Our team at Eberly & Collard Public Relations is counting down the days until this year’s OFA Short Course. The show will be taking place Saturday, July 14 through Tuesday, July, 17, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, OH. Two of our team members, Don and Jeff, will be attending this year’s OFA along with our client Terra Nova Nurseries.

Each year, exhibitors from around the world showcase the latest and most innovative products that will soon be available to consumers through garden and home store retailers from coast to coast. In addition, show goers will have the opportunity to connect with fellow industry peers, establish business relationships as well as attend inspiring educational seminars and talks. This year there will be nearly 500 companies represented at the show, 120 speakers from across the world, and 140 sessions for all segments of the industry.

In the New Varieties displays, show-goers will get a first-hand look at the new introductions from the exhibitors at OFA. These new plants will have the latest genetic characteristics for improved crop performance including growth under low temperatures, light conditions, and insect and disease resistance. Be sure to stop by Terra Nova Nurseries New Varieties displays (NV 92 and NV 93) to see several of the company’s new plants as well as their booth (#2013).

Don and Jeff will be available at Terra Nova Nurseries’ booth for media visits and they look forward to seeing everyone at the show. If you plan on attending OFA, feel free to leave comments before or during the show.

To learn more about OFA follow the link below:
http://bit.ly/Oq7800

We recently wrote an article featuring our client, Big River Industries, that was featured in Storm Water Solutions’ May / June issue. Our team worked with the magazine editors to secure and write the article for our client.

The article is about how Big River Industries’ expanded clay lightweight aggregate (LWA) was used to solve a roadway-widening dilemma in a Minneapolis suburb. The city faced a problem with a 3-mile stretch of swampy land with unstable soils that ran along side the road. City officials and the department of transportation were looking for a cost-effective solution to widen the road that was sustainable, environmentally responsible and safe. Then, they were introduced to Big River Industries and found just the solution they needed.

Below is the actual article from the magazine and a link to the online article. Find out more about this fascinating story.

http://www.estormwater.com/filling-gaps

Visit Big River Industries website to learn more about the company: http://bigriverindustries.com/

Photo Credit: Emily Jenkins Followill

Planning a trip to Seaside, FL and its surrounding beach towns? Don’t miss out on this great book signing event at Sundog Books in July. Andrew Cogar of Historical Concepts, a Georgia-based architecture firm famous for southern vernacular architecture with historic precedent, will sign purchased copies of the firm’s new book entitled, Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House at Sundog Books in Seaside, FL, July 10, 2012, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. EDT. The event will include an opportunity to meet Cogar, obtain copies of the new book, and learn how Florida architecture is being influenced by the popular vernacular style and historic precedent.

The homes featured in Coming Home capture the spirit and essence of southern-style. Beautifully photographed, the book offers readers a wide range of southern design inspiration and a look at the highly desirable lifestyle that is all things coastal.

The partners of Historical Concepts seamlessly teamed to write Coming Home, which was published by Rizzoli in March 2012. Every home pictured and described in the book showcases meticulously designed exteriors and interiors with unified elements, resulting in a display of facades that are pleasing from all vantage points and floor plans that reflect the various homeowners’ unique lifestyles. Additionally, the book’s published residences, buildings and neighborhoods were designed indicative of the South’s thematic style.

Photo Credit: Richard Leo Johnson

In fact, one of the homes predominantly pictured in the book, “Cottage Revisited,” located in the serene coastal area of Palmetto Bluff, S.C., was modeled after Historical Concepts’ founder’s beach cottage in Watercolor, Fla. The home’s design echoes the relaxed environment of traditional coastal living, which is a beloved trait among many southern-style homes.

For nearly thirty years, our client Historical Concepts has designed country houses, mountain retreats, and coastal cottages that pay homage to the South’s deep sense of place. Whether drawing from the refined residences of Charleston and Savannah, the rural farmhouses and rustic cabins in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or the quintessential coastal spirit along the 30A corridor, the firm specializes in award-winning, regional architecture and design.


Event details:

What: Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House book signing with Historical Concepts’ co-author Andrew Cogar.

Where: Sundog Books, 89 Central Square, Seaside, FL 32459.

Facebook allows users to post content in a variety of different ways, including photos and albums, videos, link-sharings, notes, status updates and questions. But, the key is to post content that will have an impact on your company’s target audience and encourage interaction. In this blog article, our team explores a small selection of the many types of Facebook posts which can potentially help grow a wider, social fan base.

• Photos: Studies show, photos and albums posted on Facebook generate the most interaction among friends and fans. By nature, we are visual beings, and photos have the ability to capture the attention of target audiences. Posting images of new products and services enables fans to learn more about what your company has to offer. In addition, photos of company gatherings and events humanize a brand, which helps build trust among Facebook fans and customers. When sharing photos on Facebook, be sure to include insightful, concise captions for all images; this way the meaning of the photo isn’t lost. 

