On Monday, Meridian Group client, Toby’s Dream Foundation, sent two deserving young men to Miami to meet their idol, LeBron James before the Miami HEAT vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game on January 24th. With special help from a local Hampton Roads resident and NBA referee, Tony Brothers, the boys were on their way for the trip of a lifetime! Meridian Group arranged for WAVY-TV to stop by and capture the airport send-off! Check out the footage here.
TDF is a local non-profit that provides dreams to children in greater Hampton Roads living with life-threatening illnesses. For more on TDF, check out this article in Alt Daily or visit their website, http://www.tobysdream.org/.
Daniele and Shaquan with LeBron James
Copyright NBAE 2012 (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
After 8 months of conditioning from the PR team, I was recently promoted to social media strategist for Meridian Group and Launch Interactive. I couldn’t be more excited and this couldn’t have come at a better time for me or for Meridian Group and Launch. Over the past month, we’ve landed several major accounts that I can’t wait to get started working on. In fact, the week after next I’ll be flying out to Santa Fe and Dallas to visit two of our newest clients – Bishop’s Lodge and The Stoneleigh Hotel and Spa.
The Bishop’s Lodge Ranch, Resort Hotel & Spa, where I’ll spend my first half of my trip, is sprawled out across 450 acres of Santa Fe. It has this tranquil aura, yet is only minutes from downtown Santa Fe. There are so many activities available on property – from yoga to horseback riding – that I should have no problem developing content for blog posts!
My next leg of the trip puts me in Dallas at the landmark Stoneleigh Hotel and Spa. A major change of pace from Bishop’s Lodge, the Stoneleigh demands attention with its’ 1920′s Art Deco Design. The four-star hotel is both eccentric and chic and once our campaign launches, it’s sure to be the go-to hotel in uptown Dallas!
If this month is any indication 2012 is going to be an incredible year for me and for Meridian and Launch.
Until next time!
Jordan
Update: Just checked my email – we landed an Orlando resort!! My first instinct wasn’t to check out their Facebook or Twitter pages but rather to check their weather forecast… it’s currently 82 degrees and sunny.
Sometimes you get inspired by the classics – and what’s more old-school than a rhyming rant about the holidays? Enjoy a little holiday poetry from an anonymous 30-something graphic designer complements of Meridian Group and Launch Interactive.
The holidays are the season of giving and I have to hand it to you, Hampton Roads – you really stepped up to the plate. Our involvement in this Head Start toy drive came up abruptly, but no one missed a step. By the end of our first day accepting donations, our lobby was filled with close to 50 toys. Last Friday, we delivered 416 toys to Head Start’s Norfolk headquarters.
A special thanks to Land & Coates, Taylor’s Do-It Center, CI Travel, Salty C’s, OneLife Fitness, Key West Yogurt, Just Cupcakes and Taste Unlimited for helping us collect all of these toys. And of course, Coastal Office Products who not only colleted a box of toys, they delivered all of the toys to the Head Start headquarters. We should also thank Jeff Sheler at The Virginian Pilot and WAVY for covering our initiative, and those of you who stopped by our drop off locations after hearing of our story.
Our in-house Meridian Groupies have also been instrumental in moving these toys. Everyone in the office brought in one toy, while several came in with bags full. Meridian Groupies also donated their time to wrapping these 416 gifts. With 23 rolls of wrapping paper, we all had the opportunity to hone our wrapping skills (some more than others – Joe, I’m afraid you’re a lost cause).
Being able to provide these children with something to unwrap on Christmas morning has really put us in the holiday spirit. We are so thankful to have been a part of this toy drive and even more thankful that we don’t have to wrap any more presents!
The reaction we have received to our initiative for Head Start thus far has been truly inspiring. It has been just over 24 hours since we jumped on board and things are really taking off. Since our last post, here are a few developments:
Originally 300, we are now aiming to collect at least 1,200 toys for Head Start preschoolers.
We have partnered with Max Media and have added all South Hampton Roads Firehouse Subs locations and Taylor’s Do-It Centers to our list of drop-off spots.
