For those of you who don’t already know, The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has set to out to redefine the term “public relations.” The term, last updated in 1982, is significantly out-of-date. With new methods of communication and technology, public relations has evolved into more than just one-way communication. For starters, social media has become one of the most prominent tools in public relations and marketing. With channels such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and Flickr, companies have a way to interact and engage with consumers on a more “human” level. Thus, increasing brand personification, recognition and loyalty.

On November 21, 2011, PRSA began accepting definition suggestions from industry professionals, academics and students to help redefine public relations. For submission information, click here. Once the deadline closes (December 3, 2011), the top definitions will be chosen on December 5, and voting will begin.

In light of this opportunity to redefine the art of our profession, the ECPR team came up with our own definition as industry experts.

“Public relations is a series of strategic approaches, tactical campaigns, and disseminated messages purposed to build two-way communication that advances brand or corporate perception by key constituency groups.”

Friends and fans, tell us what public relations means to you. Do you agree with our definition? Please feel free to post your comments, ideas or questions below. We look forward to receiving constructive feedback. Also, stay tuned to our social media channels as we follow along on PRSA’s journey to redefine public relations.

Returning to Senoia, Georgia, for the second time, the 2012 Southern Living Idea House will be unlike any other. Why? Because instead of the house being built from the group up, the project is set to be a renovation of a historical farmhouse.

As some of you may already know, Senoia is home to classic movies and TV shows such as Driving Miss Daisy, Fried Green Tomatoes and, most recently, AMC’s hit series, The Walking Dead. But, more importantly, Senoia is gaining momentum by striving to be an eco-friendly community. With the town’s typical southern charm in combination with sustainability efforts, Senoia is proving to be a cozy place to settle down.

The 2012 Southern Living Idea House will be a revival of an early 19th century cottage-style farmhouse. Its makeover has been masterfully designed by the noted team of architects and place makers at Historical Concepts from the neighboring town of Peachtree City. Completing the team is John Bynum Custom Homes, Inc., one of the Atlanta area’s premier custom home builders, Senoia’s Historic Development Ventures, LLC, and nationally-recognized interior design firm, Tracery Interiors.

This farmhouse revival project is expected to draw as many as 40,000 visitors from across the country, and Southern Living is scheduled to feature it the August 2012 issue. The home will be open for tours from June to December 2012, Wednesday – Saturday, 11 AM – 5 PM and Sunday 1 – 5 PM. The Idea House will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Stay tuned as we uncover more details about the 2012 Southern Living Idea House via our social media channels.

No matter your level of expertise in interior design, industry professionals always need to be informed of the latest trends as well as research new and innovative ways to help clients reach interior design goals. Thus, the importance of interior design blogs has become increasingly more valuable to those in the industry. While there are many interior design blogs on the internet, the ECPR team has put together a list of five we believe you might find of interest. Each blog was selected because of its unique range of decorating tips, ideas, products, and more.

Launched in 2004 by Grace Bonney, Design*Sponge attracts a diverse demographic of readers. Currently, over 75,000 people read the blog on a daily basis; this number excludes RSS readers, Twitter and Facebook followers. As a freelance writer for top publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, InStyle and Everyday with Rachael Ray as well as having been a contributing editor for several home magazines, Grace’s experience in the industry makes Design*Sponge a credible interior design blog. In addition to sharing “Before and After” design makeovers, DIY projects and home furnishing products, Design*Sponge’s unique “Sneak Peek” series steals the show. The series of blogs are dedicated to sharing interior design styles from all over the world. No matter your client’s design preferences, design professionals can read up on regional and international trends for tips and ideas.

Freshome

Freshome is an online blog dedicated to sharing and uncovering the latest products and trends in architecture and design. With a primary focus on design inspiration, Freshome aims to give ideas on how to create beautiful, organized and healthy living spaces. Launched in 2007, Freshome has since been the “go-to” place for architects and interior designers. Blog topics range from furniture products, kitchen spaces and bathroom décor to blog posts about bedrooms, living rooms and even apartment layout ideas. Freshome is easy to navigate and provides informative information for those who want to keep up with the ever-changing world of creative design.

Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy is another great interior design blog. With emphasis on providing readers with the necessary tools on how to create comfortable, calm living spaces, Apartment Therapy shares basic design tips for readers. In addition to a “homepage,” Apartment Therapy also caters to regional areas across the country, such as Boston, New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Each individual location provides decorating insights home tours, store sales and events, as well as a daily “scavenger hunt.” Essentially, the “scavenger hunt” is a way for homeowners and design professionals to learn where the best places to shop for specific home furnishings and accessories in their area. Apartment Therapy’s blog approach to interior design is certainly unique and exciting.

