The CBC team is beginning the initial stages of the program, securing the event location (a gorgeous home near Santa Barbara beach) and signing on brand sponsors.

The Fall House in Santa Barbara, Calif.

The Santa Barbara beach

To become a sponsor for The Fall House, contact Noelle Guerin at nguerin@cerconebrown.com for details.

Similar to years past, the weeks leading up to it can be maddening, often leaving you to wonder how everything will come together, with the only reassurance being that you know somehow it will all work out (it always does, right?).

Heading into its fifth year, the experiential marketing program is designed to gather top media from around the country to escape the daily chaos of their lives in New York City, Los Angeles, or wherever they may be, letting them step away from their computers, Blackberries and iPads and live amongst, experience and review brands and products without distractions in their natural and intended settings - hence the “Winter House” theme and experience.

Similar to CBC’s Summer House and Green House, the two-week Winter House program is broken down into four different three-day sessions where we play host to groups of four to six media members at a time. Daily schedules for this year’s program are packed - filled with activities ranging from testing out Lolë’s latest apparel out on the ski slopes to putting together a fashion show competition incorporating the newest trends and designs from fashion footwear company, NAYA.

Other activities include experiencing New Balance’s newest running technology in action during a session at the gym, snowshoeing Park City’s back country in EarthTec’s 2011 outdoor apparel line, trekking through the village for a winter hike to feel BOGS’ comfort, insulation and functionality first hand, and a wine-pairing dinner with some of Wente’s most memorable wines.  Pepperidge Farm, adidas eyewear, ICON, Tribe Hummus, and Veggie Patch are some of the other brands that will be featured at this year’s Winter House.

Our group of attending media this year is one of the strongest groups the program has ever seen.  In fact, the program became so popular among press members that we had to setup a “wait-list” for media members, as the program reached capacity just two days after invitations were sent out.  Our 2011 media attendees include: O, the Oprah Magazine, People, Real Simple, Outside Magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Men’s Health, Prevention, The Food Network, American Spa, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Delta Sky, Snow, Marie Claire, Fitness, Esquire, SELF, The New York Times, ESPN, Women’s Health, SHAPE, Good Morning America, The Huffington Post, and more!

One of the things I personally love about our experiential marketing programs, and Winter House in particular, is seeing the media become fully immersed in a brand and getting to that “aha” moment.  For example, it’s one thing to sit on a media tour in NYC and show a member of the press a ski jacket, talking them through the technology and design, but it’s another thing to watch that same editor wearing that exact jacket during a run in fresh tracks down the mountain in Park City and seeing them truly understand why the seams were made that way and the pockets were constructed with that layout, and how breathable and functional the jacket is, because they are experiencing it first hand and in the conditions that it’s meant to be experienced in.  This type of experience is invaluable for a brand and key to making their product stick out amongst competitors to the media.

With less than two weeks until the program’s official kickoff, we’ll be working at our Boston PR agency to wrap up all of our available sponsorship categories, finalize logistics for each participating brands’ activity and role at the program, confirm editor travel schedules, and, of course, deal with any type of last minute fire drills that we may encounter before we head out West to set up shop and begin preparations in time for the first session’s arrival on January 16.

For those of you who’d like to tune in to see how this year’s program turns out, we’ll be tweeting and Facebooking live from the program with updates, photos and more, so be sure to follow @CerconeBrown on Twitter and “like” the CerconeBrownCompany Facebook page.  In the meantime, we’re looking forward to another successful Winter House program!

Please contact NGuerin@cerconebrown.com or MJackson@cerconebrown.com if you represent a company that is interested in getting involved in one of CBC’s experiential marketing programs.  Limited sponsorship space is still available for the 2011 Winter House.

In the spirit of celebrating that connection, this week, CBC is launching a series of ads on behalf of Logan Airport, which is owned and operated by Massport, the Massachusetts Port Authority. The campaign, called “Destinations,” will appear in print, out-of-home and online.

