Tag Archive for: Cercone Brown & Co.

For several years, CBC Summer House (Nantucket) and Winter House (Park City) has seen producers and editors from the likes MTV, NBC Today, the New York Times live with the best new products from companies ranging from Ford, Honda and Subaru to Columbia, Pepperidge Farm and Wente Vineyards.  The result is an indelible, authentic experience that fuels coverage online and off.

Now the scene moves to a Net-Zero community in Boulder, Colo. for the Green House in August and feature all eco-friendly products ranging from innovative building materials, smart appliances, electric cars and many other objects of Smart Living.  We expect the elite of the green media in attendance, and many household names are getting on board (we’ll drop names soon.)

More than a media experience, the Green House will also feature the results of an ambitious research project conducted by our partner on the program Kickstand that seeks to identify the trigger points for companies to move consumers from green intentions to green buying.  The results and house products will also be reach the masses through a consumer-facing, multimedia website and social media campaign.

Visit cbcgreenhouse.com or contact Caroline Budney at to learn more.

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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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Public relations news: With the first Cercone Brown Winter House 2010 session just hours away, brands keep signing on.  Pepperidge Farm is the latest in what is considered to be a great group…perhaps further evidence that the economy is thawing.

Our PR pros on site have some great plans for the New York media set arriving to Park City today.  Over the next two weeks, they’ll eat, drink, ski, ride, hike…you name it.  All while experiencing the best new products of 2010.  As far as public relations programs go, this remains to be one of the most effective…mainly because it gives journalists a chance to look, touch and use the products without being harassed by pushy public relations agencies (yeah, I know we can be pushy too…just not now!)

Even last year when all marketing was at a stand still, both the Cercone Brown Winter House and Summer House was jammed packed with name brands and big time publications (online and off), as well as morning shows and networks.

Our PR staff onsite will keep things posted as things get rolling in Park City.

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.