PadStyle

PadStyle is a décor inspiration blog for homeowners and interior designers. On average, this site reaches between 40,000 – 50,000 readers a month and appeals to a wide range of age demographics. PadStyle shares information about how to decorate indoor and outdoor spaces. We included this in our top interior design blogs for its attention to detail and informative, easy-to-understand tips and ideas. Catering towards modern and traditional design styles, PadStyle offers readers design tips for living room, dining room, bedroom, patio spaces, kitchens, and more. Additionally, PadStyle features a “shop online” store that is broken down by living space. The online store enables homeowners and interior designers to shop hassle-free with secure online ordering.

decor8

decor8 was founded and launched in 2006 by Holly Becker, an American novelist, freelance journalist and interior design consultant, who currently resides in Germany. Her passion for interior design, coupled with her love of writing, enabled her to create a reliable blog about interior decorating. decor8 is updated daily throughout the week and features inside information from professional designers, home furnishing and accessory product reviews, store and home tours, and much more. In her blog posts, Holly covers an eclectic range of topics, including decorating ideas, tips for small business owners, travel, blogging and independent design. One notable feature of decor8, is that Holly and her team offer educational courses on how to create a successful, meaningful blog site, no matter your topic.

Friends and fans, we hope you found this post about top-level interior design blogs both helpful and educational. Not only are blogs useful tools to market products and / or services, but they also allow for a more personal approach to sharing information with your audience. At ECPR, we offer services to help companies in the home, garden and design industries to create meaningful, informative blogs. Thus, allowing for our client’s current and potential customers to learn about industry-related tips, trends, news, and more. For more information about our social media services, visit our website www.eberlycollardpr.com.

In recent years, Facebook has become a revolutionary marketing tool. Companies are interacting more with customers, clients and industry professionals as a means to increase sales and brand awareness. But, some companies and organizations are missing the mark by simply creating Facebook pages because their competitors do. In many of these cases, marketing managers leave their newly developed Facebook pages unattended – i.e., an attempted online conversation with no dialog. We advocate and assist clients in creating valuable content as opposed to just being on Facebook because everyone else is. By offering content with valuation, fans will come to think of a Facebook page as a go-to source of helpful insights. The likelihood of consumers or clients “liking” company pages is dependent on whether the posts featured on Facebook are relevant and interesting enough to follow and engage in.

Our team of social media experts are constantly researching new and interesting ways to effectively communicate though social media channels. Thus, allowing us tailor posts to our clients’ needs. For more information about our social media services for companies in the home, garden and design industries, please visit our website at www.eberlycollardpr.com.

The new addition to the Ultimate collection is proving to be one of the most innovative window designs on the market for builders, remodelers, architects, and homeowners. Most uniquely, the Ultimate Casement window features a revolutionary wash mode which allows the window to be cleaned on both sides, while standing indoors. In just three simple steps, homeowners can rotate the exterior glass, saving time, money and effort. In addition to the wash mode, the Ultimate Casement window offers commercial-grade hardware, to ensure the window operates smoothly and opens easily for high-quality performance. This new casement window is available in a variety of designs and sizes. The largest size is 40” wide and 92” tall or 36” wide and 96” tall, allowing for unobstructed views and maximum fresh air.

Amerimix, a brand of Bonsal American (an Oldcastle company), has launched a line of colored mortars called Chromatics. The company’s brand new product line has certainly captured the attention of the ECPR team. The line includes 23 colors, available in either pre-blended Portland cement, lime and sand (AMX 405C) or pre-blended masonry cement and sand (AMX 505C). Both are factory blends engineered to provide long water retention, exceptional workability and superior bond strength over masonry substrates. The company’s pre-blended, colored mortars can be custom made to match any desired color. Amerimix colors are able to match, complement or contrast interiors and exteriors.

To ensure color accuracy, the company uses computerized color matching and verification. This unique computerized color system uses spectrophotometric technology during the batching phase, which allows company technicians to evaluate and account for color variations that always occur naturally in cement and aggregate. Having this knowledge before reaching the intended jobsite is critical, giving way to a new level of efficiency.

