we know a good story when we see one

BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Public Relations
Public Relations can be one of the strongest
marketing tools. It provides credibility and is
often one of the most cost effective strategies
in your arsenal. The BRITE team knows how to
build relationships with the press, whether with
reporters, media partners, civic leaders or the
public.
We also know a good story when we see one and
we are always keeping our eyes and ears open for
what is newsworthy and memorable. Among our
first tasks is to meet with management, staff and
stakeholders to learn their views and experiences.
Frequently the best stories are sitting there just
waiting to be told.
We can help with crisis management or help
turn around negative perception. Many times,
negative press results from disinformation or a
lack of information. An organized and substantial
PR campaign can create the awareness needed to
solve the problem.
WE KNOW A
GOOD STORY
WHEN WE
SEE ONE
PR capabilities include:
Public relations consulting & strategic planning
News releases
Bylined articles & guest columns
Media training
Online distribution
Tracking & measurement
Reputation management
Crisis management
Social media strategies
Customer & employee relations
Traditional & new media
Event planning & management
Public affairs planning & management
We’re optimistic, enthusiastic, experienced and aggressive. You’ll definitely want us on your team.
Our goal is to ensure that your best stories are
always in front of the public, the media, your staff
and your customers.
BRITE / Brand Illumination
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-692-8624
[email protected]
www.go2brite.com
BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Case study
Project
Strategic Marketing Plan and
Community Affairs (ongoing)
SITUATION
SOLUTION
Currituck County, NC, which includes a section
of the Outer Banks, is a prime summer tourism
destination. The rest of the year unemployment
hovers around 7%. While economic development
initiatives are needed and fundable (County
tourism tax revenue is about $5 million annually),
some residents are resistant toward change.
BRITE started by organizing town hall meetings
throughout the County to introduce the new
development director and obtain feedback
on how the community would be best served
through economic development. The goal was
to partner with the County so that advocacy
and endorsement could be garnered for future
initiatives. The meetings helped to gauge interest,
learn attitudes and begin the process of educating
residents to the positive impact of ‘change’ and
how economic development initiatives could
directly benefit them.
When a new Development Director was named
from out of market BRITE was hired to begin a
public affairs campaign to educate and garner
positive support for change and economic
development. BRITE partnered with research firm
Thomas Point Associates to create a strategic
marketing plan.
Client
The residents’ primary concern was that their
grown children were leaving the area to get jobs
elsewhere because of lack of opportunity. They
also believed that new businesses would be in
competition with them.
ensuring that meeting content was covered in
print, broadcast and online.
Y
U L
RESULTS
BLOCRAITUCK
CUR
Change is taking place slowly but surely. The
County Commissioners have approved BRITE’s
marketing plan and it is being implemented
by the Economic Development Director. BRITE
recently developed the BUY LOCAL CURRITUCK
campaign and, through town hall meetings,
gained wide community acceptance. The BUY
LOCAL campaign is going viral, helping local
businesses. The balance of the initiatives are
ongoing.
BUY LOCAL CURRITUCK 30% Rotation
Design 8 / Test 1
BLUE = PMS 2746
GREEN = PMS 361
The results of the town hall meetings helped set
the tenor for the Economic Development Plan
which BRITE completed and was accepted by the
County Commissioners.
Currituck County, NC
Building on community input BRITE created a
‘Buy Local’ strategy to help local businesses while
also educating them about new development and
job growth. This was achieved through more town
hall meetings, postings on the County website
and having the Directors of both the Economic
Development and the Tourism departments attend
community meetings. They also created a booth
for local fairs and events allowing residents to
talk and meet the development team in a relaxed,
non-threatening setting.
Cur ritu ck Cou nty
t
Eco nom ic Dev elop men
Mar keti ng Act ion Plan
BRITE
INATION
BRAND ILLUM
BRITE also managed public relations initiatives
Draft print ad created by
Currituck County.
Draft print ad created by
Currituck County.
