Tag: East Tennessee

Majority of East Tennessee CEOs Are Engaged in Social Media

Posted by Amelia Daniels – June 6, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn.  – How social is your company?  The answer may be found within your CEO’s level of activity with social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  

In a recent survey of more than 300 business leaders in East Tennessee, Ackermann PR found that the scales are tipping toward social media with a majority of CEOs – 61% –using social media for personal use.  Contrast that statistic with numerous sets of data from 2010 that show less than half of CEOs were using social media to engage with the public and other stakeholders. 

“We suspected that businesses in East Tennessee were moving beyond the experimental stage with social media,” said Cathy Ackermann, President and CEO of Ackermann PR.  “And while that’s what the results show, many CEOs are still trying to figure out how it fits in with their overall marketing and communications mix.”

Some of the survey’s key findings include:

  • 46% of respondents are using social media primarily for branding and awareness
  • Facebook is the most popular, with 54% of respondents using Facebook
  • 39% of respondents say these social media activities have had minimal impact on their businesses so far while 27% said impact has been small but noticeable 
  • 40% indicated they are not sure about how to track or measure their social media activities

Ackermann says one of the most significant hurdles that businesses are encountering is employee training and participation.  “The survey showed some concern on the part of CEOs regarding the allocation of resources to social media activities.”

These same issues were raised at the recent Social Slam event, held in Knoxville in April.  Ackermann’s Digital Strategies Manager, Shane Rhyne who participated in Social Slam says, “Upper level participation was a common theme of Social Slam presentations. The businesses reaping the best rewards from social media were also those businesses where the CEO and other senior level leadership had taken an active role in participating in social media.”

The companies whose CEOs are engaged in social media are often more likely to be using social media for business purposes.  “We can help CEOs find the right balance for their company, whether they’re personally involved with social media or not.  Because there is one thing we know – using social media strategically can greatly enhance a company’s bottom line,” says Ackermann.

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Media Contact
Shane Rhyne
(865) 584-0550
srhyne@ackermannpr.com

Ackermann’s Rick Laney talks travel and tourism changes in the Smoky Mountain Region with WBIR (NBC) television

Posted by Rick Laney – January 19, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ackermann PR ’s Rick Laney sat down to talk with WBIR (NBC) television about dramatic changes taking place in the tourism industry in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  In recent years, Ackermann identified some significant shifts taking place in the local travel and tourism industries and conducted a private study of visitors during 2007 and 2008 (with updated data for 2009 and 2010).

Two key figures came to light through the study:  The Smoky Mountain Region is drawing a huge number of first-time visitors every year (as high as 41 percent in some areas) and traditional tourism cycles that tied closely to the school year had disappeared and the Smoky Mountain Region is now a year-round destination.

Click on the image below to watch the entire report from WBIR television.

Click to watch complete WBIR segment

Ackermann PR drawing unprecedented national attention to East Tennessee travel and tourism industry

Posted by Rick Laney – October 29, 2010

Knoxville, Tenn. — October 29, 2010 — In just the past few months, Ackermann PR has brought in the National Geographic Channel, MTV Productions, the Travel Channel’s “Bert The Conqueror,” Channel Four (a major television network based in London), national morning television shows including CW’s The Daily Buzz, and a number of travel shows based in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina to East Tennessee for special reports about our travel and tourism industry.  Ackermann is also involved in discussions with a major Hollywood film company to produce part of a major motion picture in East Tennessee.  This week, Ackermann’s Rick Laney served as a senior consultant to a pilot television show being shot for the Travel Channel.  Because Ackermann PR approaches East Tennessee’s travel and tourism as a regional effort that crosses local political lines, we have succeeded at focusing national attention on the tremendous assets our region holds.

Laney was featured on WATE-TV (ABC) in a report by Jamie Lynn Drohan about the impact all of this national and international attention has on the local economy.  The entire segment can be watched by clicking the photo below.

Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Well over 135,000 “passengers” have boarded the new Titanic Museum Attraction in just seven weeks

Posted by Rick Laney – June 9, 2010

Knoxville, Tenn. – The new Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. has been open for just two months and already more than 135,000 “passengers” have toured the painstakingly authentic recreation of the world’s most famous ship.

Titanic Museum Attraction in Tennessee

The world’s largest Titanic Museum Attraction, which is also the newest major attraction in the popular resort area surrounding the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is exceeding its business projections in all areas and sells completely out of tickets on most days. Because of the overwhelming response to the new museum, visitors are being urged to purchase tickets in advance or to make reservations by phone.

“I came down from Ohio specifically for the Titanic Museum Attraction,” said Amy Polczynski.  “I fully expected it to be amazing – but it far exceeded all of my expectations.  From the costumed crew members who meet you outside to the exact recreations of the grand staircase and first class suite, everything is so authentic.  It literally makes you feel as though you are standing on board the Titanic.

“In addition to the interior and exterior of the museum, the hundreds of actual Titanic artifacts that are on display are simply breathtaking.  To stand there and look at the actual master key that opened all of the first class suites, and the handwritten letters from those on board the ship, it just transports you back to 1912 – you feel like you are literally there.”

The Titanic Museum Attraction opened in April with a star-studded weekend-long Grand Opening hosted by Regis Philbin.  The event also featured numerous descendants and family members of those on board the Titanic and included a christening of the ship by Captain Edward J. Smith.

Titanic Museum Attraction is a half-scale, permanent, three-deck recreation of the Titanic.  The museum houses 20 galleries to display nearly 400 authentic, priceless Titanic artifacts that were either carried from the ship and into lifeboats by passengers and crew, or were found afloat soon after the sinking and quickly salvaged by rescue boats.

The Isidor and Ida Straus Suite at Titanic Museum Attraction

Inside the Titanic Museum Attraction, visitors find full-size recreations (built to actual Titanic blueprints) of Third-Class quarters, a First-Class suite, dining rooms and – the museum’s centerpiece – a $1 million exact reproduction of the Titanic’s Grand Staircase.  The First-Class suite in the Titanic Museum Attraction, which is dedicated to Isidor and Ida Straus who co-owned Macy’s Department Stores, was also the cabin used in James Cameron’s blockbuster movie Titanic as Rose’s suite.

“What we have created is special in so many ways,” said John Joslyn, co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction.  “It is truly a museum – with hundreds of priceless artifacts from the Titanic, but it is also an overall experience for our guests.  They get to talk to crew members and maids who know the detailed story of the ship and her passengers.  Visitors are able to touch an iceberg and feel the 28-degree water exactly as it was on that fateful night.

“While you’re visiting the Titanic Museum Attraction, you truly become a passenger on board the Titanic.  It’s a complete experience that honors and respects the ship and its passengers by keeping their stories alive.  It’s a one-of-a-kind place that you have to experience to fully understand.”

In addition to being a world class museum in the truest sense of the word, Titanic Museum Attraction is also highly interactive and offers a hands-on experience for children, teenagers and adults.  The ship is anchored in water to create the illusion of Titanic at sea, and a two-hour self-guided tour gives guests the sensation of sailing on the original ship’s 1912 maiden voyage. Upon entry, each guest receives a boarding pass bearing the name of an actual Titanic passenger or crew member whose fate is revealed on the Memorial Wall at tour end. Along the way, powerful emotions surface as guests:

  • Walk Titanic’s Grand Staircase
  • Touch the frozen surface of an “iceberg”
  • Feel the chill of that fateful “Starry Night”
  • Study some of the largest, most detailed Titanic models ever built
  • Grip the ship’s wheel and follow the Captain’s commands
  • Tour world-class galleries and the rare historical artifacts they hold
  • Sit in a Titanic lifeboat and listen to actual survivors tell their stories
  • Send an SOS from the Marconi Wireless Room
  • Test their balance while standing on mini-decks built to show the ever-steeper slope of Titanic as she sank
  • Watch children eight years and younger explore the special interactive Tot-Titanic Play-and-Learn Room
  • Dive to Titanic’s wreck site via spectacular underwater camera footage

