Archives for 2013

Each year, we have clients who exhibit their new varieties, collections or other products at the Short Course, such as the case with the well-respected team from Terra Nova Nurseries. Our staff has the pleasure of managing media relations annually for Terra Nova prior to, during, and after the event.

For the recent OFA show, July 13-16, we created a press campaign on the company’s behalf. This involved presenting and publicizing Terra Nova’s cutting-edge breeding techniques and new 2013 “Sneak Peek” varieties to the show’s attending media members. In addition to crafting a press kit for Terra Nova, our efforts also included pre-scheduling VIP media tours of the company’s exhibit space and coordinating interviews between company leaders and industry trade media representatives.

During one of the media interviews we lined up for our client, Dave Doolittle, Terra Nova Nurseries’ director of marketing, described the company’s 2013 varieties to Green Profit magazine’s managing (and very talented) editor Jen Polanz.

By capitalizing on our client’s recent efforts to breed top-notch, trailing and rust-resistant heucherellas, we secured an exclusive video interview with GIE Media Horticulture, Inc. In the video below, Michelle Simakis, assistant editor with Garden Center magazine, interviews Dave Doolittle, who showcases the top-performing heucherellas.

Video courtesy of GIE Media Horticulture Inc.

Following OFA Short Course 2013, GIE Media continued to post and share the video with readers and followers as a means of communicating all the “need-to-know” information about the Heucherella Falls™ series and Heucherella Cascade™ Series. 

Michelle Simakis, associate editor with Garden Center magazine, gets the inside scoop on Terra Nova Nurseries’ newest heucherella introductions from Dave Doolittle, director of marketing at Terra Nova Nurseries.

Our thanks to all of the media members who interviewed Terra Nova Nurseries during OFA!

To our blog readers in all 11 of our industry sectors, if your company is interested in gaining brand and product recognition within your trade as well as among consumers, consider including our public relations and branding services into your 2013-2014 business plan. Feel free to contact us for a free assessment by emailing info@eberlycollardpr.com or posting your questions / comments below.

While we enjoy learning about products that break into the industries in which we specialize, we also love uncovering the inspiration behind a product’s creation. Delving into the mind of the designer and discovering his or her unique source for creativity and innovation is just another effort our team puts forth to understanding and reporting industry trends. Today our team is highlighting AERIN, a collection making its way onto the residential lighting scene, and how its founder and creative director, Aerin Lauder, navigates the design process.

Aerin Lauder Photo courtesy of Residential Lighting

In the July 2013 issue of Residential Lighting magazine, Lauder explains that her first step towards creating a new design is organizing her thoughts with a mood board. By compiling an assortment of images, color swatches, personal pictures, and more, she’s able to focus on several ideas in order to blend them into one. While Lauder’s creations can be influenced by most anything, travel is her number one inspiration. “I love to be in a new environment and exposed to different surroundings and cultures,” Lauder said to the editors of Residential Lighting.

AERIN is an honest reflection of Lauder’s design style: classic and traditional with a modern twist. According to Residential Lighting, Lauder prefers classic pieces that have stylish, contemporary accents that don’t compromise function. When designing AERIN she wanted to give consumers a collection that could blend together or stand alone. How did she do that? By using gold as a neutral. According to the article, Lauder believes gold is a timeless accent among interiors, just as it is in jewelry and accessories. 

The Mill Chanelier Photo courtesy of Residential Lighting

The Mill chandelier is one item from the collection featured in the article. She revealed that her inspiration for the piece was a woven basket. Made of metal with gilded gold leaf to give it depth, the chandelier came together just the way Lauder wanted – an impression of a woven basket of light.

To read the full article on Aerin Lauder in Residential Lighting’s July 2013 issue, click here. If you’re interested in staying on top of industry trends, designer insights and product releases be sure to check out future issues of Residential Lighting, as well as glance back at past copies by accessing its archives here.

Watch out produce growers, 3D laser scans, optical sensors, cloud-based technologies, and data management systems are just a few innovative software programs taking over today’s orchards and farms. No need to worry though, these systems are here to help, and we’ve got all the need-to-know information.

Our team keeps up with ground-breaking ideas and modern technology advances across all industries in which we specialize- one of which is Agribusiness. With this in mind, and according to an article by Growing Produce, four new programs are assisting growers with tasks such as precision planting, orchard management and traceability. Check out our run-down of each product to learn the benefits of incorporating these systems into your operation. 

