Eberly and Collard Archives

Unpacking 2020: Lessons Learned and Marketing Predictions for 2021

April 13, 2021 By ECPR Team Leave a Comment

With vaccines becoming more available by the day, and life’s return to “normal” imminent, it is easy to want to forget about the year 2020 altogether. Why dwell on the past, especially if it brought with it much difficulty and strife – right? Though this sentiment is highly relatable, it carries with it a few flaws, at least from the perspective of marketing.

As marketers, it is our job to dichotomize the year 2020 and make sense of the valuable learning elements the year brought with it. To be prudent, we deployed an end of year survey to groups of other marketers and Eberly & Collard social media followers for their input. Our survey asked participants questions that allowed us insight into the ways in which marketing, and marketing platforms, transformed in 2020. We then used the survey’s results to create a roadmap for marketing in 2021.

Now comfortably in the year 2021, we have broken down the results of our end of year survey for 2020 and created a basis of understanding for how these results will play out in the year 2021. After all, 2020 was a pacey year in terms of the growth and adoption of marketing trends, so an in-depth analysis of the trends created in 2020 is much deserved.

Below are the three most telling and informative results from our end of year survey. We are confident that the marketing trends conceived in the year 2020 will continue, and they serve as excellent reference points when constructing predictions for 2021.

Traditional media relations remained strong: According to our survey results, companies launched as many press campaigns in 2020 as they did in 2019.

Traditional media relations remained a staple due to its effectiveness in connecting brands and companies with their target audiences. In 2020, it became more important than ever to be known, and there are few better ways of doing so than being published by a magazine or website.

Many business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) companies “stated their case” to target audiences in 2020 by leveraging one of the most trusted gatekeepers in the marketplace: the media. Consumers and decision makers in business needed to be conservative with their budget in 2020, and they relied heavily on the media to help make decisions for them.

Our own experiences in the year 2020 supported our survey results. Due to market volatility, those with spending power in the business community wanted to make sure they were working with stable and trustworthy partners. The media of a respective industry acts as a vetting system for potential clients or customers; if you are established and trustworthy enough to be published by a trade publication or applicable magazine, it bodes well for your viability in the marketplace in the eyes of potential business partners.

As an example, in 2020, we were told by many editors across the industries in which we work that there was an influx of submitted press releases for publication. At first, this seemed hard to believe. Was there really that much news that needed released to the media in the middle of a pandemic? But, as supported by our survey results, companies truly needed media coverage in 2020 more than ever. Businesses across all sectors were required to engage with the media as a way of peeking their heads out of the door, so to speak, and saying, “we are still here and serving our clients and customers.”

These results tell us that even during tough years for traditional media, its influence remains constant. In 2021, plan to launch just as many or more campaigns as in 2020. As a company, becoming a familiar name and face in front of target audiences is extremely valuable for future success.

B2B and B2C audiences shifted their conversations to social media.

In what is arguably the least surprising result of our survey, we found that companies increased their social media posting frequency by nearly double in 2020. With a massive increase of people spending more time at home, social media became the new desired place of e-commerce and lead-development for companies in B2B and B2C market segments.

Will people continue leaning on social media as strongly as they did in 2020? Absolutely. If you are familiar with Pavlov’s Dog experiment, you understand that once someone is introduced to specific, rewarding stimuli on a consistent and scheduled basis, they become hyper-aware of when the same stimuli are absent from their daily lives.

This same ethos can be applied to a company’s social media presence. If you found yourself increasing your social media posting frequency in 2020, chances are your followers, who may be potential clients or customers, will notice if you decrease your content frequency in 2021. So, we would advise to continue posting at the same frequency in which your company or brand did in 2020. After all, in 2021, there will be much more success to post about.

In keeping with social media’s high-octane performance in 2020, we found that, through our survey results, many more companies relied on influencers to promote their brand and product than in previous years. As was overheard during a Zoom webinar attended last year, influencers were found to be “pandemic proof” in the first half as 2020. While many traditional forms of media reduced activity for a few months and went home, influencers were already at home, and they were much more used to creating content for brands out of thin air.

Brands and businesses were highly intrigued by the accessibility and relatability of influencers in the eyes of their target markets, and got to work with their influencer marketing programs. Companies learned that there were various levels of influencers geared for different tiers of their target audiences, and it showed through an increase in search terms like “How to find micro influencers”, “Nano and micro influencers” and “Micro influencer marketing.”

