’t be surprising if we start seeing pop-up advertising on our watches, too.

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Another industry trend that’s particularly interesting is the growing prominence of disruptive competitors, or small niche brands taking on industries dominated by a few key players. Services like Dollar Shave Club and Uber have been extremely successful in staking a claim within industries that have not seen new competitors in quite some time.

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With the emergence of new technologies and companies creating new markets for themselves, marketers will have to work harder than ever to stay ahead of the innovation game. Who knows what platforms will open their doors to advertisers in 2016! As ad-people, we’re staying on our toes, poised to create, to evolve, and to innovate in the name of the ever-changing game.

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Virtual reality — the future for brand-to-consumer storytelling?

Virtual reality, a fairly new thing for most, is a 3D reality of an environment that imitates physical presence in places that exist elsewhere in the world or in an imaginary place. Mostly known as a new platform for video games, virtual realities are also becoming very popular in marketing and journalism, with the potential to be the new form of storytelling. You can experience virtual realities with a pair of Oculus glasses or with something as simple as a Google Cardboard. With this technology, you can watch videos to see, connect and experience life elsewhere in the world on a completely different level.

Can you imagine what life is like as a nine-year-old in South Sudan, displaced by warfare? Well, now you can – thanks to the New York Times Virtual Reality app, which shares the stories of three children in eastern Ukraine, Syria and South Sudan.

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Can you imagine what the life of a ballerina is like? Or what about an experiential virtual reality where you walk into a store, try on a winter jacket and take a quick trip to the South Pole? A North Face store in South Korea created a virtual experience for its shoppers to experience what it would be like to wear the jacket on a dog sledding ride.

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With these novel uses of a just-as-novel technology, consumers have the opportunity to be completely transported. If advertising can pull at the heartstrings, virtual realities can impose more literal experiences – be they emotional, tactile, or the like – on people. Point of purchase tactics have immense potential for growth with VR, as do activations and other brand-to-consumer interactions, something we specialize in here at CBC. With North Face exemplifying the trend of brands using technologies to engage on closer, more intimate levels with consumers, we’re eager (and, honestly, a little wary!) to see what’s to come.

2015 Parenting Experience with CBC

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Summer is winding down, and parents everywhere are preparing their kids and their homes to accommodate the new school year. From stocking up on school supplies to transitioning closets to accommodate the crisp fall months, it can be overwhelming for a parent to sort through all the new products at hand. Luckily, CerconeBrown has the answer to these parenting dilemmas! Since its introduction in 2013, the CBC Parenting Experience works to connect top parenting and children’s brands and products directly to top lifestyle press.

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The Parenting Experience is a one-day event showcasing a collection of the best products that top brands have to offer. Guests are invited to sample and taste test these new items, allowing them to get face-to-face and hands-on experience with the experts behind the brands. This year’s event took place this past Wednesday at the London NYC Hotel Penthouse suite, and participants from parenting and lifestyle magazines, top mommy bloggers, and high-influencing mom personalities joined in on the fun. In total, 33 top-tier media were able to get to know brands who ran the gamut from snack solutions to educational tools for children.

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Sabra, Plum Organics, and Pom Wonderful were on-site sampling and sharing their brand flavors, while LEGO and ABC Mouse showcased new toys and tools that are both interactive and educational.

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The Parenting Experience is not only about the children, but also the parents! Nothing ruins a family outing more than cold and wet feet, and BOGS presented cold-weather solutions for parents and children alike.

The Parenting Experience is just one of CBC’s House Programs, facilitating press and brand interactions between editors, authors, and bloggers and the newest, best products in their beats, all in a casual yet high-energy setting. This experience was another success: authentic, intimate, and the preface for long-lasting brand/press relationships.

CerconeBrownCompany Leads Force on Garnet Hill Shop in The Hamptons

Located on the picturesque Main Street of downtown Bridgehampton, New York, long-time catalog retailer Garnet Hill has officially opened its first brick and mortar store. The new space is a mixture of timeless Garnet Hill pieces and exclusive items from local New England artisans, ready to be shared with the Hamptonites and other vacationers in the flesh.

Design firm Aesthetic Movement transformed the space into a clean and inviting retail experience for customers. From the white peg-board walls to the simple wooden dowel hanging fixtures, the space is designed to truly showcase the product. The space takes on the aesthetics of a gallery, maintaining the attainable pricing Garnet Hill has offered for years. The store carries vintage books and glassware, bedding, apparel and home collections.

