A.wordsmith | Portland PR & Communications

Topping the Search Engines in 2015

By Ann Smith | Dec 10, 2014

The term “search engine optimization” can be scary to businesses of any size. With up to 64 percent of website traffic coming from search engines, it’s also critical. Monday’s article by Forbes’ Jason DeMers highlights the top trends for search engine optimization in 2015. So what’s the biggest take away for your business? Specialization in technical […]

My Hometown Hero Gets an Ivy League Shoutout

By Ann Smith | Nov 25, 2014

I’m a ranch kid who grew up in the south-eastern corner of Oregon. People ask me all the time where I’m from and my natural response is “Southern Oregon.” They then usually start guessing places – Ashland? Medford? Grants Pass? No, keep going. At this point I can see they are persistent to so I […]

Five New Trends Showcasing the Diversity of Social Media

By Ann Smith | Nov 25, 2014

When social media websites like Facebook and Twitter first splashed onto the scene, few probably imagined how many possibilities would spark from the platforms’ creations. Today, you’re not just limited to connecting with old friends, following your favorite athletes and celebrities, and planning your wedding or home décor. New technological innovations have allowed consumers to […]

In Defense of Annoying Advertising

By Ann Smith | Nov 13, 2014

For decades, targeted advertising was limited. Men were cursed to see ads for women’s sanitary products and women had to tolerate ads targeted at men’s health. Many dollars have been spent on prospective consumers that were not going to be buying a company’s products. But today, the world of marketing has changed. No more are […]

Campaign Ads of 2014

By Ann Smith | Nov 4, 2014

November 4th has arrived and after today you no longer have to listen to the campaign advertisements, at least for awhile. Although these advertisements address some of the issues with each campaign candidate or proposition measure, they can be overbearing, aggressive, and sometimes pushing the truth. NPR’s Alisa Chang, recently reported on the “2014 Campaign […]

Newspaper Ad Revenue Down $40 Billion Since 2000

By Ann Smith | Oct 25, 2014

We blogged recently about the health of the magazine industry, which has experienced a 10% YOY growth in readership. The news came as a surprise to many of us, given the state of newspapers today. Unfortunately, there’s no corresponding happy news in the latest stats about the health of the newspaper industry, as measured by […]

Monica Lewinsky's Back in the Media

By Ann Smith | Oct 22, 2014

Many know the name Monica Lewinsky. Over 16 years ago in 1998, the details of her affair with President Bill Clinton became public knowledge and she has since then lived in the public eye. Her name has even been mentioned in rap lyrics by Beyonce, Eminem, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne among others. At the […]

Combating Health Miscommunication Takes Powerful Communication

By Ann Smith | Oct 8, 2014

Health agencies have been challenged for months with how best to communicate with the public and the media alike about the Ebola outbreak. The news that Thomas Eric Duncan, the Dallas man infected with Ebola, has died is likely to add to Americans’ fears about the disease, and with that fear, we are likely to […]

Sexism on Jeopardy?

By Ann Smith | Sep 30, 2014

Women’s rights are gaining focus in the media. Stories including Emma Watson’s United Nation speech, the #yesallwomen Twitter handle and the contraception debate in recent Supreme Court cases are drawing attention to the issue of equal rights for women. Adding to the touchy issue, Monday night’s Jeopardy episode included a questionable category that stirred up […]

Addicted to Technology?

By Ann Smith | Sep 18, 2014

With the enormous amount of buzz surrounding the new iPhone, it’s worth the time to think about what life would be like if we weren’t so consumed with the newest technology, social media and the world online. Sometimes we spend too much time on our technological devices that we decide to create apps like Moment, […]

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity?

By Ann Smith | Sep 15, 2014

Does the old adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity still hold true? Urban Outfitters is in the hot seat over a “vintage” Kent State sweatshirt that appeared as though it had blood splatters across it. The apology The company posted an apology on twitter shortly after the first media stories about backlash […]

#WhyIStayed: A Social Movement of Domestic Violence Support

By Ann Smith | Sep 10, 2014

Last week marked the opening day of the NFL season and within a few days the national spotlight was shining an ugly beam on one of the league’s star players. On Monday the world was seeing the horrific altercation between Baltimore Raven’s star Ray Rice and his wife Janay in a casino elevator where he […]