STOP, COLLABORATE & LISTEN: WORKING TOGETHER FROM AFAR
Although we haven’t been able to physically work together in the RM office for the past few months, we’ve found plenty of ways to keep collaboration alive and continue creating amazing work for our clients. From online auctions to socially distant video shoots and virtual public meetings, we’ve done it all—and mostly from the comfort of our living rooms! Through Zoom calls, Google Hangouts, and frequent Slack convos, we’ve found the secret to the WFH life that allows us to deliver the best results to our clients. Here are just a few of the fun projects we’ve completed while in quarantine. Check ‘em out!
1. PRIMLAND CARES ONLINE AUCTION
The hospitality industry was hit particularly hard at the start of the pandemic, with travel restrictions in place and stay-at-home orders issued around the country. When members of the Primland staff were affected, the resort jumped into action to raise money and lessen the financial burden. In collaboration with the entire RM team, we launched Primland Cares, an online auction via the RallyUp platform that sold exclusive packages and Primland experiences to the highest bidders—with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Primland employee relief fund. Together, we helped them raise more than $61,000 by generating awareness and engagement on social media, sending out targeted email blasts, and gaining crucial press coverage.
2. TERMINIX PORCH STORIES: CHAPTER 2
Our client, Terminix Service, Inc., always has a video project in the works to showcase their people and their brand personality. In the second installment of our Porch Stories series, a small but mighty team of RMers traveled to Rock Hill, SC, to interview a heartwarming pair of people. Phil Shapiro, a Terminix technician and manager based in Charlotte, told us the story of his 10-year relationship with customer Summer Stuart and how it has grown into a friendship over the years. This dynamic duo, safely distanced outdoors in rocking chairs while sipping sweet tea, helped us produce a funny, feel-good video for Terminix in the middle of a time when we all needed a laugh. Check out the full video above!
3. KABUL AFGHAN ARTISAN RUG POP-UP
Rob Leahy of Kabul Carpet Export Center (KCEC) enlisted our help to promote and host an Afghan artisan rug pop-up sale at his shop, Fine Rugs of Charleston. KCEC aims to help the people of Afghanistan by creating jobs that stimulate employment for women and returning refugees in the country. Through KCEC, Rob facilitates the sale of the weavers’ goods here in the U.S., and then sends all the proceeds back to Afghanistan. The Charleston Afghan rug pop-up was held at the end of June and featured over 800 hand-woven rugs from 10 leading Afghan rug producers. To raise awareness and generate buzz for the event, Rawle Murdy designed social and print ads and event signage, in addition to gaining local press coverage from sources like Post & Courier, Holy City Sinner, and CRBJ BizWire, to name a few. The event netted more than $17,000 in the first day alone, allowing KCEC to reach its $50,000 goal in the first four days of the sale.
4. LOWCOUNTRY RAPID TRANSIT VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING
Lowcountry Rapid Transit (LCRT) is a major mass transit project led by our clients at the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG). The project seeks to connect downtown and Summerville with a 26-mile rapid bus transit system that would help alleviate traffic congestion and increase accessibility to transportation for the community. Rawle Murdy was brought in to handle social media efforts and PR/media outreach for this crucial project. From June 10 to July 10, LCRT held a Virtual Public Meeting to present the potential route and get feedback from the community—and we spotted an opportunity. Rawle Murdy held a media day in advance of the online meeting launch to further develop local media coverage of the project, resulting in 52 total media mentions and a front-page article covered by Charleston City Paper. The publicity value of these efforts is more than $46,200, with an estimated reach of over 540,000. Virtual or not, we call that a success!
5. ECKERD WORKPLACE CERTIFICATION PASSPORT BOOKLETS
Our client, Eckerd Connects, aims to help people build sustainable career pathways in the community through their Workforce Development program. To achieve this goal, they strive to match qualified employees with compatible employers in their area. As part of this effort, they recruited Rawle Murdy to design and create a Workplace Certification Passport Booklet for program participants, a helpful tool that lets participating employers know if a person has achieved certain workplace readiness requirements. At the end of the passport booklet, the employee is officially workplace-certified by Eckerd Connects, endorsed by SC Works! Check out a sneak peak of the finished product.