Articulon News and Announcements

TCAR Names Articulon Agency of Record

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RALEIGH, N.C. (February 18, 2011) — TCAR (www.TCAR.com), the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, has named Articulon (www.articulon.com) its agency of record. In September 2010, Articulon worked with TCAR to create and launch its new Commercial Information Exchange called Tacquire (www.tacquire.com). This online portal provides in-depth research tools and property listings to members. Articulon will be building upon the initial brand work and membership retention through CRM campaigns, public relations, advertising and promotional programs.

“We are creating a well-executed roadmap to connect the commercial real estate community with the improved data now available, and Articulon has helped to guide a full-service communication program to make that happen,” says Kim Brennan, TCAR executive director.

TCAR serves real estate practitioners, appraisers, property managers and other professionals within a 14-county area of North Carolina. It is the second largest commercial overlay board in the state, with 600 members. Launched in 2010, Tacquire is a member-based organization that provides a data portal to manage commercial real estate listings, exchange market information and research property data. Brokers own their data, and are able to access historical information and analytics. In-house researchers provide support through fact checking and incorporation of third-party information such as traffic and population statistics. In addition, listings can be integrated into member websites and will be distributed to other commercial information exchanges.

Cindy Stranad, principal of Articulon, explains the organization provides essential resources that assist brokers in successfully managing and growing their businesses. We will connect “both traditional CRM channels as well as nontraditional channels like social media throughout the year.”

Articulon has vast experience in the real estate practice area. In addition to TCAR and Tacquire, the firm has worked with Capital Associates, Vanguard Property Group, Ridgewood Shopping Center, Falls River Town Center, Residences at Quorum Center, Villas at Millbrook, Triangle Commercial Real Estate and Massey Preserve.

About Articulon: 
Articulon, an integrated marketing agency based in Raleigh, N.C., impacts the way clients communicate their brands to build stronger relationships with customers, sponsors, shareholders, employees and community. Each campaign is built with a customized, integrated approach and measured by tangible results. We work with clients to increase visibility in six practice areas: Professional Services, Finance & Banking, Real Estate, Retail & Consumer, Health & Wellness, and Cause & Sport. Client work has been completed for emerging brands and Fortune 500 companies including: The Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern NC, Panera Bread, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hughes Pittman & Gupton, and The American Kennel Club. Visit www.articulon.com.

About Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®: 
The Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® (TCAR) is one of 1,800 local associations of REALTORS® nationwide that comprise the National Association of REALTORS®. TCAR is the second largest commercial overlay board in North Carolina with 600 members and is accredited through the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance. The association was established in 1995, but began as a committee of the residential board in 1977. TCAR currently serves a 14-county area, including the Triangle, for real estate practitioners, appraisers, property managers, and other professionals allied with the real estate industry. Visit www.tcar.com.

About Tacquire: 
In response to the needs of its members, the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® formed Tacquire in 2010. The company provides a real-time total access commercial real estate exchange. This dynamic property-centric portal is affordable and easy to use. Supported by a full-time researcher, members are able to input listings one time and distribute them across multiple platforms. Members can also add and review historical data on properties, research property records, tax data and GIS information, as well as search listings, receives daily hot sheets and market properties through broadcast e-mails. Using the same technology as National Association of REALTORS®, Tacquire provides the public the ability to search commercial property listings, the member directory, event calendar and news, as well as access property maps, demographics information, aerial views, photos and property information. For more information, contact Kim Brennan at 919-228-2588 or visitwww.tacquire.com.

Some things can’t be said in 140 characters or less.

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CPB MagazineSome things can’t be said in 140 characters or less. When that happens, working with editors to publish feature stories in trade journals gets your message squarely in front of your target audience. See the story about our client Brady/Trane that we arranged in CPB Magazine called “Serial Chillers Knock Off High Costs.”

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/cbp/20110102/#/8

This is what we mean when we say Never Stop the Presses.

More Than $100,000 Raised at Krispy Kreme Challenge

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RALEIGH, N.C. (February 11, 2011)—The organizing committee of the 2011 Krispy Kreme Challenge (www.krispykremechallenge.com) announces today that more than $100,000 was raised for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital during the seventh annual event. A record 7,500 participants registered for the race, which took place on February 5, 2011.

“We were amazed and thankful to be able to nearly double our $55,000 donation from last year,” said Rebekah Jewell, North Carolina State University Park Scholar and public relations co-chair for the Krispy Kreme Challenge. “These funds help improve the lives of sick children, and our donation would not be possible without tremendous support from participants, sponsors and the community.”

In order to complete the Krispy Kreme Challenge, competitors began at the N.C. State Bell Tower, ran two miles to the Krispy Kreme store on Peace Street, ate a dozen glazed doughnuts, and then ran two miles back to the Bell Tower—all in under one hour. Jeffery Glick, 27, was the overall and top male finisher, completing the challenge in 28:31. Trisha Moore, 28, was the top female finisher, completing the challenge in 36:30.

Beginning as a dare between 10 N.C.  State students in 2004, the race is organized entirely by the school’s students. It has grown exponentially, attracting runners and enthusiasts from all corners of the country and beyond. Runners from 39 states and one Canadian Province took part in the event this year.

About the Krispy Kreme Challenge: Now in its seventh year, the Krispy Kreme Challenge has grown to an astounding 7,500 participants and was listed as #85 on the “102 More Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate” list by Sports Illustrated. Organizers wanted the challenge to be a unique tradition, but saw the opportunity to use it as a means to give back to the local community as well. It was no surprise when organizers selected The N.C. Children’s Hospital as the beneficiary of this ultimate collegiate challenge. Visit www.krispykremechallenge.com for more information.

