I am pleased to announce that I will be among the taste test judges for the #KingCakeBR competition! A great idea can go a long way! ~Whitney
From www.RedStickBlog.com
We are embarking on a new project and we’d like for you to help. Back on January 6th, “King’s Day,” we asked our facebook fans to share their favorite place to get a king cake in Baton Rouge. The answers were so varied that we took the conversation to Twitter seeking a majority.
There we began a conversation with @lynseydesign, a Twitter follower who was also seeking the best of the best. She even put together a map based on tweeted suggestions: http://bit.ly/hwqgxt! Since then we’ve been mulling the idea of a taste-off of sorts, but we don’t have the luxury of being able to afford adding an extra 5lbs this winter. Enter Twitter friend @wbreaux with the suggestion of a competition to @VisitBatonRouge @biteandbooze and @lynseydesign.
And the competition was born. We’re hammering out the details, but here’s what we can tell you. Within the next three weeks, Visit Baton Rouge is partnering with Jay Ducote’s Bite and Booze Blog to bring you the first “official” Baton Rouge King Cake taste off.
We are relying on our fans, friends and followers to provide us with the competitors. So far, we have Ambrosia, Baum’s, Calandro’s, Albertson’s, Oak Point Fresh Market, Gambino’s, Port Allen Bakery, Thee Heavenly Donut, Ralph’s, Matherne’s and Forte Grove.
To level the playing field, all submissions will be the same flavor, we’re thinking a simple cream cheese or praline filling. And we have a few spots to fill on the judging panel. If you are interested in being a judge, please reply to this post with the attributes that would qualify you! We’re looking for foodies, local celebs and a couple of average joes that enjoy their King Cake.
We have also added a non-traditional king cake category. This could range from Community Coffe’s Carnivale Cake flavored coffee to ice cream to cupcakes and cake balls.
Oh, and we’re still seeking a fun name for the competition! Reply below with your suggestions! Or post on our facebook wall or simply tweet us @VisitBatonRouge and please tag taste off tweets with #KingCakeBR!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Taking a Look Back at PR in 2010 - The Good, Bad & Ugly
It can take a few days to really understand and reflect on all the great PR stories of 2010. Some of these stories have down right changed the way PR professionals do our job. Communicating with the media has fundamentally changed in the way in which we pitch news stories. Not to mention, in some cases a PR story can go directly into the hands of the consumer without being seen on the 5 p.m. news.
In all, five PR stories stand out in my mind from 2010:
The Good.
1. Shoutout to Facebook. Here's what happens when a great product gets a good solid PR plan in place. Not only does your product hit 500 million users (likely the most cited/well-known statistic of 2010), but your founder and CEO becomes Time Magazine's "Person of the Year."
2. Oh when the Saints go marching in. Big congratulations to the Saints and their management on a successful run at the Super Bowl in early 2010. The spirit of New Orleans and their team was shown to the world through a 90-minute football game. The positive media coverage almost surpassed the number mentions of Hurricane Katrina.
The Bad.
3. Cecil says show me the $$! It was rather difficult, as a college football fan, to watch an extremely talented player endure the onslaught of media coverage following the news that his father put him up for sale. Heisman trophy winner, for at least the next few months, Cam Newton could be one of the best college players of all-time, but his name will always be followed with "whose Dad wanted $120k for his son to play football." Cam will need his own PR team ahead of the NFL draft to do some much needed image repair. To credit Auburn University though, they did a pretty good job of keeping the media straight that Cam was "not involved."
The Ugly.
4. Tiger Woods fails on the golf course and in the press conference. I followed this story from wrecked Cadillac Escalade to Elin's tell all in People Magazine. I won't deny it; I spent 2010 transfixed on this story. Admittedly, I was fascinated with how such a well disciplined golf player could let their personal slice into pieces. Then again, Tiger may fit the profile of a socio-path. At the end of the day, we learned that while your client may think silence and being nonresponsive to the media will make it "go away," in the world of a 24/7 news cycle it most certainly will not!
5. BP oil spill. Not only did 11 people loose their lives, a fact that many failed to report, but BP never gained control of the story. They refused to use social media until @BPOilSpill was finished ruining their brand on Twitter. For any company with a crisis communication plan, please be sure that social media is a part of it NOW!
