On February 8, 2014, President Obama signed the Agricultural Act of 2014, commonly known as the Farm Bill, into effect. A new Farm Bill is passed approximately every five years and the latest bill, comprising a staggering 1,000+ pages, will yet again have a major effect on the agriculture, horticulture and floriculture industries, particularly the farmers and growers whose life work is harvesting the crops on which the country depends.

While many in these industries have been keeping a watchful eye on the status of the bill, the complexity of government legislation may have left some without a thorough understanding of its influence on their day-to-day businesses.

Photo credit: Michigan State University, The State News

Farmers and growers, review this concise overview which covers a few of the essential, major components of the Farm Bill our team believes to be most applicable, and learn how it will impact you.

Agriculture: Both farmers and consumers will be affected by the 2014 Farm Bill. The reduction of food stamps has brought about mixed reactions, yet the progress in the food industry delivered by the bill is notable.

• SNAP, most formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, will be decreased to some citizens. However, those still able to utilize the program will have better access to more nutritious food, as SNAP benefits have been doubled at farmer’s markets under the Farmers Market Promotion Program. Addressing the critical issue of nutrition and public health is vital; this program, and others, will drive revenue for regional farmers and lead to expansion.

•  With only 2.2 million farms producing our nation’s food, and less than 2 percent of the U.S. population working them, the uncertainty of crop yields can deal a detrimental financial blow to farmers. What many experts consider the bill’s biggest attribute to be is a new insurance policy, which will support farmers in times of loss and help risk management.

Are you a grower of Christmas trees? A battle in the long-fought war against artificial trees was won with the signing of the bill by President Obama. A 15 cent tax will be placed on every tree sold and the funds, estimated to total $3 million in the next five years, are being directed to research and marketing to further promote the live tree industry. Horticulture / Floriculture: The reach of the 2014 Farm Bill will go beyond farmers of food; those in the nursery and floriculture trade will see increased funding to several beneficial programs.

• Several diseases have plagued the nursery grower industry in recent years, including the fungicide-resistant impatiens downy mildew disease, the quick-spreading boxwood blight and new invasive insects. The Farm Bill will lend millions of dollars more to pest and disease research, among other programs that safeguard nursery production.

• Along with fruits and vegetables, horticulture and nursery crops are designated as specialty crops by the U.S Department of Agriculture. The Specialty Crop Block Grant and Specialty Crop Research Initiative will both work to help enhance competitiveness for these crops against staple and highly lucrative crops such as soybeans, rice and corn. The block grant will involve both state and regional industry associations on marketing campaigns, while the crop research aspect will bring the necessary attention to the organic agriculture and horticulture industry.

Overall, citizens of the United States have a right to nutritious food and healthy crops of all kinds. While some people may not agree with the Farm Bill in its entirety, it is hard to deny the need for funding that will improve public health and wellness. This new legislation is allowing average citizens the ability to buy healthy food and granting hard-working farmers the capacity to grow that food, along with successful plant cultivation that aid to environmental and human well-being.

The growth of several industries is leading to major advancements in residential kitchen designs. With the consistent growth of the organic farming and food market in the United States, homeowners are becoming more and more conscious about their diets, which is also affecting their food prep spaces. In addition, the surge of available “smart appliances” and sustainable building materials in commercial kitchens is evolving even the most basic kitchen appliances, and has crossed over into the residential market. Thus, builders and designers are working to help their clients fashion chic, upgraded and functional kitchen spaces with new and innovative technologies.

K+BB January 2014

In its January 2014 issue, Kitchen + Bath Business shared the latest in commercial-style, sustainable, efficient and wireless technology now being found in residential kitchens.

Double ovens were once exclusive to major restaurateurs and caterers, but now the appealing features of LED screens displaying recipes, cooking guidance and customizable cooking cycles have reached home culinary enthusiasts.

Along with cutting-edge features, luxury and conveniences normally reserved for fine dining are also appearing in residential kitchen designs. While wine refrigerators are not necessarily new to residential kitchens, wine dispensers are providing a new experience for wine connoisseurs. No longer do wine lovers have to anguish over spoiling an unfinished bottle; their favorite Sauvignon Blanc can be easily stored and kept at the perfect temperature, ensuring that it is readily available at the touch of a button.

As all architects, designers and builders know, materials used for the home must fit the specific needs of the client. When it comes to kitchens, countertops are easily the most substantial element. Commercial kitchens have long ago adapted to be both heat- and scratch-resistant, and now both natural and synthetic sourced materials are becoming stylish options for homeowners who wish to utilize this commercial-like durability.

K+BB January 2014 – Residential Kitchens Are Taking a Page from Commercial’s Playbook

Keeping up with the latest in home products and technologies to recommend to clients is imperative, and there’s no better way to accomplish the task than attending industry conventions and events.