Raven Viper 4

Photo courtesy of Ravenprecision.com

Raven’s Viper 4 is a 12.1-inch field computer offering data management capabilities and a customizable user interface that allows growers to create machine and user profiles, while storing the information in one networked platform. Incorporated with the new Raven Operating System, Viper 4 enables growers to use the customizable interface for portrait or landscape orientation. The model also has 4 camera inputs for monitoring bin levels, blind spots and more. Growers do not have to worry about its durability and ease of use while in the field. This product was built to withstand tough environments, featuring a state-of-the-art rugged magnesium alloy enclosure.

Grove Tracker

Photo courtesy of GrowingProduce.com

Grove Tracker is AGERpoint’s new comprehensive data management system that delivers critical information to growers, allowing them to keep records on the productivity and health of their orchards. By using 3D laser scanning, survey GPS, HD video cameras, and optical sensors, users will be able to capture statistical and photographic inventory. Grove Tracker’s collection of technology features allows growers to easily capture important information such as tree trunk diameter, canopy diameter, leaf color, leaf density, tree count, and tree height.

FoodLink Item

Photo courtesy of FoodLink.net

FoodLink is a cloud-based software that focuses on food safety and traceability that benefits growers, suppliers and consumers. After growers submit a collection of farm data, the software adds individual tracing information in the form of unique QR codes to produce items. Suppliers are then able to communicate information related to product origin, quality and freshness directly to a consumer. The information is easily accessible for consumers, only requiring they scan the code on the packaging with a smartphone or tablet. Recently voted “2013 Best New Food Safety” solution by United Fresh, growers can rely on FoodLink to enhance brand awareness and reinforce brand promises.

FarmLogs

Photo courtesy of FarmLogs.com

FarmLogs is a web-based farm management program designed to help growers plan, manage and analyze operations on multiple platforms. A new resource for tracking information regarding planting, fertilizing and harvesting, FarmLogs is also a tool for forecasting yields and measuring profits, managing sales, and monitoring local market prices. Best of all, this program is also available as a mobile app in order to provide an easy interface for growers to input information while in the field or on the go.

Trane’s XL20i Photo courtesy of perduehvac.com

Our team at Eberly & Collard Public Relations serves as the eyes and ears for several of our editor, publisher and producer contacts. We monitor breaking news topics, up-and-coming trends, innovative product releases, company advancements, and other content affecting change or growth in the industries in which we specialize.

By staying on top of multiple industry practices we are also able to present clients with need-to-know information and create original public relations strategies for them. An important tactic for residential architects and builders is staying aware of modern advancements so these products can be incorporated into future residential design-build projects. One product that has recently caught our eye and offers some of the latest developments in cooling technology is Trane’s Xl20i air conditioning unit.

Trane’s XL20i AC unit provides homes with top-level comfort. Its ability to enhance airflow at increased efficiency levels, but at a lower cost than the competition, makes this unit a leader among residential cooling systems. In fact, the XL20i’s Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating of 20.00 is one of the highest energy efficiency ratings of any air conditioner available in today’s market.

This model also includes Trane’s ComfortLink™ II communicating technology which allows all indoor units and their key components to connect so the system automatically charges, configures and calibrates for optimal performance. On top of its speed, efficiency and communicating capabilities, the XL20i is quiet, durable and includes an advance air filtration system CleanEffects™.

XL20i is only one of Trane’s many residential and commercial product offerings. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, Trane is known for producing heating and cooling systems that are some of the market’s most reliable and innovative. After introducing countless technological and engineering firsts, Trane continues to go above and beyond to see what’s possible.

Architects and builders, if you’re interested in learning more about Trane and its residential and commercial product offerings, click on the following link: www.trane.com

Photo Credit: Mashable.com

In case you haven’t already heard, Facebook has finally adopted the hashtag symbol in an effort to keep up with its competitors. This includes Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. For businesses, this new addition to Facebook is revolutionary and has the potential to significantly increase brand awareness. You might be wondering how and why hashtags are important. To help provide more insight, our team has put together the top three reasons to use the Facebook hashtag.

1. The most obvious advantage of using Facebook hashtags is that your business can establish a greater online presence than ever before. The new feature enables hashtags to be clickable and searchable, much like they are on other social media sites. Hashtags are great for categorizing messages and starting online conversations with users interested in a particular topic. Before Facebook implemented this strategy, many business pages were virtually invisible. Now, by incorporating hashtags into Facebook posts, companies can increase their digital presence through the search mechanism. 
2. Another great benefit of using the new Facebook hashtag is the ability to reach your company’s target audience by creating your own unique hashtag. In a recent blog article, the experts at Social Media Examiner, one of our favorite social media go-to sites, shared a prime example as to why unique hashtags are more effective than generic ones, such as #gardening, #interiordesign, #architecture, #marketing, etc. According to the article, since many users incorporate generic hashtags, their posts are likely to be pushed down the “Newsfeed” more quickly and may not relate directly to the topic on hand. Conversely, by developing customized hashtags, conversations are easier to follow and are targeted to specific audiences. 
3. As many of you know, Twitter prides itself on real-time conversations, whereas Facebook is used more sporadically. Now, with the Facebook hashtag, real-time conversations on Facebook are quickly becoming all the rage. And, one major perk is that you’re not limited to 140 characters like with tweets. This feature allows users to interact with each other on a deeper level, rather than quick sound bites. 