In addition to being color consistent, Amerimix Chromatics have other quality features. For example, high bond strength and extended mortar board life. Also, these colored mortars have increased yield, compared to typical field mixed mortars. Another advantage of Amerimix colored mortars is the fact that they are available in Types M, S and N. In combination with the features listed above, Amerimix Chromatics have the ability to reduce the amount of labor time and enhance productivity. Conveniently, the mortars have already been pre-tested to ASTM specifications.

All Amerimix mortars are engineered for load or non-load bearing construction. They are available in small or bulk bags, depending on the size of the job. Residential and commercial builders / contractors as well as distributors, if you are interested in learning more about Amerimix Colored Mortar or other Amerimix products, contact a local sales representative by clicking here. Also, visit Bonsal American’s website at www.bonsalamerican.com for information about the company’s other brands and products.

One of our clients, Terra Nova Nurseries, has launched new social media channels as well as a mobile site and QR Codes. With new technology on the rise, the company’s decision to launch new social media and interactive platforms was to allow information and insights to be more accessible to customers. In addition, creating multi-platforms, participatory communications with growers, retailers and consumers; and engaging with various online communities, enables Terra Nova Nurseries to better understand and reach out to more diverse demographics.

Thus, the ECPR team has been working with Terra Nova Nurseries to develop a series of channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and a blog, all to evoke online collaboration. The company’s social media channels are designed to develop interactive relationships as tools to better assist and encourage deeper, more meaningful conversations with horticultural experts, media members and consumers.

Our work with Terra Nova Nurseries has included a new Facebook page, which is being used as a social-networking site where fans can view plant and nursery photos, and converse with Terra Nova staff members through posted comments and questions. Friends and fans can also find valuable insights like plant and collection introductions, breeding highlights, liner availability specials for growers, support content for retailers, and even how-to articles and tips for home gardeners. For more lengthy, in depth information and articles, Terra Nova Nurseries’ fans can tune into the company’s new blog. A variety of topics include a range from current plant availability, personnel bios and company news to grower tips / benefits, media coverage and trade show events. Conversely, we worked with Terra Nova Nurseries to launch a Twitter channel that features short, informative “tidbits” of news and updates for more frequent, and timely interactions. This method of communication enables staff members and those who follow the feed, to receive information “on-the-go.” In addition, a Flickr channel was created to share photos of new plants and series as well as photos from trade shows, speaking engagements and garden tours. Since Flickr is indexed in search engines, this makes finding and sourcing posted images in an organized fashion a simple task.

With the addition of Terra Nova Nurseries’ social media channels, the company has most recently set up a YouTube channel. The brand new videos, co-produced and hosted by Dan Heims, showcase information such as breeding advancements in Cyclamen, Echinacea, Sedum, Coreopsis, Penstemon, Trailing Tiarella, Trailing Heucherella, and reblooming Kniphofia. Other videos showcase the company’s prized on-site gardens and all there is to know about the Heuchera Crisp Series.

With Terra Nova Nurseries’ focus on building online engagement, QR barcodes linked to smartphone applications have also been developed. Intended to tighten the circle between plant branding and point-of-sale for retailers, the QR codes supply consumers with interactive access to plant information through their phones. The codes have been added to Terra Nova’s plant tags. Each plant variety has been assigned a QR code which has been linked to a new mobile website that mimics the company’s main site. The codes are also linked to individual online plant profile pages, making plant characteristics and growing conditions readily available for all smartphone users no matter their locations.

As we have done for Terra Nova Nurseries, ECPR offers social media services for companies desiring to develop deeper relations with their own clients and customers. With technology advancing and methods of communication changing, the need to develop social media channels has become not just an added bonus, but more of a necessity. At ECPR, we specialize in P.R. 2.0., assisting companies in creating and maintaining social media channels and traditional public relations. Our team agrees it is time for more companies to realize the importance of social media and how it can help companies grow and enter the digital world of online communication. For more information about how we can assist industry-related companies with social media channels and to learn more about P.R. 2.0., visit our website by clicking here.

The Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit International Convention and Exposition is just around the corner. Retailers, suppliers, importers / exporters, wholesalers, growers, trade press, and more, will be attending this year’s show in Atlanta, Ga., from October 14-17. The show will highlight some of the newest trends in the industry as well as provide exhibitors and show goers great networking and business opportunities.