• Questions: Like photos, posting questions can help increase interaction among Facebook friends and fans. A relevant, industry-related question opens a dialogue between companies and target audiences, creating two-way communication. Additionally, posting questions on Facebook presents a great opportunity for businesses to conduct market research. There are two ways to post questions on Facebook, using the “Questions” function, which allows users to add “Poll Options,” or the “Status” feature. 

• Status Update: Simple status updates produce a high level of engagement amongst Facebook fans. In a recent study, social media expert, Jeff Bullas, stated the majority of Facebook users prefer to read short posts as opposed to long status updates. More and more Americans are checking personal Facebook accounts on mobile devices, thus, shorter posts are easier to scroll through and respond to. 

These are just a few methods for increasing interaction through social networking. Bookmark our blog and watch for more tips from our team for maximizing your social proof and presence.

Friends and fans, have you found certain post types bring in more “Likes” and comments than others? Feel free to share any comments, ideas or stories in the designated section below.

Our client, Terra Nova Nurseries, was recently featured on Greenhouse Grower’s website, a trade publication for the horticultural industry. The article showcased one of the company’s newest heuchera varieties, ‘Gotham’. Our team worked with the magazine’s editors to help secure this media coverage for Terra Nova Nurseries, and it’s just one example of many.

At ECPR, one of our goals is to actively communicate, establish and secure media relations for our clients. This includes byline articles, feature stories, press releases, brand / product mentions, photo shoots, radio and television interviews, media tours and much more. Our company thrives on gaining brand recognition for our clients, through regional, national and international media outlets and channels. With our specialty being the home, garden and design industries, ECPR has, over the years, established strong relationships with media members in these specific fields. Thus, our knowledge, in combination with our large database of editors, writers, publishers, bloggers, social media contacts, etc, ensures our clients we are supremely qualified to effectively help market products and brands to their customers or clients.

To view the article on Greenhouse Grower’s website, see below, or click here to read the article online. Also, please feel free to visit our website at www.eberlycollardpr.com to learn more about our traditional public relations services as well as our social media services.

It is that time of the year again for commercial architects and designers to start getting ready to head to The National Exposition of Contract Furnishings (NeoCon) in Chicago, IL. Held from June 11-13, NeoCon is North America’s largest design exposition and conference for commercial interiors, and provides over 40,000 architecture and design professionals with over 120 CEU-accredited seminars, association forums and superior keynote speakers. NeoCon provides more than 700 showrooms and exhibitors that have innovative products for corporate, hospitality, healthcare, retail, government, institutional and residential interiors.

It seems like Pinterest has gained popularity overnight, but despite it being easy and fun to explore, Pinterest is also a wonderful tool to help promote existing social media channels such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter. In a recent article published by social media expert, Brian Solis, he referred to a recent study that shows Pinterest has the ability to increase SEO traffic to websites and various social media channels. “According to a new report published by Shareaholic, Pinterest drove greater traffic (to websites and social media channels) than LinkedIn, Google Plus, Reddit, and Youtube…combined,” says Solis.

The key is to know how to use Pinterest correctly to drive traffic to your company’s website and other social media channels. In combination with research efforts and our own expertise, the ECPR team has come up with three helpful tips on how to promote URLs, Facebook Timelines, Twitter pages, and blogs with Pinterest.

1. “Pinning” photos from existing social media channels, such as recent blog posts, Facebook albums or TwitPics, automatically creates a backlink to the originating channels. Thus, the more people who select the link to the photo source as well as “repin” the photo, higher traffic to those websites will be created. Remember, a picture paints a thousand words- “Wow” images are likely to be “repined,” helping you gain traffic and backlinking. 
2. Using specific keywords in the photo captions also helps vamp up SEO for social media channels. Adding keywords to your boards increases the odds of them appearing in a search. SEO keywords should be a single word or a phrase that consists of two to three words that directly correlate to the content of your website or social media channel. For example, if your company specializes in designing light fixtures, one good keyword would be “lighting designs.” 
3. Like Twitter, Pinterest enables users to create “hashtags.” In Pinterest, the “hashtag” symbol can be used in photo captions, which functions as a link. This allows people to instantly explore Pinterest to find all pins with the specified search term. So how does this help your SEO? If consumers seek out popular “hashtags,” such as #gardening, the more likely your “pin” will show up in searches, which helps drive traffic to your other social media channels. 

Friends and fans, are you using Pinterest to help promote your company’s Facebook Timeline, blog and Twitter page? If so, what methods are you using to do so? Please feel free to share any additional tips, ideas and questions on how to increase SEO traffic to your social media channels.

It’s been a busy couple of months for our client Big River Industries Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of expanded clay lightweight aggregate (LWA). Recently the company announced the acceptance of two Safety Awards from the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute and National Concrete Masonry Association (ICPI / NCMA). The ICPI / NCMA Safety Awards are highly coveted recognitions that represent the utmost level of plant safety commitment. The company’s Erwinsville, La. plant and Livingston Ala. plant each received an award for the number of hours worked accident free. The Erwinsville facility was acknowledged for 102,462 safe hours, and the Livingston operation was awarded for 92,357 hours.

To learn more about the ICPI / NCMA Awards, read this article on Masonry Construction’s website: http://bit.ly/LiSucf.

