A.wordsmith | Portland PR & Communications

The NFL Draft: A Powerful Marketing Machine

By Ann Smith | May 8, 2014

Lessons in PR and marketing from the NFL draft We can all learn something about PR and marketing from the NFL draft. Johnny Manziel’s team includes a PR firm, and as Rick Burton, a professor of sport management at Syracuse University, told the Dallas Morning News, “He’s built a brand for himself as Johnny Football. He […]

A note to POM

By Ann Smith | May 8, 2014

To the PR team at POM, Your letter is absolute perfection. I bow down to you. Bravo, Ann

Twitter says World Cup 2014 Logo Looks Like a ‘Facepalm’

By Mary Gorretta | Apr 30, 2014

Like many around the world, I am looking forward to the World Cup, which is set to take place throughout Brazil in less than two months. However, there have been rumors that Brazil will not be ready in time for such a big event including reports that the stadium in San Paolo, which is slated […]

Inc. magazine recognizes Voodoo Doughnut as one of "Most Audacious Companies"

By Ann Smith | Apr 28, 2014

Great piece in Inc. on Voodoo Doughnut about how the company has earned its spot in history through outrageous doughnuts, word-of-mouth marketing, quirky weddings, and a record label. Love to see Portland businesses making national news!

Extreme crowdsourcing: These parents let the internet name their daughter

By Kelda Rericha | Apr 23, 2014

In the same spirit of Lay’s Do Us A Flavor contest in which consumers submit and vote for the newest potato chip flavor — Did you know four million people cared enough to submit chip flavors last year?! — expectant dad Stephen McLaughlin created the website NameMyDaughter.com and asked strangers over the internet to name […]

Rabbit Pelt Ad Draws Controversy, Pizzeria Tries to Save Skin

By Mary Gorretta | Apr 18, 2014

Just in time for Easter, the New Zealand pizza chain Hell Pizza created a controversial billboard advertising its newest pizza topping, smoked rabbit, by covering the billboard with real rabbit pelts and the tagline: “Rabbit Pizza. Made from real rabbit. Like this billboard.” As you can imagine, it received quite a bit of criticism […]

@USAirways gets us talking

By Ann Smith | Apr 15, 2014

The Twitter universe is abuzz about the now infamous U.S. Airways X-rated tweet. And while the tweet is unabashedly bad, and questions will swirl about how such a “copy and paste” accident could even happen, I can’t help but laugh and applaud the humorous responses that have spawned as a result. Do a quick search for […]

Frozen Foods Using PR To Save Their Bacon

By Ann Smith | Apr 13, 2014

A new campaign to defend the nutritional reputation Good news frozen pizzas, peas and other frost-bitten foods, you are about to get an image makeover! It has been confirmed by the American Frozen Food Institute the industry is in the final stages of preparing for a multilayer, multimillion dollar public relations campaign to defend the nutritional reputation of […]

Can Your Predict Which of Your Messages Will Go Viral?

By Ann Smith | Apr 9, 2014

The Harvard Business Review wrote this week about a recent psychological study that found we can successfully predict which messages will go viral and which won’t. The key to this success, according to the report, lies within the brain of the sender. In short, the more the author of the message values the message itself, the […]

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 […]

Changes in The Oregonian’s Editorial Policies to Significantly Impact Local News Content

By Kelda Rericha | Mar 26, 2014

New expectations for Oregonian reporters The media landscape has been ever shifting toward the Web, a move that has been seen as reflective of reader preferences and cost savings. As newsrooms are continuing to see massive headcount cuts, journalists are increasingly in a fight for their jobs, which are so often now measured by digital […]

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 […]