These tiers of influencers gave brands a menu of different market segments they could reach at home, and this specialized strategy of targeting B2B and B2C audiences using influencers is sure to continue in 2021.

Desktop and mobile screen time rose significantly in 2020, and it has transformed the way consumers interact with businesses.

For most people spending increased time at home, their phones and computers became all-in-one their place of work, marketplace, social gathering space, and public square. Marketers quickly took notice of this phenomenon and got to work.

Commerce primarily shifted to a digital setting to adapt to the increase in screen time. Producing digitally native content became much more of priority, simply because creating and maintaining visibility in the digital marketplace became extremely important for businesses in nearly every sector.

One of the most interesting B2B hospitality marketing developments of the year 2020 – discussed in HubSpot’s 2021 social media predictions webinar – was the phenomenon of “ghost kitchens.” This is a new kind of hospitality business that was created in direct response to increased screen time due to the pandemic. A ghost-kitchen business is a restaurant that only exists in the digital marketplace. A business owner rents out a kitchen, but the typical symbols of the restaurant’s identity – such as a serving staff, décor, etc. – do not exist. Ghost-kitchen restaurants operate exclusively through delivery services such as Doordash and Uber Eats, but they do not “exist” in the physical realm so to speak. You can’t even place an order for takeout, since there is no physical restaurant-like setting to pick up from.

Think about it – an entire hospitality sub-industry created for a mobile device-exclusive marketplace. We look forward to seeing the places these digitally native companies go in 2021.

Proper digital media management and digital media marketing was a major priority for companies in 2020. Our survey results reflected that B2B and B2C companies increased SEO spend in 2020 to meet this new demand of digital business. We’ve mentioned this before, but if a business was not visible on digital platforms in 2020, it essentially did not exist. Not to mention, our survey yielded results that businesses’ website traffic experienced a sharp increase in 2020, which can be a result of, or reason to build, a strategic SEO strategy for your business.

As far as digital marketing forecasting and an outlook on digital marketing trends for 2021 goes, this year will remain important for businesses to continue an investment into SEO. Though many physical elements of business and commerce are returning, we are not quite there yet, and it is still highly important to remain visible in the digital economy.

A Calculated, but Energetic Race to the Finish Line

September 23, 2020 By ECPR Team Leave a Comment

If there existed a single expression to describe the marketing situation for businesses across the globe right now, it would probably be that “the show must go on.” And, it should.

Backtracking to mid-March, with uncertainty abound, many businesses temporarily froze their 2020 marketing campaigns, assuming they could take up where they left off in a quick two or three months. However, it is now six months later, and businesses now realize the need for enduring marketing communications during what continues (for now) to be one of the most difficult eras for business. Thus, the mad dash to facilitate remaining 2020 marketing initiatives has begun.

If this scenario applies to you, you are not alone. It has been an unpredictable year to say the least, and many other companies are in the exact same situation. After all, no marketing plan for 2020 could have predicted or anticipated our current circumstances.

At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, we are fully confident that 2021 will be a great year for our clients and businesses in general. We see the burgeoning 2021 energy and advanced activities among marketing directors. But, to finish the present year as strongly as possible, it would be naïve to be so far-sighted that one overlooks business and marketing goals remaining for 2020.

For those striving to make the most of their remaining 2020 marketing objectives, we have compiled a short-list of various components that are cost-efficient, creative approaches to generate interest and potential return from your target audiences.

1. Continue concentrating your brand image and increasing your share of voice through owned media.

If unclear, owned media is defined as digital and web-based content of which a company has complete branding control and ownership. Examples of owned media are a company’s email campaigns, blogs, digital brochures, websites, and social media channels. These platforms are streamlined, cost-effective ways to not only improve SEO and increase your online share of voice amongst competitors, but they give your company a combined platform to deliver regular updates to your target audiences and followers during times of instability.

In a less-than-ideal economy, with plenty of distractions caused by current events, generating regular and scheduled content for current and future audiences helps demonstrate your focus on your company’s product or service despite disruptions. It also shows others that you are staying the course despite a sometimes-treacherous business climate.

A simple way to demonstrate this focus is an inward approach to owned media in marketing. Right now, there are a lot of headlines about mass layoffs, failing businesses and more grim news related to company personnel – none of which we need to tell you more about than you already know. So, through your owned media, begin highlighting what is going right for your business, your industry and your clients’ industries. Add to this content about the ways in which you are lending value and support to your clients or customers. Infuse key words your targets use to search for solutions and resources online.

