FishBait Solutions LLC and Touchpoint Communications Join Forces; Public Relations, MarComm Skills Amp Sponsorship Firm’s Fire Power

March 1, 2021 — CHARLESTON, SC — FishBait Solutions LLC, a multi-tiered sponsorship creation and activation company focused on lifestyle activities including athletics, entertainment and experiential events, has added Touchpoint Communications, an award-winning marketing communications firm based in Charleston, SC.

This merger will allow FishBait and its clients to tap into a team with proven skills at maximizing earned, owned and socialized media. Meanwhile, FishBait provides the 15-year-old PR firm more bench strength and collaborative power.

“We’ve worked with Colleen and her team for years, and we’d stack them up against any other PR strategists and executors out there. As we leap into 2021, we see so many opportunities for growth. We’re excited to add Touchpoint and their team to our tackle box,” said Rob Temple, FishBait Solutions’ CEO.

Touchpoint founder Colleen Troy becomes Vice President of Communications for FishBait, and general manager of its food and tourism verticals, which include World Food Championships, the Championship Chili Cookoff, and will continue to serve the company’s own clients, with day-to-day support led by Account Director Cristy Armstrong.

“Finding a perfect fit for our diverse experience in event development, culinary festivals, tourism and economic development was a pretty tall order,” said Troy. “We’re thrilled to join forces with the FishBait team, where we can tap into exciting new opportunities and help grow organizations, campaigns and communities.”

 

About FishBait Solutions, LLC.

Founded by Rick Jones in 2003, FishBait Solutions operates with three divisions:

  • FishBait Marketing represents various lifestyle, event and media property clients, including ESPN Events, the Country Music Association, Opry Entertainment Group, BMI, the World Food Championships, various Outdoor Channel personalities and television shows, and the American Battlefield Trust’s Liberty Trail and other initiatives.
  • FishBait Consulting works with various properties and corporate sponsors, including current clients Anheuser Busch, Capital One, Dollar General, TicketSmarter and Werner Ladder.
  • FishBait Ventures develops assets with third parties. Currently FishBait is an equity partner with EngageMint and has stakes in several small start-ups.

FishBait sells and activates in five unique verticals:

  • American Heritage will develop sponsorship programming up to and through the U.S. celebration of its 250th anniversary in 2026.
  • Collegiate Sports working with ESPN Events and other collegiate properties and corporate sponsors.
  • Country Music working with some of Nashville’s biggest events.
  • Food Festivals anchored by the World Food Championships.
  • Outdoor Sports with programs and personalities on the Outdoor Channel.

About Touchpoint Communications

Founded in 2005, the woman-owned firm has a reputation for applying a shared work ethic and devotion to service to all its endeavors. With numerous national and regional awards to their credit, Touchpoint has represented ArtFields, Charleston Fashion Week, South Carolina Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Charleston Beer Fest, the Charleston Wine & Food Festival, and many others. Current clients include the Beaufort Port Royal CVB, Camden and Kershaw County, New Leaf Builders and others.

Feeling Grateful

We’re keeping it sweet and simple this month by sharing with you what we’re grateful for. At Touchpoint, we’re grateful for YOU. Yes all of you! The community of people we surround ourselves with each and every day. Charleston is a special place, but it’s the people who live in it that make us wake up every day excited to live, work, and play here. It’s our colleagues, clients near and far, neighbors, family and friends who make this place so special.

In this season of gratitude (shouldn’t every season be?) we thought we’d share a few personal anecdotes from our team:

I always told my mom I wanted to grow up and “know everybody in the world.” She just encouraged me to try. Today, I’m grateful to have found a career that is strengthened by “knowing everybody.” I get to express my innate curiosity about the world every day by asking impertinent questions, helping clients navigate their markets, and conjuring up ideas for our amazing team. I’m truly so fortunate! - Colleen Troy

I am grateful that I live in a community where I can make a difference. I am a part of this city - and, that’s pretty cool. Outside of work, I’m extremely proud to be the host of CreativeMornings Charleston, a free monthly breakfast lecture series for the creative community. It allows me to shine a light on difference-makers and connect with like-minded people. Our company values community engagement, and I’m encouraged to get out there and make each day count. - Cristy Armstrong


I’m blessed to work for a company where I’m encouraged to be creative, where my ideas are heard, and where I am constantly challenged to grow! I feel fortunate to work alongside individuals who are passionate about our clients and the community we live in. Touchpoint has shaped me to become a better version of myself, and for that I am forever grateful. - Olivia Saber


I am grateful for the unconditional love shared by the pets and animals in my life. The Touchpoint team is lucky to have two awesome office pups, and I always look forward to hanging out with my roommate’s kitty. These animals provide joy and warmth that can sometimes be taken for granted, but nothing lights up my day like they do. Always adopt! - Will Dodge

PR for Events – a Match Made in Heaven?

