#FestivalCalzone

Locals and music lovers are excited for yet another Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette, Louisiana! Festival International began in 1987, and has evolved into a highly regarded visual and performing arts celebration of South Louisiana’s French heritage. Festival pays tribute to French, African, Caribbean and Hispanic influences by inviting artists from around the world to share their talents with the Lafayette community. Locals anxiously await the beloved Festival weekend every year, and with only a few hours left on the countdown, Festival vibes are buzzing around Lafayette!

Calzone loves Festival, and having it downtown (practically in our backyard) is a great experience. The music and good vibes will be flowing from the streets into the office. In preparation for this year’s festival, we took a little stroll down memory lane. Our owner, Julie Calzone, is one of the Festival founders. We created the logo so that it would last several lifetimes – seems like that still holds true today! Share all of your 2015 Festival moments with us by using #FestivalCalzone when you post your photos and videos this year. We would love to see all of the fun you have! Here are a few of the Calzone team's personal favorite past Festival photos for you to enjoy.

     

          

          

Come Festival with us!

Love You Like a Big Italian Family.

During an Emergency or Crisis, Use Your Network for Reach and Your Website for Credibility

From Social Media Today: 

Crisis Communications in the Network Age

Crisis management is just part of the reputation and community management we execute on a regular basis.

Emergency preparedness has been on our minds lately with the 2013 Hurricane Season already experiencing its third named storm.

Click here to learn how to prepare your office and data for an emergency such as a hurricane from Total Network Technologies.

It's important not only to prepare internally, but also to prepare your staff for any external questions and customer service.

Here's what we suggest you do:

1. Let your clients know how they can get in touch with you in case of an emergency BEFORE they need that information.
2. Inform your clients as to where they can find your company updates.
3. Social media sites can be hacked very easily. For your company updates, make the home for your updates be your website. This lends credibility. Plan to use your social media networks to reach your customers and fans and spread your message.
4. The space on your website for emergency updates should be easily accessible and user-friendly.
5. Make sure all of your employees know answers to common customer service questions and know where to direct customers if they receive a more complex question.
• During recent events and emergencies, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites have proven to be the place where people go first for updates. In the event of a company emergency, it is important that your all employees can monitor complaints and stay informed and knowledgeable to contain the possibility of chaos. You want your company to be a source of peace of mind and factual, relevant information. Employee preparation will make this happen.
6. Make sure your employees know where your emergency updates will be posted and who will be posting them.
7. Put someone in charge of going through your social media account to halt and/or reschedule ALL of your scheduled posts. If you have clients or sponsors whose scheduled posts or releases were scheduled during the emergency period, that person needs to alert your clients about the change and inform them of the rescheduled deployment date and time.

There are many more things you can do that best fit your business model, industry, and community culture.

Calzone can help you create your community management plan. Call us at 337-235-2924 ext. 0.

That's what we call change the creative and get traction

Some of the most fun we can have as a company.

The best references are when it really does work for the businesses and people we serve.

 Testimonials 

“With raising costs and shrinking margins it becomes a challenge to bring customers in without deep discounts. EatLafayette is the perfect opportunity to bring in new faces without huge costs. By encouraging locals to keep their hard earned dollars local and visit Lafayette’s best restaurants it’s a cost effective marketing plan. Dean-O’s uses EatLafayette as the centerpiece of their summer ad campaign. In simple terms ‘It Works’.” 

Tim Metcalf 

President 

Dean-O’s Pizza 

“EatLafayette is what keeps our Cajun culture alive! What a wonderful program to educate our locals about the importance of keeping the local mom and pops in business – we are both innovators and the keepers of the traditional Cajun cuisine we all enjoy and love. EatLafayette reminds people about their wonderful culinary heritage. Love the program!” 

Richard & Lori Hurst 

Owners 

Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn & Little River Inn 

“The Taste of Lafayette Kick-Off event alone was worth the cost for us – especially since it took place just a few weeks before we opened our doors for business! It was a great way to get in front of people who really appreciate local, quality restaurants without any risk to them” 

Tom and Pam Peters 

Owners 

The Lab Handcrafted Coffee and Comforts 

Easter Donuts

The Easter Bunny came early to Calzone. Sweet treats for our hardworking team!

