Blog

Join us in conversation on the topics we believe matter...to our industry, our city and our society.

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 […]

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Beyond the piechart: Infographics’ rising popularity

By Kris Travis | Oct 21, 2013

They’re everywhere lately: infographics. There are beautiful examples, and there are terrible examples. But I must say, I love a good infographic. As a designer with a passion for reading and learning, these graphics are the perfect blend of content and design, hard facts and artful interpretation. And when done well, these graphics become a […]

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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 […]

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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, […]

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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 […]

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#Hashtags: The New Communication Tool #hmmmm #skeptical #hungry

By Kelda Rericha | Sep 26, 2013

Earlier this summer New York Magazine’s Jeff Wisler wrote a piece called “The 7 Types of Hashtag Abusers” which so brilliantly put into words a deep, personal animosity for hashtags that has been growing ever stronger in my heart.  Wisler puts hashtag abusers on blast, calling out several categories of misuse, including: The Hashtag Stuffer: […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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Chobani Yogurt Offers Lesson in Crisis PR

By Kelda Rericha | Sep 9, 2013

Chobani’s PR team offers a lesson in crisis management do’s and don’ts. As so many things do these days, it all started on Facebook. In the last few days of August, fans of Chobani’s Facebook page began reporting “puffy lids” and a “carbonated” taste from the top-selling Greek-style yogurt maker in the U.S. The company quickly […]

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