In all, five PR stories stand out in my mind from 2010:
The Good.
1. Shoutout to Facebook. Here's what happens when a great product gets a good solid PR plan in place. Not only does your product hit 500 million users (likely the most cited/well-known statistic of 2010), but your founder and CEO becomes Time Magazine's "Person of the Year."
2. Oh when the Saints go marching in. Big congratulations to the Saints and their management on a successful run at the Super Bowl in early 2010. The spirit of New Orleans and their team was shown to the world through a 90-minute football game. The positive media coverage almost surpassed the number mentions of Hurricane Katrina.
The Bad.
3. Cecil says show me the $$! It was rather difficult, as a college football fan, to watch an extremely talented player endure the onslaught of media coverage following the news that his father put him up for sale. Heisman trophy winner, for at least the next few months, Cam Newton could be one of the best college players of all-time, but his name will always be followed with "whose Dad wanted $120k for his son to play football." Cam will need his own PR team ahead of the NFL draft to do some much needed image repair. To credit Auburn University though, they did a pretty good job of keeping the media straight that Cam was "not involved."
The Ugly.
4. Tiger Woods fails on the golf course and in the press conference. I followed this story from wrecked Cadillac Escalade to Elin's tell all in People Magazine. I won't deny it; I spent 2010 transfixed on this story. Admittedly, I was fascinated with how such a well disciplined golf player could let their personal slice into pieces. Then again, Tiger may fit the profile of a socio-path. At the end of the day, we learned that while your client may think silence and being nonresponsive to the media will make it "go away," in the world of a 24/7 news cycle it most certainly will not!
5. BP oil spill. Not only did 11 people loose their lives, a fact that many failed to report, but BP never gained control of the story. They refused to use social media until @BPOilSpill was finished ruining their brand on Twitter. For any company with a crisis communication plan, please be sure that social media is a part of it NOW!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. Selects Wright Feigley Communications!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2010
Press Contact: Whitney Breaux
225-769-4844
PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT, INC. SELECTS WRIGHT FEIGLEY COMMUNICATIONS
Company Will Utilize Agency’s Communications Expertise for New Property in Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE, La. – Wright Feigley Communications, a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm in Baton Rouge, La., today announced that Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. has hired the agency to coordinate the new Baton Rouge casino’s public relations and community outreach efforts. Wright Feigley will work with the new casino resort to develop a comprehensive public relations campaign for its anticipated grand opening in December 2011.
“We are honored to work with an outstanding company in Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.,” explained Jeff Wright, partner. Pinnacle's Baton Rouge property will be a premier southern Louisiana destination property offering a fully integrated casino entertainment experience, Wright said. “I’m confident our strategic approach combined with our strong public relations team will help Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. reach its goal to build the premier casino resort in the market,” added Wright.
According to Kim Ginn, senior director of marketing, Wright Feigley was selected based on their working knowledge of the market, their casino industry and in-depth strategic planning experience. “Pinnacle Entertainment is excited about our bright future in Baton Rouge,” said Ginn. “We will partner with Wright Feigley to establish sound community relationships for the new property.”
The Baton Rouge casino resort is a $357 million project designed to capture the feel of a Southern river lodge and will embrace Louisiana's rich cultural history, food, music and ‘laissez les bon temps rouler’ way of life. The complex will feature a single-level, 30,000 square foot gaming floor; 1,500 slot machines; 51 table games, including a poker room; a hotel with approximately 200 guest rooms and a rooftop pool; three dining outlets; a unique casino bar with breathtaking views of the Mississippi River; 2,400 total parking spaces, including 800 in a covered parking garage; a multi-purpose event center with concert seating for up to 1,400 people or banquet seating for up to 800 people; and outdoor festival grounds with capacity for up to 2,500.
About Pinnacle Entertainment
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates casinos in Louisiana, Missouri, Indiana, Nevada and Argentina. In March 2010, Pinnacle opened its newest casino, River City, in south St. Louis County, Mo., and is developing a casino in Baton Rouge, La.
