Posts

Cre8con 2019 Recap

/in /by

On Friday, September 27th, I attended my very first Cre8con! This annual event is a conference that celebrates and explores creative work across all industries. Each year, a selection of keynote speakers gives a presentation on what inspires them in their work, the challenges they’ve faced, and their adventures in the creative field.

There were a lot of amazing speakers at the conference this year. Here my three favorites!

Schuyler Telleen

A 2-time Emmy award winner, member of the Screen Actors Guild and successful Production Designer and Graphic Designer, Schuyler captured the audience within seconds of hitting the stage. He walked into the spotlight visibly shaking, reading off notecards that he began to drop. His voice faltering, he looked out into the crowd and whispered: “I’m…I’m sorry. I can’t do this,” and ran off stage. The crowd, hoping to encourage Schuyler to come back, began cheering: “You can do it!” And suddenly, Schuyler came back onto the stage a different person. Laughing, he exclaimed: “And that was improv!” The crowd burst into applause and laughter.

Schuyler has an impressive resume. He’s worked on Portlandia, Shrill, American Vandal and Trinkets as a Production Designer. As a Graphic Designer, he’s worked on Mad Men, Veep, Parks and Recreation, and Glee. For Parks and Rec fans, you can thank Schuyler for the iconic “Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness.” Yeah. He MADE that. It blew my mind, too.

Ruth E. Carter

Ruth is an fierce, Academy Award-winning Costume Designer. This year, she won an Academy Award for her work on Black Panther. To make that win even cooler, she’s the first African-American woman to win in that category. She has had two additional Academy Award nominations for Spike Lee’s Malcolm X and Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, plus an Emmy nomination in 2016 for the reboot of Roots.

Ruth shared behind-the-scenes photos of work on the set of Black Panther, explaining the intricate process that comes along with costume design, and the satisfaction of watching it all come together on the big screen. Ruth’s main piece of advice about working in the creative industry was this: lead with your passions. Don’t let anyone treat you less than you deserve, and fight for what you love.

Photo by The Hollywood Reporter

Ken Davenport

Ken is a 2-time Tony Award-winning Broadway producer who is well-known for his work on the popular Broadway show, Kinky Boots. He is one of the co-founders of TEDxBroadway, has been featured in Vanity Fair, and has even gotten a mention in Jay Leno’s monologue on The Tonight Show.

Ken was so inspiring. In his talk, he emphasized the importance of focusing on the things you do know how to do instead of what you don’t when it comes to creative projects and jobs. You will naturally be able to eliminate the things you don’t like/don’t want to become an expert in if you do this.

He encouraged the crowd to plan to do one thing every day to move a project along, whether you’re working on something personal or for your career. At the end of his talk, he left plenty of time for questions. A common question was simply how to get started, especially when you find yourself in a creative rut. Ken’s answer was to start doing something, anything, even if it’s not perfect or exactly what you hope to do. Often times, this can transform into something amazing.

Ken at The Tony Awards

5 Portland Brands Worth Following

/in /by

 

Instagram, as discussed in our previous blog post, is a major marketing tool. From small brands that are just beginning to build their fanbase, to super brands using the app to promote new products, this platform is used heavily to showcase businesses and what makes them stand out.

Here are five local Portland brands that are worth your follow!

Spin Laundry Lounge

“Portland’s only eco-friendly laundromat, bar and cafe places state-of-the-art, energy-efficient Electrolux washers and dryers + sustainable laundry products, in a retro-mod cafe/bar environment. Complete with coffee, beer, wine, and local eats.” –Spin Laundry Lounge

With over 4,000 followers, Spin’s content ranges from cute shots of their well-lit space (always an eye-catcher), the coffee shop attached to their business, the arcade area in the back, and snaps of cute dogs that come to visit. Plus, the account regularly gives away Spin gear through various contests. Spin’s socials convey their goal to remain a welcoming, fun lounge space to chill…not just a place to do laundry.

Powell’s Books

This iconic Portland landmark markets themselves not only to PDX regulars, but to customers all over the country. A few of their most popular posts are personal stories from Powell’s employees (that you actually want to read!), display art at the various locations, staff picks, and hilarious/cute book reviews by young readers. While documenting the store’s events and new items, Powell’s also uses Instagram to convey their cozy, home-like atmosphere. Their main message? Powell’s is a space where readers of all ages are welcome to come in, explore, and get lost in a good book.

Tender Loving Empire

You know those Instagram pages that post such great pictures of their product, it makes you want to buy it all on the spot? Yeah, that’s TLE. With their use of color, contrast, and sweet snaps of their unique products, it’s no wonder this PDX brand has over 16,000 followers. TLE’s merch doesn’t fall under one genre — from funky jewelry, records from the TLE music label, pet toys and art prints, TLE covers all the bases. Their Instagram account gives fans an inside, first look at new products, news about their record label, and upcoming events. (Including in-store performances from artists and a variety of panel discussions!)

