Clairemont Communications takes a tactics-agnostic approach to devising PR and marketing strategies using both traditional — media relations and event planning, for example — and new tools such as social networking. The difference? Product sketches that turn into top sellers. Campaigns that move consumers from couches to action. Jump starting a start-up to make it a recognized brand. Upholding the reputation of a tried and true company so shareholders continue to hold a special place in their hearts for it year after year.

Myrtle Never Threw Away Her Postcards -- 1 in a series of 80+

Gertrude bragged a bit about her travels while Myrtle stayed at home.

To preview a series of posts I have planned for 2010, and to wish you a fabulous holiday season, I share with you a postcard sent more than 30 years ago from Germany to Myrtle’s mailbox in Illinois. I love a good hand-written note, and am also amused that I can share a form of communication as traditional as a postcard with so many people through new forms of communications. I hope you will enjoy! Happy Holidays!

He drew a triangle with a word at each point: good, cheap, fast. He explained that you can’t have all three at the same time. You can have good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. You can have cheap and fast, but it won’t be good. Cheap and good? Be prepared to wait for it.

That really made sense to me. I also started thinking about it from almost an opposite side as a way to evaluate which projects would be worth pursuing. Project A doesn’t have much of a budget but the project doesn’t last long and will allow us to produce a quality project that can help us get more business. Let’s take it! Project B has $ but not enough time for us to produce good work. That’s a pass because we never want to take something that won’t allow us to do quality work. And so on and so forth.

It’s a bit of a twist on the original concept but when looking at Project C that needed us to work for a long time at a low budet on a project that wasn’t relevant to prospects, that had to be a pass. If you can have none of the three, run!

Since seeing that episode, I’ve noticed Joe’s triangle theory in a couple of business books and articles. It’s quite possible it’s common, and I had just never heard it before.

Got me to thinking about other tips or theories that might have been picked up from non-traditional sources of advice. Please comment if you’ve had a similar experience.

Ladies and gentleman…. may I present to you….. The Pink Sticky Note Collection by JW Hughens. Some of you have seen JW create and sell art on-the-spot at a local fundraiser and tonight he engaged his parents in a bidding war over one particular piece. Inspired by the success of his sales, he raised his prices and made more! Some of the pieces shown below are still available, and JW is available to create custom masterpieces if you are looking for a special holiday gift.

Roge who has never been here nor has ties to the area, shocked members of the N.C. Symphony by saying he’d be delighted to perform regardless! In fact, he said he’d bring his pianist wife, Ami Roge to join in on this wonderful gift he is giving Raleigh. He referred to his profession is not a profession but a pleasure. Can I get an amen?

Hats off to these generous artists who are so lovingly giving their time next week for concerts in Raleigh on Dec. 4 and 5 and Southern Pines on Dec 3. Having worked for a non-profit arts organization (The Alabama Theatre) earlier in my career, I understand how the economy can create challenges to the ongoing operations of these treasured groups.

Okay Raleigh people, now do your part. Make sure and catch one of Pascal and Ami Roge’s performances while they are here. Who wants to get a group together and go? Somebody pick the 4th or 5th and we’ll get it started. 8 p.m. both nights at Meymandi.

Paula smiled and laughed it off at the time and later tweeted, “I haven’t met the ham that could stop me yet!”

Well smack my ham, I think I just became a Paula Deen fan!

Hats off to the person and/or team who came up with the idea to promote an IKEA new store opening by uploading showroom photos to the store manager’s Facebook account and asking folks to tag themselves “on” the items they wanted in the photos. If you were the first to tag yourself in the photo, you got the item that you tagged. Great idea!

Watch the video to see how it works and you’ll notice how IKEA achieved the objectives of promoting the store (and more) by postings to profile pages, updates in newsfeeds and the inclusion of links. Amazing!

I love my pink Townie bike. Maybe I’ll ride it today.

I love my 1968 VW Beetle. Maybe I’ll sell it today.

I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll have to start today.

I love my f-i-l. He’ll be here today!

Apparently since making that offer, it has been determined that there is about $300,000 in outstanding gift certificates. Lesson #1 — If you are in a business that can sell certificates — do it! Haven’t seen the stats this year on the number of gift cards that are given and never used but know the number is high. But that’s really a topic for another day. Let’s get back to Roi Parker.

The way I read the story, Roi saw two opportunities. One was to hopefully get some new business. Two was to help people feel like they got what they deserved. (Which in turn would hopefully turn them into customers, but stay with me here. Let’s keep them separate for now.)

Then Roi learns just how many gift certificates are floating about town. He didn’t revoke his offer or add a bunch of stipulations to it. He said bring it on!

Now, the question is, will Roi and the staff of R.O.I. Salon kill themselves (both financially and physically) trying to honor all the certificates? Will that many people even take them up on their offer? If so, will they become repeat customers making the cost of winning those clients worth it? And how many N&O readers who don’t hold certificates will get on down to Oberlin Road because Roi just sounds like the nicest guy on earth?

What do you think? Is this a smart marketing move or the kiss of death for the R.O.I. Salon? Would love to hear your thoughts. While you’re milling it over, I’m going to look at my calendar to see when I can make it down to R.O.I. Hoping Roi can help with my color.

I love interior design. I don’t claim to be even an amateur interior designer, but I do love art and furniture and picking out paint colors and putting everything together. I like reading magazines, blogs, tweets, etc. to see what the professionals do. I love that through my work with Thomasville Furniture (yes, that is a disclaimer that Thomasville is one of my clients) that I have the pleasure of working with Darryl Carter who is the most amazing person at putting together a room. It just comes natural to him. Being with Darryl at Vegas Furniture Market last week allowed me the opportunity to witness what an inspiration he has been to other designers who came to get an autographed copy of Darryl’s book, The New Traditional. This book topped the Amazon charts when it first came out last year, and I understand it’s topping the home category again right now. No surprise. And no surprise Darryl was selected for the Merchandise Mart keynoter (Chicago, Oct 2) this year… for a spot that was filled last time by Martha Stewart.

Darryl Carter talks with interior designers about his book The New Traditional at Las Vegas Furniture Market

In somewhat of a related space, I’ve becoming incredibly interested and intrigued with LED lighting and other energy efficiency and green building topics. How great is it that I get to work with Cree (which is the only NA-based LED lighting manufacturer and the company that is introducing true lighting-class LEDs to the world) AND with Briar Chapel (the largest green community in the area where I live in NC)?

Just hit me this evening as I was following more folks on Twitter for both client and personal interest that the two are increasingly becoming the same. How lucky am I?