About Wright Feigley Communications
Wright Feigley Communications is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm in Baton Rouge. Co-founders Jeff Wright and Stuart Feigley have a combined 35 years experience in building brands and business for their clients in a number of sectors. Located in Perkins Rowe, company officials can be reached at 225-769-4844.
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Facebook.com/WFCommunications @wrightfeigley
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
PRAL- Baton Rouge Social Media "Links Mentioned"
Greetings from Baton Rouge!
The list featured below is a compilation of links mentioned in my November 20, 2010 presentation to the Public Relations Association of Louisiana- Baton Rouge Chapter entitled "Social Media and You!"
The list featured below is a compilation of links mentioned in my November 20, 2010 presentation to the Public Relations Association of Louisiana- Baton Rouge Chapter entitled "Social Media and You!"
Have questions? Let's chat on Facebook (facebook.com/whitneybreaux) , on Twitter (twitter.com/wbreaux) , or LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/whitneybreaux).
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Three Social Media Trends to Watch
One of the biggest questions facing social media strategists all the time is "What's next?"
As Facebook is set to unveil its latest attempt to take over the world via email, we're watching closely to see what new trends may pop up.
There are three trends that I am tracking very closely:
As Facebook is set to unveil its latest attempt to take over the world via email, we're watching closely to see what new trends may pop up.
There are three trends that I am tracking very closely:
- Location-based social media platforms. Gowalla , Foursquare , Facebook Places , Whrrl, etc. are all an interesting concept to watch unfold. Right now, all are still in the innovator and early adopter phases. It remains to be seen if they will achieve mainstream status. One thing is certain, location based social media platforms offer businesses the best chance at measuring their precious ROI in a dollar amount.
- Content clutter. In today's online world "everyone can be a publisher of content!" The interesting trend to watch however will be, "whether or not the number of people publishing content will decrease to a small confined group?" With so much information all over the internet it can be difficult for an unknowing consumer to judge the quality of content posted on a website, blog, etc. Will the top media dogs such as CNN, MSNBC, and Fox find a way to rule in the online market? We'll see.
- Social Media Optimization. Since the dawn of search engines SEO has reigned supreme. But now with strong partnerships between Bing and Facebook and the growing use of social media influences in search, social media optimization will slowly take over.
These are trends that I'm watching, would love to hear what your watching for in the world of social media?
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Top 40 Under 40 and Industry Newcomer of the Year!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Upcoming Events and Speaking Engagements
2010 has truly been a great year! With the start of Baton Rouge Social Media Association (formerly Baton Rouge Social Media Club), the success of Coastal Social and my new move to Wright Feigley Communications 2010 will live in infamy.
With less than 60 days til the end of the year, the schedule continues to fill up.
Here are a few events and speaking engagements lined up to round out 2010:
With less than 60 days til the end of the year, the schedule continues to fill up.
Here are a few events and speaking engagements lined up to round out 2010:
- Social Media Club New Orleans, November 9th. 6pm at Three Sisters. Speaker is Lauren Thom aka @FleurtyGirl. WhoDat.
- Women in Media, Awards of Excellence Luncheon, November 10th. 11am at Hilton Capitol Center Hotel. Apparently, I'm a nominee! Save your seat today.
- BRSocMe's November TweetUp, November 11th. 7pm & 8:30pm. Join us at the RedStick Animation Festival followed by more fun at Boudreaux and Thibodueax's. Join us !
- "Opps... I Tweeted Again," November 14th. 6pm at Holliday Forum in Manship School at LSU. I'll help students manage their online reputation.
- "Social Media Strategy and You," November 30th. 12pm at Juban's. Learn more about social media platforms aside from Facebook and Twitter. Learn more.
- "The Doctor Is In: Social Media Provides Diagnoses for Healthcare," December 1st. 12pm at Louisiana Hospital Association Conference Center. Jeff Wright and I will assist hospital marketers in building social media strategies. Need help?
- SoCruise's "Bon Voyage Party," December 1st. 9pm at Tipitina's in New Orleans. I'll miss the cruise, but not the party! TechKaroke.
- 40 Under 40 Reception, December 2nd. 6:30pm at Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge. It's also my 23rd birthday! Success.
Keep up with all things social media, politics and public relations by following me on Twitter , Facebook and LinkedIn.
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