Spend the Fourth of July with us at Evangeline Downs!

Happy Birthday America! Celebrate the Fourth of July with us. Racing starts at 5:40 p.m. and there's lots to do all day long. We have lots of places to eat and it's a good place to bring the family. Kids of all ages are welcome at the races*.

The action continues through Saturday with racing every night starting at 5:40 p.m. and our nightly specials.

Wednesday: Mares. Martinis. 50 cent Ponies.

Thursday: Studs. Suds. 50 cent Ponies.

Friday: Date Night.

Saturday: Famiy Night - Special buffet, kid and pizza pricing in the Clubhouse. $4 special burger or hot dog family meals on the patio.

Thank you to everyone who made our Louisiana Legends Week a huge success. The racing was top notch and it was so much fun for us to see huge crowds enjoying all of the events. Star Guitar won the Louisiana Legends Classic and set a new track record.

Star Guitar, the undisputed king of Louisiana thoroughbred racing, maintained his crown with a track record performance in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Night Classic.

 *Must be 18 years of age or older to bet.

If you can't make it to Evangeline Downs for live racing, join us at BetLouisiana.com.

The site that supports Louisiana horsemen.

Unitech Training Academy Unveils New Website

 For Immediate Release

Media Contact:

Julie Calzone

337.235.2924 ext. 18

jcalzone@calzone.com

 

Unitech Training Academy Contact:
Samantha Cole

337.988.4042

scole@unitechtrainingacademy.com

 

Unitech Training Academy Unveils New Website

 

(Lafayette, La.) – Unitech Training Academy has recently unveiled a new website designed by Calzone, a Louisiana-based full-service advertising, marketing, and public relations firm.

 

The new website offers an appealing color palette and information layout for effortless navigation. In the header is a search field, where site visitors can easily find what they’re looking for. Also in the header are calls to action: schedule a visit, apply now, and request info. These calls to action are available in the left sidebar throughout the site, and make finding out more information an easy next step for any visitor. Links to social media are prevalent so visitors can connect with the school in places other than the website.

 

Success stories with photos bring the campus and its training to life as a rotating set of images ask the visitor, “Are you ready for the training you deserve?” Unitech Training Academy was founded to provide hard-working individuals the skills and training they need to nurture productive careers. A growing list of campuses is available at the bottom of the homepage; contacting a certain campus is made simple. Newsletter sign up keeps those interested updated about events, new programs, new campuses, current student and graduate success stories and much more.

 

Social media integration brings the Unitech Training Academy website to the public through YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. Further, the Unitech Training Academy Facebook page provides a separate tab for each campus that mirrors the site’s design. Each tab provides contact information and a newsletter sign up specifically for each campus, which makes targeting messages to different publics much more streamlined, efficient and practical.

 

“We wanted our website to reflect the professionalism we practice here at Unitech Training Academy,” says Samantha Cole, Director of Marketing at Unitech Training Academy. “Our school trains students to be professional and effective in their careers and we think that comes across in the new design from Calzone. It’s clean, simple, and easy to navigate. Our website is the starting point for most of our students and we think the design creates the correct impression of scholarship that our students are seeking.”

 

About Unitech Training Academy

Beginning with one program in 1997, the Certified Nursing Assistant program, the school now offers many other programs such as Dental Assisting, Diagnostic Ultrasound Sonography, Medical Assistant, Computer Information Systems, EKG/Phlebotomy Technician, Physical Therapy Technician, Pharmacy Technician Preparedness, Administrative Medical Assistant and Massage Therapy. With campuses in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Houma, Alexandria, West Monroe and Metairie, Unitech strives to meet the needs and demands of the community and surrounding parishes. The school believes that the training  it does directly and appropriately reflects from its students' performance, attitude and capability of their work. Unitech Training Academy also realizes the overwhelming need in the community for professionally trained persons. It is Unitech Training Academy's philosophy to provide the community with a choice of desirable, productive, and well-trained individuals.