Despite primarily working with Garnet Hill’s public relations team, CerconeBrown assisted in everything from staffing the store to set up to event management. CBC traveled to Garnet Hill’s headquarters in Franconia, NH several times over the past three months, meeting with all departments of their company, ensuring a streamlined transition to brick and mortar.

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Photo by Matt Kisiday

Perhaps the most fun of all was organizing the Bridgehampton store’s inaugural weekend with a press shopping event and cocktail party, opening up the space to an intimate group of editors from several top-tier magazines. CerconeBrown transported editors from New York City to The Hamptons for an overnight stay, enabling city-dwelling editors from outlets such as Family Circle, InStyle, Town & Country, Refinery29 and more to experience the product first hand, many for the first time. Several editors had just returned from CBC Summer House, where the brand activation experience allowed them to live with the product for the entire session, getting to know the signature bedding and amazing pool towels especially well.

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Kristina Rodulfo of InStyle Magazine with Garnet Hill’s Signature Towel | Photo via @cerconebrown Instagram

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Editors shopping at the opening cocktail reception | Photo by Matt Kisiday

CerconeBrown’s ability to connect with such a wide variety of print outlets will allow for exposure on more than one platform, something Garnet Hill hopes to achieve while the store is open. Editors were also given the opportunity to meet and mingle with Garnet Hill executives, including its President, Claire Spofford.

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Garnet Hill President Claire Spofford, Home Shopping Network CEO Mindy Grossman, and other GH Executives | Photo by Matt Kisiday

When the store opened its doors on Saturday evening, a long-time Hamptons staple, Hamptons Cottages and Gardens Magazine held a major presence. Editors and friends of the magazine were able to mingle with Garnet Hill while enjoying the store’s charming backyard garden environment. The magazine has provided locals with a revered sense of fashion and style for decades and has become a trusted publication in any true Hamptons home. CBC was able to place two large, two-page spread advertisements in this month’s issue. Employees of the store already noted that several local residents have phoned the store, asking for the bed featured in the ad – now.

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Photo by Matt Kisiday

Garnet Hill is incredibly excited and hopeful for the summer ahead. With several more press and community engagement events planned, Garnet Hill is making its debut into the retail world in a big way, and CBC is honored to help them do it.

Cercone Brown Company, The Fantastical Win Gold At 2014 David Ogilvy Awards For Excellence In Advertising

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J.Jill “Uncomplicate” campaign honored for breakthrough brand strategy and creative

NEW YORK CITY (March 26, 2014) — CerconeBrownCompany and its creative agency partner The Fantastical took top honors last night at the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) prestigious 2014 David Ogilvy Awards for “Uncomplicate,” an integrated national brand campaign for the women’s clothing retailer J.Jill.

Other winners last night included The Coca-Cola Company “Let’s Go Crazy” (Ogilvy & Mather), HP “Printing that helps your Child Shine” (BBDO Singapore), Reddi-wip “Unleashing the Joy of Reddi-wip and Fruit” (DDB California), and Ford Fusion “It’s in the Game” (TDI).
Named after advertising legend David Ogilvy, The ARF David Ogilvy Awards for Excellence in Advertising Research annually celebrate his spirited advocacy of research in making good advertising better, recognizing the role of consumer research in creating successful advertising. The Awards honor extraordinary and/or creative uses of research in the advertising development processes of research firms, advertising agencies, and advertisers. The winning campaigns provide a keen understanding of how research can be used to create powerful, profitable campaigns.
The “Uncomplicate” brand platform was conceived entirely through research and deployed across national advertising, PR, online pre-roll spots, promotions and through all of J.Jill’s channels, including retail stores, packaging, catalog, customer service and at jjill.com. And the platform is successfully resonating with customers: J.Jill has experienced increases in brand engagement and revenues.

CerconeBrownCompany’s partner agencies that share the Ogilvy Award are The Fantastical (creative), Added Value (consumer research), Kathy Hart Planning (research) and PGR (media).