We are seeing generous donations from our clients (The Roosevelt Hotel in NYC has pledged 24 GUND teddy bears) as well as community members who have dropped off tricycles, board games, dolls and more at our office this morning. One of our suppliers, Coastal Office Products, has even offered to send out fliers to their clients encouraging them to donate and offering to pick toys up when they make deliveries.
Media support has been instrumental in getting the word out. Check out the follow-up article in today’s Virginian Pilot and Terry’s interview on WAVY.
More updates to come, please stay tuned! And thanks for your support!
‘Tis the season of giving and this year the Meridian Group, Launch Interactive and Independent We Stand are giving to the toddlers of Head Start, a Norfolk based organization dedicated to early child development for low-income families. Due to administrative issues, we found out this morning from the Virginian Pilot that Head Start is unable to supply the 330 gifts they promised. Our agency jumped to action and is in the process of working out details.
Here’s what you need to know:
Most importantly, WE NEED TOYS! Even the smallest contribution will brighten a child’s holiday.
Most of the boys and girls are between 3 and 5.
Presents should be unwrapped but wrapping paper donations are accepted and appreciated!
As of now, presents can be dropped off at our office, 575 Lynnhaven Pkwy., Suite 300 in Virginia Beach. More drop off locations to come.
The deadline is Dec. 15.
Please help us give to the children of our Hampton Roads community this holiday season. For more information, feel free to call the office at 757-340-7425 or email info@themeridiangroup.com.
We are pretty proud of our website that was chosen as MSNBC’s Website of the Week leading into Small Business Saturday. The Independent We Stand movement started by Meridian Group has more than 70,000 fans and followers at last count. Share this video this with your friends who are looking for “shop local” options this weekend.
If you own a store, there are plenty of resources on the site you can use to help push the importance of the “Buy Local” message to your customers. If not, check out some of the videos where store owners talk about the movement and the importance of shopping local.
I hope I’ll be celebrating with the launch our new website. We have been so busy this year taking care of our clients, we kept putting off the launch of our new website that will finally integrate Meridian Group with Launch, our interactive group. What’s in store is a dynamic destination that will keep you up to date on not only what’s going on in the agency but also some of the game changing work we are pushing out for our clients.
The team is busting butt to push it live no later than Thanksgiving Eve or we will be here in the office on the one day we should be at home with our families laying on the sofa watching the first of at least 1,000 showings of A Christmas Story.
After watching this video, I bet you won’t be able to walk into another movie theatre without thinking of this genius stunt… or craving a Carlsberg. Kudos to Carlsberg for this viral masterpiece!
I have always been a big fan of Danny Meyer, New York City restaurateur and owner of Union Square Café, Shake Shack and a handful of some of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. After reading his book, “Setting The Table” a few years back, I realized that philosophy on hospitality and personal service goes well beyond the hospitality industry and has a place in the corporate world.
Here are a few things we have put into place at Meridian Group and Launch Interactive since reading his book:
Make every guest feel special – When a client has a planned visit to the agency we always notify all team members that they are coming and the reason for their visit. We are not asking people to act differently than they would any other day, but simply to be prepared to greet them by name with a welcoming smile. If it is a first visit there is always an agency tour to show some of the unique features of our workspace like the Think Tank, Modular Gallery and the rationale behind our office layout.
Do something they will remember – For almost ten years we have had bowls of custom order M&Ms in our lobby and conference rooms that align with our brand standards. Is it a big deal? Absolutely not, but people always talk about them. Other offerings include a bound pack of branded cocktail napkins with a custom wrap asking people to “Think Responsibly”, branded coasters in our conference rooms and a purified water system that some smart ass has labeled Vodka and Saki. Every employee also drinks out of a cobalt blue water glass. It’s these little things that make a big impression.
Hosting out of town guests – We always offer to coordinate hotel accommodations, pick them up at the airport and make sure that dinner is at a locally owned restaurant that offers locally sourced foods. We also make sure that a wide choice of food and beverages are available so they can nosh at their convenience.
Though all of this is nothing more than common sense, sometimes we forget the little things. Every client is more important than ever before. Let’s make sure we show our appreciation through a few simple acts of hospitality.
After watching this video, I bet you won’t be able to walk into another movie theatre without thinking of this genius stunt… or craving a Carlsberg. Kudos to Carlsberg for this viral masterpiece!
