Uncategorized Archives - Eberly & Collard

Which Generates More Sales Leads, Advertising or Public Relations?

January 31, 2017 By Don Eberly 2 Comments

Buying ads in print B-to-B or B-to-C magazines and websites is a good way to tell people the name of your company, mention your products, and communicate your phone number and website address. Doesn’t sound all that bad, right? Well, consider this…

An active and strategic public relations plan does all of this, and more. With public relations, a third party (namely the media, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, etc.) informs your existing and potential customers or clients about your company, often with information that endorses your business and products. When editorial-based articles publish in print or online regarding you or your brand, people are naturally drawn to read and trust the information because it is reported to them by the editors of the publications, websites and blogs to which they subscribe. They trust the content in these print and online publications; otherwise, they wouldn’t be reading them in the first place.

Thus, having an active PR program, including press releases, articles, product photos, new project announcements, bios, company or corporate news briefs, and other branded content being submitted to the media on a consistent basis, is essential.

Ads Vs. PR?

To achieve a successful advertising plan, a budget of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars is necessary, often reaching into the millions. Purchasing ad space in print publications or online comes with a hefty price tag; and, once the ad runs, your marketing outreach is finished. You then hope for the best. Will the few ads you were able to afford reach the right targets and give rise to new sales? Ultimately, all you can do at that point is wait out the budget year until new ad dollars are allocated to your marketing needs.

Conversely, the primary focus of public relations involves having your company news and thought-leadership information published in B-to-B and / or B-to-C print magazines and online a near-limitless number of times throughout the year, and for a much lesser budget. Since public relations leads to editors and other media members publishing content about companies and businesses, these stories remain relevant (and are read and re-read) far longer and more often than ads are seen and remembered.

After all, when is the last time you looked at a magazine or website and actually remembered specific products, professional services or brands you saw in the ads? However, you can probably recall articles you have read and photos you viewed which featured companies, product stories, project case-studies, development news, and industry professionals. Aren’t the articles and photos the reason you looked at the content anyway? Or, did you pick up the magazine or log onto the website just to look at the paid ads? Not likely.

Putting true public relations to work for your company is highly attainable. It is really just a matter of a strategic program plan and series of publicity campaigns with the help of a professional public relations firm, one that specializes in your industry. Public relations can become an ongoing marketing reality for your business, resulting in a tool that builds media endorsed content about you, your staff and your product or service at double or triple the frequency an ad budget could afford.

Compare Dollar for Dollar

When asking which has more monetary value, advertising or public relations, there is a basic formula to put a dollar value on a specific placement.

Advertising values are determined by the reach of a specific media outlet. The more people who read a publication, view a website, or watch a video or podcast, the higher the value of an ad buy. With this comes usually a very high expenditure since buying ad space is at a premium these days. On the other hand, the worth of public relations takes the value of advertising and builds upon it based on heightened impact and expanded interest on the parts of the readers or viewers.

Since public relations provides editorial and photo coverage of your products, service case-studies or news (published by editors and reporters), the result is third-party validation that your business does or offers what you say it does. The impression or result is considered three to five times higher than that of a paid advertisement.

Example: If a half-page ad (that runs one time) in a trade magazine costs $8,500, a half-page article or editorial in the same publication could be valued at up to $33,500. However, the cost for public relations, per article or placement, tends to be far less than purchasing the same amount of ad space.

PR Influences Sales

In the end, if your article / editorial publishes on the same page as a competitor’s advertisement, which do you think the reader would find more interesting and remember longer? Chances are they would not be able to recall the name of the business or information as seen in the ads. Even if some of do, only a certain level of brand awareness is formed. With articles and other public relations-based media coverage, brand equity is generated, again, because people have trust in the publication or website that reported the information or story.

According to the Public Relations Society of America, 8 out of 10 people remember (and want to learn more about) the companies, brand names, products, and services about which they read in articles or hear or view on air and online.