Some of the media outlets where you’ll see the airport ads, include:

• Boston.com
• Weather.com
• CBS Radio and TV
• Greater Media radio/online
• Entercom Radio/online
• Boston Magazine
• Commuter Rail Posters and the Storrow Drive Billboard

In addition to the external “Destinations” campaign, the Boston ad agency also developed an internal ad campaign called “Straight Talk,” designed specifically for placement in Logan Airport terminals. The goal of these ads? To help travelers understand that construction in and around Logan Airport - which may seem inconvenient - is just one of the ways Massport is improving its services for all passengers and the surrounding community.

After all, a better airport means a better travel experience — one item that is on everyone’s holiday wish list. Happy travels!

CerconeBrownCompany is joining OnStar in Miami this weekend as OnStar serves as one of the Miami Music Festival’s primary sponsors.  Kicking off the festivities Thursday evening at local hot spot, Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill, CBC is helping OnStar host a Tweet Up (for more details, follow Twitter@TheReal_OnStar). Taking place from 5:00-7:00 p.m., attendees have a chance to win a FREE three-day pass to the festival and an opportunity to mingle with OnStar representatives, while learning more about the weekend’s events.

Following the Tweet Up, OnStar is hosting a VIP reception on Friday evening from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at Hotel Victor to start off the festival with a bang.  Performances from various artists will continue at the Hotel Victor from 8:00 p.m. up until 1:00 a.m.  A guest list filled with the “Who’s Who” from the Miami area make this event the only place to be on Friday evening.  And if you’re in the area on Saturday or Sunday, make sure to stop by the Bayfront Park presented by OnStar where you can listen to a variety of music throughout the day and into the evening.

The 2010 second annual Miami Music Festival is featured as the centerpiece of “Live Music Month in Miami” and will feature acts from around the world. The festival is emerging as a premier event for discovering and enjoying new music in one of the greatest entertainment cities in the world.

One component of each session included a winter car-care demonstration by a General Motors car-care specialist.  Beth Grotz, general director from GM Customer Care and Aftersales, showed each group of women editors, writers and bloggers just how easy it can be to get your car winter-ready in a safe, convenient and easy way.

Beth explained and illustrated simple ways to check and make sure your car can handle the icy cold of winter:

• Check tires for tread and air pressure
• Make sure windshield wipers are in good condition
• Check oil level
• Check for sufficient windshield wiper fluid

Beth also conveyed the importance of having a car-care kit handy as a precautionary measure.  The kit includes a small shovel, salt to melt ice, warm gloves, extra windshield-wiper fluid, a jug of water and a warm blanket or jacket.

OnStar also offers a monthly email program provided to subscribers at no additional charge, ensuring its subscribers are up-to-date with their vehicle maintenance.  OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics reports the status of a vehicle’s tire pressure, oil life system, major operating systems and OnStar subscription information.

In a short period of time, Beth was able to demonstrate a few simple tips, tricks and checks that these busy women can do in the comfort of their own driveway.  OnStar’s pointers not only save time, but give women the encouragement, confidence and inspiration to feel safer on the road.

National women’s bloggers participated in session one, which began with a volunteer activity at The Retreat, a domestic and family violence shelter, to give back to the local community.  During their time at The Retreat, the editors read stories to the children and provided a little “pep” talk to everyone’s Wednesday afternoon at the shelter. Following the volunteer activity, The Wolffer Estate hosted a wine tasting for the media where OnStar welcomed everyone to the program and reviewed some of the products that would be demo’ed during the program such as Turn-by-Turn navigation system.

Today our editors began day two of session one with a workout session hosted by fitness guru Andrea Metcalf.  After working up their appetites, the editors experienced a cooking session with Louisa Shafia where they learned how to prepare healthy fall recipes.  As we wrap up day two of session one, the editors are receiving makeovers from celebrity makeup artist, Randy Houston Mercer before they head out to a delicious dinner in Sag Harbor.

Stay tune to hear more on powerON as session two begins tomorrow with six more national womens bloggers and editors.  Signing off from Sag Harbor, New York at OnStar’s powerON.

Editors learned about Smart Living to pass these tips along to you. Check out our PR agency coverage about Smart Living on “Good Morning America Health.”

Also check out The Huffington Post, where Scott Gwordz of Kickstand Communications talks about Smart Living with Ashley Koff, R.D. (registered dietitian) and LA’s “Best Nutritionist” three years running.