 

For more information, contact Samantha Cole at the Unitech Training Academy Office in Lafayette by calling 337-988-4042 or emailingscole@unitechtrainingacademy.com.

 

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SoundTown!

Thank you both so much for your attention to our event. I do believe we have
all that we need. We always have so much going on in our offices with the
conservatory and symphony, so it's such a great help to me to have some
beautiful work just handed to us! I can't thank you enough! We appreciate
you guys SO MUCH!!!!

Lana Carver
Marketing Director
Acadiana Symphony Orchestra

Calzone Producing Websites as Strategic Marketing Tools

Calzone, Louisiana-based full-service advertising agency, is producing websites as strategic marketing tools for its clients.

Full-service agencies have had to transform themselves with the digital age. The mechanism for engaging customers has shifted as the Internet and its providers create new platforms for communication. “Full-service agencies need to remember that they are in the communication business,” Julie Calzone, CEO of Calzone, says. “We create connections and community for our clients.”

Calzone understands that traditional media and new media platforms and integration continue to evolve and morph. Calzone continues, “Each one of our clients has its own digital sphere/core website that social media and other platforms are integrated into to maximize performance and results for the client. While most agencies are still touting ‘branding’ as their core strategy, Calzone’s client initiatives have evolved to ‘engagement’ strategies. We are relentless in our efforts and work flow to ensure that ‘engagement’ strategies are tactically effective and results driven. We create the conversations and more often are leading them.”

Below are examples of Calzone’s recent websites that have been completed for clients.

Philippe’s Wine Cellar

www.philippeswinecellar.com

The Philippe’s Wine Cellar website features an online catalog of the wine available in the store. Also available are articles about pairing, tasting, and rating wine, in addition to contact information and a built-in web form that allows visitors to ask questions of Philippe and his team. A built-in events calendar keeps patrons up to date on in-house and collaborative events. Current and potential customers can interact with Philippe’s Wine Cellar through a blog, Facebook, and weekly enewsletter. Enewsletter subscribers receive special information on sales and tastings before anyone else.

Equine Motorcoach

www.equinemotorcoach.com

Julie Calzone, Tom and Carolyn Stinnett combined their expertise in the RV and horse industries to create a one of a kind all-in-one RV and horse transport, Equine Motorcoach™. Today’s Equine Motorcoach features two-, four- and six-horse configurations with fully-loaded amenities on the interior and exterior. The interior has a spacious full bath, complete kitchen, and multiple sleeping accommodations. The horse transport area has air ride suspension and European slant load configuration to provide horses with the best possible ride. It is backed by one of the United States' largest independent RV dealer, Stinnett RV, which is located near the manufacturing capitol of the RV industry in Indiana, USA.

The Equine Motorcoach website features a full tour with video and picture galleries and extensive manufacturing details. Visitors can contact the manufacturers directly or use a contact form built into the website. Frequently updated Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts allow fans to further connect with Equine Motorcoach, and are the highest referrers for website traffic other than Google. A blog keeps site visitors engaged and updated as well as a news feed and newsroom where enewsletters and press releases are posted.

Equine Alert

www.equinealert.com

Equine Alert systems assist horse owners with keeping an eye on horses and facilities even when owners are not on the property. Equine Alert offers security and safety for horses and equipment, fire detection, 24/7 live video monitoring of horses and premises, remote/ off-site control and monitoring, prevention of valuable equipment theft, greater peace of mind, protocol and emergency training, visual and two-way audio cameras and national monitoring.

EquineAlert.com website provides information about installation, uses and contact information for customer support. Smart phone applications allow customers to monitor their horses on the go, and Facebook and Twitter accounts keep fans informed and updated. Press releases and enewsletters are posted to the website as well, so interested site visitors can read about industry advancements and new offerings from Equine Alert.

7 Chics

www.7chics.com

What started as a tradition between 7 close friends has evolved into a new kind of clothing boutique for women. 7 Chics is the place for clients to find the perfect outfit, get hair and makeup done, and hang out with friends before a night on the town.