When a representative or spokesperson from your business is interviewed for on-air radio or television segments about an area of expertise, audiences become familiar with your company and its specializations. Podcost interviews also publicize your concentrations, practices and capabilities, as expressed by you or your appointed interviewee, while being endorsed by the interviewer. Certainly, preplanning and preparation are essential components to these and all interview types.

Which has more long-term value, advertising or public relations?

To answer this question, reflect upon your current sales and marketing situation: If your current ad buys are advancing your sales so much that your sales goals are not a concern or thought, keep buying only ads. But, if achieving the upcoming year’s sales goals and maximizing relationships that can lead to new customers or clients is on your mind this time of year, make a necessary change to the ways in which you market your products or services and begin to reach more targets.

Contact us for a free assessment of your public relations needs. We’ll show you how to utilize public relations to connect with more qualified contacts and build brand equity that generates leads. Learn more: www.ecpr.com.

BELFOR Property Restoration Comes to the Rescue

November 18, 2016 By Don Eberly Leave a Comment

The students, faculty and staff of West Clark Community Schools in Henryville, IN, thought the afternoon of March 2, 2012 would be like any other typical day. Little did they know, a catastrophic F-4 tornado would soon destroy their school and most of the community in which they lived.

It was only 20 minutes after the students had been sent home early from class as a safety precaution that the devastating storm hit. This forced several bus drivers and their passengers to take emergency shelter in a church basement, homes of area residents, or whatever other refuge they could find.

Astonishingly, no one was injured during the horrific storm. However, three of the buses as well as the entire school, were completely demolished by 170 mph winds, and the destruction only took 23 seconds. What at first seemed like an irreparable disaster would soon become a miraculous recovery at the hands of BELFOR Property Restoration.

BELFOR Property Restoration is the leading company in integrated disaster recovery and property restoration services in North America. The company specializes in fixing damages caused by fire, water, wind, and other catastrophes. No matter what time of day or night, BELFOR is designed to respond to any property disaster or emergency.

In the case of Henryville, IN, the BELFOR restoration experts were challenged with the important job of restoring the community’s combined elementary, middle and high school campus.

There were several difficult hurdles BELFOR faced when setting to work on the restoration project. The first included an accelerated timeline of five months, because school administrators wanted everything to be ready by the beginning of the next school year in August.

Securing temporary facilities where classes could resume as soon as possible was very important because the children needed a place to continue learning during the restoration. The alternative would have been to allow students to fall behind in their studies, which was not a viable option.

Negotiating with building and restoration product manufacturers to fast-track orders and deliver materials needed on the job site would have been a definite obstacle, if not for BELFOR’s large buying power and persuasive project managers. Expediting product acquisitions for the constructive restoration project was essential to the preplanned timeline.

Increasing manpower to ensure on-time completion while minimizing overtime costs was another challenge of the job. The restoration team generated a structured schedule of planning and execution to streamline processes, with a system of numerous checks and balances.

One milestone centered around the fact BELFOR was able to obtain a ruling from the labor board to use both union and non-union crews on the project. Not an easy undertaking, this enabled a more robust work calendar with an experienced team working in carefully arranged shifts. On average, a collective workforce of 300 worked on site day and night.

John Prater, president of Praters Flooring, participated in the restoration. “The challenge of working on schools that have been so damaged by tornadoes is the enormous scope of work that has to be performed in a relatively short period of time without sacrificing quality,” he said in an article for Disaster Resource. “You want the community to be able to get back to some sort of normalcy as quickly as possible.”

There were several different horrifying images and videos playing in the news coverage following the tornado. However, the actual video surveillance footage from the AXIS Communications Fixed Dome Network Camera technology the school had in place was alarming, yet educational.

“Having the video footage of the actual building being destroyed was amazing from the standpoint that we got to see in detail what wind like this, what a weather event like this, actually does to a structure,” said Dr. Glenn Riggs, principal of Henryville Elementary School, as quoted by Disaster Resource.

The surveillance footage proved to be quite a helpful reference point for BELFOR and its team. If there were questions about what fixtures should be installed where, the teams were sometimes able to review the footage and find their answers.

