Sunglasses for the Cool Kids

We are having so much fun working with our client, Babiators. From their cute packaging to aviator-style sunglasses for kids to throwing possible celebrities into the mix, why wouldn’t promoting their brand be exciting?!

Babiators are ‘safe, durable and awesome’.

They protect kids’ eyes from UVA and UVB rays, and they’re also made without BPA, phthalates, lead or other harmful materials—meaning they are nontoxic and super safe! Unlike those hard, plastic sunglasses that you had when you were a kid (or even now), Babiators are made out of durable rubber and can stand up to teething, playground hours and so much more. They are pretty much resistant to anything your kid tries. Did we mention that they are awesome? Check out their aviator design!

Check out their Facebook page, and look for Babiators in a retailer close to you. Your kid will be looking cool too!

The Gang is Going to New York!

Well, I think it is time to brag just a little. We are going to New York! Meetings with Women’s Wear Daily, People Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Allure and Vogue (just to name a few) can only mean one thing – time to go shopping! For the next two weeks, the Ant Hill team will be taking over New York City and we need to dress to impress! So we think that we’re pretty stylish around here; however, meeting with the fashion gurus in New York sparks a little fear in the heart of our wardrobes!

Our New York Mission – successful media tours for Dr. Nabet Skincare and Mythic Paint! Ant Hill will be helping to launch a new skin care line in the United States. On a quest to find the best skincare line that improves the appearance of the skin, American women have historically looked to their European neighbors for the most innovative products. French-made Dr. Jules Nabet Skincare is no exception. A leading doctor in his specialized field of aesthetic medicines practicing in his clinics in Paris and London, Dr. Jules Nabet produces a variety of world-class, high-end skin care products. Now available for the first time ever in the United States this spring, the product categories offered are revitalization, anti-wrinkle and skin smoothing. The buzz around this skin care line is growing and we cannot wait to meet with beauty editor after beauty editor to discuss!


Not only will Ant Hill be on the prowl in New York for Dr. Nabet, but we will be meeting with several home décor magazines and publications to talk about two new lines from Mythic paint – including Elle Décor (aka “I need a new dress ASAP!”)! The new lines – Mythic Black Label and Mythic Pro are revolutionary paint products. Mythic paint, the company that changed the paint industry with its high performance, zero VOC, non-toxic, low-odor paint, is launching its new ground breaking line called Mythic Black Label. Offered in its 1,232-color palette and able to match competitors’ colors, Mythic Black Label is a completely new, ultra-premium product that delivers paint and primer without compromise. The new product contains New Color Capture Technology™ (CCT) to provide cleaner and richer colors with exceptional color retention. Mythic will also launch a new line of products made especially for the painting expert – Mythic Pro. Available in almost any color, Mythic Pro is a non-toxic, ultra-low odor, high quality paint line designed and formulated specifically for painting professionals.

These next two weeks should be a lot of fun – hailing taxies, meeting with New York fashion powerhouses, and looking fabulous! Hopefully, our wallets can handle our shopping necessities! Hey, my new wardrobe is a tax write-off for “work expenses”, right?

PR Professional is the Second Most Stressful Job in Nation

Uh-oh! Looks like job-related stress is on the rise again! Disappearing pay increases, a slow economy, lack of job certainty and extra responsibility all take a toll on your attitude, motivation levels and overall health. A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that 70% of all employees say that work is the main cause of their stress, and nearly half (49%) attribute that stress to worries about job stability.

CareerCast ranks the least and most stressful jobs annually. Considered the nation’s most stressful job of 2011 is Commercial Airline Pilots – battling dangerous weather conditions, dealing with faulty equipment, the loom of possible emergency landings and terrorist threats all add to the enormous amount of stress resting on pilots’ heavy shoulders!