KBIS, the leading kitchen and bath industry show, and IBS, the largest annual residential housing construction trade event, will co-locate during Design & Construction Week, beginning February 4 – 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nev. This year will mark the first time the two premier shows and associations have joined together to exhibit the latest industry products, trends and technologies.

Designers, builders and retailers, don’t miss this opportunity to experience the newest offerings from top brands for all home needs and learn about high-tech and innovative products that can upgrade your clients’ kitchens.

Click here to read the full K+BB article and here to learn more about KBIS.

Outdoor rooms are in! – The improvement of the national economy and housing market has had a great effect on the outdoor furniture, landscape and hardscape industries, as homeowners are gaining confidence and investing in their backyard spaces. In a recent issue, Casual Living, a leader of the leisure market, declared that the outdoor room trend that began nearly five years ago is seeing steady growth as the economy recovers.

Casual Living December 2013

Landscape designers and architects, stay ahead of the game and implement outdoor living space trends, sourced from Casual Living, into your next project.

1. Add fire pits for a touch of luxury. Due to the surge of consumer confidence, outdoor living enhancements and luxuries like fire pits and fireplaces are becoming more prominent. The addition of fire pits is attractive, in that they call for accompanying cozy seating furniture and arrangements. Try wood-burning fire pits for a more authentic feel, or convertible fire pits. Some convertible fire pits can be transformed from a pond to a planter, making them perfect for year-round use.

Casual Living December 2013

2. Introduce better outdoor lighting. The lighting industry is also catching on to the improvement of the outdoor landscape and hardscape industries with lighting systems appearing more in pavers and walkways. Use well-placed, long-lasting LED lighting outdoors to softly and subtly illuminate your design.

Photo credit – McKay Lighting

3. Expand with outdoor rooms. Consumers are taking their typical indoor home activities outdoors. Design their spaces to meet these needs. Provide adequate seating and gathering room, countertop space for cooking and even technology amenities like televisions. According to Joe Fields, director of contractor services and sales for EP Henry, a New Jersey-based hardscape company, homeowners are no longer building on a second story or room; outdoor spaces are now being built as an alternative. “This is their addition to their home,” says Fields. “It’s becoming an extension of the family room.”

Casual Living December 2013

For more information about outdoor rooms, or to read the full Casual Living article, click the link. http://bit.ly/1lG6ZsN

The New Year is now here and many of us are embarking on the journey to achieve personal resolutions that will overall enhance our quality of life. Much like our desires to accomplish our own individual goals, large and small businesses also jump on the resolution train to help improve operations and increase productivity.

In the ever-changing world of public relations, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest innovations and trends of our industry. PR News is one, among many, go-to sources for public relations professionals to learn about industry happenings, strategies and tactics. To lay the foundation for a productive and successful 2014, Susan Howe, president of global consumer marketing at Weber Shandwick, shares her expert tips in an article titled “PR Insider: Planning, Engaging and Improving for 2014,” which recently published on PR News’ website. Below, we have taken her helpful insights and applied them to the industries in which our firm represents.

Measure, adjust and be honest with yourself about last year

Before planning for the future, we must evaluate the past. By analyzing the data outcomes of programs or promotions or the value of certain services or products, a company can determine what was successful, what needs to change and what can be removed. The analytics process should not be about simply looking back, but to gain insights into what consumers care about and what products and services will engage them moving forward. Two good examples of thorough data analysis are Furniture Today’s 2013 Consumer Report and the 2014 Construction Market Trends, details for both can be found in previous blog posts our team completed. The analysis of this data allows companies to appropriately plan for the future.

Click the links above to view the blogs.

Get closer to the consumer

Howe says, “Engaging people means knowing their wants, likes, needs, hopes, and fears…using those insights to incite action.” To increase consumer engagement, a business must be in-tune with these desires. Once accurate data is acquired, marketing and sales teams will be able to create concepts that fuel a change in thinking and drive toward action.

Customer surveys with good incentives are excellent tools for gathering data directly from the source. For example, home furnishings and garden center retailers could provide brief questions for in-store customers or a short online survey, and in exchange for their feedback, they would be eligible to receive a discount on their next purchase. As a result, over time, the customer data collected would be invaluable information for developing new practices, programs and products.

Click the photo to view Today’s Garden Center’s 2014 Revolutionary 100 Garden Center Survey

Consider the plan in beta

Your 2014 marketing plan is new and in development stages, so it is important to make it adaptable to changes or opportunities, in real time. “What it means is being present for the always-on consumer and sharing a brand story in a relevant way in a relevant moment.” The most successful plans have strategic elements that allow a company to seize advantage of an unforeseen opportunity. A combination of research and a system for quick, active product production and distribution will only increase a company’s ability to react in these moments.