This owned, strategic digital and social media content will not only help generate impactful SEO and further cement your brand image, but it also gives potential clients or customers an opportunity to see where you stand as a business in a distressed economy. “Radio silence,” so to speak, brings assumptions of inactivity, or even worse, dissolution, during times like these.

However, when we have encouraged owned media content development in the past six months, we are usually asked, “Is it appropriate to develop regular social media or other owned content in the middle of a pandemic?”

This question is neither unreasonable, nor is it without warrant. Though, we would say this content is appropriate in theory, any content that may inadvertently address economic issues can be tricky to write for a non-marketer, or anyone for that matter. So, when implementing this example of owned media, one must be sensitive to the needs and attitudes of their own employees, as well as their customers and clients.

If you have been hesitant to develop regular, weekly or daily owned media content for your company’s platforms, right now might be a good time to begin. This effort in Q4 facilitates streamlined, on-brand messaging and can even help align your internal marketing goals as you head into 2021.

When creatively concepting this owned media content, be sure to review challenges your sales and marketing team faced in the second and third quarters to uncover priority messaging as 2020 draws closers to an end. For example, many business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses experienced a decline in brick-and-mortar activity throughout 2020, while markets made an obvious shift in the direction of e-commerce.

Heading into 2021, strategic messaging supporting your e-commerce capabilities remains important, but use the challenge of in-person business as a focal point to motivate your marketing team and prepare for a day when business is not done as much virtually. We will return to a “normal” world at some point in 2021, so concepting a comprehensive, yet approachable, marketing strategy directed to consumer or customer audiences for late-Q2, Q3 and Q4 in 2021 will be beneficial.

2. Persist in the output of ideas and messaging from c-suite leadership through communication channels in public relations.

Good corporate leadership comes with a premium, always, but especially amid an economic and public health crisis. So, it is important your company leadership is strategically positioned through traditional – but modified for current times – public relations.

It has been said that the pandemic has accelerated many facets of business, education and healthcare by about 10 years. Tried-and-true public relations opportunities can still provide company leadership and brands with irreplaceable benefits. Though budgets geared towards event-based marketing have been redirected, there should still be some room left to position your company’s leadership via 2020 digital and virtual events, and 2021 in-person events.

As events began to cancel in and around mid-to-late March, many companies assumed their speaker’s bureau marketing budget was essentially rendered useless. Some companies even transferred the funds they would typically spend on traditional public relations opportunities into different parts of the budget. However, events never went away; they simply moved to a digital platform.

One after another, countless industry events were able to adapt to a digital setting and many featured a lineup of notable speakers. Though it is hard to compare an in-person event with its digital equivalent, many events were able to please attendees with informative sessions and digital networking opportunities. Digital marketing speaking opportunities are one of the most current and timely ways to get your leadership in the eyes of potential clients and/or customers. This strategic positioning is also cost-efficient; when an event has no physical preference, the likelihood of steep travel fees, in addition to spending days out of the office, is very slim.

We also understand that securing speaking or panel opportunities for executive leadership is not an overnight process and may take months of preparation. So, if you have not yet begun planning for 2020 speaking opportunities, it might be too late to both find and secure an event for your executive leaders.

But, this is not a “dead-end” situation for your marketing goals and executive leadership. Situations like these often call for creative solutions, and when trying to be as budget- efficient as possible, sometimes the best strategy comes from using the resources already at your disposal.

For example, consider creating a podcast that gives your c-suite leadership opportunities to keep your company’s shareholders, stakeholders and clients abreast of current as and planned goals as well as remaining activities, resources and news for 2020.

Podcasts are not only another great example of owned media, but they are a relatively low-maintenance, budget-friendly way of vocally and strategically positioning your c-suite leaders amongst and above competitors. After all, the only items needed for a podcast, besides your c-suite’s knowledge, practice, and messaging strategies, are a reliable microphone, a laptop, editing software, and access to an audio-streaming service.

When writing scripts or identifying talking points for these podcast episodes, make sure positive sentiments about the state of your respective industry and business remain the leading theme of the messaging, while still offering real-life, real-time tips and ideas for your clients and customers to attain those final 2020 successes. This accessible platform can be a resourceful asset to your clientele, but it can also help internally codify your own Q4 marketing objectives for streamlined performance.