The Titanic Museum Attraction – which is conveniently located to all areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville – is now open every day from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET.  Tickets are available online at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and visitors are strongly urged to purchase tickets in advance or make reservations by calling 1-800-381-7670.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, which owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction, is a privately owned entertainment and development company headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of Cedar Bay’s first Titanic Museum Attraction. Since its April 2006 grand opening, it has welcomed more than 2,200,000 guests.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Award-winning magician Terry Evanswood featured on WBIR’s Live at Five at Four

Posted by Rick Laney – May 11, 2010

Knoxville, Tenn. –  Terry Evanswood, who recently announced he has a new permanent home for his “Wonders of Magic Show” and “Hall of Magic” museum at WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge, was a guest on WBIR’s Live at Five at Four yesterday with Beth Haynes and Russell Biven.  Evanswood brought along a few priceless pieces of magic memorabilia and magically made Beth extremely strong (or Russell extremely weak).  Watch the entire segment below.

Video courtesy of WBIR.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley receives major gift and matching funds challenge from Charlie and Moll Anderson Family Foundation

Posted by Sarah Malak – April 29, 2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – (April 29, 2010) – Today, during the Gift of Hope Fundraising Luncheon that benefits Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley, Moll Anderson representing the Charlie and Moll Anderson Family Foundation announced an outright gift of $150,000 to the organization, plus another $150,000 as a challenge grant.  For any person or organization donating funds during or after the luncheon, the Charlie and Moll Anderson Family Foundation will match that contribution, dollar for dollar, up to $150,000.

Since any funds donated will be matched by the Charlie and Moll Anderson Family Foundation, this is the best opportunity to donate to Boys & Girls Clubs. Essentially, this campaign has the capacity to generate $450,000 for the organization.

“We had heard of the struggle that Boys & Girls Clubs is going through right now. Budgets are tight for everyone, but this is an organization that the East Tennessee community should never be without,” said Moll Anderson. “I personally have a wonderful history with Boys & Girls Clubs through my son and I can say first-hand that the organization makes an extremely positive difference in the lives of our youth. So, my husband Charlie and I are doing everything we can to motivate the community to donate as well.”

It costs Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley approximately $1,000 per child each year to serve all 6,000 members of the organization. If the goal is reached and $450,000 is donated from this campaign, that means 450 children will in essence be “sponsored” from the community.

“We are challenging organizations and individuals to give or raise $1,000 and sponsor one child each. And this is a great way to get friends involved – host a bake sale, a car wash, and have fun with it! We’ll match dollar for dollar, so any money that’s donated will go even further,” said Moll Anderson.

“We are thrilled that the Charlie and Moll Anderson Family Foundation is stepping up to the plate with this contribution. We have had to cut $1.2 million from our budget over the past two years and we cannot cut further without seriously curtailing services,” said John D. Lee, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley.

The Gift of Hope Award, which was presented today, was created to honor and recognize Emmet P. “Buck” and Linda Vaughn for their many years of outstanding dedication, inspiration and hope they have provided to the members of Boys & Girls Clubs. Buck and Linda honored the George Sampson Family and Cherokee Distributing Company with the award in appreciation of 32 years of exceptional support of fund raising events, programs and services of Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley.

Boys & Girls Clubs is embarking on a 15-month fundraising effort to raise $1.3 million, beginning with the annual Gift of Hope Fundraising Luncheon. Half of that is needed between now and Dec. 31, 2010, in order to maintain programs and critical outreach services. The organization also must raise $1.3 million every year in the future to sustain operations.

Boys & Girls Clubs currently serves 5,825 members, ages 5 to 18 years old throughout the region. The organization also provides 414,970 USDA hot meals and snacks annual for members free of charge. The Clubs see as many as 1,200 youth walk through the doors on any given day. There are 15 Club locations in Knox, Blount, Loudon and North Anderson Counties.

Those who are interested in donating may do so by visiting www.bgctnv.org. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact John D. Lee at (865) 248-1100 or jlee@bgctnv.org.