The Striking Solutions

It only took BELFOR two weeks to prepare a temporary facility for elementary school classes to resume. The team also found a temporary location in three weeks for high school classes. The company worked with school board officials, administrators, local authorities, and the insurance adjuster to develop and implement a plan to salvage and bring up to code a couple of old buildings.

While the workers were aggressively trying to make these temporary facilities fit for classrooms, they were also recovering, cleaning and delivering contents from the tornado-damaged site. The team brought a sense of calm to what would have normally been a very stressful situation.

Before BELFOR could begin restoring the demolished site where the original school once stood, they had to secure its surroundings to protect the facility from vandalism, theft, or further damage. Thus, a security fence was built around the massive property.

Nearly 70 percent of the 220,000-square-foot school was gutted, leading to major interior renovations and reconstruction of essential walls and skeletal structures. In addition, from the ground up, the remaining 30 percent had to be demolished and rebuilt.

A few of the school’s new features include: HVAC equipment, wiring, drywall, ceiling tiles, floor coverings, cabinets, windows, and a roof-deck and roof. Any of the unused contents from the temporary schools were cleaned, packed up and stored in an off-site warehouse.

Once the hardworking team had accomplished the nearly impossible rebuilding of the school, they engaged several specialists, including an Industrial Hygienist, who tested for various unsanitary elements such as mold. Remarkably, the BELFOR team and its associates were able to accomplish the seemingly unachievable goal to have the school up and running by the beginning of the next school year.

“One of the key things that people can learn from this is that damage is unpredictable,” said Vernon Duty, National Accounts Manager with BELFOR. “With a hurricane, you have three or four days’ notice, maybe more. But a tornado, which is a threat in significant portions of the country, could happen unexpectedly,” he explained in the Disaster Resource article.

According to Duty, the fact tornados have such unforeseen effects is something that should prompt communities, business owners, school and hospital administrators, and everyone to plan for the unexpected well in advance. While no one is ever fully prepared for a natural disaster of this magnitude, creating and distributing a framework for action prior to the need is key.

For the West Clark community, fortunately, BELFOR was able to come to the rescue, restore laughter and cheer to the school’s hallways, and leave the site even better than it had been before the storm of a lifetime.

Learn more: www.belfor.com.

White Paper: Influencer Marketing

October 12, 2016 By Don Eberly Leave a Comment

Why Influencers are Important for your Business and Brand

The term “Influencer” has become so synonymous with successful marketing practices, the Cambridge Dictionary has actually added a new definition of the word.

Influencer

Noun. Marketing Term:

“A person or group that has the ability to influence the behavior or opinions of others: The influencer is the individual or group whose effect on a purchase decision is in some way significant or authoritative.”

It is true. Much like in personal life, many in business are influenced, convinced or persuaded by others to change or alter their thinking, opinions, practices, or decisions.

Why not? After all, gleaning new insight and information from trusted contacts who have either experienced the products or services of a business – or who are familiar with but not part of the brand or source – is a means to a credible reference.

For years, many in marketing have heard the coined phase, “Word of Mouth.” An old adage, the concept has served its purpose for years in terms of generating interest in brands and their products or services. But, for those willing to stay tuned regarding this mindset’s more modernized trend shift, the positive impact of influencers on sales and marketing can be astounding.

So, then, exactly what is “Influencer Marketing”?

Start by setting aside the outdated approach to one-way marketing messages. You know it well- the timeworn method of static messages about a business and that which it sells, hoping the information resonates with sales leads, customers or clients.

Now, think about two-way and interactive marketing based upon the influence of others. Neither your marketing staff, nor your sales team have the power to influence your customers like others do.

Who are these all-important influencers?

For one, they are not you. Influencers in marketing include those reputable contacts who are not part of your personnel and have earned the trust of people within your target audience sectors. They are reliable third-party influencers who have built a follower, fan or reader base that is often swayed by their recommendations, written content and expressed opinions.

