Buzzing About

December is a month for making lists and checking them twice. As 2016 comes to a close, JJPR has quite the portfolio of work that we’ve created this past year. Our tiny-but-mighty team worked together with the most amazing clients to create smart, resourceful campaigns that are yielding big dividends for their companies. And that warms our hearts.

So, as hard as it was to narrow the list to only 16, here are our top picks from 2016:

1. Innovation PortAL

The Mobile Area Chamber, in their usual forward-thinking, entrepreneurial and economic-development fashion, began efforts in late 2015 for a business accelerator and incubator for the area known as Innovation PortAL. What started as a simple business plan morphed into a full scale branding project and website for this new program. And what’s even more thrilling to JJPR, this program landed national recognition with a $2.9-million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to renovate a building on St. Louis Street in downtown Mobile to house Innovation PortAL. We couldn’t be more excited to be part of helping birth this new program for our area.

2. Haint Blue Brewing

We love front porches and even more than that, sharing a cold one with friends on those porches. So imagine how pumped we were when our friends at Mighty contacted us to help promote Haint Blue Brewing, a new brewing company in Mobile started by Keith Sherrill whose number one objective is to make good porch-drinking beer. Haint Blue Brewing launched a crowdfunding campaign to give investors an opportunity to own a piece of this new microbrewery and build a taproom for Mobile. We had a blast helping source the porches for the video to support the campaign as well as promote Haint Blue’s story in local media outlets in the region to secure investors for a very successful campaign. We can’t wait to see what’s on tap for Haint Blue in 2017.

3. Fuse Project

In the spring of 2016, we began working with Fuse Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children along Alabama’s Gulf Coast through its innovation, funding and projects. We couldn’t be more honored to work with this group of young professionals who give a whole new name to movers and shakers. With events like their annual Dragon Boat Festival and their new high-stakes poker tournament, Fuse Royale, they never cease to amaze us with their innovation in raising funds for our area’s youth. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working on these events and much more, as well as helping brand the new Fuse Factory, Mobile’s new nonprofit co-working space.

4. Business Where You Beach

As a Baldwin County, Alabama-based business, we are passionate about being part of projects that help drive the local economy. So we were thrilled to have the opportunity to create a new campaign, Business Where You Beach, to help visitors think about Alabama’s beaches for more than just pleasure. We created an integrated marketing campaign including a new website, print and digital ads and social media, to help create awareness of Baldwin County not only as a premier beach-vacation destination, but as an even better place to live and work. As the nation’s eighth fastest growing MSA
(according to the U.S. Census Bureau), Baldwin County is the prime location for business, a qualified workforce and beautiful beaches to boot.

5. Publicizing the Port

The Alabama State Port Authority is one of our state’s greatest assets and one of JJPR’s as well. Each quarter, we produce the Alabama Seaport magazine, the longest continually published Port magazine in the country. From expansions to new partnerships, the Port is working for us all - whether it is with the quality jobs it brings or the economic impact it yields for our entire region. We’ve started work on a refresh of their ad campaign, so stay tuned in 2017 for more great things from the Port. 

6. Creating Chemistry with BASF

BASF is a 150-year-old company that creates chemistry for us to enjoy many products and solutions that improve our everyday life. This past year, we’ve enjoyed telling their story and the many great things they do in our community every day, from promoting their presence at Worlds of Opportunity, to assisting with production for their Town Hall meetings, to developing sponsored content stories about their work in the community, to providing educational grants for K-12 schools in our area to enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning. This company does so much every day for our community.

7. A New Look for Safe Harbor

JJPR loves a good story, and the housing community in Bayou La Batre has just that. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, nearly 3,000 Bayou La Batre citizens thrived in this Gulf Coast city on the shores of Alabama, fishing its waters, building ships, and enjoying their hometown. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the community was devastated, with many families left homeless or displaced. Safe Harbor was established in 2008 through a FEMA Affordable Housing Pilot Program (AHPP) grant intended to assist the Bayou La Batre community in the wake of Katrina. 