Portland Gear

As Pat mentioned in our previous blog post, “Portland Gear leveraged Instagram to perfectly position its company and its personal commitment to our community, sports teams, and great design.”

Portland Gear, as founder Marcus Harvey says, was created as a way to harness Portland’s unique energy into something tangible. His gear has expanded beyond just hats and shirts now – the company even has its own trademarked beer! The iconic Portland “P” can be found everywhere, recognizable even to people who don’t live in Oregon. Plus, the vibrant teal color (similar to the PDX airport carpet) included in almost all of the Portland Gear products will forever be associated with the brand.

Salt & Straw

Salt & Straw, Portland’s most popular gourmet ice cream shop has been around since 2011, and it’s only getting bigger. Their Instagram features snaps of Salt & Straw fanatics getting their fix, funny fan tweets, contests for followers to win a free pint, and more. Their latest campaign has brought student’s imaginative ice cream flavor ideas to life –like Ellie, from Addams Elementary, who came up with a “PB & C” flavor: “In the PB and C is peanut butter ice-cream, ripe sliced bannans, hot fuge and chocklet chips. The choclet chip are in the icecream. My isperashun is my dad loveing peanut butter and bannas together. Also, its poshonul you can put appels instead of bannas.”

What are your favorite brands to follow?

Pat’s Picks: Top 3 Fave Brands

/in /by

Today’s blog post highlights AM:PM PR Co-Founder Pat McCormick and his three favorite brands!

Apple

“Hi, my name is Pat and I’m an Applephile. I need to make that admission to explain why I have Apple’s marketing at the top of my list of faves. Apple infuses its brand in every element of its products and marketing – from ads to packaging, to the look, feel and function of its products. My latest Apple acquisition is my Apple Card. Like other Apple products, it’s clean, simple, minimal. It lives in the Apple universe with my Apple MacBook Pro, Apple iPad Pro, iPhone XS Max, Apple Watch, Apple HomePod, Apple TV and Apple Music. (Full disclosure: I’m an Apple stockholder.)

Disney

My second fave is Disney. Family and friends are familiar with my tradition of taking my grandchildren to Disneyland between their 9th and 10th birthdays. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy 9 great Disney stays with 9 amazing grandchildren. It’ll be awhile before I can take Haxton, who just turned 3 last week.
The Disney marketing that’s caught my eye recently is its upcoming launch of Disney+, the new streaming service. Disney’s D23 Expo, the annual gathering of the Official Disney Fan Club, was this past weekend and a number of new program announcements were released. The company made great use of its social media, digital tools and traditional media relations. Disney+ will to tap into the existing and future Disney media libraries as well as Pixar, the Marvel Universe, the Star Wars franchise and National Geographic. Cost will be $7.50/month, about half of a Netflix subscription. I’m also a Disney stockholder.
~

Portland Gear

Third fave is Portland Gear. The company and its founder, Marcus Harvey, have a great origin story. He leveraged Instagram to perfectly position his company and his personal commitment to our community, its sports teams, and great design. Portland Gear is my nominee for the best example of developing a brand from a great idea which resulted in significant success using Instagram.”

Meet AM:PM PR’s Newest Intern!

/in /by

Hello!

Sophie Cettina here, AM:PM’s newest intern. I’ll be managing the agency’s blog and social media over the next few months. I’m thrilled to be here! 🙂

Bio

I graduated from the University of Oregon last month, where I earned a B.A. in Journalism/PR. When I wasn’t studying, I spent my time as a DJ at KWVA, UO’s college radio station. On the air, I played my favorite music and then discussed it as my alter ego, “DJ Vu.” (It’s a spin on the word “déjà vu”…haha, so punny!) My show, The Half Moon Tavern, was live every Thursday afternoon. My favorite part of being a DJ was receiving phone calls from listeners–sometimes, people would call to let me know how much they enjoyed the music I’d picked, or they’d call just to chat about artists and records. It’s pretty fun to share your music with the world in that way.

4 Fun Facts About Me

  1. I have a pet cockatiel named Quincy and two backyard chickens. (#PutaBirdOnIt!)
  2. My favorite movie is School of Rock starring Jack Black. (Stick it to the man, dude.)
  3. I write poetry and short stories.
  4. I have a tattoo of a chicken (that I drew myself) on my left ankle.

My Personal Blog

I’m a huge music nerd, and I love to write. My music blog, A Perfect Playlist, launched five years ago, and it’s grown so much since then! I post interviews with artists from around the world, concert and album reviews, tips and tricks on how to meet your favorite artists, and other music-related content. (Follow A Perfect Playlist on Instagram to stay up to date!)

Why PR?

I’m a storyteller with a passion for public relations, content development and music. I’m often asked, “you’re so excited about both music and PR. How do those two connect for you?” The answer is easy: I believe in the idea that songs are stories. As an avid storyteller, I know the power of words and connecting with an audience, just as songs do.

I’m so excited to help AM:PM tell their story.

-Sophie

Connect with me:

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn