A.wordsmith | Portland PR & Communications

Getting Ripa'd

By Ann Smith | Apr 27, 2016

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past week you’ve most likely know the full story, or at least rumblings, of the Kelly Ripa vs. Michael Strahan vs. Disney-ABC drama. On Tuesday Kelly returned to the show after taking some time off to digest and deal with the news that not only is […]

Should Native Advertising Become a PR Tactic?

By Natalie O'Grady | Apr 15, 2016

Though marketing, advertising, and public relations all play in the same “sandbox,” traditionalists in the world of PR will tell you that the industry doesn’t have much to do with paid placements or marketing pieces. And for the most part, they’re still correct – public relations by definition is about earned media and public perception […]

Public Relations in the age of the Internet of Things

By Natalie O'Grady | Mar 17, 2016

When I was finishing my undergraduate degree program several years ago, one of my communications professors introduced the class to something called “The Internet of Things.” He explained that in the not-so-distant future, we’d be living in what basically amounted to the home in that Disney Channel classic movie, Smart House – refrigerators which has […]

Dealing with Negative Social Media Comments: You Can't Just Delete

By Natalie O'Grady | Feb 24, 2016

Social media allows brands to connect with their consumers on a pretty cool, personal level. When you set up a social media account and get things rolling, it can also be a nice ego boost. Things have been going well on your company’s Facebook page – people are liking, commenting on, and sharing your posts. […]

Pinterest Increases Engagement for Brands

By Christy Caplan | Jan 11, 2016

In news this week is Pinterest. Both the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and Social Media Examiner are saying that Pinterest is the fastest growing social media platform. A CMI post says that when compared to Facebook’s 6% member growth, Pinterest increases engagement for brands and experienced a huge 57% jump in members in 2014 and […]

3 Tools for Staying on Top of News & Trends

By Natalie O'Grady | Dec 18, 2015

Working in public communications means you’ll likely spend a decent amount of time each week perusing news headlines, industry publications, and social media hashtags. In order to best represent your clients and find prime opportunities for coverage, you need to be aware of the top trends and breaking news. This includes public relations news, industry talk […]

Don't do this: the worst brand blunders of 2015

By Kelda Rericha | Dec 15, 2015

‘Tis the season for recaps of the year’s best and worst! In recent year’s past, it has been easy to blame brand blunders on social media. Fast twitch communications developed by junior-level social media staff will always be a recipe for disaster. But the worst of 2015 features a diverse blend of goof-ups, many of […]

2016 Technology Trends: The Year of Apps, Video Ads and Virtual Reality

By Christine Antles | Oct 24, 2015

According to insight from Forbes, 2016 technology trends will bring tried-and-true developments with a twist, while novel tech advances take center stage. Video advertising will increase their presence on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and even search engines. In fact, Google is planning to bring them to search results. According to experts in 2016 technology trends, video ads […]

Four-year-old's CVS-Themed Birthday Party Wins PR

By Kelda Rericha | Oct 20, 2015

In PR, many things are out of your control. It is the job of a PR person to maintain and manufacture as much control as possible. Control of the message, control of the spokesperson, control of the campaign, control over the competition. Because for the most part, losing control of any one of those things can […]

7 Tips for Pitching Ideas from Improv Comedy

By Kelda Rericha | Sep 10, 2015

There is nothing more uncomfortable than watching bad improv comedy. Except perhaps watching someone crash and burn while pitching ideas during a business presentation. Especially if that person is you. As written up by Fast Co’s Joe Berkowitz, master improvisational comic Jason Mantzoukas has developed seven tips for avoid comedic, or boardroom, failure. In a […]

Not Even Crisis PR Can Save a Lion Killer

By Kelda Rericha | Jul 30, 2015

Walter Palmer, who has officially become the world’s most hated dentist, catapulted to infamy this week after news of his illegal hunting trip in Zimbabwe, where he shot and killed a lion named Cecil, hit social media. While his dental practice quickly crumbled around him — he shut down his office this week, and chances […]

5 Associated Press Stylebook changes marketing pros should know

By Kelda Rericha | Jun 23, 2015

The Associated Press Stylebook isn’t just for journalists. For the best in clarity and consistency, corporations should use AP style in nearly all their written communications materials. The stylebook is updated year-round based on current usage and feedback from an annual survey. Some changes make headlines: in 2014 when AP said that “over” was an acceptable […]