Sustained communications programs are what make PR firms go around. Matching ongoing needs with opportunities is Touchpoint’s stock in trade.

Over the past 15 years, we’ve developed a reputation for promoting events of all types. From chef-driven takeovers in New York City to pop-up dinners in Charleston; multi-day festivals to tiny influencer dinner parties – when it comes to making the most of an event, we’re all in.

We’ve learned a few things about maximizing the PR value of your event. Next time you’re in planning stages, consider this:

  • Of course you want media to cover your event ahead of time (to help you generate enthusiasm). But have you asked why they should? What’s in it for their readers or followers?

  • Can you provide media something sexy or meeting – compelling enough to make them leave their desk? Can they get back stage, or snag hard-to-get interviews with your participants? How can you inspire a hard working journalist to give you their precious attention?

  • If your event has been done before, what is new this year? Are you reaching a milestone, is someone important participating/attending, are you raising money for a cause? Remember, news is about NEW!

And while we are big proponents of PR for events, we are mindful of the limitations of earned media.

So before you launch your plan, ask this simple question: Will your event be successful if no media cover it?

Are you counting on just PR to sell it? That’s often a recipe for disaster. Make sure you have a marketing budget for sponsored social posts, potential hosted media visits, and ads.

 

PR at Events – MacGyver Meets The Great Race

 

Here’s an event IQ quiz:

  • What happens when the caterer forgets serve ware for a dessert party for 120? You wipe a credit card with vodka and use it as a spatula.

  • What everyday implement are you carrying that can serve as a knife or scissor? The sharp edge of your car key, of course!

  • Where to turn when the centerpieces are held up in traffic? Run to the closest bodega or Trader Joe’s and grab what flowers you can find, and turn tumblers into vases.

  • What office implement can you employ when you have to move large boxes without a dolly? Grab a rolling chair and count the thumbs up as you push that chair down the sidewalks of 5th Avenue.

In addition to promoting events, Touchpoint is often found working events, supplementing planners or stepping in to execute from soup to nuts.

We enjoy the problem-solving aspects. The adrenaline rush you get when things are working cannot be beat. And the sheer terror you feel when they momentarily are not working, well, that we’d be happy to forego, forever.

As you plan events, and secure PR support, think ahead about what you’ll need before – but especially during. Do you need someone to host on-site media? Engage in social posting and listening? Tend to sponsors in your VIP tent? Work the room on your behalf?

Thinking ahead goes a long way toward avoiding problems. And when those arise, just make sure your team is carrying car keys, credit cards – and have more than a few tricks up their sleeves.

When Things Get Anti-Social

Social media is such fun, isn’t it? What a great place to showcase your business, to share the news of your growth, and to strengthen your brand.

But what happens when those channels you thought you owned actually become “anti social” media?

We’ve been called upon numerous times these past few years by organizations that suddenly found themselves awash in online bashing. This can take the form of fake negative reviews on sites like Google, Yelp or TripAdvisor, or it can emerge on Instagram or Facebook.

And as the ad says, in the world of social media crises, life comes at you fast.

So what can the average business owner or leader do, when confronted with a brewing social media maelstrom? Short of having Mark Zuckerberg on speed dial, how can you respond, if at all?

While we can’t prescribe here a fully detailed plan for every situation, we can identify the first steps to take if you are suddenly the subject of online drama:

 

Use our tips to best prepare yourself for a social media crisis.

Breathe

Take a moment to breathe. Pausing to reflect will help you remember who you are, what your organization stands for, and how you want to be perceived publicly. Taking that moment to collect yourself allows you to respond (or not) from a place of heart. After all, it’s easy to fight fire with fire; but fanning the flames reflexively can be dangerous.

Review

Read all public posts carefully, and ask a trusted (and more neutral) associate to read them, too. Aggregate your perceptions: do the posts merit a response? Are they best handled privately or publicly? Is this a form of libel that should be removed from your feeds? Is it appropriate to ask other sites to remove negative claims from theirs? (Proceed there with extreme caution.)

Respond

Now, come up with your response plan. Craft your responses, enlist appropriate messengers, and vow to listen carefully. And if things seem to be getting worse, call a communications professional. It may seem expensive, but it could save you money in the long run.