If you are interested in learning more about Facebook hashtags as well as the benefits of social media marketing, please feel free to post your questions and comments below, or contact the ECPR team at info@eberlycollardpr.com.

Photo courtesy of online.wsj.com

For the past few years, Americans have kept a close eye on the housing market. With a struggling economy, there hasn’t been much about which to get excited, until now.

Since we specialize, in part, in PR for architects, home builders, construction and design-build companies, and related industry product manufacturers, we wanted to share how a trifecta of positive developments has created a surge in confidence for U.S. home builders and various others in the field.

The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo recently released its June index of builder sentiment, showing homebuilders’ confidence has reached the highest level in seven years, according to an article on Bloomberg.com. Reports also showed builder sentiment rose by 8 points to 52, the biggest monthly increase since September 2002.

The confidence survey asked U.S. homebuilders to characterize sales as good, fair or poor, gauge prospective buyers’ traffic, and assess the six-month outlook. All three components of the survey climbed to the highest levels since March 2006.

So what has caused homebuilders’ surge in confidence? Builders including PulteGroup Inc. and Lennar Corp. credit it to a trifecta of low mortgage rates, a strengthening job market and limited inventories. Bloomberg.com even reports the positive forecast is creating optimism among manufacturers. Texas-based Lennox International Inc. (LII), a maker of furnaces and air conditioners, is one company to benefit from the recovering market. Joseph Reitmeier, chief financial officer of LII, was even confident enough to tell Bloomberg.com it’s a good thing to be tied closely to the housing market.

“Over the last few years, it’s been tough to say that being in a business or an industry that tied closely to housing is a good thing,” Reitmeier said. “We can actually say that now.”

Fans and friends, if your job relates to the housing market and building industry, we want to know what you think. Have you seen an improvement in business growth? And, what do you think are other contributing factors to the increase in builders and manufacturers’ confidence? Provide feedback in our comments section below.

To read the entire article on Bloomberg.com and review the results of the home builder’s confidence survey, click here. 

NeoCon is North America’s largest design exposition and conference for commercial interiors. From June 10-12, 2013, at the Chicago Merchandise Mart, managed by our client Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., more than 40,000 architecture and design professionals will have the opportunity to view thousands of new products and resources for corporate, hospitality, healthcare, retail, government, institutional, and residential interiors. In addition, show-goers will have a chance to network with fellow industry professionals at showroom parties, attend top-notch keynote presentations and nearly 100 CEU-accredited seminars and much more.

Nearly 700 of the world’s top manufacturers, including 3M Architectural Markets, Herman Miller, IKEA, La-Z-Boy Contract Furniture, Steelcase, Inc., and The Sherwin Williams Company, will be exhibiting at NeoCon. New products such as commercial space furniture, lighting, building products and services, casegoods, wall treatments, files and storage products, etc. will be on display.

And, since our firm specializes in public / media relations for commercial building and design industries, we are eager to learn about new and evolving trends that arise from the show. As an example, Interior Design magazine has already uncovered one cool new trend, office seating with tablet work surfaces. This trend creates a comfortable work space, which can ultimately help increase productivity.

New for 2013, NeoCon is the first trade show to feature “The Outdoor Office,” an innovative exhibit developed by Jonathan Olivares, which was most recently on display at the Art Institute’s Modern Wing. According to a press release sent out by the show’s marketing team, as working habits change and mobile devices allow the freedom to work outside the traditional office, “The Outdoor Office” was developed with the goal of understanding the possibility of new types of work spaces located outdoors.

Several casual furniture showrooms have opened their doors for NeoCon attendees, including JANUS et Cie, Mallin Casual Furniture, NorthCape International, Barlow Tyrie, Inc., and Poly-Wood, Inc. These showrooms will also be displaying new outdoor furniture and accessories at the International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market in September.

For more information about NeoCon, visit the show’s website at www.neocon.com. And, for those of you attending the show, let us know which product trends capture your attention!