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About Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley

Boys & Girls Clubs has served the Tennessee Valley region since 1943. Its mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need the organization the most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The organization’s programs are focused on Character & Leadership Development, Education & Career Development, Health & Life Skills, the Arts, Sports and Fitness & Recreation. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley serves members in Knox, Blount, Loudon and North Anderson Counties. The organization employs more than 260 trained, professional, caring staff and welcomes more than 1,200 volunteers annually. It is a charter member of United Way.

Media Contact
Sarah Malak
Ackermann PR
(865) 584-0550
smalak@ackermannpr.com

Wilderness at the Smokies, Titanic Museum Attraction and WonderWorks on Sirius-XM Radio

Posted by Rick Laney – April 26, 2010

Christine Eads

Christine Eads recently asked Ackermann PR’s Rick Laney to do a travel segment about East Tennessee for Sirius-XM Radio’s national talk show BroadMinded.  Christine and her son came down from Washington, D.C. to East Tennessee for a few days and Rick had the opportunity to show them some of the best new resorts and attractions the area has to offer.

The interview includes Wilderness at the Smokies resort, the new Titanic Museum Attraction and WonderWorks.  All three are clients of Ackermann PR.

The interview (which can be listened to below) has been divided into two segments.  The first segment covers primarily Wilderness at the Smokies resort and the second segment covers mostly the Titanic Museum Attraction.  Take a few minutes to listen in, even if you live here.  You might be surprised at how people from other parts of the country respond to East Tennessee.  You might want to take in some of the new local attractions yourself — they’re just down the road.

A special thanks to Christine Eads and the crew from Broadminded.  We look forward to seeing them back in East Tennessee again real soon.

Wilderness at the Smokies segment

Titanic Museum Attraction segment

Interview is © Sirius-XM Radio’s BroadMinded.

Food or heat or health care?

Posted by Shane Rhyne – February 19, 2010

Thousands of East Tennesseans face this decision daily

Second Harvest logoKnoxville, TN – It is a frightening sign of our troubled economy. Every night in East Tennessee more than 245,500 people go to bed not sure if they will have food to eat in the next few days. Many of them are families with children.

Every month more than 16,000 of our neighbors must choose between buying food and paying for heat. Almost the same number faces choosing between food and health care.

These are the hard realities discovered during a national survey on hunger. Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee participated in the study, which was conducted on behalf of Feeding America, the national organization of which Second Harvest is a member.

“We know the demand for food continues to grow,” said Elaine Streno, Executive Director of Second Harvest.  “I’m not sure we fully realized just how dire things are for so many people across 18 counties, from the plateau to the mountains.”

Many of those in need are just average folks. Only 8 percent of the 36,800 different people helped in a week are homeless and almost a quarter of those helped are in households where there is at least one employed adult.

“People are working and still unsure they can feed their family,” said Streno. “That’s a situation than can leave a person almost hopeless.”

The impact of Second Harvest is deep. Second Harvest supplies an average of 78% of the food distributed by area pantries, 67% of the food distributed by kitchens, and 54% of the food distributed by shelters. Group homes and many service organizations also get their food from Second Harvest.

“What it all means to us is this: more and more people need food and we will need to raise more money to meet that need,” says Streno. “Even though we can provide three meals for only a dollar, the task before us is still daunting.”

If you are interested in supporting Second Harvest, or work as part of an agency or food bank and are interested in setting up an interview with a Second Harvest representative, please call Elaine Streno at 865-850-4284.  For more info visit: www.secondharvestknox.org

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Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, a member of Feeding America, has worked to eliminate hunger since 1982.  In 2009, this organization provided food for more than 9.7 million meals in 18 counties in East Tennessee.  With 6 major programs and 450 Agency/Food Partners, Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee distributes food to more than 145,000 kids, adults and seniors each month.  The service area includes Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne , Cocke, Cumberland, Fentress, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union Counties.

Media Contact:
Elaine Streno
(865) 850-4284