Remember – every storm will pass. How you handle a crisis says everything about who you are.

How to Network Like a PR Pro

“In the PR world, networking is key!”

We hear this often, and while it’s very true… does anyone actually know the right way to network?

People often assume that networking stops at attending events, but it goes way beyond showing up to that monthly happy hour. Making real connections at events and developing genuine relationships that lead into lifelong working relationships does not come easy! You have to work for it!

Attend Different Events

Going to events is always good for broadening your network and meeting new people. The problem? People aren’t switching up the events they attend and end up seeing the same people over and over again. Try looking for events you wouldn’t normally go to. Connecting to people with diverse interests and knowledge is a good thing! It creates a growing and learning experience for both parties.

Community Involvement

Our Account Director Cristy Armstrong is the host of Creative Mornings, a breakfast lecture series fro the creative community in Charleston. Photo Credit: Kate Thornton

All of the leadership at Touchpoint is involved in community work, whether that be serving on the board of a foundation or planning events for a local organization. Although not directly relevant to media placements or client initiatives, it’s a great way to get to know the community you’re working in and may even land you some new clients!

Throw Away the Numbers Game

Yes, of course having tons of connections is a good thing. What isn’t a good thing? Tons of connections that aren’t meaningful. Could you call them up and ask for a favor during a client crisis? Would you help them out if the roles were reversed? If the answer is no, then focus in on a target group of people in your network that you feel you could build a meaningful working relationship with—even if it’s just a handful. Make sure you exchange phone numbers and social media accounts to stay in touch. This includes keeping up to date with their work through checking up on their company if they’re a potential client or reading their articles if they’re in the media.

Keep in Touch

So it’s a month later and you haven’t seen or heard from someone important in your network. Reach out! Don’t wait for a follow-up that may never come, make it happen! Invite them to events you’re attending, grab a cup of coffee one morning, or simply pick up the phone and give them a call to catch up. Cutting off the connection by failing to keep in touch will reduce and restrict your professional network.

How to Get the Perfect Foodstagram with Nothing but Your iPhone

Whether you work in ‘the business’ or not, there comes a moment— out brunching with your girls, splurging on a 5-course meal, or grabbing a much-needed 5 o’clock cocktail after work—where you feel the urge to snap your order. And who can blame you? The phone always eats first. But in today’s social media-oriented world, it takes more than just an Apple product to capture the juiciness of that burger.

We recently attended a photography course at the Ordinary with James Beard-nominated food photographer Jonathan Boncek (Instagram: @boncekimages). Now, before you post that well-earned meal, you can follow these guidelines for Insta-success with a foodstagram.

For reference, this photo has 3 o’clock lighting and 9 o’clock shadows, creating dimension.
Directional Lighting and Composition

We’ve all had our fair share of dinner pictures that just didn’t turn out right. Lighting is the most important part of taking a good photo.

Pretend there’s a round clock surrounding your food or drink, and that the target is at 6 o’clock. Then, make sure the lighting is either coming in at 3 or 9 o’clock. This will add dimension through shadows on one side, and light enhancements on the other half, making the photo look more real and less flat.

Struggling with lighting? Try opening a door or moving your plate to a new angle.

Add Human Elements

People respond well to human elements because they make photos look natural and more in-the-moment. This could be hands holding a cheeseburger or that first big bite of a meal that leaves a noticeable chunk gone.

The green of the menu and flowers brings out the green leaves at the top of the drink.
Tighten up the table Items

Now that you’ve mastered lighting and composition, focus on the space around the food. Position your table items to fill up blank spaces, and pick ones that will bring out the colors of the plate or drink you are photographing, whether because they match perfectly or are a contrasting color.

Improvise

The most interesting backdrop isn’t always the table. Place your food or drink on the floor or add a menu under the plate. Scout the room for the most interesting, perhaps unexpected, spots. Be prepared for others to stare; but hey, haters gonna hate

This meal was shot in a plant.
Simple Editing

Who has time for Photoshop? Use your most convenient resource. The magic wand editing tool on your IPhone improves your photo by just a click of a button (located in the upper-right hand corner of the screen after you click “Edit”).

If you want to play around with your photo more, there’s no need for fancy apps. Just look through what the editing software the iPhone already offers—you can change the highlights, shadows, contrast, colors, and much more!

With this handful of tips, you’ll have the perfect. Grab your iPhone today at Happy Hour and start snapping!