3. Invest in sustained and increased digital marketing programs and strategic SEO deployments.

This past spring, most of the corporate world went digital. But, just because physical and more traditional marketing components will eventually return to the ways in which we do business, we recommend keeping your SEO game plan at the same pace as it has been (or could have been) throughout 2020. Increasing your digital marketing efforts now, to better define and execute your 2021 SEO strategy, is ranked as one of the most significant efforts a marketing manager should maintain front and center.

We have mentioned this in previous blogs, but screen time is up exponentially in 2020. Though it may be assumed this screen time will edge off in the coming months, we do not think it will decrease dramatically. We believe this to be true even once there is a vaccine for COVID-19. For those with the thinking it will be diffused post-pandemic, think again.

At this point, people have been fully assimilated to a digital world that can be accessed at their fingertips, and they will likely not revert to pre-pandemic methods of marketing and media consumption.

You will want to continue building effective SEO that allows potential clients or customers to learn about your business online. Once they are digitally introduced to your business on the web, you will want to be able to clearly inform visitors of your brand and business, as well as attract new visitors through well-written and developed copy on your website. This is essential if you are looking for a strong finish to 2020, especially when current operations for businesses across the board return to more standard procedures.

Even if your company does not operate brick-and-mortar storefronts or offices, we would still recommend building your SEO for attracting new clients to your business. Right now, as most business is done digitally, a company’s digital and online presence is just as important, if not more important, than its physical presence.

One of the most valuable tools for building SEO at a time like this is through regular, relevant company content posted to your website. This loops back in with our previous point of owned content, but we cannot stress it enough that strategically written content on your website is the top driver of search engine rankings.

Creating a branded digital presence through regular website content can increase traffic to your website. Thus, you will want to create a strong keyword building program to first identify the interests and motives of your target audiences, and then target them through digital website content aligned with their needs.

Once you create an initial schedule for branded website content, it is vitally important to maintain its frequency and relevancy when posted on your website. It is also important to make sure the SEO-driven writing reads naturally and is not too technical for readers.

To win the remaining months of 2020, and head into 2021 with momentum, you could even create a marketing platform that is a hybrid of the points we have outlined in this blog.

Begin creating or adding some form of owned media content, such as a weekly blog or company newsletter, and include well-ranking keyword phrases in your new content. To give this content an impactful presence, have a c-suite leader or the business owner be the author each week or month.

As we have already mentioned, inactivity on digital platforms can make potential clients and customers jump to inaccurate conclusions about your business. By having a company leader echo key messaging about the standing of your business, all the while working in strategic SEO keywords on a regular (weekly or monthly) basis, you are setting yourself up for success to round-out the year and heading into 2021. Not only could this method help you attract and attain new business, it can also allow you to discover the 2020 evolution of your brand identity.

By consciously deciding on a regular basis what your lingering marketing objectives are and how to reenact them, you can essentially materialize remaining 2020 goals that were put on hold or slowed earlier in the year. Plus, what you deem as not an immediate priority for 2020 can be queued for 2021; it is never too early to begin planning a marketing content calendar and strategy.

The year 2020 has been a roller coaster ride for many businesses, and very few sectors of the economy were prepared for or immune to the year’s economic and health woes. However, though it may have felt like it on the darker days, the world did not stop and the need for action-oriented marketing certainly remains a key factor for the all-important annual results.

We are looking forward to 2021 being a great year, along with all the energy and innovation it will likely bring. In the meantime, if you are looking to reignite your 2020 marketing plan to finish out the year strong and launch a results-focused 2021 with more momentum than ever, contact our team today to assist your race to the finish line.

Changing of the Tides: The Rise of the Subscription-based Revenue Model, and what it means for your Brand or Business

August 21, 2020 By ECPR Team Leave a Comment

We are currently living in the era of disruptive innovation. Though this phrase has been attributed to the success of various businesses, people and ideas over the past decade, the idea of disruption has been around for a very long time. And, in some cases, the roots for current disruption have been hiding in plain sight.

Take for example the rise of media companies switching to subscription-based business models from advertising-based models. The idea of subscribing to a form of media, or any product or service, for that matter, is not a new concept. However, magazines and publishing groups across the globe are now using this age-old business model to re-energize their content, engage on a more intimate level with their audiences, and, ultimately, generate recurring revenue.