While we don’t fly planes, we here at Ant Hill Communications know a thing or two about the stress felt by the #2 position! That’s right – being a PR Professional is the #2 most stressful job in the nation! CareerCast goes on to describe the difficulties of the world of PR:

“Public Relations Officers are responsible for creating and maintaining a positive image with the public for many companies and government agencies. They typically are responsible for giving presentations and making speeches, often in front of large crowds. This highly-competitive field and tight deadlines keep stress at high-levels for specialists. Some PR officers, also, are required to interact with potentially hostile members of the media.”

While we understand our work environment is stressful, it is enjoyable to work in a fast-pace, ever-evolving industry! The world of PR is never boring nor lackluster. The thrill of finding success for your brands and clients and seeing them grow and expand makes our work worthwhile! We enjoy the pressure of our job and thrive on staying up-to date with media trends and meeting deadlines. Here at Ant Hill, we gladly accept the challenge of having the #2 most stressful job in the nation! Check out the entire list at CareerCast. Now, let’s get to work!

Today I sat down with the President of Ant Hill Communications (oh no! the BOSS!) to talk about the No Nonsense launch! No Nonsense will begin a summer charity campaign called Socks for America – partnering with K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations) to donate new socks to children and families in need.

Ant Hill will work with No Nonsense, its marketing company, Garage Branding and its ad agency, Plaid Skirt, on the marketing and communications plan for the hosiery brand’s campaign, Socks for America. Ant Hill will be managing all communications, messaging, event planning, strategies and tactics to correspond with the marketing plan for the campaign.

The staff here at Ant Hill could not be more excited about this great campaign and being able to collaborate with such creative partners! “We are absolutely thrilled to be doing work on the No nonsense account,” said Samantha Lueder, President of Ant Hill Communications. “We love everything No nonsense stands for – all its products are made in the USA and its mission to find ways to eradicate all the ‘nonsense’ in the world. We are scrappy and entrepreneurial-thinking and excited to get the word out about the Socks for America campaign, where No nonsense is helping the public help those in need in America.”

Of course I had to get the inside scoop from No Nonsense as well! And what I found – nothing but kindness! “Ant Hill was chosen for its experience, creativeness and entrepreneurial thinking,” said Andrea Angelo, Director of Marketing for No nonsense. “We are confident that we will be able to reach our target audience with the right call-to-action messaging for Socks for America. We look forward to starting work with Ant Hill, getting the public excited about our campaign and involved, as well as seeing it covered in the media.”

Looks like it is going to be a GREAT summer here in Atlanta (not to mention about 120
degrees with humidity every day – so not so GREAT for my hair)! The summer campaign will consist of student teams filming and documenting the events at several locations across America. No Nonsense has a goal of donating 1 MILLION socks to those in need during 2011-2012. As things start to heat up, Ant Hill is ready to tackle anything!

Ant Hill & Dr. Nabet Skincare

Here at Ant Hill, we have wonderful news to announce! We are now partners with the absolutely fabulous Dr. Jules Nabet and will assist with the product launch of his skincare line in the United States! Available for the first time ever in the United States this spring, the product categories offered are revitalization, anti-wrinkle and skin smoothing. Perfect gift for my mother’s upcoming birthday! Dr. Nabet’s line was created for women who feel that their skin looks tired, needs firming, moisturizing, hydrating and smoothing. So almost everyone, because honestly what woman doesn’t feel this way? My coffee may help with my lack of sleep, but it sure is not giving me flawless skin! The line is also perfect for the woman who wants to fight the visible signs of aging, revitalize her skin or promote a smoother, firmer-looking complexion. Dr. Nabet has received praise from such publications in Europe like Bazaar UK, OK! UK, Look UK, Tatler UK, French Vogue, French Elle and more International high-end fashion and beauty publications. (Needless to say, I am WAY excited for SAMPLES!) On a quest to find the best skincare line that improves the appearance of the skin, American women have historically looked to their European neighbors for the most innovative products. Those Europeans are just so trendy! And French-made Dr. Jules Nabet Skincare is no exception. A leading doctor in his specialized field of aesthetic medicines practicing in his clinics in Paris and London, Dr. Jules Nabet produces a variety of world-class, high-end skin care products. Oh, la la! So fancy! “I am thrilled to be bringing my skincare line to the States,” said Dr. Jules Nabet. “My line has had great success in Europe helping women achieve and maintain the type of complexion they desire. I am excited to finally have the ability to help American women in their quest for great, youthful-looking skin.” We are beyond exciting to be working with such a great skincare line and Dr. Nabet is wonderful! Look to Ant Hill to be on top of all things skin – and especially be on the lookout for our skincare tips for summer!