Click the photo to view the full PR News article.

Live collaboratively

A company’s entire team will determine its success in 2014, which includes staff, client and agency partners. Strong leadership and clearly defined roles will help overall strength and competency, while supporting the best ideas will boost morale. At ECPR, we hold weekly company meetings where everyone, from our CEO to our interns, shares their creative ideas on various tasks and client projects. You never know where the next great, innovative idea may come from, so we are always open-minded and attentive to team creativity.

New year, new beginnings. Take these tips, apply them and jumpstart your business’ growth in 2014! Happy New Year!

Every year, the Pantone team, with the input of select industry influencers and designers, creates the spring and fall color reports. These hues become the foundation for the next Fashion Week or furniture market. Oftentimes, many designers and color-enthusiasts will incorporate the new seasons’ color trends in small ways, like home décor accessories, and on grand scales such as a blast of color to the exterior wall of an architecture firm’s latest design project. Below, we have listed Pantone’s 2014 Spring Color Report and provided a few examples, just to get your creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

Pantone® Fashion Color Report Spring 2014

Cayenne: Spicy, yet not intimidating, Cayenne will add a blast of courage to an otherwise neutrally comfortable space. 

Photo Credit – Better Homes & Gardens

Celosia Orange: Named after a stunningly unique flower, Celosia Orange’s vibrant and energetic color radiates warmth throughout this contemporary children’s bedroom.

Photo Credit – Haus Line

Dazzling Blue: While endearing and bold, Dazzling Blue can be used in small accessories or large furniture pieces. If you truly love this color, splash it on the walls, too! 

Photo Credit – Rue Magazine

Freesia: Also influenced by a flower, Freesia is sweet and optimistic; this color is great for the innovative workplace, in paint or plant form.

Photo Credit – The Flowers Avenue

Paloma: Paloma’s contemporary tone is reflected in this concrete building, and both are sleek and timeless. 

Chapel of St. Peter, Campos de Jordao, Brazil, 1987

Placid Blue: The serene nature of Placid Blue makes it a top choice for coastal living. Notice how this shade is used as an accent on the chairs and the bookcase. 

Photo Credit – Willey Desgin, LLC

Sand: With a name like ‘Sand’, one would typically think of the beach, but here we see how Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s rustic Los Angeles home utilizes this color’s versatility, inside and out. 

Photo Credit – Architectural Digest

Women’s and Men’s Specialty Colors

Hemlock + Comfrey: Hemlock is a much softer pastel and Comfrey is a bit deeper than the 2013 Color of the Year, Emerald. Both shades are meant to add the natural touch of green to round out the 2014 spring color palette appeal.

Green shades enliven indoor and outdoor spaces.

Radiant Orchid + Magenta Purple: Radiant Orchid’s bold, chic color is the 2014 Color of the Year; its rich-toned counterpart is just as worthy as it exudes a sense of regality.

These vibrant purples and an ethnic print create a culturally chic home accent accessory.

Violet Tulip + Purple Haze: Violet Tulip evokes romance and wistful nostalgia. Purple Haze is a deeper, stronger version of Violet Tulip, but it still has its soft side. 

The blend of these soft violets with the dash of black and Dazzling Blue make a whimsical piece of artwork.

Be on the lookout for the shades of the Pantone® Color Report Spring 2014 and let us know which are your favorites! 

“Designed to be Effective” BOMA Magazine – November / December 2013

• Understand the functionality of the space. Designers need to understand that jobs are constantly progressing, thus altering the function of workspaces. Collaboration and spaces for optimal group work are becoming more necessary as, in the knowledge sector, a single person sometimes no longer has all the required skills and background to complete a job alone. In order to meet this need, a variety of collaborative spaces need to be provided. This affords employees flexibility for where they want to work as a group, which can lead to increased productivity.

• Suggest an open layout. Moving towards visibility in the workplace can promote an accessible, cohesive environment and help develop office culture and values. Robert A. Peck, director of Consulting for the Southeast Region at the architectural firm Gensler, says, “If we’re sitting where we cannot see people, we tend to forget about them. In an open environment, it’s harder to forget. So we can facilitate collaboration without forcing it.”

• Provide space for each type of worker. While collaborative space is critical, surveys have found that 54 percent of time spent by those in knowledge-sector businesses is spent in “focus” mode. Some employees thrive in distraction-free environments to focus, while others work better in ‘buzzing” surroundings. Commercial designers should have a mix of private and open spaces for their clients, so both types of people are catered to. 

• Redesign or add social spaces into the office interior. By transforming social spaces like coffee bars or breaks rooms, employee satisfaction increases, including interaction, acceptance and encouragement. Often, conversations that start as social shift into business which advocates for connectivity.