The initiative was designed to combat homelessness by meeting residents’ immediate needs, as well as by providing the opportunity for permanent, affordable housing solutions. While initially compromised, Safe Harbor has rebuilt and transformed into a reprieve for this once-struggling community. Today, Safe Harbor’s 100 beach cottage-style modular homes provide residents with affordable, safe, and community-driven housing aimed at supporting and improving the lives of Bayou La Batre’s heart and soul – its people.

We were delighted to help rebrand this community program aimed at supporting and improving the lives of those in Bayou La Batre.

8. Perspective Eye Center

We were elated to help Dr. Stephen Gross and Dr. David Helton in their quest to create a new experience in optical care on the Eastern Shore with Perspective Eye Center. JJPR was excited to help develop the new brand for their business with a new logo, website, advertisements and establishing their social media presence. Check them out and see how their innovative care approach can help keep your life in focus.

9. PDQ

Two words: chicken tenders. Whether they are fried or grilled, on a sandwich or by themselves, the team at PDQ creates a fresh take on fast food. PDQ stands for People Dedicated to Quality and we were ecstatic to help promote the only Alabama location of PDQ, located by the South Alabama campus in Mobile. Fresh tours of the restaurant’s kitchen, followed by a tasting, were a huge hit for local media. Our mouths water just thinking about their delicious menu and we always look forward to our next visit.

10. City of Daphne Library The Porch

JJPR was also honored to develop a new branding and promotional campaign for the Daphne Public Library. With nearly 400 public programs and a variety of services utilized by 275,000 visitors annually, the big idea behind the More Than Books campaign is that the library is alive with so much more than just books. And because of the abundance of programs and traffic, the library needs community support to build a new multipurpose meeting space, The Porch. (Visit their GoFundMe page to get in on the action.)

11. Baldwin County Education Coalition

In January, we began working with the Baldwin County Education Coalition, an independent nonprofit organization striving to create a compelling vision for the future of our schools and communities. With a revamped website, betterbaldwin.com, monthly e-newsletters, and promotion for Coalition events throughout the year, JJPR has been honored to help elevate branding and awareness for this organization that is ensuring the future of education in Baldwin County.

12. YMCA

As a nationally recognized organization, we have been honored to promote the YMCA of South Alabama to the community it benefits. From managing social media to promoting and planning events, we’ve gained a new love for the family-first philosophy that supports children and adults in our area. One highlight from this year was helping the wonderful fundraising committee with the second annual Gridiron Gala. Not only was the event a huge success, but we thoroughly enjoyed working as a team with the selfless staff and volunteers at the Y. Rubbing elbows with Eli Gold, Jake Coker and Phil Savage was an added bonus.

13. Infirmary Health

We couldn’t have been more excited when Infirmary Health approached JJPR this year to help rebrand a legacy program of Mobile United. The team worked to rebrand and expand the program as Live Better Together to encompass additional counties in Southwest Alabama. With all-new branding and a revamped website, we’ve worked to help create a brand for this program that aims to positively impact the health and well-being of our region by partnering with community leaders and organizations in efforts to achieve a healthy weight and better access to care in our communities.

14. JJ Eyes

What woman (or man) doesn’t love great eyewear? Whether sunglasses or eyeglasses, the ladies at JJPR love every minute of the research and development that goes into managing the social media for JJ Eyes each month. So if you are in Fairhope or Homewood, stop in at one of their stores to ooh and aah over their eyewear – they bring new meaning to eye candy.

15. Eventful Year for Children’s

Once again our work with Children’s of Alabama tops the list as one of our favorites. Helping promote and support events that benefit young patients and their families who have to travel from the Gulf Coast to Birmingham for medical treatment of serious illnesses makes this work most rewarding. From Tee Off Fore a Cure to Boots & BBQ Barn Bash and Children’s Cup Regatta to the Reel Hope Classic Fishing Tournament, we are thankful for another year and another opportunity to work with Children’s.

