A.wordsmith | Portland PR & Communications

Who Knew? Choice in Font Could Save the US Govt. Millions

By Ann Smith | Apr 2, 2014

The unexpected impact of switching fonts Middle school student Suvir Mirchandani, discovered the US government could save a combined $400 million just by switching fonts used in printed documents. It all started as a school science fair project. Suvir was looking for ways to reduce waste and save money in the Pittsburgh School District. Fourteen-year-old […]

A PR Maverick is Passing the Reins – to You?

By Ann Smith | Mar 29, 2014

Do you have an entrepreneurial mind and the drive to own your own global public relations firms? Do you want to take the reins of a £1m PR firm that represents clients like the Dalai Lama and the Prince of Wales? Then listen up – I have found an opportunity for you! Global Tolerance Simon […]

The AP Is So Over Using "More Than"

By Ann Smith | Mar 25, 2014

The AP Stylebook governs journalists, marketing communications and PR professionals alike and has been known for decades for its rigid stances on the minutiae of grammar, punctuation and spelling. It’s often the final arbiter when it comes to a debate over what to call undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. (“illegal immigrants” was banned from its […]

Disney's "Frozen" Breaking Records and Expectations

By Ann Smith | Mar 19, 2014

With its DVD release in US stores and debut in Japanese theaters this weekend, the Oscar-winning movie “Frozen” is expected to surpass Disney Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” as the highest grossing animated film in the world. Generating $1 billion at the worldwide box office, the same day it won two Academy Awards for Best Animated […]

Lessons Learned in the Art of Pitching

By Ann Smith | Mar 14, 2014

Sometimes we have to learn firsthand that our pitches aren’t working –or even worse, outright stink. I have been in the public relations industry for almost a decade now, so I have had my share of successes and failures. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned that I want to share with you: You’re not […]

Don't Forget to Tweet Your Vegetables

By Ann Smith | Mar 13, 2014

Anyone with an account on FaceBook, Instagram and the like has been assailed by food porn – what seems like never-ending images of elegantly plated bacon-wrapped shrimp or a sky-high stack of pancakes drizzled with whipped cream and caramel. Like its more salacious cousin, you know it when you see it. Food porn is found […]

Welcome Kailee!

By Ann Smith | Mar 10, 2014

Welcome Kailee Pence to the A.wordsmith team! Kailee joins as our spring intern and we’re so excited to have her. There’s much about her to like, starting with her love of country music, good Chinese food and visits to both the beach and mountain. Here are 5 more things you might not know about her […]

DeGeneres' Oscar Selfie is a Record Breaker

By Ann Smith | Mar 3, 2014

Did you watch the Oscars? The highlights are making the internet rounds—from Matthew McConaughey thanking himself to Lupita’s tear-jerker of an acceptance speech to the pizza delivery guy and his pizza, but the biggest news may be Ellen DeGeneres’ record-breaking Oscar selfie. Currently at 2.5 million retweets and counting, the shot contains a staggering amount of […]

The Power of the Telephone

By Ann Smith | Mar 2, 2014

Picking up the phone In today’s world, we use a variety of outlets to communicate with others and voice our opinion. From emailing, texting, tweeting, posting, pinning, sharing and liking, the ability to communicate is near limitless. The one thing most people have moved away from is using the telephone. You can click to read […]

Anonymity and Temporality in Social Media Marketing

By Ann Smith | Feb 25, 2014

There has been a lot of chatter in the news recently about social network for sharing secrets, such as Whisper (Celebrity gossip! Lawsuit filed!) and Snapchat (Another big brand opens up an account!). These platforms, however, bear little resemblance to Facebook and Twitter, on which so many organizations have focused their social media marketing efforts […]

Spreading the Love

By Ann Smith | Feb 14, 2014

Given today is Valentine’s Day, I think it is only appropriate this post be love-filled. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I enjoy clever, witty and smart web tools. Today I bring you a Valentine’s Day Google doodle featuring candy hearts. Six candy hearts are arranged where the logo used to be. There’s “Crush,” “Mr. […]

The Lighter Side of the Olympics (At Last)

By Ann Smith | Feb 13, 2014

Finally, there’s been some positive non-sports news out of Sochi. After a week of less than ideal PR — disturbing images of pink eye (read our earlier blog) and stories of Sochi being a bit less-than-ready for visitors – I was ready for some light-hearted, non-sports coverage. Molson Canadian announced earlier this week via twitter […]