BOMA Magazine – November / December 2013

What started off as a modest symbol for “number” on the keys of the telephone has risen in only six years to be one the strongest marketing tools of the 21st century, connecting hundreds of millions of people together. But what is it about this hashtag symbol that makes it so powerful for public relations, marketing and advertising firms?

This infographic from Offerpop, sourced from PR Daily,  documents the short but influential history of the hashtag.

On November 13, the ECPR team partnered with the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) to help reveal the 7 Secrets of Top Luxury Interior Design Firms, presented by our good friend and the design industry’s leading business expert Julia Molloy, president and CEO of Molloy Management Group. As the premier operations and luxury branding specialist in the design industry, Julia works with design company CEOs and owners to increase their efficiencies, develop business plans, boost profits, and connect with a more affluent clientele. Her company, Molloy Management Group, Inc., specializes in advising design professionals how to develop luxury brands and build celebrity statuses.

With many years of experience in the field, she has determined seven distinct patterns, or traits, among her most successful, high-end designer clients. With the opportunity to present at ADAC and share her proficient knowledge with interior designers and showroom managers based in the South, Julia presented one of the most engaging and applicable sessions we have ever had the pleasure of attending. The audience members widely seconded this sentiment, with rave reviews following the event.

For those who work in the design world and were unable to attend, we have highlighted a few key points of relevant interest, stemming from Julia’s presentation, 7 Secrets of the Top Luxury Interior Design Firms.

Julia Molloy presenting the “7 Secrets of Top Luxury Interior Design Firms.”

What is Luxury?

It all begins with the question, “what is luxury?” Julia defined luxury as the ability to “satisfy every need and go beyond the ordinary into the realm of the extraordinary. It is about elevating the mind, body and spirit.” Luxury must be developed inside an organization before it can start providing luxury as a service and viable reference to clients. The seven secrets provide the necessary elements to becoming luxury internally, and then servicing with luxury externally.

Luxury Starts from Within

In terms of internal business operations, a design company’s brand vision sets the foundation of what it stands for and provides. Brand Vision should be instilled in a firm’s staff as well. As soon as employees are hired, the company structure must be set to evoke brand-aligned staff members and a true sense of internal organization.

Clear roles and accountabilities must be established for each teammate, with centralized and easily accessible information that requires limited presence of the principal designer when needed, allowing for a streamlined approach. There must be short-term tasking and team meetings where everyone can discuss their completed, current and upcoming tasks. From there, documentation of regular company practices and forms should occur, whether internally or in the field. This will help uphold the standards of quality and efficiency for the company.

“Designers and showroom managers visit ADAC for Julia Molloy’s presentation.”

Branding and Public Relations are Essential

Once the brand vision, company structure, and documentation processes are solidified, then brand development can start to take shape. Branding should authentically reflect a design firm’s key characteristics. The key characteristics are a firm’s “navigational compass,” which directs the decision making process and, ultimately, aligns all actions to the brand vision.

Top luxury interior design firms place public relations and press as high priorities. A publicist can help a designer become an active and renowned figure in their community, which will help them gain popularity and publicity. Design firms and their public relations teams should develop a list of targeted publications, websites and blogs for submitting the designer’s well-planned media kit and build relationships with all of the publications’ editors and writers. If an interior design firm desires the most return on investment, it will work with a reputable public relations firm who specializes in the industry.

Luxury Has the Potential to Grow and Evolve

A brand and business development team such as Molloy Management Group, and an industry-experienced, full-service public relations firm like our own Eberly & Collard Public Relations, can help take a firm from its “start-up” phase to celebrity standing.

Active public relations and press coverage help design firms remain present, known, seen, heard, and available.

According to Julia, when an interior designer’s clients see his or her name published, it makes them feel good and say, “That’s my designer!” This equates to an elevated position and feeling for the client. As a result, the client acknowledges the luxury of the design firm, even after the project has been completed. In turn, this can generate customer loyalty and referrals. Coming full circle, the purpose of public relations for a designer involves positioning the designer as a “go-to” expert resource for creating both beautiful and useful living spaces, but also to provide the client a truly luxurious experience.

These are only a few of the tips provided by Julia Molloy. Her knowledge is impressive and vast; to learn more, visit the Molloy Management Group website at www.molloymanagement.com. To view other events at the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, visit www.adacatlanta.com. For more information about Eberly & Collard Public Relations, visit our website at www.eberlycollardpr.com.

Our most sincere thanks to Julia for enlightening the Atlanta design industry, and our appreciation to the highly talented and devoted staff at ADAC for hosting the event.

Members of the ECPR team with Julia Molloy of Molloy Management Group and Amy Musarra of ADAC.