About the North Carolina Children’s Hospital: The North Carolina Children’s Hospital is a specially designed hospital that caters to the needs of children that are sick or injured, and their families. The state-of-the art facility was designed with children in mind, and provides conveniences to the patients that help them to just be kids, such as a two-story play atrium designed to look like an outdoor park. In addition, the hospital has North Carolina’s only fully accredited hospital school, which keeps patients from kindergarten to 12th grade on top of their studies. The medical amenities include a newborn critical care facility, a cardiac care unit, and a comprehensive cancer center. For more information, visit www.ncchildrenshospital.org.

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DocuSource Partners with Women’s Center of Wake County

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RTP, N.C. (February 8, 2011) — DocuSource of NC (www.docusourceofnc.com), a marketing services provider of printing and communication materials as well as Web portals for document storage and ordering, is sponsoring the seventh annual Bachelor Bid for Charity (www.bachelorbidforcharity.com). The company has provided printing services each year since the event’s inception in 2005.

Proceeds benefit the Women’s Center of Wake County (www.wcwc.org), a nonprofit that provides an array of services for low-income and homeless women and children. These include food, clothing, shelter and support services, as well as transitional and affordable housing options.

“We are so thankful for DocuSource’s sustained commitment to our cause,” says Jean Williams, executive director of the Women’s Center. “The generosity from our corporate partners helps us address the most critical needs of women and children in Wake County.”

The Bachelor Bid for Charity is being held on February 19, 2011 at Delightful Inspirations in Raleigh. A date with the area’s most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes will be auctioned off during the Mardi Gras-themed event. Sharon Delaney, host of My Carolina Today, is serving as emcee. The evening will also feature live entertainment as well as silent and live auctions.

“DocuSource believes that it is particularly important to continue our support of community-based programs during these challenging times,” says Kathy Murchison, president and CEO of DocuSource of NC. “The Women’s Center of Wake County continues to positively impact the lives of women and children, and we are proud to lend our support through the Bachelor Bid for Charity.”

In addition to its commitment to the Women’s Center, DocuSource has supported more than 20 local organizations. These include: Be Active North Carolina, Boys and Girls Club of Wake County, Meals on Wheels, Ronald McDonald House, Tammy Lynn Memorial Foundation, SPCA of Wake County, and the Raleigh and Durham Rescue Missions.

About DocuSource of NC, LLC:
DocuSource, a full-service resource for printing and communication materials, has built its success on providing businesses that most important element-visual impression. From customized marketing, training and technical documents; to life-size graphics; to an online document management system, DocuSource delivers communication relevant to each client’s success. Headquartered in Research Triangle Park, N.C., DocuSource is a woman-owned and FSC-certified green printer with a complete fulfillment and distribution operation. The customer care experts at DocuSource offer a customized approach to maximize their clients’ printing needs, adding value and saving time. Using state-of-the-art resources, DocuSource printing experts create tailored solutions including personalized booklets, binders, DVDs, large format color graphics and much more. From start-ups to Fortune 1,000 brands, DocuSource has proven relationships with servicing industries such as health and pharmaceutical, contract research, education and software development. Visit www.docusourceofnc.com or call (919) 459-5900.

Krispy Kreme Challenge

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In today’s News & Observer article – what a great article about connecting a cause with donuts and hurling (http://bit.ly/ePhemd).
The Krispy Kreme Challenge returns tomorrow with a record 7,500   runners taking part. If you don’t know about the Challenge, runners go 2  miles, eat a dozen doughnuts, then turn around and run the two  miles  back. It starts and stops at the N.C. State Bell Tower, with the Krispy  Kreme shop on Person Street the midway point. Last year, the event  raised $55,000 for the NC Children’s Hospital and Articulon has been a  proud sponsor for two years.

Though students started the race that began in 2004 with just 24  runners, the challenge gained a foothold  thanks to some national press.   Perhaps most notably, Sports Illustrated  in 2005 put it on its “102  Things you Gotta Do Before You Graduate”  list.

After years of connecting causes with corporate partners, I have seen a huge gap in that corporate giving and cause  marketing is used interchangeably. Know that communication is the key in   fundraising, but a marketing relationship is not based on a donation. Here in lies the issue.
Of course, we always focus on cultivating the  relationship and financial stewardship with donors (i.e. don’t fail to  explain how the money impacts people, not just what the money will be  used for.) Cause marketing, also referred to as corporate  responsibility, corporate philanthropy, and corporate social  responsibility, is a public relations practice that links for-profits  with not-for-profits for mutual benefit. The non-profits benefit from  cause awareness and media relations, while the company receives  visibility that results in goodwill, associate morale, positive employee   relations, customer loyalty – and, yes, sales.

Cause-related marketing can become a cornerstone of your marketing  plan – it’s more than a check donation, it’s a marketing relationship.  Nonprofit professionals often find themselves pressured to create  programs that not only profoundly impact their communities but also have   a measurable impact on the companies’ bottom lines.

Your cause-related marketing activities should highlight your  reputation within your target market. Cause marketing can positively  differentiate you from your competitors and provide an edge that  delivers other tangible benefits, and help a great cause along the way.

Embracing a cause makes good business sense. Nothing builds brand  devotion among today’s increasingly hard-to-please consumers and  employees like a company’s proven commitment to a worthy cause. In fact,   most people prefer to do business with a company that stands for  something beyond profits.

By selecting N.C. Children’s Hospital, the college kids at NCSU have connected people both emotionally and economically with the rewards  going to the hospital. It is a way to build business that parallels your   personal and corporate values and beliefs. If your cause also resonates  with your target audience, your activities will create tremendous  goodwill and media attention.

Fact: Cause-related Marketing Builds Customer Loyalty and Good Will.

And, that’s what we mean when we say Never Stop Giving.