16. Port City Rentals

We are in love with the new look we helped develop for this 40-year-old company. Having called on the amazing team at Port City Rentals countless times for client events, we were honored when they called on us to develop an all-new brand for Mobile's largest and oldest full-service tent and event rental company. 

We have been tremendously blessed to work with every single client and every single project this past year, not just these 16. Each one is a collaboration and we are grateful to be part of promoting their companies in Alabama and beyond. Cheers to a joyous 2016 and a Happy New Year in 2017!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it’s only fitting we take a moment to recognize all we are thankful for here at JJPR—namely, our wonderful clients who keep us busy all year round. And over the past couple of months, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with them on a variety of noteworthy projects, raising funds and awareness for everything from local children’s health care and nonprofit support to new brews in Mobile. Check out what we’ve been buzzing about lately.

Events

Event planning can be hard work, but it’s all worth it in the end—especially when it’s for a good cause. Three of our clients recently held fun events benefiting local children and we were honored to be involved.

Known for its “wow” events (like the annual Dragon Boat Festival), Fuse Project held its inaugural high-stakes poker tournament, Fuse Royale, on October 6 and pulled out all the stops! The exclusive tournament brought together some of the region’s most influential business leaders, raising funds for children across the Gulf Coast over a friendly game of poker. The event raised over $50,000—a portion of which has already gone to benefit local schools. Sarah had fun channeling her inner James Bond to design these cool invitations, and we even tried our hand at wax seals putting it all together!

Children’s of Alabama then held its third annual Boots & BBQ Barn Bash at Camp Grace on October 13. Proceeds from the annual event provide funding for a pediatric rheumatologist to hold clinic in Mobile, allowing easier access to care for children along the Gulf Coast suffering from autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Through social media, some creative media relations tactics and day-of support, we were pleased to see Children’s have another successful Barn Bash. One of our favorite parts was assembling these fun media kits (though we’re still finding hay around the office)!

Less than two weeks later, on October 25, we joined the YMCA of South Alabama for its second annual Gridiron Gala, benefiting children and families across the Gulf Coast. Securing media and event attendance was a breeze given the Y’s impressive lineup of speakers this year, including sportscaster Eli Gold, Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage and keynote motivational speaker Dr. Kevin Elko. We had a great night supporting the Y’s wonderful mission—and rubbing elbows with Eli Gold was definitely a perk!

To learn more about how we put events like these together (and for some exclusive tricks of the trade), download our free Event Planning Workbook or get in touch!

Campaigns

In addition to events, some of our clients have taken to social media recently to enlist community support.

For example, we’ve been hard at work branding and promoting the Daphne Public Library’s new More Than Books campaign. The idea behind the campaign is twofold: first, that the library is alive with so much more than just books (in fact, it’s home to nearly 400 public programs and a variety of services utilized by 275,000 visitors annually); and second, that because of this traffic, the library needs community support to build its new multipurpose meeting space, The Porch. Check out some of creative wizard Sarah’s designs for the campaign here.

To learn more, follow the library on Facebook or visit the campaign’s GoFundMe page.

Fuse Project has also been active in the community and on social media lately with the grand opening of its new nonprofit co-working space Fuse Factory, its Order of Fuse Fall Gala, and its new Fuel the Fuse campaign. Coinciding with Giving Tuesday, Fuel the Fuse is all about giving back and recognizing the great work Fuse Project does for the community’s most valuable resource—our children. Through large fundraising events like the annual Dragon Boat Festival and through partnering with other local nonprofits, Fuse supports children across the Gulf Coast. Learn more by following Fuse on social media and checking out their fundraising page.

New Work

When not campaigning for children and literacy, we’ve also been at work supporting one of the coolest new businesses in Mobile—Haint Blue Brewing Company. Fearless leader and Army veteran Keith Sherrill founded Haint Blue last year and is now poised to establish Mobile’s first microbrewery since prohibition. The company has secured the historic 1927 Crystal Ice House as its production space and aims to open doors by Mardi Gras 2017. You may have already seen Keith sitting down with neighbors and sharing a brew, and we hope you’ll join us in toasting the success of Haint Blue! The company is currently seeking investors to fund the project, and has already raised more than $200,000! Learn more about how you can get involved and help build Mobile’s taproom here.

