FreeThink: March 2009

FreeThink: a blog published by Maxwell PR

Braving the Bike with the BTA

In an effort to be more sustainable, healthy, and to avoid my morning dose of road rage, I have recently become very interested in biking to work. However, the thought of braving the city streets on two wheels scares me to death. In an effort to better educate us all, last Thursday Stephanie Noll, Programs Manager from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), came and spoke to our office about the "rules of the road" as they apply to bicycle safety. (Side note - Stephanie road her bike here in a skirt! Who said you can't look great while you ride?!)

In the words of the BTA, the workshop "tells new and old riders alike about the laws, skills, and basic gear and basic maintenance that they need to know about to be safe and comfortable biking to work." Stephanie brought maps of bike routes, and taught us the basics of bike riding from hand signals, and easy ways to mount your bike to public transportation, to the best way to stay dry in our oft-times rainy climate. One of the biggest topics covered though, was how to share the road and pathways with cars and pedestrians alike, giving all of us novices a bit more courage to brave the road ahead.

Thanks to byCylce.org (a bicycle trip planner, similar to mapquest) I now have my safest and easiest route to get to work. With my helmet on and my lights lit, I plan to soon be brave enough to face the traffic (and the weather!) and truly enjoy the outdoors on my way to work.

-Hannah Hasbrook

posted on March 16, 2009

Maxwell Lunch Bunch

Because today was such a beautiful sunny day, we Maxwellians were inspired to stroll through our neighborhood and lunch at the Sellwood Food Carts. After soaking up the sun and enjoying the yummy entrees procured from Garden State Foods and Kiko's Taqueria Uruapan, we sauntered over to Staccato Gelato for homemade Italian ice cream. Sated and then some, we returned to the office with renewed appreciation for our little pocket of Portland.

- Vicky Hastings

posted on

Consulting Your Cabinet

Like a lot of women, I rely on word of mouth for recommendations, news and gossip. My boyfriend calls my close group of friends my "cabinet." When we are discussing something, he will often ask me if I have "consulted with my cabinet." While this can be annoying, it's true. I have found great hairdressers, clothing lines, sales and recipes by talking with my friends or reading their blogs - almost never by watching commercials or reading ads in newspapers and magazines.

Engage Moms recently shared some interesting facts about marketing to moms that totally validates the "cabinet" mentality. Some tidbits:

There are 35.3 million moms online with children under the age of 18 - a number projected to reach almost 37 million by 2012.
- There are only about 40 million moms, total, with children that age, across the U.S.
- Of the 36.2 million women actively participating in the blogosphere weekly, as either publishers or readers, 46% - or just over 16.5 million - have children at home.
- 67% of moms online look for advice from others when making a purchasing decision.
- 78% of moms who blog review products.

Engage Moms also reports that "Studies show that moms are increasingly losing trust in established 'experts' - institutions and the like - while trusting more in what other moms have to say."

It's nice to read this article, and confirm that I am not the only one that uses a "cabinet" of family and friends to navigate the world and discover the best (and worst) products to buy.

-Hannah Hasbrook

posted on March 05, 2009

Where's the Beef?

Why I'm on the board of the Food Alliance.

-Jen Maxwell-Muir

posted on March 04, 2009

Journalism 2.0 - The NY Times Gets It

Our team tipped off the New York Times to Astoria-Warrenton's colorful Fisher Poets Gathering last month and was happy to see an article run in this week. While it was a reminder that old school journalists still exists - reporters who don't like to work with the PR people who pitch a story because they want to unearth their own contacts/experiences - the result was still great. What I'm most impressed with is that the reporter not only captured the gritty, authentic essence of the event, but what they did with it online. Check it out: full interactive coverage that includes a slide show and sound bites of sea shanties and poetry, in addition to a traditional article. The New York Times could give a clinic to other publications for how to leverage the Internet to deliver news.

-Jen Maxwell-Muir

posted on

AMA MAX Awards

Maxwell cleaned up (to put it humbly) at the AMA MAX Awards, taking home more trophies than anyone else. While it was fun to win Best PR Campaign (Travel Oregon/Oregon Bounty), it was especially rewarding to be recognized for our work beyond media relations. In the category for Best Single Medium Advertising - Non-Traditional, our Seed the Day consumer engagement campaign for Dagoba Organic Chocolate was up against Henry V's work with KEEN on the STAND campaign - a project that we've always admired. Competing against other digital media firms, our Kettle Foods Death Valley Chipotle Facebook application was selected Best Single Medium Advertising - Interactive.

Although each campaign is distinctive in its own right, all three reflect important characteristics of Maxwell work. They authentically brought the clients' brands to life in ways that consumers could emotionally connect. They generated strategic results against modest budgets and measurable objectives. And they were for great clients willing to experiment with new ideas.

Apparently this approach doesn't only resonate with consumers; Oregon's AMA judges dug it too!

- Vicky, Sam & Molly

posted on March 02, 2009

	This spirited, open forum by Maxwell PR staff members, studio mates and colleagues features people who are, in our opinion, doing the right things to get people talking. You'll see us rave about organizations building communities and rant about those who are missing obvious opportunities. We sprinkle in a little marketing and PR rhetoric from time to time for extra vigor and enthusiasm, and will share observations and insight based on our own experience honing our craft every day.

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