Subaru of America, Inc. Thinks “Outside the Track” To Publicize 2009 Subaru Models

BOSTON, MA. (Feb 26, 2009)-  When it comes to media relations, most car companies follow a time-tested public relations formula: test-drives with the likes of Car & Driver, Automobile, and Road and Track. And while positive reviews in the auto press are essential, this year Subaru of America is taking a road less traveled to reach the American consumer: the CBC Winter House, an innovative media relations program from Boston PR agency Cercone Brown & Co. (formerly CerconeBrownCurtis).

This January, Subaru of America, Inc. put top consumer journalists behind the wheel of their 2009 Tribeca and Forester models at the CBC Winter House, where journalists were given the opportunity to test products in a natural setting. No contrived media pitches – just the product in the environment for which it was intended; in Subaru’s case, real roads, a wintry setting, and drivers of all skill levels.

“This was a unique way for us to get consumer journalists into Subaru vehicles and see what our products are all about,” said Heather Ward, manager of corporate communications for Subaru of America, Inc. “Park City was a great setting for us to show off the go-anywhere capabilities of our vehicles. With standard all-wheel drive and the legendary Subaru boxer engine, the media got to see a different side of our vehicles – not only are they safe and durable, but they are also a lot of fun to drive.”

Media pros from top press outlets ranging from Men’s Health to Good Morning America stay in the Winter House in Park City, Utah for three-day sessions, and have the opportunity to taste, touch and drive innovative 2009 products. In many cases, these products have not been released to the public.

“I had the opportunity to try products I wouldn’t have seen for months and have fun while I was doing it,” said Natalie Gingerich, Prevention. “I previously breezed over brands I was unfamiliar with and the Winter House gave me an opportunity to see new brands, and test familiar brands in a new way. I have always thought of Subaru as an outdoor car company but they have upped the ante. Their new models are luxurious and it was great to test them in icy conditions to see what they’re capable of”.

This year, the media really had an opportunity to test product that has yet to hit the market place, from brand new Kettle Chips flavors to heated jackets from Mountain Hardwear and brand-new watch models from Timex. Participating in Winter House gives companies an opportunity to use the media as a focus group on product that is new, innovative and still in its preliminary stages. Additionally, companies like Kahtoola and Karhu use the Winter House forum to get their name out and test product currently on the market. The program has lead companies to look at media relations in a whole new way.

“The media that attend the CBC Winter House and Summer House collectively sway huge influence on the consumer trends in the US and abroad,” said Noelle Guerin, the architect behind the program for CBC.  “Subaru created a powerful impression for journalists that typically don’t have the chance to report first-hand on the driving experience. It groups their new models within the realm of the most innovative and exciting products of any kind in 2009, not just new cars.”

Coming on the heels of a successful Winter House program, the Summer House, CBC’s sister program on Nantucket, has already signed on several companies. The Summer House kicks off on June 7. For more information on how to participate in Summer House or other experiential media relations programs please contact Noelle Guerin, nguerin@cerconebrown.com

About CBC

Located in Boston, Massachusetts, CerconeBrown&Company (CBC) provides branding, advertising, public relations, promotions and social media 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.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru makes the best-selling All-Wheel Drive car sold in America based on R.L. Polk & Co. new vehicle retail registration statistics calendar year-end 2007. In addition, Subaru boasts the most fuel efficient line-up of all-wheel drive products sold in the market today based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy standards. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. For additional information visit www.subaru.com.

Media Relations Tips for PR Agencies from Journalists

I came across a good article on effective media relations I thought I’d share. It’s from the Bulldog Reporter, a news source for PR professionals. It was from the blog Journalists Speak Out, which is a must read for all PR agency folk. While there’s not a lot of new information for people who work hard on packaging news with specific media needs in mind, it’s at very least a quick and easy reminder of some major do’s and don’ts for media relations agencies from Boston to Baton Rouge.

The big tip for me is the “nut graph.” You can be sure that all of our publicists at CBC will be adding this to their pitches and releases.

Enjoy…

New Year’s Resolutions Journalists Wish PR Practitioners Would Make
By Brian Pittman
“A resolution many journalists probably wish PR people would make could be to commit to doing more homework before calling us,” says Kristin Bender, the Berkeley reporter for the Bay Area News Group-East Bay, which owns The Oakland Tribune. “It doesn’t have to be extensive. Just ‘use the Google,’ as President Bush says,” continues Bender, who is also a freelance writer and frequent Bulldog Awards for Excellence in Media Relations and Publicity judge. Read more