Start Smart Living yourself! Visit SmartHouseSmartLiving.com for tips and do-it-yourself guides for your home, your planet and your life…all while saving you money.

As a way to further our commitment to inspiring young adults in our community, we are proud to embark on a special partnership with the Cristo Rey Network, a group of 24 high schools across the country that provides values-based, college prep education to economically disadvantaged youth. Students in the program work to earn tuition and gain real world experience at the same time.

This school year (now through June 2011), we are sponsoring a student intern from the local Cristo Rey Network school, Cristo Rey High School Boston. We hope to inspire a young individual who is just beginning to explore career options in the communications field by providing a variety of projects spanning all sides of our business. We’ll work with the student on everything from research to writing to building media lists, and more.

With this new element to our internship program, we are giving back to our community by offering high school students real world job experiences. We hope you join us with a warm welcome to all of our new students this semester!

If you haven’t tried Doctor Kracker yet, go get some! Each cracker and flatbread is chock-full of whole grains, seeds, good-for-you ingredients that you can pronounce, and fiber and omega-3s that keep you full and satisfied. For the past 10 years, Co-Founder George Eckrich, who started the original Whole Foods Bakery, and his team have been creating these European-style Flatbreads and snacker crackers in flavors like pumpkin cheddar, hummus maximus, seedlander, klassic 3-seed, seeded spelt, cherry semolina and apple crisp.

For this stellar piece of coverage, Rachel Ray chose to highlight Dr. Kracker Seedlander Snackers.

Kudos to the “kracker-jack” CBC media relations team, and happy snacking!

In this one-of-a-kind experiential marketing program, the nation’s top editors are immersed into the most eco-friendly services, products and technology around to gain deep insight on Smart Living, a sensible lifestyle that helps save money and decrease a person’s negative impact on the environment. Some of the most planet-friendly and eco-conscious brands — from Ford to 3M to LG to Tupperware — are combining forces at this distinctive media relations event to revamp press members’ views on sustainability and how they will report to their millions of readers and viewers.

As you might expect, this feat doesn’t come without its fair share of good old-fashioned hard work. The Boston PR Agency crew has been working nearly 20-hour days (wow!) behind the scenes to transform a house surpassing LEED-Platinum certification into a platform for sustainable living. And through undying effort and lots of sweat (but thankfully no blood or tears), the CBC team has hit the ground running — and pretty fast to say the least.

To give you an idea of the kind of energy needed to pull off such an exhilarating event, here’s an inside look at the personal work journal of the CBC crew on site in Boulder:

6:30 a.m. - The day starts bright and early with the team opening the 300th (that’s an understatement) box of Tupperware product to stock the pantry.

7:30 - It’s time to change over the 25th load of laundry (talk about a workout!) in an amazing LG energy-efficient washer and dryer with the new Sweet Sleep organic bedding.

Not too sure how this happened, but cardboard somehow manages to get into the washer machine, and explodes everywhere.  It looks like the Terminator got a little too carried away in a paper factory. Luckily CBC had an LG energy efficient vacuum to save the day and clean up the Terminator’s mess.

Finally, the sheets come out of the wash looking more wrinkled than a shar pei puppy.  Just their luck, there’s no iron in sight.

8:30 - The ever-resourceful CBC team puts their heads together, and calls in a cleaning crew that comes through and goes to town!

8:30 - 10:30 -The architect, realtors, developers, owner, sponsors, mattress delivery crew, contractor, Ford team, 3M sponsors and CBC Green House team are all in and out of the house preparing for the open house to kick off at 11 a.m. (panic mode handled with grace and poise).

11:00 - CBS channel 4 arrives. An interview with the developer and architect commences.

Noon - Super interns Max and Chase head out on a Target run. CBC then meets with the Boulder film crew to do some creative collaborating and document the next three weeks.

1:00 p.m. - No time to rest!  The CBC crew begins drafting the sponsor and editor materials.

3:00 - A Tupperware representative arrives, and more merchandising continues.

4:30 - midnight - CBC continues to set up the house and merch, merch, merch (this stands for merchandising).

This is just a morsel of the effort that goes into creating such an amazing event…stay tuned for more of the CBC Green House frenzy!