The 7 Chics website provides information about the boutique’s concept, services, and products. Pictures of inventory are updated frequently as well as sale items. Contact information and their popular Facebook page allow clients to interact with 7 Chics staff and get information about new items, sale items, services, specials and parties.

Tereson Dupuy

www.teresondupuy.com

Tereson Dupuy’s website is a platform help other entrepreneurs learn how they can be successful in business through her lessons of perseverance, patience, pride and passion – the 4Ps that have propelled her to grow a multi-million dollar company that initially started with a $10 investment.

TeresonDupuy.com offers information about Dupuy’s advocacy and speaking topics as well as useful resources about cloth diapers and for entrepreneurs. Visitors to the site and those interested in having Tereson speak at an event can access contact information to ask questions and make arrangements.

Design By Todd

www.designbytodd.com

Todd Zimmerman is an established interior designer in Lafayette, Louisiana with clients locally and across the United States. Todd considers his best asset to be his ability “to match the individual or individuals with the most effective, and prosperous environment that is aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.”

DesignByTodd.com provides information about Zimmerman’s background and that of his staff, along with contact information. Visitors and interested clients can browse photos of previous work, learn about Zimmerman’s design solution services, and read the team’s blog for inspiration. Available in the footer of the site are links to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, where fans and clients can catch up on news from the design team and new materials.

For more information about Calzone, visit the agency website at calzone.com or call (337) 235-2924.

Internships Are Important to Success after College

The number one question college seniors are asked when graduating is “What career do you want to obtain with your degree?” As many students are asked that question after graduating, I asked myself that at the end of my sophomore year.

Majoring in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Business, I realized the fashion world is so broad with many career options to choose from such as Visual Merchandiser, Retail Manager and Assortment Buyer. I knew I did not want to sit behind a desk and crunch numbers all day or work a constant nine to five. I wanted to be in the middle of everything fashion related and communicating with clients daily. Being in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, I was appointed Social Chair. The position included planning social events, communicating to other sororities and fraternities, pricing venues, public speaking, and setting event budgets. Doing these tasks, I realized that Social Chair and Fashion Public Relations went hand-in-hand. Fashion is constantly evolving and demanding just as AKA.

I wanted to understand how to prepare for post-graduation career success in Fashion PR. Reading blogs and talking to many professionals, I found that an internship would be a great start in gaining experience. Internships allow students to obtain experience, understand the roles of the position, and possibly secure a position in the company after interning. Since Lafayette Fashion PR agencies are scarce, I applied to PR/Advertising companies that varied in clients other than fashion. Through Career Services, I interviewed at Calzone and Associates and started immediately.

A typical day in the office is not a typical day. While Calzone and Associates manages over thirty clients, no client is the same. My main responsibilities as an intern include updating spreadsheets, attending meetings, update social medias, writing newsletters and additional tasks that come up during the day.

Interning also comes with challenges that force you to learn about yourself and the industry. The challenges I have come across are being a better writer and understanding that confidence is the key. Writing is such a strong suit in PR. You have to speak well for people to take you seriously, especially if you are the person that is speaking for them. Also, it’s not what you say but more how you say it. Confidence also plays an important role in PR. If a client comes in and sees how motivated, strong and confident you are, they are assured and trust that you will do the best work possible.

I recommend that all college students do at least three internships during their college career. All companies ask for resumes and the more experience you have at a young age, the greater chance you have at gaining your career faster. This shows the employer that you are ready to work. Gaining first-hand insight in an industry is the best way to find if it is for you.

- Ashley Livingston

Moneyball

I saw this movie when it first came out. The next day the Boston Red Sox had their meltdown. What a coincidence.

As a kid, my dad used to pack all of us up to go see the Red Sox when we lived in Massachusetts. I’ve been to the old Yankee stadium for the World Series, Camden Yards and more as well. Can you tell I am passionate about baseball? I love baseball.

My take away from the film and the Red Sox loss was that your thinking can truly shape your behavior. If you think you are going to win, you will win. If you think you can’t, you won’t. It also demonstrated the power of “team” thinking.