The list of possible influencers is long, and good that it is. Influencers with whom you should be interfacing for the benefit of your brand are editors, journalists, columnists, bloggers, vloggers, industry experts, renowned analysts, social media gurus, and others who are authorities within your industry as well as the scope of how you conduct business.

Those who possess the platform to endorse your marketing messages, boost your acclaim, or drive others to purchase your products or services- they are the influencers you want and need to know. As you ramp up for 2017 marketing budget allocations, consider these stats:

84% of marketers plan to implement Influencer Marketing programs within the next 12 months. ~ eMarketer study.

From 2014 to 2016, traditional paid advertising has dropped in favor, whereas Influencer Marketing has grown. ~ Nielson finding.

Influencer Marketing now requires public relations managers to interact with an increasing number of external contacts who have the power and platforms to advocate for or endorse a business. ~ Eberly & Collard Public Relations focus group.

Four Strategies to Build Relationships with Influencers

Start with strategic content marketing:

In order to gain the endorsement of external influencers, your business should first define strategic and long-term marketing outreach and publicity goals. This includes uncovering how you brand is currently being perceived by your customers, clients and others, and how you would like to enhance those perceptions. Begin to develop brand-augmentation messaging points, sound bites and innovative forms of print and digital self-published content. The most effective content will be formulated and disseminated with a clear and creative approach.

Rather than “telling” or “informing” your targets how they should perceive your brand, offer them engaging and resourceful information that causes them to view your business as an industry helpmate or supportive analyst. Self-publish this written and video content via your owned media- i.e., your website, blog and social media channels, giving your customers and prospects a solid reason to keep your URLs in their feeds.

Find and engage trusted influencers:

Next, research a diverse group of external contacts, businesses, media outlets, industry associations, and a range of influential connections in, around and involved in your field. Determine good influencers for your brand by studying their potential applicability and viability for being ambassadors for your business. If they have a known and existing trust factor among your customer- or client-types, and they own a share of voice to effectively persuade your targets, initiating an authentic relationship with the influencer(s) is beneficial.

Look for influencers in relative places to your business, such as popular social media enthusiasts, qualified professional associations, well-attended conferences or tradeshows, B-to-B or B-to-C online forums and blogs, top 20 trade publications, top 100 (or more) business or mainstream media outlets, and anywhere communities have formed that could yield proactive, positive interactions. Engage and interface with these influencers as an ongoing matter of day-to-day activity for your business. Get involved, stay connected, be social, and actively participate.

Execute press and media relations:

Edit the above-mentioned content in Associated Press style, and implement tactical public and media relations to produce earned media. Draft press releases, news briefs, product notices, completed project announcements, and other media outlet-focused narratives regarding your business, personnel, news, awards, and accomplishments. Submit these official content documents to a list of well-researched editors, reporters and media members, and follow-up with them by way of media relations best practices.

Take time to uncover where, when and how your customers, prospects and leads tend to read or view their news. It is these media outlets to which you should submit customized releases. In turn, as select media outlets publish or report your news, they will naturally act as influencers, which can lead your target audiences to your website or other forms of connecting with your company. Media-endorsed information about your business is one of the surest ways to increase branding and sales.

Cultivate and maintain your brand influencers:

In all of your Influencer Marketing efforts, remain true to the brand standards your business holds sacred. Adhere to a set of guidelines that makes it possible for everyone within your organization to create and grow relationships with influencers.

As you develop new informational content of interest to your audiences and invite the influencers to share it with the contacts who admire them, be sure to include key search words and URL links in subtle ways.

Though, do not oversaturate the content with promotional or sales information. Your influencer campaign content should be purposed to form both inbound and outbound leads activity through non-sales language. Yet, it should have an attention-grabbing and a value-added informational tone.

As you proceed with cultivating relationships with the influencers, think of them as allies for your brand. Provide mutually beneficial support to those willing and able to persuade, refer or guide their followers toward you and your business.