 

How Place Making Makes Sense for Communities

As a collection of people with big- and small-town experiences, Touchpointers all share an affinity for authentic places populated by awesome people.

We’ve been proud to create robust campaigns for emerging neighborhoods and long-established cities. And while each place is surely unique, we like to dig in and figure out what’s really, really going on.

There’s an art and science to showcasing the essential promise of a place. Whether that’s bringing a place to life through events, or through media coverage, our goal is always to serve our clients’ goal.

Recently, we completed a campaign for the City of Walterboro, focused on putting that city in the minds of potential relocators. We spent a good bit of time in town, learning what really makes it tick. And then we worked with pals at Hank Productions and McLaughlin Design to capture that essence.

Walterboro offers so much more than we imagined, so it was easy to say as much to others. We found that videos captured the essence of the place, as sound and movement often will!

Meanwhile, we’ve just launched a campaign focused on Dorchester County’s abundant recreational assets. Surprised? Well, that’s what prompts community leaders to invest in communication.

We’ve developed a digital ad campaign, layered in with some out-of-home and social media platforms. It’s a small start, but it could bring big returns to the county.

But does it work? Well, we think it does. Just ask Lake City, the tiny agricultural town in the Pee Dee. We partnered with their ArtFields art festival for five years, generating millions of dollars of coverage and placing copious campaigns…all designed to bring folks to town for 10 days in May.

It worked. Lake City has generated amazing awareness nationwide, culminating in being named most cultural small town in America in 2018, by USA Today.

Is your real estate project, town or city in need of some fresh eyes and abundant energy? Well give us a call; let’s see if we can help put –or keep – you on the map!

Leave the Catering to the Professionals This Holiday Season

Holiday Entertaining Made Easy with Local Catering Options

Thanksgiving may be over, but the holiday parties are about to kick off. We’re not stressing this holiday season because our friends (and clients) at Thurston Southern Catering have us covered.

Local Charleston caterer, Thurston Southern Catering, is busy dishing up some serious eats fit for the season. This is always a jam-packed event season in the Lowcountry, and the team at TSC is a part of some of Charleston’s best celebrations.

If you are throwing a holiday party or corporate event, let TSC cater. From product launches to holiday soirees, their professional staff will ensure your company’s event is the hot topic at the workplace for days to come. Take a look at some of their signature hors d’oeuvres here.

Here’s one of Thurston Southern Catering’s recipes that we love making for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Root Vegetable Au Gratin

This dish is sure to impress your house guests this holiday season!

Ingredients:
3 cups heavy cream
1 heavy Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
5 cloves roasted garlic
4 lbs. root vegetables (Yukon gold and sweet potatoes, and rutabaga) - sliced 1/3″ thick
4 cups shredded gruyere or Swiss

Instructions:
1) Bring first four ingredients to a simmer. Remove from heat, add roasted garlic, and allow to cool 1 hour. Strain into a large bowl.
2) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add sliced root vegetables and 1/2 of the cheese to strained cream bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss together.
3) Line a 9×13″ casserole dish with parchment and lightly grease pan.
4) Fill pan with the vegetable mixture and level out. Top with remaining cheese.
5) Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
6) Remove foil, rotate, and bake another 15-20 minutes or until center is fork tender. Enjoy!

Adult Memory Care Day Center First of its Kind in South Carolina

Caregivers Will Get Assistance with New Memory Care Day Facility Close to Opening in Mount Pleasant

Alice’s Clubhouse, the first medical model memory care center in the Lowcountry will open on Bowman Road this fall. Alice’s Clubhouse is open to adults with mild to moderate memory loss, including but not limited to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and other forms of dementia. Open to adults with mild to moderate memory loss, the 3,100 square-foot facility will host up to 30 members per day, and is now accepting applications.

The co-founders, David AvRutick and Diane Sancho (pictured) hosted a Dusty Boots Tour on October 18 to offer doctors, locals and potential members a first look at the facility and the chance to learn more about membership.

Two local residents, with a desire to improve quality of life for both the Clubhouse’s members and their caregivers, developed the facility from concept through creation. Diane Sancho, MSW, a 30-year veteran of elder care will serve as its executive director. David AvRutick, whose mother, Alice, has Alzheimer’s disease, is its president.

“We are excited to launch the first medical model memory care day center in South Carolina – and one of only a few in the United States,” said AvRutick. “Alice’s Clubhouse will allow those struggling with the disease to live at home longer and be more stimulated socially and cognitively, while at the same time helping their caregivers better maintain their own lives and health.”

