A.wordsmith | Portland PR & Communications

A Christmas (and PR) Miracle

By Ann Smith | Dec 12, 2013

WestJet made Christmas dreams come true Oh Wow. Incredible idea. Brilliant PR move. WestJet shared a full serving of Christmas joy and happiness to customers, and the results will make any heart grow three sizes. Take the 5 minutes to watch this Christmas (and PR) miracle – it will inspire you to believe that miracles […]

Six Tips for Social Media in 2014

By Ann Smith | Dec 10, 2013

In the interest of year-end list-making, let’s talk social for a second. It’s not going anywhere. Whether or not you’re avidly updating and tweeting in your off-time, social media is an established tool in the marketing and communications field. So how is your company using it? Consider these options and best practices as you embrace […]

The End of Dave's Killer Bread as We Know It?

By Ann Smith | Nov 19, 2013

If you live in the Northwest and you aren’t on the gluten-free bandwagon, you’ve probably tried (and loved) Dave’s Killer Bread. GMO-free, organic, vegan and made with whole grains, it boasts everything that health-conscious Oregonians could ask for. Beyond tasty bread, the company’s message centers on the feel-good story of an ex-con that cleaned up […]

Suck a Lemon, Lululemon

By Ann Smith | Nov 8, 2013

Lululemon has gone sour. OH MY GOODNESS. This is so bad, it’s downright laughable. Chip Wilson of Lululemon Athletica fame – those are shout outs to you. You should probably keep your hateful, judgmental mouth shut. And in the meantime, have fun with the PR firestorm you managed to create. I think it’s about time for one […]

Just Do It!

By Ann Smith | Oct 25, 2013

Nike is known for having a lingering PR headache. With oversea child sweatshops and troubled sponsored athletes, I can only imagine Nike’s PR team is on overdrive most of the time. This weekend was no exception. On Sunday I ran in the Nike Women’s Marathon down in San Francisco. 30,000 people (majority women) gathered at […]

PR: Family Style

By Ann Smith | Oct 18, 2013

As PR professionals we’ve learned how to position, couch and direct certain messages so that they are received in the most desired manner. It’s how we interact with external influencers – media, clients and even colleagues. But what about when it’s family? I recently had an interaction with a distant family member that I haven’t […]

The Future of Retail . . .

By Ann Smith | Oct 10, 2013

Last night I attended a Portland Design Week panel discussion on the future of retail. It wasn’t quite what I expected, as the discussion skewed more towards what retailers could do to increase value for their consumers through services and technology, rather than the more design-oriented aspect of the retail experience (space, visuals, product display, […]

Beacon – A New Site to Fund Writers

By Ann Smith | Sep 28, 2013

An interesting find I thought I would pass along – Beacon! Beacon, the Netflix for journalism, is a site where the public can access articles by personally funding their favorite writers. For $5 a month, readers can log on to www.beaconreader.com and decide what writers and stories get published instead of advertisers. Public relations professionals […]

Miley Cyrus, PR Genius or Wrecking Ball?

By Ann Smith | Sep 24, 2013

I think most of America is in agreement that what happened on the VMA stage between Miley Cyrus, Robin Thicke and a foam finger was an utter trainwreck and something we’ll be trying to erase from our memories for a long time to come. However, now that the dust has settled (a bit) and we […]

How a Portland Company Put Instagram to Work

By Ann Smith | Sep 17, 2013

What’s your social media protocol at this point? The standard Facebook and Twitter with the occasional LinkedIn post? Is it productive or does it feel like it’s going out into the vacuum? With social media platforms, use and trends constantly shifting, standard doesn’t necessarily mean effective. The opportunities are endless when you’re willing to step […]

A 9/11 Rewind: How We Communicate 12 Years Later

By Ann Smith | Sep 12, 2013

It was twelve years ago today, and I can still remember the exact moment the first airplane hit the World Trade Center. I spent that entire day glued to the television watching every detail of the day’s events unfold. It was like time stood still. 9/11 affects every American in one way or another, and […]

Selfie is Officially “Liked” by the OE

By Ann Smith | Aug 29, 2013

It’s come to this. “Selfie”, the term for mobile phone self-portraits generally aligned with vain teenage girls, has now entered the lexicon and joins proper words like “forsooth”, “serendipity” and “horse” in the Oxford English Dictionary, otherwise known as the OED and grandfather master of all dictionaries. The inclusion reflects an acceptance of other tech-related […]