Super Bowl Commercials through a PR Lens

By Jillian Stephens | Feb 3, 2015

I must admit that, though my love for some good ol’ American football is tried-and-true, at least one third of my enjoyment of the Super Bowl lies in its commercials. One can usually expect to feel all warm and fuzzy, to chuckle here and there and even to heartily laugh at least once as the […]

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How PR Can Save Us from the Anti-vaccination Movement

By Kelda Rericha | Jan 27, 2015

Thanks to a measles outbreak at the happiest place on earth, our news feeds have all been filled with what we already know: vaccines work and are safe, but some people — primarily between 2000 and 2011 — opted to not vaccinate their children, and now we’re paying the price. The “why” has been examined […]

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My Hometown Hero Gets an Ivy League Shoutout

By Ann Smith | Nov 25, 2014

I’m a ranch kid who grew up in the south-eastern corner of Oregon.  People ask me all the time where I’m from and my natural response is “Southern Oregon.”  They then usually start guessing places – Ashland? Medford? Grants Pass?  No, keep going. At this point I can see they are persistent to so I […]

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Spreading Awareness Through the #Icebucketchallenge

By Ann Smith | Aug 20, 2014

Unless you live under a rock, the ALS #icebucketchallenge has probably taken over your newsfeed at some point in the last few weeks. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. To #strikeoutALS, people post a […]

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Jennifer Huston, the "Missing Person"

By Ann Smith | Aug 1, 2014

For the past week I’ve becoming increasingly consumed with the ongoing search for Dundee woman Jennifer Huston.  On the outskirts of Portland, Dundee and neighboring Newberg where she was last seen are quite close to where I live in Tualatin and my kids went to school in Sherwood. I am not here to speculate or […]

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Drew Carney Goes Viral

By Ann Smith | Jun 17, 2014

For those of us in Portland, Drew Carney is a bit of a TV superstar. You might get ready in the morning while watching his antics, or catch him emceeing the annual Kells Smoker at the St. Patrick’s Day Irish Festival; however this week he cemented his place in national, viral infamy.  To try to […]

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Infographic: PR Then & Now

By Ann Smith | Jun 5, 2014

When it comes to effective communications, PR professionals tend to be the experts. That is what I love most about this industry. We are constantly one step ahead adapting to the ever-changing communication landscape. I came across the below infographic, PR Then & Now, from Inkhouse that is a great reminder of how our industry continues […]

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A Beautiful Project, Indeed

By Ann Smith | May 22, 2014

Lately I have become captivated by the amazing A Beautiful Body Project by photographer Jade Beall.  I am not too proud to admit that my stomach does not resemble itself from nine years ago, before I’d birthed a 10 pound (no, that is not a joke or exaggeration) baby – and then three years later […]

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Does Beginner's Luck Exist in Public Relations?

By Ann Smith | May 8, 2014

I came across an article about beginner’s luck, and whether or not it exists in public relations. I think many businesses have had a streak of beginner’s luck with favorable results – but while results may be high right out of the gate, it may actually work against you too. Here is a prime example […]

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@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 […]

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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 […]

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