Firm Updates & Happenings: Mid-Year 2019

By Ann Smith | Jul 17, 2019

Here at A.wordsmith we are feeling great as we roll into the second half of 2019 – and hope the same is true for you! Celebrating a Decade This is a landmark year for the firm as we officially celebrated our tenth anniversary in April. We had a great time celebrating this milestone with many […]

Read More

Happy Mother’s Day

By Gretchen Hoffman | May 10, 2019

We’d like to take a moment to thank all of the moms and mother figures in our lives – you continue to inspire us each and every day. Happy Mother’s Day! Ann Dear Mom, There really aren’t words that accurately sum up just how much I love you.  Even though I’m raising girls of my […]

Read More

Firm Happenings & New Beginnings

By Ann Smith | Feb 14, 2019

How can it already be the middle of February? While 2018 was great for A.wordsmith, I was excited to jump into 2019 with a freshness that only exists at the start of a new year. And what a year it’s shaping up to be!   A Milestone Kind of Year In a few months we will […]

Read More

What Fortnite’s Massively Successful In-Game Concert Means for Brands

By Natalie O'Grady | Feb 13, 2019

If you’ve been in the vicinity of anyone aged 10 to 15-years-old in the last year, you’ve likely heard about Fortnite. The free-to-play game (with an option to pay $10 every 10 weeks to participate in additional game challenges, and a shop to purchase character outfits and tools) is a “battle royale” featuring various gaming modes […]

Read More

Portland Event Round-up

By Savanna Frimoth | Feb 5, 2019

We’re sharing a round-up of upcoming Portland events to get us through the end of winter! From Michelle Obama’s book tour to the Portland Business Journal’s Power Breakfast to the Portland Night Market – there’s something for everyone. We’ll see you around town! Portland Night Market– February 8th– 9th Think of the Portland Night Market […]

Read More

Five Creative Marketing Campaigns that Crushed 2018

By Hannah Braly | Dec 21, 2018

As 2018 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect on all the creative work we’ve observed this year. Below we’ve shared a list of five companies that crushed their marketing efforts in 2018. If you also need great local news links to build local relevance, you can click here! IHOP (or IHOb) […]

Read More

Happy Earth Day!

By Lisa Lavora-De Beule | Apr 18, 2018

Happy Earth Day! Whether it’s time spent outdoors, supporting an environmental cause or pursuing a more sustainable, greener lifestyle, our team shares the various ways we celebrate and honor Mother Earth this year.   Ann: In April, and every other month of the year, I celebrate the great outdoors through an ongoing commitment to Opal […]

Read More

Happy International Women’s Day from A.wordsmith!

By Addy Torian | Mar 8, 2018

In honor of International Women’s Day, we each took some time to reflect on the women who inspire us. Although there are countless women to celebrate, we narrowed it down to a handful of extraordinary, tenacious and fearless women who have each changed the game in their own way.   Ann: Dolly Parton A trailblazer, […]

Read More

3 examples of PR crises from well-intentioned brands

By Natalie O'Grady | Aug 29, 2017

Most brands understand the need for PR crisis plans, and build strategies around a number of scenarios; an employee goes rogue, a customer takes up a personal vendetta on social media, etc. What many don’t plan for, however, is their own well-intentioned ad campaigns turning against them. When launching a new ad strategy, many marketers’ […]

Read More

The Difficult Relationship Between Brands & YouTube Creators

By Natalie O'Grady | Jun 15, 2017

Every day, YouTube users watch nearly 5 billion videos. Since its inception in 2005, YouTube has become a culture-shaping video mecca that has created a new category of “celebrity.” Brands have jumped into the YouTube pool with both feet, taking advantage of those 5 billion daily views with ad buys on the videos of popular […]

Read More

The CEO's role in a brand crisis

By Natalie O'Grady | Apr 24, 2017

In the middle of a crisis for your brand, who do you want facing the public and weathering the storm? The instinctual answer might be your CEO. However, even in the midst of an exceptionally terrible time for your brand, someone other than your CEO could be a better option to help communicate with the […]

Read More

Let it go: don't worry about control on social media

By Natalie O'Grady | Jan 9, 2017

Brands put a lot of work into fine tuning their voice, and can understandably be protective of their image. Companies want their audience to talk about them a certain way, and marketing, advertising, and public relations all work together in the hopes of achieving positive buzz and brand loyalty. However, brands often have trouble getting […]

Read More