Sports is such a visually controlled effort. All things being equal, the “drive” makes it to the finish line. I think that’s what we saw in the LSU, Saints and other playoff games recently. I was blessed to be one of the few women who actually worked within the NFL, specifically the Saints. What an education that was.

I also agree that if you don’t line things up objectively with your talent/athletes, a loss is on its way – soon. It is much better to see things as they are, not for what you want them to be.
-Julie Calzone

Coteau Grove Farms

When a successful businessman and woman combine what they know with what they love, another success is to be expected.

Coteau Grove Farms is a breeder of top-quality thoroughbred race horses located on 180 acres of rolling hills in Sunset, Louisiana.

Coteau Grove Farms was founded in 2008 by Keith and Ginger Myers. The Myers have a love of horses and established their thoroughbred racing operation. Louisiana's breeding and racing incentive program rewards excellence. The Myers founded their operation to create top quality breeding and race horses to compete in Louisiana and nationally.

Calzone created and developed Coteau Grove Farms website. The firm has over 20 years of experience in the horse industry, especially the thoroughbred horse breeding and racing industry. The firm is one of only a handful of agencies with that level of experience and expertise.

It's a 'Good for the skin' Online Shopping Cart!

We've launched the online shopping cart for Plastic Surgery Associates/Precise Spa of Acadiana. Customers can now browse and buy their cleansers, creams, serums, toners, sun care products, and exfoliators from PSA, but from the comfort of their home. Plus, they can enjoy free shipping on all products! Gift certificates for products, spa procedures like chemical peels or facial injections, or cosmetic surgical procedures can also be purchased from the online store. Check it out:

http://www.psassoc.com/online-store

Evangeline Downs Press Conference a Success for our client!

National coverage gained through the public relations efforts and a press conference organized by the Calzone crew.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/horses/2011-04-06-3193839682_x.htm

East Meets Best - Calzone snags 2 Addy's for television spots!

Saturday night, the Calzone crew attended the 2011 AAF Addy Awards at City Club in River Ranch. We wined and dined and mingled with the best of the best in the advertising business in Lafayette.

We are excited to say that our team picked up a Silver Addy Award for Local :30 Television Commercial for the Plastic Surgery Associates 'Under the Sheets' spot.



And we are especially proud of our Gold AddyAward for Local :30 Television Commercial for Kiki.

The Social Database - That's What We're Talking About!

We all know that electronic newsletters and social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter are crucial elements in marketing a business these days. We at Calzone are always working to make these components flow together seamlessly so that our clients can get information to their customers efficiently.

One way we like to do this is with a Facebook application that allows Fans to sign-up for electronic newsletters directly from a Facebook Business Page. Facebook users interact with a Facebook Business Page as intimately as they would a website these days, so why wouldn't we give them the opportunity to ask for more information and communication with a brand? It builds contact database within the social community!

A simple Facebook app ties directly to the electronic newsletter manager, and can sort users who sign up through Facebook into their own list, so business owners know who is interacting with their brand via Facebook.

We absolutely love the connectivity of media and they way it helps to create stronger brands!

Sometimes you just learn the things you need to learn from college friends. I was an on-air personality at WRPI FM radio throughout my college days. That experience connected me with musicians, engineers and guys who are still my friends. We share what we learn as we learn it. I find they are so ahead of the curve and am grateful that I'm able to keep up.

A 2009 technology, Sound Cloud, is the latest to come across the WRPI discussion group. We're playing with it and it's becoming a part of our media and marketing efforts.

How many times are we as business professionals so engaged the process of applying our skills to all of our clients, that we neglect to apply them to our own businesses?

You've probably already had the same reasons (excuses) we did - too busy, not enough hours, need those billable hours and more. We're discovering that our productivity is increasing as we apply the very processes that have made our clients successful to our own firm. Simply, we are making time for it. My mother used to say, "you make time for the things that are really important to you - no exceptions."

What's happening is that the clients are gaining a larger benefit from our collective thinking and processes. We've created so much success for them already, we can't even imagine (or we can) how much more success we are going to create for them.

We are here to serve our clients. The better we serve ourselves, the better we will serve them.