In our client fields, trade and consumer publications alike are shifting their business structures to better accommodate readers looking for more streamlined, focused content that goes directly to their inboxes or doorsteps. Exclusivity, too, plays a part in assessing the value and the intellectual or social equity that comes with having selected, tailored content for a small fee each month – everyone likes being the smartest person in a room, and paying each month for exclusive content assists them carry this equity with them wherever they go.

It makes all the sense in the world why we have evolved our content delivery preferences to adapt to the current subscription-based world in which we live. After all, millions of people wake up each morning and cook breakfast using groceries they received from Blue Apron or Amazon Fresh; catch up on their preferred cable news programs using Hulu; drive to work with their favorite podcast or music from Spotify; get to work and check out emails from specific industry-based newsletter memberships; and finish the day with streaming-giant Netflix. Sound familiar?

Subscription-based services and media are simply ingrained in our daily lives at this point, and it has been very well documented. Stories about the topic have been examined and re-examined by business and tech publications across the globe, but many of them have failed to address some key questions:

What will this transition imply for brands and businesses still hoping to achieve the benefits of more traditional means of advertising and editorial publicity?

At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, a full-service marketing agency, we continue to advise our clients through strategic ad buys. We are also constantly on the lookout for sound editorial opportunities with publications sold on newsstands and published for free (for the reader, at least) online. Though there has been messaging from top business and tech publications that the failure and demise of advertising is imminent, we would not entirely agree with that sentiment; rather, we expect many publications in the near future to adjust to a hybrid-type model, offering free content with ads and subscription-based content. We also think this formula could be highly beneficial for many types of businesses.

Trends in business tend to be fast spreading, and they often trickle down, so to speak, into other sectors and markets. There are a few subscription-based business model examples that prove this point, like Spotify’s business model. If you would like, you can download the Spotify app for free on your phone, tablet, laptop, etc., and stream music that plays ads every three to four songs. However, you can also create a Spotify Premium subscription account, pay a fee every month, and listen to as much music as you want with zero ads. Not to mention, with Spotify Premium, the user has certain abilities to create exclusive playlists, have tailored music selections generated by Spotify, and more.

You may ask why we are explaining how Spotify works. This revenue model, for businesses whose primary product is content, has found its way to several publications we work with every day. These are publications for which we secure our client’s editorial coverage and buy ads. So, what do we think when one of the most popular and highly regarded consumer interiors publications, Architectural Digest (AD), creates a secondary, subscription-based site, AD PRO?

For starters, we think this is an excellent move by Architectural Digest. And, for our current and future clients in the interior design and residential design products space, what better way to deliver streamlined, exclusive news to a trade audience via AD PRO? Similarly, one can utilize Architectural Digest in tandem with AD PRO to allow consumers to take a look at your newest projects or products by grabbing a print copy of the magazine, with ads, on newsstands. Not to mention, good, subscription-based content from AD PRO can inadvertently generate better content for Architectural Digest and attract new readers to purchase print and read online for free.

The reason being? Subscriptions create a better product. With AD PRO, the editors at Architectural Digest are delivering exclusive, streamlined content and resources without too much outside influence from advertisers. The effect is quality, interesting and insightful content for those who subscribe.

AD PRO’s classification and merit creates an advantageous effect for every Architectural Digest stakeholder, including the advertisers’ content. By paying the yearly or monthly subscription for AD PRO, you are allowing the editors to create high-quality, high-level content at an elevated frequency and accessibility. This, in turn, translates to an increase in the quality of Architectural Digest’s solid content, whether that be free content online, or print content consumers can purchase on newsstands.

Okay, but how does this apply to my business?

Subscription-based content can lead to increased brand trust for your business. It is known that earned, editorial content is trusted at a higher level than advertising content. While this is certainly no revelation of ours, earned media from subscription-based articles comes with a level of trust even higher than traditional editorial coverage. As we mentioned, with subscription-based content providers, you will not necessarily need to worry about competing with advertisers for editorial coverage and space. So, because of this notion, readers have become more inclined to trust stories and news from publications who have switched to, or created, a subscription-based revenue model.

If you are a smaller brand or business with an effective, but small, advertising budget, this transition from advertising-based revenue evens the playing field for securing editorial coverage as well. When vying for page space with a subscription-based publication/website, you will not have to compete with companies who gain editorial traction via large ad buys.

So, how can I begin to take advantage of subscription-based publications or newsletters in my respective industry?

