Largemouth’s Latest: Fall 2020 Edition
HONORING THE FALLEN
- On Sept. 11, Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established in memory of fallen 9/11 FDNY Firefighter Stephen Siller, honored the service and sacrifice of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Matthew J. West by giving his widow and children a new, mortgage-free home. Honored to play a role in the presentation, our team managed the process of securing b-roll footage and secured coverage in local news media, including NBC and ABC affiliates.
THE FINAL MILE
- As consumers buy more and bigger goods online, less-than-truckload (LTL) carriers are filling a gap in residential deliveries. Southeastern Freight Lines, a decades long leader in technology innovations within its industry, announced its Final Mile service is now available across all 89 of its service centers this fall. Our team ensured the timely launch received the media recognition it deserved. Among the coverage across trade and local business media, Commercial Carrier Journal named the company its CCJ Innovator of December noting how it “meets e-commerce explosion head-on with digitization,” and Journal of Commerce prominently featured Southeastern and its technology throughout its article on the industry trend.
DEL GUACO
- Del Taco celebrated National Guacamole Day on Sept. 16 with a free guacamole giveaway and a bold brand transformation into its guacamole-loving alter-ego, Del Guaco. Our team generated awareness and media interest, earning coverage by national news outlets like Newsweek, FOX News and Yahoo! Lifestyle; by consumer and trade publications, including Thrillist, Delish and Chew Boom; and live mentions on local broadcast stations, including Good Day Las Vegas, ABC 15 News in Phoenix and CBS 13 News in Sacramento. Creative activations highlighted the brand takeover and holiday, including a popular muralist who recorded a time lapse of a one-of-a-kind Del Taco Guacamole painting.
A PEEK AT THE FUTURE OF EVENTS
- Q: What do you do when you can’t host attendees at your annual user conference?
A: You bring the event to them!
COVID-19 changed the way businesses conducted events in 2020 in a way that gave us a possible peek at the future. This was certainly true of our client Sensus, a Xylem Brand, which transitioned to a virtual experience for their annual Xylem Reach conference in October.
Thanks to the team’s hard work, Sensus delivered a streamlined virtual event featuring a keynote presentation, executive roundtable discussions, customer panels and much more. Personalized “swag bag” mailers with blue light glasses and happy hour starter kits offered a thoughtful touch for those missing the in-person feel.
The virtual Xylem Reach conference boasted a record number of customer, distributor and partner attendees. The event’s success may hint at how things will continue to evolve. Whether it means more digital conferences or hybrid live/digital events, there’s likely no going back from some of the innovations brought to us in 2020.
DESIGNING IN-PERSON MEETINGS
- Speaking of the future of in-person gatherings, event space design is crucial to the return to live meetings. Our team connected expert Kevin Dana of client CORT Events with the Meetings Today podcast to discuss key ways the approach to meeting space design is changing in an effort to create events where safety and social distancing are top of mind. Listen here.
UNCERTAIN CLIMATE FUTURE
- Stewart’s Municipal Planning team is focused on helping communities grow stronger, be more resilient and build into the places they want to be. That includes planning for an uncertain climate future. Planning Manager Jay McLeod, AICP, has a background in both ecology and urban planning, giving him an additional focus on climate resiliency and adaptation planning. As part of a thought leadership push, we connected McLeod with GroundBreak Carolinas for an article on the importance of proactive planning as well as with OBX Today to talk about his recent work on The Town of Duck’s Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) land use plan.
NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY MONTH
- Now more than ever, cybersecurity is top-of-mind for a variety of industries – ranging from enterprises to education. With October marking National Cybersecurity Month, our team launched a strategic pitching campaign for client Eaton Power Quality, offering contributed articles with expert insights on some of the lesser-known vulnerabilities existing in the IT landscape, like hacks to uninterruptable power systems (UPSs) or other power backup systems. Our efforts resulted in securing multiple stories with notable trade publications, including Dark Reading and Cyber Defense e-Magazine.
AN EXPERT OPINION
- The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has certainly impacted business operations for a number of industries – and it is not different for clinical research. To bring long-standing client Rho to the forefront of the conversation in the industry, our team secured an opportunity to contribute an Expert Opinion article by Vice President and Senior Medical officer Jack Modell, M.D. on how the virus has impacted clinical trial operations, specifically as it relates to current FDA guidance.
WHAT DOES AN IT PRO DO?
- That is the question that Eaton’s Power Quality division tackled in a unique way to inspire interest in STEM fields for the next generation of IT professionals. In a new children’s book, What does an IT pro do?, Honey the honey badger explains to her class what her parents, who are IT professionals, (really) do as a part of their jobs. Our team generated awareness and media interest in the quirky children’s story via proactive pitching and sending hard copies to top industry publications, resulting in coverage from Mission Critical Magazine.
SHOUT OUT IN OUR BACKYARD
- You’ll find our very own CEO Brandon Bryce on the pages of Durham Magazine in recognition of Largemouth’s 15th year in business. Read more about his reflections on this milestone during an unprecedented year here.
WELCOME ON BOARD
- As CloudFactory welcomes John Cotterell to its board of directors, our team is drawing attention to how Cotterell’s deep experience in disruptive technology leadership will support the company’s continued growth. Read more in Digital Journal.
MADE OF STEEL
- With admission numbers on the rise, Central Piedmont Community College was seeking innovative infrastructure to keep up with the growing student population. As Stewart stepped up to the plate helping to construct one of the largest buildings on campus, the North Classroom Building, our team secured a feature story in Modern Steel Construction Magazine. Project Manager and Structural Engineer Trina Agnello explains how Stewart kept the student experience at the forefront of the extensive project in the latest issue.
ESTABLISHING CREDIBILITY
- Becoming a thought leader doesn’t happen by accident. In the case of Southeastern Freight Lines, it’s position as a thought leader in technology in the transportation field has long been established – as have our team’s long-standing relationships with editors covering the industry. When Transport Topics editor Mindy Long was writing a story on technology used to strengthen truck and trailer inspection procedures, she reached out to schedule an interview and our team promptly connected her with Lee Long, director of fleet services. The resulting article further establishes this credibility – and nurtures our relationship.
MENU INNOVATION
- Our team coordinated a podcast with Del Taco CMO Tim Hackbart and Nation’s Restaurant News Senior Editor Nancy Luna to discuss the approach the second-largest Mexican QSR+ took to navigate the pandemic. Hackbart stepped on the gas when it came to menu innovation, introducing freshly prepared guacamole, adding Crispy Chicken as a permanent protein and collaborating with Cholula Hot Sauce and Beyond Meat.