In addition to receiving the ICPI / NCMA Safety Awards, Big River Industries has also launched a newly redesigned website. The website offers a comprehensive overview of the company’s history, current projects, recent press coverage, literature library, as well as in depth descriptions of the wide range of product applications.

Big River Industries is known for producing high-quality, structural grade, rotary kiln-produced LWA, called Riverlite, at the company’s Livingston and Erwinsville plants. The company’s LWA product has a long track record of quality and performance. Since its development, LWA produced by the rotary kiln process has been used extensively in asphalt road surfaces, concrete bridge decks, high-rise buildings, structural concrete, concrete precast / pre-stressed construction, concrete masonry, and geotechnical applications. Other applications include storm water management, horticulture and green roofs.

To learn more about Big River Industries, visit www.bigriverindustries.com.

Photo Credit: Southern Living

Southern Living’s 2012 Idea House is nestled in the quaint town of Senoia, Ga, located approximately 25-miles outside Atlanta. A revival of an early 19th century cottage-style farmhouse, the home is set to bring in almost 40,000 visitors from June through December 2012.

This year’s Idea House was designed by the talented team of architects and place makers, Historical Concepts, while the beautifully styled interior was carefully fashioned by Tracery Interiors. On the construction side, the home was developed by Senoia Enterprises, Inc. and built by John Bynum Custom Homes, Inc., one of the Atlanta area’s premier custom home builders. On the outside of the house, the landscape was designed by Get More Curb Appeal. Together, these companies have created a memorable home to benefit Camp Southern Ground, a charity organization founded by Zac Brown of the Zac Brown Band, to help children overcome academic, social and emotional difficulties.

As a great resource, the publication’s editors have dedicated a page on Southern Living’s website about this year’s Idea House. The page shares the wonderful story about the home and town in which it’s located. In addition, our client, Historical Concepts, as well as Tracery Interiors have created blog sites that reveal inside secrets about the home and design process from start to finish. Blog posts include photos, videos and much more. And, for those looking for a minute-by-minute update, check out the page’s Twitter feed. The resource page also shares a list of sponsors who have generously invested in the 2012 Idea House.

ECPR has a long-standing relationship with the Southern Living team, and we have been helping to promote the Senoia Idea House via our social media channels and other means. Also, as our client, Historical Concepts, is the architect of the home, we have been working closely with the company’s staff to plan several upcoming events at the house this summer, including a launch party for the firm’s new book entitled Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House. Our team is excited to help our friends at Southern Living and the incredible architects at Historical Concepts to make this one of the best Idea Houses yet. Stay tuned to our blog and other social networking channels for ongoing updates as the house opens and its active schedule kicks-off soon.

To visit or learn more about this year’s Southern Living Idea House, click here.

Garden writers and editors, Terra Nova Nurseries’ Heuchera City™ Series contains some of the worldliest heucheras on the market. The series includes two brand new varieties, ‘Gotham’ and ‘Rio’ as well as six others, ‘Havana’, ‘Hollywood’, ‘Milan’, ‘Paris’, ‘Shanghai’, and ‘Vienna’. This remarkable series is definitely one to keep on the radar for an upcoming blog post or article.

Heuchera ‘Gotham’

Named after the infamous city in which Batman resides, ‘Gotham’, is the latest addition to the City™ Series. With obsidian-black leaves, this compact plant is perfect in a container or as an edger in the landscape. A fast-growing variety, ‘Gotham’ produces primrose-yellow flowers that standout like the moon on a dark night from spring to fall. Heuchera ‘Gotham’ has H. micrantha and H. sanguinea breeding, which enables it to tolerate extreme heat and drought, as well as perform well during the winter months in zones 4 – 9. The average size of ‘Gotham’ includes 10” Width / 6” Height / 11” Flower Height. This sinister new variety prefers moderately well-drained, organic soil.

Heuchera ‘Rio’

Heuchera ‘Rio’ is the sauciest variety in the series. This multicolored plant is named for a vibrant city, Rio de Janeiro. With H. americana, H. micrantha, and H. villosa breeding, ‘Rio’ can be enjoyed throughout all four seasons. This stunning new heuchera produces beautiful, short maroon flower spikes with white flowers that bloom in the summer. Its foliage color is ever-changing from peach-amber, to amber, then to tan, and finally to yellow-amber. ‘Rio’ is a large and vigorous plant that makes for a great garden performer and a container star. Its average size includes 14” Width / 9” Height / 14” Flower Height and it performs well in zones 4 – 9.   

Heuchera ‘Paris’

Heuchera ‘Paris’ has striking, white-veiled green leaves that give rise to continuous columns of large, deep rose-colored flowers. With its H. americana, H. cylindrical and H. sanguinea breeding, this classy heuchera has repeat blooms from summer to frost, with a single bloom-stem lasting for 2 months. ‘Paris’ is excellent in containers or the shade border. Its average size includes 14” Width / 7” Height / 14” Flower Height and it performs well in zones 4 – 9.

Heuchera ‘Shanghai’