Over the last year, Pinterest has blossomed into a worldwide social network. Establishing itself as a popular niche among social media channels, this evolving photo-sharing forum has caught the attention of millions of users. The question is, what is Pinterest, and how can it help you establish brand awareness among current and potential customers?

For starters, here’s the 411 on Pinterest. This social networking site is designed to allow users to share photos in an infinite number of categories from across the Web. Topics range from favorite home furnishing accessories and fashion trends to gardening ideas and delicious recipes. The possibilities are endless, and photo categories can be easily customized per industry and product type. The key is to know which photos to post to achieve the most impact and interest, and how to write descriptive captions for effective brand building.

Here are five practical tips to manage and maintain a company’s Pinterest account as part of a successful social media marketing platform. 

Meaningful, Pinnable Content

As you use Pinterest for business purposes, create meaningful boards that reflect your company as well as other industry-related and appealing products, services and information. “Pin” different types of images including photos, videos, infographics and text that will keep your followers better engaged. The ultimate goal is to make Pinterest users or “pinners” want to click on your photos and “re-pin” them on their own Pinterest boards.

With this being said, many marketers believe that humanizing your company and brand is important and gives you an edge over the competition. Customers are attracted to the driving forces behind companies, so also create boards that showcase all levels of your company’s personnel to give followers an inside look at the team. By sharing this kind of information, you have the ability to relate to prospective customers on a deeper and more personal level.

Clear, Concise Captions

Since you are using Pinterest for marketing, it is important to include clear, concise photo captions for each pinned photo. This will help your company’s Pinterest followers know what message is being portrayed in the image. Keep in mind Pinterest has a 500-character limit for each photo caption. To ensure your followers stay engaged and interactive, use the minimum amount needed to properly and interestingly describe your image within context.

Also, Pinterest allows users to re-pin (or re-post) photos from other users. If one of your Pinterest followers re-pins an image you posted, the original image caption will likely be edited to their liking. To help prevent losing the meaning of a particular image, consider using Photoshop to include a text box directly on the photo. Just maintain a high level of design style with everything you pin.

Contributing, Competitors and Socialization

A common struggle for business owners and managers is committing the time and energy it takes to maintain a social media presence. By creating contributor boards, businesses will gain followers, increase interaction and boost company exposure by doing half the work.

The concept is simple. Invite someone to be a contributor to one or more boards. Once they accept, their pins will transfer onto the boards, thus, providing a wider range of pins to keep audiences consistently engaged.

The fundamental exercise regarding contributor boards is adding pinners with audiences similar to your own. Competing businesses will have access to customers and users who are interested in similar services and products, which means they might have interest in yours, too. Pinterest users who follow your competitors’ boards will most likely follow yours in return. By working together as contributors, both companies’ chances for exposure doubles and growth rates are expedited. If interfacing with competitors on Pinterest sounds like a bad idea to you, keep one thing top of mind; social media is only truly social if you maximize all possible connections – including interactions with others working in your field or area of expertise. 

Protocol, Decorum and Consistency

To keep boards updated with dynamic and attention-drawing content, sign up for e-newsletters from trade and consumer-based publications relevant to your industry. E-newsletters are visual and deliver up-to-date information and photos. Their content can provide pin-worthy material or spark ideas for creative posts. That’s right; not all photos should be pinned from your own website. Pins should derive from many online sources.

Create open lines of communication between you and your Pinterest fans. When pinning, make sure to include captions that encourage users to comment or share your photos. When fans comment on your boards, you will want to acknowledge the interaction and thank them. The same rule applies when fans re-pin a photo or board. Either post a comment or return the favor by re-pining one of their photos or boards. It all comes down to practicing respectful social media etiquette.

Some Serious SEO

On Pinterest, it is important to keep Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in mind when creating a pin. Set up your pins to be noticed by using eye-catching captions, keywords, hashtags, and urls (see example below). If you want to increase the traffic to your website, blog or other social media sites, try pinning original images and content from these sites at times. Think in terms of incoming and outgoing traffic when creating a pin. You can benefit from choosing pins that will entice people, and thereby cause them to click on the link that takes them to your other websites.

It is also a good idea to add the “Pin It” button to your website or blog so when people are on these sites, they can easily pin your content and photos to their own boards, which helps increase SEO for your company. 

Pinterest, A Force Worth Reckoning With

As PR practitioners it’s our job to stay on top of the latest social media trends. We consider it our job to know how Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites play into brand building and marketing, and how it will affect our client’s overall business strategy. Since 2011 Pinterest has demanded the world’s attention. Studies conducted by social media experts have confirmed that Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing social networking sites available. A study administered by analyst comScore stated Pinterest has grown by 4,377% since May 2011, a remarkable statistic to fathom. If you haven’t already now is the time to take advantage of what Pinterest has to offer. Needless to say, it’s time to start Pinning!