By implementing Influencer Marketing rife with valuable content, your business will become known as offering value, data and insight to your customers, or those who could become customers. If well planned, your content will be shared and re-shared by others, going viral and building new forms of outreach and impressions. Finally, your business will breed new relationships with significant, persuasive contacts paramount to your sales and marketing success.

For a customized campaign to garner influencer relations for your business, brands, products, and / or services, contact us…

Eberly Collard Public Relations develops and executes regional, national and international public relations programs for clients that help them join effective communities and conversations, which evoke new relationships for them with media members, customers or clients, and relevant influencers. www.eberlycollardpr.com/contact-us

Architecture & Construction Strengthen Symbiotic Relationship with the Environment Through Sustainability

June 29, 2016 By Don Eberly 1 Comment

Construction / contracting companies and architecture firms were buoyant about the trends predicted to occur within the industry this year. Many cities throughout the United States are growing faster than ever, and with urban growth comes the new opportunities to re-construct parts of the cities that had been long forgotten. According to Dodge Data & Analytics’ 2016 Construction Outlook report, there is a predicted 6% growth, with the value of construction starting to reach an estimated $712 billion. The opportunities to build innovative sustainable structures have surfaced as the demand in sustainability and walkable communities has increased. According to the American Institute of Architects third-quarter Home Design Trends Survey, “design elements such as access to public transportation, multi-generational housing, walkable neighborhoods and mixed-use facilities dominate homeowner preferences.” As the 2016 foreseen trends continue to take place, companies are adapting to the changes and progressively making improvements in sustainable approaches across several of the industries in which we specialize.

Changes in the industry stimulate the need for innovative approaches to old tasks. Eberly & Collard Public Relations’ experience developing relationships with the media in the building, construction, and architecture industries are highly valuable. We have worked with construction companies who implement a variety of building techniques across the realm. We also manage to keep up with the latest trends in our industries and are delighted to see the revolutionary advancements companies are developing towards sustainability.

Credit: Lando and Associates, Landscape Architecture

Our firm’s successful execution of media relations management and integrated marketing approach often results in the feature of client projects in trade publications and across several media channels within their industry. Our services create trade and consumer zeal for our clients’ businesses. The ECPR team invites you to read and view our current online case-studies content.

Along with the sustainability trend surging everywhere, the architecture, construction and commercial building industries represent a pristine area to apply the concept. “Green building currently accounts for 26-33% of the total residential market and has helped contribute to the industry’s recovery after the recession, according to Dodge Data & Analytics.” But what exactly separates the industries from becoming more “green” and moving towards sustainability instead? Sustainability goes beyond being “green.” It prioritizes the symbiotic relationship between our species and the environment; it focuses on responsibly utilizing resources and re-thinking designs that do not have a detrimental impact. For instance, designing structures that maximize the use of natural daylight, use sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood, promote cycling culture in various ways, and integrate geothermal heating and cooling systems.

Credit: Asia Green Buildings

Publicizing that your business utilizes sustainable building practices and that it is reshaping construction or architectural designs to preserve our ecosystem can be significantly beneficial. Our mission is to promote your business in your marketplace and leverage publicity into results and revenue.

Using Instagram for Your Business

March 17, 2016 By Don Eberly 3 Comments

With more than 400 million active accounts, Instagram is an exceedingly engaged global community. The creative context and visual language of this photo-sharing app is a great way to inspire countless individuals and influence customers or clients in regard to your brand.

Businesses that use Instagram are able to showcase their products and services in a rich, visual and viral environment. There are seemingly endless opportunities for businesses to use the brand-building app effectively. Take our tips into consideration when looking to shape your company’s Instagram strategy and presence:

· Establish What Your Company Wants to Achieve with Instagram:

o Start off by researching and creating a well-formed strategy. You should create clear goals and concepts that mirror your company’s campaign goals.

o Develop a schedule that suits the needs of your intended followers, industries and sectors.

o Brainstorm lists of ideas, concepts and imagery to fulfill the schedule as well as engage and involve your B-to-C and / or B-to-B audience(s).