BRITE is a woman-owned business, Virginia corporation
SWaM #675421
DUNS #783672160 Federal ID #02-0773635
BRITE / Brand Illumination
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-692-8624
[email protected]
www.go2brite.com
BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Case study
Project
Special Use Permit Campaign for a
12-acre 100-Room Resort
Client
Corolla Club & Resort
SITUATION
Developer Saga Construction purchased a
twelve-acre oceanfront property in Corolla, NC
and applied to the Currituck County Planning
Office for a special use permit to build a 100room, 3-story, luxury resort. The Planning
Office was to study the application and make a
recommendation to the County Commissioners on
whether or not to approve it at a public hearing.
Upscale homeowners in the immediate area
of the proposed resort were opposed, wanting
to keep the tract undeveloped. They mounted
an intensive effort to defeat it based on
environmental concerns and, they argued, the
area’s lodging inventory was overbuilt.
BRITE was hired to help sway public opinion,
provide a support campaign to motivate County
residents and influence County Commissioners to
approve the permit.
SOLUTION
BRITE recommended hiring ‘experts’ to present
irrefutable data against the homeowners charges
as well as begin an awareness initiative to show
that the project would bring a much needed
1,000 jobs to the area, 10% of which would be
permanent.
With a 10.3% unemployment rate this was
welcome news. Additionally BRITE worked
with Judy Randall of Randall Travel Marketing
to compile data showing that room nights and
occupancy were well below capacity and that the
BRITE is a woman-owned business, Virginia corporation
SWaM #675421
DUNS #783672160 Federal ID #02-0773635
BRITE / Brand Illumination
area needed more to compete with neighboring
Dare County (also part of North Carolina’s Outer
Banks area).
The developer hired Landmark Engineering &
Environmental as well as Edwin Andrews &
Associates, Raleigh, NC as consulting hydrologists
and soil scientists to provide an environmental
impact report on the site. They concluded that the
development would displace only a few species
that were already in abundance in the area. The
developer also offered to purchase nearby land
that would serve as a sanctuary for them.
BRITE approached a Professor of Economics
at Elizabeth City University to do an analysis
and report on the economic impact of the
development from both a revenue and jobs
perspective. The data was used to show that the
resort would provide jobs as well as increased
tax revenue would help with individual tax relief,
and that tourist dollars would provide a positive
trickledown effect to area businesses.
and County leaders to present at civic league
meetings and church groups to garner further
support. BRITE also designed “Jobs!” T-shirts and
buttons.
RESULTS
Arguments for the resort were made by the
developer and the experts, and against the
development by the homeowners’ group. So
many of the developer’s vocal supporters
attended the meeting
(wearing “Jobs!” T-shirts
Get the Facts.
and buttons) that it was
The planned
standing room only. After
Corolla Club & Reso
rt
a six-hour hearing County
could mean new job
s
Commissioners unanimously
for Currituck County.
voted “YES.”
This new plan ned
Reso rt will have man
y feat ures that
mak e it bene ficia l
for Curr ituck resid
ents .
BRITE simultaneously developed and managed
a sophisticated public relations awareness and
education campaign to teach residents about the
primary benefit of the development (Jobs!) and
how to organize a coalition to attend the permit
hearing. The firm designed homemade, grass
roots print ads, headed “Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!” to
reach county residents.
•LEEDcertified–construction
willmeet‘green’standards
•100-roomhotel
•Meetingandbanquetfacilitie
sforyear-roundvisitors
•32condovillas
•Retailspace
•Restaurant
This coul d mea n cons
truc tion jobs ,
then perm anen t jobs
and incre ased reve
nue for Curr ituck Cou
nty.
For mor e info rma tion
www.Co rolla Clu bRe
sort .com
The developer and BRITE met with the local
media to educate them and ensure that the facts
were well presented, resulting in positive coverage
in print, broadcast and online, created a web site
to provide more information and serve as a forum
for residents, and provided scripts for developers
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-692-8624
[email protected]
AD NO CCR 003-10
COROLLA CLUB & RESO
RT
www.go2brite.com
B&W
DAILY ADVANCE / MAY
16, 2010
LAWRENCE-PARK, VIRGIN
IA BEACH, VA
757-439-7700
JOB #1881
BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Case study
SITUATION
SOLUTION
Konikoff Dentistry, a $20 million dental practice
in Hampton Roads, asked BRITE to assist in
opening their latest new office, a 35,000-squarefoot building in Virginia Beach specifically built for
the practice.