As a useful tool prior to the show, the National Grocers Association (NGA) released the 2011 Consumer Survey Report, to help industry professionals better understand consumer wants and needs. On behalf of the NGA, www.supermarketguru.com conducted a survey between November 2010 and January 2011 in which 1,718 chief household shoppers shared their supermarket purchases, experiences, eating habits, purchase influences, and nutritional concerns on www.supermarketguru.com’s online consumer panel.

To view details about the 2011 Consumer Report, visit our Facebook page by clicking here. Also, for additional information about Fresh Summit, including a full list of events taking place, visit the show’s website at www.freshsummit.com.

Note to Exhibitors: Send us your press releases regarding industry insights, new products and trends, as we will be writing a number of articles for our blog and several trade magazines following the show.

Founded in 1886, GAF has become one of North America’s largest manufacturers of commercial and residential roofing. GAF roofing products have been featured on a number of well-known and respected television programs, including CBS, Discovery Channel, Women’s Entertainment, Fox, PBS, and A&E. The company’s success is based on helping homeowners and architects choose the best roofing options as well as assist distributors and roofing contractors build business and avoid hassles.

Recently, GAF exhibited at the 2011 CONSTRUCT Show in Chicago, and part of our team interviewed company representatives on site to uncover exactly what makes their products so unique. At the show, the company showcased one of its newer products, EverGuard Extreme™ TPO. This revolutionary product is a single-ply membrane, engineered to protect roofs from extreme heat generated from solar panels as well as from highly reflective architectural structures on adjacent buildings. Regular single-ply roofing membranes are constructed from organic polymers, and over time, organic polymers are subject to damage from extreme heat, sunlight and UV. Additionally, solar panels can create heat temperatures up to 190 degrees on roof surfaces, exposing single-ply membranes to intense heat. Thus, leading to cracks in membranes as well as damage to building rooftops.

GAF’s EverGuard Extreme TPO provides a wonderful solution. Company scientists have created a new grade of TPO single-ply membrane designed to withstand extreme heat to prevent cracks and damages. EverGuard Extreme™ TPO uses proprietary stabilizers and UV absorbers to achieve weathering performance far beyond current standards. During testing phases, the company’s product far exceeded standard TPO single-ply membranes. EverGuard Extreme TPO was exposed to accelerated weathering and aging tests, the results were remarkable. The heat-aging tests were conducted at 280 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature well beyond the most rigorous ASTM tests. The strength and durability of EverGuard Extreme TPO is through the roof, pun intended.

Needless to say, GAF’s EverGuard Extreme TPO is one of the most innovative and effective single-ply membranes available. For our trade magazine editor friends and contacts, please contact us if you have questions or interest in sharing this information with your readers. To learn more, visit the company’s website at www.gaf.com.

The new year is approaching, and 2012’s color trends are poised to be bold and daring. From neutrals to earthy greens and brilliant oranges to calming blues, 2012’s color trends are sure to be a hit among outdoor room designers, interior designers, retailers of home products, and others.

1. Neutral colors are the “in” thing right now. They generate an ambiance of tranquility and serenity, for a soothing effect. As noticed at this year’s Casual Market, tan, light brown, beige, and sand colors are a huge trend among the fabrics used in many of the new casual outdoor furnishings. 
2. Earthy greens create a feeling of enrichment and sustainability, allowing for one to connect with nature and blend with the surroundings. This spectrum of colors can add warmth and comfort to living spaces, encouraging family and friends to feel at home. For example, Pantone’s color report for 2012 says “Margarita” will be a popular color. As seen in the photo below, “Margarita” is a soft green color, ideal for adding warmth to outdoor rooms as well as interior walls in living rooms, dining rooms and bedroom spaces.
3. Calming blues are also in 2012’s color forecast. Inspired by rippling, dark blue waters and bright blue skies, these bold, blue hues are a designers’ dream palette. No matter the shade of blue, this primary color is a classic favorite in modern and traditional home styling. Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, was a keynote speaker at this year’s Casual Market. Her presentation, sponsored by Casual Living magazine, used Sherwin-Williams’ Colormix 2012 to highlight trendy colors for the upcoming year. In her speech, Jordan mentioned one popular color trend for outdoor furniture includes blue denim fabrics.
4. Brilliant, juicy oranges and pinks are among 2012’s color trends. These vibrant hues aim to refresh and enliven dull living spaces. When paired with neutral colors, oranges and pinks stand out among the crowd, showing true personalities. Retailers, take note, homeowners will soon be seeking splashes of oranges, pinks and even reds on pillows; in accessories to add touches of brightness; as well as on lighting products with red accents, cording and beading.