The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that:

  • Every minute, an adult is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States
  • One in 10 seniors are living with dementia from Alzheimer’s disease
  • By 2025, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is expected to grow in every state by at least 13 percent. In South Carolina, that number is expected to grow by 35 percent

“Alice’s Clubhouse offers comprehensive services, enabling both its members and their caregivers to live less stressful, more fulfilling lives,” said Sancho. “The goal of our center is to offer support, stimulation, socialization, and relief to our members and their families who are shouldering these challenging conditions.”

The center will have a team of licensed medical professionals on site to assess each club member, administer medications and assist with daily care. Staff includes registered nurses, a physician liaison, a certified nursing assistant and a recreational technician. Dentists, podiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists will be in rotation. White linen food service will also be featured at lunch and snack time.

AvRutick envisions opening multiple locations of Alice’s Clubhouse to meet this tremendous growing need, as well as partnering with researchers and hospitals in the field of memory care to contribute to the body of knowledge on dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and the many other conditions that rob individuals of their cognitive abilities.

The structured environment of Alice’s Clubhouse will prioritize therapeutic and recreational programming tailored to each member’s interests, including art therapy, horticulture, baking, music, word games, guest lecturers and reading – all for cognitive stimulation. Salon services, exercise classes and visits by therapy animals will also be offered.

Alice’s Clubhouse is open to adults with mild to moderate memory loss, including but not limited to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and other forms of dementia. A comprehensive assessment for care plan development must be completed before being accepted as a Clubhouse member. The Clubhouse is private pay, although some costs may be covered by a member’s long term care insurance.

Alice’s Clubhouse is located at 1156 Bowman Road, Suite 105, Mount Pleasant, SC 29646. Hours of operation are Mondays through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

To learn more, contact Diane Sancho at diane@alicesclubhouse.com or visit www.alicesclubhouse.com. Alice’s Clubhouse is located at 1156 Bowman Road, Suite 105, Mount Pleasant, SC 29646.

 

 

First Hemp Plantings Hit The Fields in Historic New Movement

20 Permitted Farms Statewide Learning As They Grow

Farmers all over South Carolina have been working overtime in recent months to prepare for the first legal hemp planting in decades. From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, twenty 20-acre parcels are nurturing their first industrial hemp seedlings, all of which will ultimately be harvested and used for a variety of industrial purposes.

SC Farm Communities Now Linked to $10 Billion Global Industry.

Many of the participants are literally betting their family farms on the viability of this new crop. Six-figure investments of real cash, and countless hours of sweat equity, have been made by many farmers since permits were issued in January – all in hopes of gaining a foothold in an industry projected to spur $1.8 billion in U.S. sales by 2020.

Hemp – a member of the cannabis family that does not possess the psychoactive properties of its cousin, marijuana– has more than 25,000 known uses. The hemp plant can be used for fiber, fuel, food, construction, health and wellness products, and more.

“The farmers, researchers and processors who came together to launch the hemp industry in South Carolina are true visionaries,” said Lucas Snyder, founder and executive director of the South Carolina Hemp Farmers Association. “In just a few weeks in their fields, they have made tremendous strides and discovered critical facts about the variations in our state’s micro climates, topographies and support networks, which will go a long way toward helping hemp realize its full potential in South Carolina.”

Hemp Cultivation Attracts New generation of S.C. Farmers

Permitting by the South Carolina Agricultural Department has allowed the initial 20 farmers to test hemp production here. Each approved permit requires farmers to link up with a research institution and to have in hand a commercial production partner. In 2019, 40 permits will be issued.

Popular wisdom claims that hemp is an easy-to-grow crop – disease, draught and pest resistant. Yet the class of 2018 has quickly learned that hemp is as challenging as any other plant. Farmers also note that one region may produce the ideal plants for popular cannabinoid – or CBD – products, while another region is ideal for the row plantings suited for fiber production.

In some participating communities, farmers are focused on one day re-invigorating abandoned tobacco warehouses or textile processors.

“Our association allows each member to collect and share data about these inaugural crops, so that these farmers and communities can benefit from industrial hemp for generations to come.”

Snyder notes that hemp cultivation has attracted a new generation of farmers, for whom stable pricing and abundant end uses are attractive. Many have seen their farms buffeted by variable market conditions that make this year’s cash generator next year’s loss leader.

South Carolina Hemp Farmers Association is an advocacy organization dedicated to creating a robust, sustainable hemp industry in South Carolina.

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