To create a demand to go to the dentist required
an element of fun.
It was critical that Konikoff Dentistry build their
base of business in the area immediately. The
task was to create exposure and demand.
Project
Create Exposure and Demand for
New Dental Office
Since the practice focused on family dentistry,
and knowing that families are looking for
activities, BRITE planned and promoted an event
for the Saturday before Halloween.
The outside and inside of the building was theme
decorated. Staff dressed in Halloween costumes
and distributed toys. Disney Radio was contracted
to broadcast from the parking lot. A motorcycle
dealership displayed bikes and activities including
pony rides, face and pumpkin painting.
The Mayor of Virginia Beach attended and was
presented with a five-foot toothbrush to mark the
celebrations.
Client
Konikoff Dentistry
RESULTS
Over 400 people attended the event. Many
families arrived with children in costume. WAVY
Channel 10 covered broadcast and The VirginianPilot also wrote an article on the event. The
office met revenue goals in its first 90 days and
its business continues to grow today. Konikoff
Dentistry has been with BRITE for six years.
BRITE is a woman-owned business, Virginia corporation
SWaM #675421
DUNS #783672160 Federal ID #02-0773635
BRITE / Brand Illumination
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-692-8624
[email protected]
www.go2brite.com
BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Case study
SITUATION
RESULTS
BRITE was approached by F.A.C.T., Families
of Autistic Children in Tidewater, (a non-profit
organization led by parents of children with
autism to help provide social and recreational
programs for autistic children), to promote their
initiatives to raise money to build a dedicated new
skills training center. They had already started
a campaign to build the world’s largest jigsaw
puzzle and needed public relations efforts to
sell the puzzle pieces to generate funds. BRITE
offered pro bono PR services.
• PR equivalency of $335,000 media in a four
month period
Project
Autism Awareness
• $70,000 in revenue from puzzle piece sales for
the new skills center
• An increase of more than 2,000 visitors to the
F.A.C.T. Web site
SOLUTION
As the number of children diagnosed with autism
has increased, so too has public awareness.
BRITE launched a multi-media strategic approach
to generate awareness and sales of puzzle pieces
through a variety of tactics.
• F.A.C.T. built the world’s largest jigsaw puzzle
on April 27, 2008 and received official recognition from the Guinness World Book of
Records
BRITE approached Cathy Lewis of WHRO Radio’s
Hearsay to interview parents with an MD who
specializes in autism. Cathy devoted an entire
hour to the cause and callers. Web hits and
donations poured in.
Client (pro bono)
F.A.C.T., Families of Autistic
Children in Tidewater
BRITE partnered with the “WooHoo Sistahs”
to organize and promote an event at a local
biker bar which raised $30,000 in one Sunday
afternoon. Two radio stations – BOB-FM and 2
WD – and TV’s News Channel 3 covered the
event.
Lawrence-Park pitched a human interest story in
The Virginian Pilot. The story was featured in its
own section with color photography.
Three days prior to the puzzle build, two TV
stations (WVEC Channel 13 and WAVY Channel
10) also ran segments.
BRITE is a woman-owned business, Virginia corporation
SWaM #675421
DUNS #783672160 Federal ID #02-0773635
BRITE / Brand Illumination
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-692-8624
[email protected]
www.go2brite.com
BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Case study
Project
Awareness Public Relations
Client
Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place
SITUATION
SOLUTION
The Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place, a 426room conference hotel northeast of Atlanta in
Gwinnett County, was the first major hotel in
the area when it opened in 1986. While the
property is a significant leader in the economic
development and expansion of Gwinnett County,
it is sometimes overlooked because prospects
believe it to be just another Marriott hotel.