More and more traditional media outlets are making a full or partial transition to the subscription-based revenue model each day. With advertising budgets shrinking as of recent, some publications will need to switch to this model out of necessity. But, the so-called “content machine” is always churning, so despite a lack of ad dollars, do not interpret this shift as publications’ output decreasing.

Publications that can gracefully and successfully make the transition from ad-based revenue will still be hungry for content, and there may even more opportunities for your brand or business to secure editorial coverage. If navigated correctly, this transition, or combination, at least, could end up unlocking endless opportunities for your brand or business to gain exposure and trust alike.

So, start thinking today about how you can leverage this new media landscape to achieve greater exposure to your target audiences. After all, we are living in the “Age of Specialization,” and in many ways the new wave of subscription-based content further cements the notion that more specific, content targeting is one of the most valuable assets a business can have.

If you’d like to learn more about how we’re evolving our advertising strategies to adapt to the rise subscription-based business models in media, and how this game plan could change the ways in which your content is received by target audiences, contact us today.

Branding Via Radio

March 26, 2010 By Jeff Collard Leave a Comment

With spring right around the corner, we’ve been speaking with radio show hosts about coordinating interviews with our home-, garden- and design-based clientele. Spring is the obvious time for redesigning interiors and renovating outdoor spaces.

Currently, we are finding new interest in radio show producers who like to interview landscape architects, horticulturists, breeders, and garden center owners. Gardening has taken on a new look and feel for homeowners, given the continuing stay-cation and focus-on-the-home mentality. From focus groups, we also believe homeowners are tiring of “on hold” projects due to the economy, and many are creating new interiors and landscapes in phased approaches. – Sounds good to us! It is time to get up and get going, even in phases if necessary, for Americans having faced some slow times in 2009. We can improve our economy by actively participating in it, and home and garden projects are a great way to do so.

The norm for our garden-related radio interviews this spring includes our plant-based clients sharing trial insights about the best plants for any area, the latest plant trends, and helpful long-term care tips. Radio show hosts and producers with whom we work are also telling us homeowners are interested in learning about the history of brands and what makes them special or different from the competition.

In general, radio interviews supplemented with strategic advertisements are a means to provide supplementary information that may not have been mentioned during the interviews, such as detailed contact information and a targeted brand message.

Listen to the following ad message from Garden Splendor:

This will be playing on the WOR radio station during spring runs of the Ralph Snodsmith Gardening Show, in addition to interviews during which Ralph will ask how-to gardening information of David Wilson, Garden Splendor’s marketing director. These two messages will complement each other for a well-rounded branding campaign. The Garden Splendor brand offers one of the most organized and creative radio campaigns in the industry, and the garden center retailers selling the branded plants benefit from the exposure. – Our team and the good folks with the Garden Splendor brand have worked with WOR in this way for some time as well as other stations.

Typically, radio ad purchases like this are a great and cost-effective way to message locally. And, as an added bonus, these types of campaigns literally lend more customer traffic to the participating brand dealers.

If you’re interested in potentially writing a story about brand messaging through radio, please feel free to give us a call or send us a message. We can write it for you or line up interviews with some of our clients. If you are a radio producer or host and are seeking experts – from gardening and landscape architecture to interiors and home furnishings – we’d be glad to provide media kits and information on behalf of our clients.

Atlanta Home Show

March 18, 2010 By Jeff Collard 2 Comments

The 32nd annual spring Atlanta Home Show begins this Friday, March 19, and runs through Sunday, March 21. The show is in our own back yard, so we’re looking forward to hearing feedback from media and friends who attend. And, with over 300 participating companies offering the latest in home remodeling products and services, we fully expect to hear great things!

A few of the show highlights include:

Educational sessions that provide tips on how to save time and money when remodeling.
Southeastern artists showcasing their works, available to consumers for purchase.
Exhibit booths for a wide range of product categories, including appliances, beds, brick and stone, fireplaces, grills, kitchens, lighting, marble and granite, pest control, roofing, spas, siding, stained glass, patios, and much more.

If you are attending the show and would like to get together, please feel free to contact us to schedule a quick hello. Or, if you’ll be jam-packed during the three days, we’d still love to hear your opinions of the show and chat about new trends in home remodeling.

~ The ECPR Team

A Piece of Art

March 12, 2010 By Jeff Collard Leave a Comment

While some furniture makers have sacrificed quality for mass production, we wanted to share some information about one furniture company that still considers its products works of art.