Haint Blue | Taproom Project from John Avent on Vimeo.

We’ve also been thankful to work with another new up-and-coming business in the Mobile-Baldwin region, Perspective Eye Center. Run by Doctors Stephen Gross and David Helton, Perspective aims to provide top quality vision care to patients of all ages, and is opening doors in Spanish Fort soon. We’ve had some fun with branding, logo and website design and just finished the company’s landing page—stay tuned for the full site!

Staff

In addition to the exciting work and wonderful clients, I’m also grateful for the lovely ladies who make it all happen. In recognition of all their hard work, we’ve had some exciting news in the office lately. We recently named Leigh our first-ever managing director. She will now serve as the operational lead for the agency, helping to align business development and client relationships with the overall success of the agency. At the same time, we brought on Taylor full-time as an account coordinator. Having interned with us since spring, Taylor has proven to be an invaluable addition to the team with her hardworking, always ready to lend-a-hand nature, as well as her marketing and social media talents. I can’t say how thankful I am for each one of our special JJPR team members.

Enjoy the holiday and we’ll see you in the next All the Buzz!

Somehow, summer is already coming to a close. It seems as if back-to-school campaigns and pumpkin spice latte advertisements have been popping up everywhere the past few weeks (even in Alabama, where sipping on a PSL in 90 degree weather just doesn’t seem quite right). But even though summer is winding down, business has been ramping up. Client events, new work and personal milestones have kept us buzzing in and out of the office at lightening speed. Check out what we’ve been up to lately.

Events

All of our event planning this summer culminated in one especially exciting weekend August 26-28. The second annual Reel Hope Classic fishing tournament kicked off with a Captain’s meeting and pre-party on Friday, August 26 before fishermen and junior anglers took to the seas on Saturday. The tournament raised more than $30,000 for pediatric cancer patients at Children’s of Alabama, and we were pleased to be part of this great event. And while our involvement was on the PR side, Taylor and I even got up the nerve to hold some prized fish on the podium.

At the same time, JJPR also had a presence at Mobile’s first Startup Weekend event, which ran from Friday to Sunday. Powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, Startup Weekend is a business pitch competition and educational experience for entrepreneurs that is hosted all over the world. We were excited to get involved with this great event and will be providing 10 hours of pro-bono public relations and event management services to the winning team, Conference Cash.

From dragon boat races to nonprofit fundraisers and business pitch competitions, we’ve done a little bit of everything this summer. Check out our Event Planning Workbook to learn about some of our best practices and event planning strategies.  

Work

It’s safe to say we’ve been blessed to work with some fabulous clients, old and new. And new clients have been streaming in from a variety of sectors recently. While we can’t reveal too much just yet, we can say that we’ve been hard at work crafting new branding concepts and campaign ideas that we can’t wait to unveil!

In the meantime, one of our exciting recent projects for existing client Fuse Project has been the branding of the organization’s new nonprofit co-working space, Fuse Factory, slated to open in fall 2016. From naming the space and designing the logo to brainstorming ideas for the interior, we’ve had a lot of fun bringing Fuse Factory to life.

Babies & Weddings & Shows, Oh My! 

Amidst all the excitement of event planning and new work, it’s also been a very special month for the team. Kelsey and her husband Andrew celebrated the birth of their first baby, Everett Grant, on August 1, and we were lucky to be among the first to meet their new bundle of joy when they got home. Welcome baby Everett!

Less than two weeks later, I flew up north for my wedding. I married my new husband, Tyler, on August 12 at Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, Rhode Island, and have been on cloud nine ever since! Our honeymoon to Italy has been postponed to the fall (hopefully!), but we enjoyed a “mini-moon” in New York the day after the wedding, where we got to see Wicked on Broadway and explore the city. The magic didn’t stop when I returned to work—the lovely ladies of JJPR decorated my desk and bought me beautiful flowers, and one of our amazing clients, Innovation PortAL, was also kind enough to bring flowers and a card. Thank you everyone!