BRITE saw the opportunity to promote the
Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place’s personality
through a series of public relations initiatives
that communicated the property’s strong track
record of delivery of many types of superb guest
experiences. Since third party endorsement can
be effective in driving awareness and perception,
this served as our primary strategy.
Furthermore, keeping momentum with the public
for a hotel that is 20 years old can sometimes
be a challenge, even though the hotel has
maintained an outstanding record of renovation
and service excellence.
Through relationships with Atlanta area media,
BRITE researched, developed and pitched specific
stories directly to individual reporters and editors.
We followed up thoroughly, setting up interviews
and photo sessions for the media, and briefing
hotel management on interview techniques and
standardizing responses.
The goal was to ensure that the target market
– primarily local – understood the interesting
personality and accomplishments of the hotel,
and to maintain the hotel’s premier position in
Gwinnett to drive both rate and occupancy.
RESULTS
Within less than 12 months the hotel was
featured in two bylined articles in the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, four front-of-section stories
with color photos in the Gwinnett Daily Post, and
articles in Atlanta-based business and lifestyle
publications and blogs. The stories were also
carried on the publications’ online editions,
extending the reach outside the usual circulation
area. Hotel management can trace increased
meeting and function business directly to the
articles. The ROI on the public relations campaign
is exceptionally high.
BRITE is a woman-owned business, Virginia corporation
SWaM #675421
DUNS #783672160 Federal ID #02-0773635
BRITE / Brand Illumination
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
757-692-8624
[email protected]
www.go2brite.com
BRITE
BRAND ILLUMINATION
Case study
Project
BlitzBuild: 10 homes/5 days
Client
Habitat for Humanity (pro bono)
BRITE is a woman-owned business, Virginia corporation
SWaM #675421
DUNS #783672160 Federal ID #02-0773635
SITUATION
SOLUTION
RESULTS
As part of Habitat for Humanity’s national blitz
to construct 500 homes across the country, the
Brighton neighborhood in Portsmouth, VA was
selected as the site of BlitzBuild. Habitat for
Humanity believes in providing a “Hand Up” not
a “Hand Out” and also recognizes that once a few
new homes are built, neighborhoods that were
once blighted will usually begin a pride campaign
to beautify their community. Habitat took on the
mission of building one ranch and nine two-story
homes in five days. Not only would the effort
create homes for 10 families, it was also a prime
public relations and awareness opportunity for
Habitat and their army of volunteer builders.
Prior to the BlitzBuild BRITE met with reporters
and editors, bringing them up to date on the
project, suggesting story angles and stories.
The media became invested and there was a
friendlycompetition to come up with the best
story.
Broadcast: The five Hampton Roads TV news
outlets carried daily on-site interviews and
reports throughout the five-day BlitzBuild. Value:
$168,081.
The BRITE PR Team worked with representatives
from Habitat, the volunteers and the City of
Portsmouth to plan a strategy that would involve
print, broadcast and online news outlets in a
ramp-up phase followed by five-day on-site
progress reporting.
BRITE / Brand Illumination
BRITE worked daily with the media to make
people available for interviews, line up photo
opps and follow potential stories. Since many
of the builders and volunteers were working
virtually around the clock, access to them had
to be scheduled in advance. BRITE also helped
the media work their deadlines for coverage that
ran on TV from daybreak through daytime to late
night newscasts.
1261 Tweedbrook Place, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Print: The Virginian-Pilot ran a front page abovethe-fold color story to launch the Blitz followed
by a five-day series above the masthead with
color photos on the front of the “Hampton Roads”
section detailing the progress of the BlitzBuild.
Value: $89,800.
Online: Both print and broadcast media covered
the BlitzBuild in their online editions with photos
and video. Value: $17,960
BlitzBuild also fostered a new attitude in
Portsmouth’s Brighton neighborhood. Residents
began cleaning up and fixing up their properties,
generating a new pride in their community.
757-692-8624
[email protected]
www.go2brite.com