G&R Paint Company: Paint Going "Green"

Phillip Reno, owner of G&R Paint Co. in San Francisco, is one of Mythic Paint’s retailers. In an interview with PDR, Reno discusses the importance of “Going Green” in the paint industry. The article boasts of G & R Paint Co. offering Mythic’s “line of low-odor, low-VOC coatings that are free of carcinogens, ethylene and crystalline silica.” Reno’s customers are becoming more environmentally friendly and demand high-quality paint that contains zero toxins. Mythic Paint fills this void and Reno is proud to offer the line and other green products.

Reno stated, “When I first started out, I couldn’t give ‘green’ paint away, and now it’s part of every conversation. Contractors, homeowners and everybody else are pretty much interested in the VOC conversation.” Continuously educating himself and employees on environmental paint trends allows Reno to maintain expertise and offer advice to customers. The overall environmental advice Reno offers customers is to frequent independent retailers offering high-quality products, good customer service and expertise. Purchasing from discount stores often leads to the need to repaint and increases your negative impact of the environment.

For more on Mythic Paint visit the website at http://www.mythicpaint.com/ and on Twitter at http://Twitter.com/SafePaint. To read the entire “Branded by Color” article visit http://www.pdra.org/media/pdf/PDR%203-2011%20dealer%20article.pdf.

The Right PR Firm For You

Selecting the right PR firm can often be a difficult and lengthy process, but well worth the time and effort. Cheryl Gale with CommPRO.biz compares the search to shopping. When looking for the perfect dress or new pair of shoes do you head to your local Gap or Banana Republic or head out to the trendy, always fashionable boutique? Of course you choose the boutique. Who wants to be seen in last season’s dress along with countless others sporting the same ensemble? You want to be unique, distinguished, and ahead of the crowd.

When choosing a PR agency for your company, you have several options in size – large, mid-size, or boutique. Cheryl mentions that one size does not fit all and it is important to do your research by making a list of criteria the agency you choose must possess. In Cheryl’s article, she mentions the evolution of PR and gives sample questions to ask agencies.

• Are they experienced with Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin)?
• Does the agency have a company blog?
• Do they provide marketing services in conjunction with traditional PR?
• Do they offer media training?
• Do they understand how to create thought leaders?

With the growing importance of Social Media to PR, it is fundamental for an agency claiming to specialize in social-media strategies to have an online presence. After you have narrowed down your selection, Cheryl offers a few questions to ask senior management:

• How do you bill your clients?
• Will I work with a mixture of senior and junior staff?
• How do you typically report results to your clients?
• How many clients do you provide PR support for?
• Where do you see your company in 5 years?

It is important to do your research to find the firm that best fits your particular needs. Bigger agencies are not always the best option to achieve your company’s future goals. Cheryl states that, “If you prefer one-on-one attention talented, senior level PR executives, then selecting a boutique agency may be the perfect option. You can ensure that your day-to-day contact will be at the mid to senior level, with support from more junior staff. It’s also guaranteed that you’ll have visibility with the agency’s managing partner, as he/she will constantly check in with the team to discuss tactics, goals and results. Typically, boutique agencies provide a healthier balance of staff on each of their accounts too.”

To read Cheryl’s entire article, What the “Bigs” Won’t Admit: “Boutique and Unique” PR Firms are a Sign of the Times, visit CommPRO.biz at http://tinyurl.com/4httveg.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cagale.