If your company is looking to include social media as part of your marketing plan and needs assistance, our team is happy to help. Learn more about our social media services and how we can help build your brand by clicking here.

The possibilities seem endless with Terra Nova Nurseries’ Heuchera Little Cuties™ series! A result of breeding excellence by the company’s plant gurus, all seven varieties have compact, ever-blooming habits ideal for a variety of plant combinations and garden or landscape designs.

Capitalizing on the series’ striking features and range of attributes, our branding aficionados here at ECPR created a press campaign about the varieties that had media representatives and attendees buzzing at the 2013 California Spring Trials.

One of the media interviews we secured and pre-scheduled for our client was with the editors of Greenhouse Management. The editors got the on-site scoop from Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development at Terra Nova Nurseries, and produced a video that is well on its way to being viral. The interview included several means of communicating information about the Cuties series to their readers and followers.

Whether you are a professional horticulturist, grower, retailer, landscape designer, or simply have a love of all things living, little and cute, check out the video below and get your “green” on!

The Heuchera Little Cuties™ series consists of seven varieties, including Heuchera ‘Blondie’, Heuchera ‘Coco’, Heuchera ‘Frost’, Heuchera ‘Ginger Snap’, Heuchera Peppermint’, Heuchera ‘Sugar Berry’, and Heuchera ‘Sweet Tart’.

Growers, wholesalers, re-wholesalers, retailers, landscape professionals, and home gardeners can learn more about these varieties by viewing the plant profile pages at www.terranovanurseries.com.

If you’re interested in learning more about Terra Nova Nurseries’ varieties that are bred for indoor and outdoor success, check out Greenhouse Management’s recent article on great indoor varieties; this includes features on the company’s Heuchera Little Cuties™ series and Begonia Cocoa™ series.

Our team, at Eberly & Collard Public Relations, unifies years of experience with a mix of expertise and skills across 11 industry sectors, one of which is interior design. On our blog and in near-countless published trade and consumer / mainstream publications each year, we byline articles and narratives to feature eye-catching residential and commercial design projects. One such project warrants recognition at the talented hands of the team at Koncept Design Studio.

Photo courtesy of Koncept Design Studio

Furniture in the deep- and wide-seating style was chosen and then placed to imbue settings that could be used by residents for multiple purposes- from group conversation and parties with invited guests to reading alone in a chair upholstered with carefully chosen plush fabric. One area was designed for watching television on a state-of-the-art big screen flanked by easy-chairs for viewers.

The clubhouse was given a grounded sense of place with a stacked shaped tile in a coco color, featuring area rugs boasting a juxtaposition of zig-zag motifs in corresponding browns, tans, creams, and pale yellows. To top off and highlight the room, Koncept Design Studio hung a breath-taking pendant chandelier showcasing the trendy spider-leg style hanging lights.

Koncept Design Studio worked closely with Lennar’s architects to enhance the clubhouse’s overall layout of space for design, function and execution. Team members across the companies worked efficiently and coordinated all aspects of communication, scheduling and delivery to ensure deadlines were met. An essential key to the project’s success also included the internal collaboration among Koncept Design Studio’s creative and interiors team. In-house partnerships were established to share insight on the clubhouse’s color scheme and overall design. This also allowed the company’s promotional experts to brand the community in line with the interiors.

True to the same color palette for the interior design deliverables, Koncept Design Studio’s celebrated creative team executed a range of print collateral and digital materials to reflect the interiors and overall ambience of the new community. The company created a colorful, information-filled brochure as a hand-out for potential residents and a website to provide an online glimpse of the apartment home floor plans, a photo gallery and local amenities. Staying “on brand,” as we like to say at ECPR, they also produced a two-minute video for the new apartment community to yield a truly interactive experience online.

Photo courtesy of OaksatJohnsCreek.com

Serving as an industry leader in branding for almost 20 years, Koncept Design Studio has offered the addition of interior design services for the commercial sector since 2009. With interactive, creative, interior, and promotional studios, the company’s portfolio expands across nearly every genre of design work. Flawlessly executed branding campaigns and innovative interiors have earned Koncept Design Studio national recognition and several accolades. The company’s ability to assist and guide its clients through both the design and branding process is a unique trait, one our own publicity team can both appreciate and applaud.

The Oaks at Johns Creek apartment homes are a great example of building, commercial interior design and marketing collaboration. Apartments are now available to lease, and interested tenants can learn more about the community and its amenities by visiting: www.oaksatjohnscreek.com.