· Cultivate a Following:

o In order to gain followers, you have to follow other accounts and “like” their posts. Influencers in the same industry, clients, and engaging users are a few suggestions to increase your followings. Create two-way dialogs in this way, inviting and encouraging others to do the same with you and your business.

o Follow and interact with others on Instagram specific to your marketing objectives; work across all of your sales and prospect segmentations to ensure you leave no important sector unattended.

· Set a Tone:

o It is important to choose a visual style for your account, such as certain filters to use, what content each image will focus on, and common language / hashtags to use for captions. For example, by sticking with the same filters, you establish a style that becomes recognizable to your followers.

o Conversely, plan posts and content that is flexible, ultra-creative and interesting. This involves photos that showcase your business’ brand persona- meaning its would-be personality or interactive and lively role within your scope of work or areas of expertise.

o Generate strategic messages and sound bites to be used in captions and a list of best practices and posting standards your entire team can practice and implement to create a cohesive brand-voice.

· Captivate Your Audience:

o Each post has a story to tell. Use a high-quality image and captivating caption. You can also cross-post with other social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, which becomes an easy source of visual content and connectivity throughout social media platforms.

o Possibly like no other social media channel, Instagram is shaping up to be the customized or bespoke online networking tool. Proactive and tactical Instagram managers create posts that are completely tailored to their brands; unlike Facebook and twitter, these posts tend to feature a more personalized “day-in-the-life” view of a business’ inner-workings, news, happenings, and achievements.

· Monitor Achievements:

o Tracking the performance of your account will help you and your team stay in tune with what resonates with your followers. This allows room for improvement; a chance to evaluate ongoing content goals your company is achieving; and a hands-on look at that which needs to be achieved.

o As you develop photo and caption content, experiment with applicable hashtags. Keep them on-topic and one to two key words most of the time. Don’t forget to check the general content to which hashtags lead. You may be surprised at which ones do and do not echo your brand’s messages.

o Monitor captions with and without hashtags to see which prove successful in gleaning interaction, likes and online dialog. As you learn what makes your Instagram effective, repeat the pros and revise the cons.

Remember, with Instagram now considered the hub where people view the visual identities of businesses, products, services, and brands- it is a crucial consideration to effectively promote your business on Instagram.

Instagram has been a great way for the Eberly & Collard Public Relations social media team to successfully promote our services and news throughout the fields of architecture, construction, interior design, horticulture, and our other industries. We are helping many of our clients kick-off their own Instagram accounts and other social media accounts as well. Check back to our blog for updates and additional social media insights from our team, and follow our Instagram: @eberlycollardpr.

For even more Instagram tips, check out Instagram and Hootsuite.

Kick-it in the Kitchen & Bath Industry!

December 23, 2015 By Don Eberly 2 Comments

As the calendar year draws to a close, kitchen and bath industry professionals everywhere – from product manufacturers, distributors and suppliers to interior designers and showroom retailers – are taking stock of their sales and marketing efforts from 2015.

With this in mind, any review of a prior year’s marketing tactics should involve a strategic look ahead to seek innovative methods that can lead to business growth for the new year.

After all, as the favored end-of-year song “Auld Lang Syne” reminds us, “…times gone by are important to remember.” Recalling the past in business also guides the process of improving and enhancing our best practices- including how we market our businesses, services or products.

Relative to your kitchen and bath business success, the victories and even potential failures from the last 12 months can help generate new ideas and create promotional and publicity opportunities for the future.

Point blank: Customers and clients have manychoices when it comes to residential and commercial Kitchen and Bath construction, remodeling and installation projects- making it challenging for businesses in the field to stay ahead of the competition.

Watch our newest video below and get inspired about a whole new type of integrated marketing from our team at Eberly & Collard Public Relations. We conceptualize and implement creative marketing programs to introduce interior designers, architects, builders, contractors, as well as consumers to our clients’ Kitchen and Bath businesses, brands, and product lines. For designers and architects, we publicize their kitchen and bath design projects through articles, press coverage, advertising, videos, and all forms of digital and print media.