Speaking of marriage, both Jennifer and Leigh celebrated wedding anniversaries recently. Somehow, Jennifer’s been married over twice as long as Leigh, though both are as happy as newlyweds! Meanwhile, Sarah has been hard at work rehearsing for her next theater performance in Chickasaw Civic Theatre’s upcoming rendition of Thoroughly Modern Millie. Creative maven by day, theater star by night—we are always impressed with her talent!

Keep up with us in next month’s All the Buzz!

Starting a new job is always an adjustment, but when a Yankee starts working in the Deep South, each day is an adventure. Born and raised just outside of Boston, I recently relocated to the Gulf Coast, and JJPR was kind enough to take in this northerner as their new public relations account coordinator. 

I’ve found the field of public relations to be the same anywhere—making media lists, writing content for clients and strategizing the best avenues for exposure. But in these first couple of weeks on the job, I’ve definitely noticed differences between office life in Alabama and Massachusetts.

That presentation isn’t “wicked good,” but it’s “real nice, y’all.” 

Language is one of the biggest distinctions between my coworkers and me. I’m sure they’ve wondered what “wicked” is all about, or why I sometimes don’t pronounce my “R’s.” At the same time, I’m enthralled listening to them talk about buying “john johns” for their children while pulling out their “billfolds.” (Boston translation: “overalls” and “wallets”).

I’ve also had to learn how to pronounce local cities like “Bayou La Batre” correctly.

Side note: I can now better appreciate when people new to Massachusetts don’t know how to say towns like “Peabody” and “Gloucester.”

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A is to the South what Dunkins is to the Northeast: You can always count on one being nearby, and it helps get you through your workday.  Of course, trading my DD caramel swirl iced coffee for sweet tea and waffle fries hasn’t been easy on my waistline, but it’s sure been delicious.

Small Town vs. Big City  

In my Boston-area internships and jobs, our big-name clients were usually represented by disembodied voices in conference calls. In Daphne, Alabama, our clients are friends, neighbors, coworkers and community leaders. Everyone knows everyone else, and making connections is much easier.

Earlier this week, my friends in Massachusetts scraped snow and ice off their cars and journeyed to work bundled up in heavy overcoats and hats. Meanwhile, I thought it was a little chilly for Alabama and wore capris instead of a dress to the office. I still haven’t rivaled my coworkers’ awesome senses of style, but I’m inspired to go shopping now that I can trade winter boots for heels. 

Commuting

I’ve finally escaped congested Boston streets and parking garages for wide-open spaces and farmland. My commute still takes me about an hour, but now it’s to go 58 miles instead of 13, and I don’t even have to bang any U-ies on my drive in. Now, “whatever all” you guys think, that’s pretty cool. 

Despite these differences, both Massachusetts and Alabama have been great to me. I’ve had wonderful jobs, coworkers, and bosses in each, and while I’ll always be a Boston girl at heart, I’m loving the Southern hospitality here at JJPR. 

Today has been one of those crazy days, like most days – meetings, conference calls, pitching, designing, writing – you get the drift. But we were on a mission today, and that was to give our new blog a name.

Even though we have been talking about it for a while and admiring many cleverly-named ramblings, we have procrastinated as usual on dedicating time to naming the blog and promoting ourselves (our clients are always priority one.)

We had some funny ones, some absolutely terrible ones, and then we stumbled onto something… Recently while our team was managing an event for a client, one of our amazing vendors fondly coined the JJPR team “The Honeycomb.”

As he put it, a bunch of blondes (and brunettes) buzzing around, making things happen, getting it done. But he was on to something – we really are worker bees buzzing around creating a “buzz” for our clients.

Then we stumbled onto this great quote – and knew it summed up who we are and what goes on behind the scenes at JJPR.

“When you hear buzz around the beehive, you know they’re making honey in there.” - Terrence Howard

And that is how “Buzzing About” was born.