Englishman’s employs the very best artisan craftsmen to produce original works in the finest of materials such as oak, mahogany, walnut, and elm. Care and attention to detail are inherent at every stage of their designs. Based on traditional English and other European designs from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, the majority of the company’s products are handcrafted and polished in England before being shipped to the USA.

Two of our personal favorites include:

Englishman’s Fine Furnishings Age of Oak Collection trestle tables are made of hand-selected wood. Each piece of this collection is slightly different and unique, much like a piece of artwork.

The Hampstead Collection was recently introduced by Englishman’s Fine Furnishings, which includes this table and sideboard. Each piece is finished in light cherry wood with a black band. This collection also includes additional table designs, a china cabinet, chests and a bed.

To learn more about Englishman’s fine quality furniture, please visit the Web site at www.englishmansfurniture.com. For more information on the latest trends in fine quality furniture and other design resources, please feel free to contact our office anytime at 404-574-2900.

~Leslie

Comfort is Key

February 25, 2010 By Jeff Collard Leave a Comment

According to the American Home Furnishings Alliance (AHFA), “The newest outdoor furnishings this year emphasize comfort, versatility and gathering places – all essentials for enjoying more leisure time at home.” The study shows that 29 percent of people polled said they’d like to add either a comfortable lounge chair or some other deep-cushion seating to their outdoor space this summer.

Three Birds Casual specializes in the design, manufacturing, and distribution of premium-grade, fine casual living products. Recently, the company launched an entire new line of teak casual furniture called Monterey. This new line was designed to meet consumer demand for versatile outdoor furniture – a product that is both functional and high-design.

The Monterey line includes a Deep Seating Sectional, Sofa, Loveseat, Armchair and Ottoman. The collection also contains Bar Chairs and Dining Chairs to allow the use of similar products for a cohesive outdoor living area, from conversational settings to dining areas.

According to the same study by the AHFA, nearly 40 percent of the homeowners who participated in the survey said they’d like to purchase one or two new pieces of outdoor furniture this year. For more information about how outdoor furniture manufacturers are prepared to meet the demand of consumers during 2010 through versatile yet luxurious collections, even on a budget, please feel free to contact us.

To learn more about this new line and others from Three Birds Casual, please visit the Web site at www.three-birds.com.

~Leslie

What will they think of next? Great Garden Gadgets by Plumstone

February 11, 2010 By Jeff Collard Leave a Comment

With a handiness factor that compares itself to the invention of the garlic press for culinary experts, the SoilStick, which is just one of the new products introduced by Plumstone, is sure to assist even the most novice of gardeners with how to accurately determine the correct acidity level for a particular plant or bed of plants.

Determining pH levels in soil until now was a fairly daunting task, and if you happened to be thumbing through the latest issue of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine like me the day the professor covered the topic in chemistry class, you are also at a loss as to why your Camellia bush’s foliage is yellowing.

Here is some background on the science behind the measurement of soil pH. The pH level is a mosaic that varies according to soil crumb structure, on the surface of colloids, and at microsites. The pH also exhibits vertical gradients, tending to be more acidic in surface mulches and alkaline where evaporation, wormcasts, and capillary action draw bases up to the soil surface… Wait, I got off track a bit, and there IS a much easier way!

The SoilStick will do this for you. SoilStick’s innovative scoop design measures out the perfect amount of soil each time, giving more accurate results. Each package includes a pH Color Chart matching plants (including vegetables and fruits) with the right pH in one easy step. An Amendment Chart makes it a snap for users to change the pH for a particular plant or perennial bed. To use SoilStick, simply scoop the soil, dump it into the tube, add water and the pH tablet. Each package includes 8 tablets.

If you are working on a gardening how-to article as a member of the media, let us know how we can assist you and your readers. The folks at Plumstone are experts well worth quoting. Consumers can make purchases at www.plumstone.com. Watch for more posts from us about Plumstone’s products before spring.

~ Jeff

Discovered antiques become models or inspirations for production…

February 5, 2010 By Jeff Collard Leave a Comment

On assignment for a couple of our editor contacts, and to gather information for our blog, Jeff and I went on a two-day hunt at the Atlanta International Gift, Home Furnishings & Area Rug Market. Since the “Mart” is only a few blocks from our office, this is one market for which no travel was needed. The proximity gave us more time to soak in trend-based products, work with clients, see old friends, and meet many new ones.