Smart Design Improves Efficiency and Lands Cover Story

December 3, 2015 By Don Eberly Leave a Comment

As many public relations practitioners know, our work in regard to media campaigns can often be misconstrued with its relation to advertising. Advertising is a viable means to promote a business. However, securing publicity based editorial and media coverage about the business and its products or services can yield a near-limitless strategy for publicizing the company and its key marketing messages.

In the November issue of Civil + Structural Engineer, our ECPR team secured the following cover and feature story for one of our clients, the talented Stevens & Wilkinson.

The photos of the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina have enough appeal to speak for themselves, and Stevens & Wilkinson’s engineering design work has become a thrilling project featured by this and many other magazines, a project that is now on the path to becoming the largest net-zero energy building the southeast. – Click to enlarge the images.

The new Darla Moore School of Business was designed with the goal of furthering the school’s mission of providing students with top-tier education, and is slated to achieve LEED Platinum designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

We would like to give a huge thank you to the editors at Civil + Structural Engineering for working with us on this cover story, and congratulations to Stevens & Wilkinson for an impressive architecture and engineering project.

View the entire November digital issue: www.ow.ly/VqBW5.

Learn more about Stevens & Wilkinson: www.stevens-wilkinson.com.

Uncover the ways in which we can assist your design, construction, urban planning, commercial real estate development, engineering, and / or architecture business with strategic, dynamic public / media relations and integrated marketing: https://eberlycollardpr.com/our-industries.asp

~ ECPR

Designing Spaces with a Sense of Place

November 19, 2015 By Don Eberly Leave a Comment

Our blog followers often ask us about media coverage our team secures with or for our clients. Editorial placements for us are an everyday practice, a part of our integrated marketing services our team enjoys and embraces. Campaign results run the gamut from trade publications, journals and industry newsletters to consumer magazines, newspapers and blogs. Then, too, there are on-air segments via radio and television when applicable for many of our clients.

Today’s blog post gives you a glimpse at our talented client Ami Austin, President of Ami Austin Interior Design, who was recently featured in two regional living / lifestyle magazines. Thanks to all of our editor friends at Memphis Magazine and At Home Memphis & Mid South for working with us and Ami for these great stories.

At Home Memphis & Mid South

We secured this article and interview with our client for inclusion to At Home Memphis & Mid South magazine regarding design ideas and advice for dining rooms. Be sure to take a look at the November issue to see the fullfeature story and learn more about Ami Austin Interior Design by clicking the link below.

To view the full article and magazine issue, please visit: www.ow.ly/UeJH7. (See pages 40-45 and 97).

Memphis Magazine

Being a renowned designer in Memphis and the entire region, our client initially secured this article, while our team helped facilitate aspects of the interview and planning process. The November issue features an article about one of Ami’s client’s, Dr. Jonathan McCullers, who sought Ami’s interior design services to update his three-bedroom townhouse to better reflect his tastes and lifestyle. Click the link below to see the full feature story and learn more about the McCullers’ home design story.

To view the full article and magazine issue, visit: www.ow.ly/Uix5c. (See pages 65-69 and 99).

Learn more about Ami Austin Interior Design: www.amiaustininteriors.com.

For designers, architects and builders, take a moment to read about our specialization in publicity and branding.

· Designers: www.eberlycollardpr.com/services.asp?id=29.

· Architects: www.eberlycollardpr.com/services.asp?id=24.

· Builders: www.eberlycollardpr.com/services.asp?id=35.

Editors and Journalists, contact us anytime you seek interior / exterior design-build content or experts in the design, architecture, construction, furniture, kitchen and bath, and similar industries as quotable sources.

~ ECPR

Public Relations for Construction Companies

November 3, 2015 By Don Eberly Leave a Comment

Getting more construction jobs in 2016…

While new construction project starts continue to grow across most sectors, the advancement of sales and marketing goals are still top of mind for construction owners and managers, general contractors, and engineers. The need for more efficient and results-producing marketing also keeps many building envelope product manufactures and commercial real estate developers up at night. Undoubtedly, in a new and evolving era of building and construction, those working in the industry are up against tough competition to win new jobs. The promotion of a construction or development company’s marketing messagesis equally as important as timely project delivery, standards compliance and every other aspect of successful business management.

For the industry’s businesses and professionals setting their sights on unprecedented sales growth for 2016, there are many innovative, available opportunities to boost brand visibility, generate press campaigns, and develop integrated marketing.

At Eberly & Collard Public Relations, our team has specialized in generating brand exposure for construction companies and developers for more than a decade. Give us a minute and a half to watch the following video, and gain ideas and inspiration to kick-off a robust marketing plan that achieves the type of results you have been seeking for years.

Learn more about our construction industry marketing and public relations programs, and contact us for a free assessment at www.eberlycollardpr.com.

Stevens & Wilkinson Completes Architecture and Engineering Design for New College of Law Building at Georgia State University

October 7, 2015 By Don Eberly Leave a Comment

One of our esteemed clients, Stevens & Wilkinson, an architecture, engineering and interior design firm, provided architecture and engineering design services for the new Georgia State University College of Law building, which opened its doors this summer.

Stevens & Wilkinson’s project team conceptualized and executed the design development for the exterior skin, and implemented the architecture and engineering for the building. The completed building features a three-story public gathering space in the lobby; a two-story active learning space; and reading and study rooms adjacent to an outdoor garden terrace on the sixth floor.

Recently, three members of our Eberly & Collard Public Relations team, Don Eberly, Jeff Collard and Kristen Pappaterra, had the privilege of joining our client as well as state government and judicial leaders, alumni, and others for the building’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event and tour yielded us an in-person vantage point to learn about the design solutions provided by Stevens & Wilkinson and other members of the project team, information we will be using to develop and execute an architecture and construction public relations campaign for our client.

Take a look at the following photos from our tour. Watch for updates on our blog and Facebook page about the progress of the public relations campaign.

The College of Law Building was designed for collaboration, content sharing and group learning. It quickly has become the heart of Georgia State University and a gathering place for both internal and external communities.

The lower level consists of a 230-seat moot courtroom and auditorium, which was designed for diverse uses, including practice jury or appellate court, learning, breakout, and legal proceeding areas.

Audio / visual equipment and devices, including screens that can be lowered from the ceiling, were specified and installed for students to watch their moot court performances following learning and exercise sessions.

A world-class conference center with movable walls and breakout rooms is used for catering and events, which is available for table seating or lecture format for up to 300 people.

Access control, turnstile systems, close circuit TV, and fire-rated glass were engineered by Stevens & Wilkinson to provide security and safety for the building at large.

Hallways, classrooms and offices were designed to take advantage of natural daylighting, shedding light upon the next generation of lawyers, judges and others who will study, develop and apply law in the future.

The academic floors consist of large classrooms and seminar rooms with flexible learning settings and meeting rooms, commons, and support spaces for faculty. The design setup is intended for content sharing, with advanced audio / visual equipment for learning and technological conveniences.

The law building’s library is the largest part of the overall concept. The library is made available only for Georgia State University law students, and is designed with a variety of environments, such as study rooms, café’s, classrooms, and an alumni reading room.

The law library includes a high-density, compact storage system for accessibility and preservation as well as conference and library workrooms. Its glass box design style acts as an exterior expression for the entire building.

The top level includes an exterior garden terrace with native plantings and an interior reading room with a view overlooking the adjacent Woodruff Park.

Along with Stevens & Wilkinson’s project partners, SmithGroupJJR and Harris+Smith, and builder McCarthy Building Companies, the project team collaborated to design and deliver a leading-edge building of individual and joint learning that also offers students, faculty and staff all the customary amenities necessary for institutional excellence.

Our congratulations to the entire project team for a job well done.