Our product picks and reviews will be seen in a variety of online and print publications – both trade and consumer – during 2010. We’ll post updates as publication evolves. For now, we wanted to share information about one of our most preferred companies and its impressive outdoor furniture and accessories.

Elegant Earth is a company specializing in furnishings and decorative accoutrements for the outdoors, tables, chairs, benches, containers, fountains, pedestals, and more. Each piece the company produces has its start in the past. Discovered antiques become models or inspirations for production of new items.

Just as with interior design, accessorizing the exterior with furniture should combine practical use with beauty, and bring character to outdoor living areas, decks, patios, and verandahs. Scale is a key component to the company’s design decisions, with attention to detail and pieces that solve problems for homeowners and their designers. The combination of a classic look and style, frost-proof durability, and a lower cost point than the norm for such high quality is a unique selling proposition.

Retailers, designers, and members of the media, take a look at the following favorites we thought you might like:

French Teak: Side Chair and Loveseats (Also available as an arm chair) – These reproductions are based on a style Elegant Earth came across during its many searches for antiques and new product inspiration. The frames are welded wrought iron with a powder-coated finish in a neutral dark-brown. The durability and style of the hand-finished teak makes this a handsome and functional outdoor seating option. Pairing them with Elegant Earth’s 84-inch Old English Dining Table provides a taste of Old World ambience. Designers, consider this pairing for your next outdoor room installation.

Firewood Console – This accessory is an adaptation of Elegant Earth’s sleek 72-inch Console Table. This highly functional 8-piece set offers multiple units that can be placed side by side to create a truly dramatic effect. All pieces are manufactured from re-enforced concrete and hand finished in one of six standard finishes. This pieces’ juxtaposition of application and beauty makes it a focal point with a purpose. Retailers, you could use this piece to change the way your customers think about cold temperatures and frosty days.

Perfect Oval Bistro Table – A reproduction of a piece that hails from the Provence region of France, its simple design is an elegant statement inside or out. The oval shape can be used as an outdoor bistro table or as a center or side table in a large foyer. Cast in re-enforced concrete and hand finished in one of six standard finishes, this oval table was one of Elegant Earth’s best selling pieces in 2009. Possibly, its best feature, the table has an elegant appearance, yet offers extreme stability against strong winds.

Designers / retailers, request a catalog at www.elegantearth.com. Media members, let us know if you’d like photos or more information. Look for previous and future posts based upon our top product picks from the Mart and other markets / tradeshows.

~ Don

Lighten the Load for Green Roof Designers, Builders and City Planners

January 22, 2010 By Jeff Collard Leave a Comment

One major challenge for landscape architects / designers, contractors and builders in green roof design and installation is meeting weight requirements and building codes. Simultaneously, they must create healthy balances of soil nutrients, plant material, and irrigation systems, all settled on safe base structures and with ease-of-maintenance an essential factor for the future. These green roof professionals must also develop potential opportunities for LEED credits, especially when designing for green-initiative buildings or properties.

Big River Industries is the nation’s largest producer of HydRocks, a lightweight expanded clay aggregate perfect for green roofs. In a rotary kiln, selectively mined clay is fired at temperatures of approximately 2000° F, producing a lightweight, ceramic aggregate. The aggregate is then processed to precise gradations, resulting in a high-quality, lightweight compound that is inert, durable and tough.

At nearly half the weight of common soils, this all-natural, eco-friendly, non-degradable aggregate can be mixed as a soil enhancer to provide the following benefits to green roofs:

Reduces water usage
Retains moisture during dry periods
Reduces water run-off
Improves moisture retention
Provides sufficient draining
Promotes healthy root structures
Reduces nutrient loss
Encourages aeration
Prevents soil compaction

HydRocks particles are completely inorganic and can be blended with other soil supplements. The use of HydRocks can also help acquire up to several LEED credits including: Heat Island Effect, Optimizing Energy Performance, Recycled Content, Innovation in Design, Regional Materials, and Thermal Comfort.

One high-level green roof design that implemented HydRocks is Chicago City Hall. The story behind how the developers and planners created this premium green roof structure and the pivotal role Big River Industries played in the project’s success make for a fascinating case-study.

Editors and publishers, contact us with your questions. For case-study information, feature articles, high-resolution images, interviews with the experts, and more information about HydRocks from Big River Industries, please email me anytime. We’re very interested to learn your article and resource needs pertaining to this type of solution-based story.

~ Leslie