St. Charles Health System Presents Free Summer Sundays Concert Series in Les Schwab Amphitheater

The Bend, Oregon concert series is sponsored by Central Oregon health system focused on well-being of its community Grab three things this Sunday, and the next seven Sundays to follow: 1. warm jacket, 2. sunscreen 3. a designated driver. Actually, anywhere you go in Central Oregon you'll need a warm jacket and sunscreen. ;)

While you're planning your upcoming Sundays, remember some of key House Rules while enjoying your free entertainment at the Ampitheater:

• All events are held rain or shine
• Guests 2 years of age and younger are welcome at all events free of charge.
• Bike transportation is encouraged. Ample bike parking is located north of the amphitheater on Shevlin-Hixon at The Art Station.
• A variety of food and beverage vendors, including beer & wine, are located inside the amphitheater for your enjoyment.
• Any person under the age of 21 found drinking alcohol on the premises will be evicted without refund.
• There are 2 ATMs located at the Amphitheater.
• Smoking will be allowed in designated areas, in the vending area only.

Free Summer Sundays Concert Schedule:

• Sunday, June 13 - The Lights Out & Rosa’s Buds
• Sunday, June 27 - Empty Space Orchestra
• Sunday, July 4 - Staxx Brothers
• Sunday, July 11 - Mingo Fishtrap
• Sunday, July 18 - Paul Thorn
• Sunday, July 25 - Great American Taxi
• Sunday, August 1 - Stolen Sweets
• Sunday, August 8 - Dangermuffin
• Sunday, August 15 - Victor Johnson

3rd Annual NorthWest Crossing Hullabaloo

Now in its third year, the NorthWest Crossing Hullabaloo has become a staple in the summer event “diet” for Central Oregonians and visitors alike. Promising fun for the whole family, the Hullabaloo goes a few steps further than the standard free street festival with great activities like these:

June 25 Schedule of Events from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.:

3:30pm

Kids’ Crit, presented by Umpqua Bank This popular “mini-criterium” takes place before the “big” kids get racing. Participation is FREE and prizes will be awarded for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd places in each age category. Free ice cream from the Umpqua Bank Ice Cream Truck for each participant. Now that’s a yummy finish! Age Categories: Ages 4 & Under (1 lap) Ages 6-8 (2 laps) Ages 9-10 (3 laps) Ages 11 & 12 (4 laps)

Pre-register in advance at Umpqua Bank’s NorthWest Crossing store. Participants must arrive by 3:20pm at the start/finish are at the intersection of John Fremont & NW Crossing Drive.

4:00 – 8:00pm

Hullabaloo Kid Zone

Enjoy laughter and fun with your kids at the Hullabaloo Kid Zone. There’s no shortage of kid-friendly fun to keep little ones entertained all evening long. Face painting, science experiments, and of course the ever popular bouncy houses!

4:30pm – 9:00pm NWX Criterium, presented by BendBroadband (logo) Whether you’re new to racing, a hard-core cyclist, or a world-class spectator, you won’t want to miss the excitement of racers zooming through the ‘hood and down NW Crossing Drive. Participants: OBRA License and helmets required. Annual and one-day licenses will be available for purchase. Registration will be located in the Start/Finish area on John Fremont/NW Crossing Dr. Day-of registration is $30 or $20 with 4 cans of food to benefit NeighborImpact. Race produced by Central Oregon Racing.

3:30pm - Registration open 4:30pm - JUNIORS - 25 minutes 5:05pm – TANDEM – 30 minutes - $40/pair registration 5:45pm – WOMEN – 30 minutes 6:25pm – CAT 4/5 MEN - 35 minutes 7:15pm – CAT 3 MEN - 40 minutes 8:05pm - PRO/1/2 MEN - 55 minutes

4:30 – 9:00pm

Hullabaloo Food Court

With all the Hullabaloo-ing you’ll be doing, you’re sure to work up an appetite! We’ve got you covered.

5:00 -10:00pm Hullabaloo Main Stage, presented by The Garner Group Hosted by Clear 101.7

We’ve gathered a talented line-up of musicians for your listening pleasure…

5:00-6:00pm: Atti2d

Don’t let their ages fool you. These local teens know how to rock! Atti2d performs a variety of covers from artists like Van Halen and KISS, as well as their own original music. These ambitious young musicians even recently released a debute album! Catch these talented teens before they hit the big time!

6:30 – 8:00pm: Todd Haaby & Sola Via

Back for their third Hullabaloo performance by popular demand! Haaby’s sultry mix of world music entwines fiery flamenco, Spanish guitar, South American tempos and the contemporary sounds of rock guitar.

8:30 – 10:00pm: Jonatha Brooke

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke brings her unique blend of folk, rock and pop to the Hullabaloo main stage. Her 7^th solo album, The Works, was released in 2008 and inspired by the musical archives of the late Woody Guthrie and she is fresh off a recent European tour. Jonatha’s honest and intriguing lyrics, along with the full sounds and melodies of her band make this a must-see performance!

The next day, June 26th, features the kick off of the popular NWX Farmer’s Market, which will run every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of September. For more information, visit www.nwxevents.com.

For additional information, please contact Valerie Yost at 541-382-1622, or email valerie@brooksresources.com. @mariefayandre

Win Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic Tickets

The Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic is considered the must-attend golf and culinary event in the Northwest. That’s because it brings 18 world-class chefs to Bend for a night of cuisine expertly paired with Deschutes Brewery beer. Add in a day of golf, a variety of wine and dancing to live music, and we’re talking about the party of the summer. And all proceeds of this fundraiser benefit 40 children and family nonprofits through the Deschutes Children’s Foundation. The Sagebrush Classic will be held July 16 and 17, 5 to 10 p.m. at the Broken Top Club in Bend. Want to win free tickets to the Sagebrush Classic? Pour a pint of your favorite beer to get into a poetic frame of mind, because the 2010 Beerku Contest has begun. The haiku must follow the traditional form — 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables — and must make some reference to beer, though not specifically to Deschutes. The first-place winner will receive a pair of tickets to the Sagebrush Classic Feast. The contest closes July 8. Good luck, everyone! — Jenny Furniss (@jennyfurniss)

Social Media: In the hands of PR

We recently read an article discussing the departmental fate of social media and now have an answer to the longstanding debate; who controls social media in the office, Marketing or Public Relations?

It is official, companies are giving the most budgetary and strategic control to PR.

As social media expert Augie Ray writes in his article Social Media is a communications channel and not a marketing tactic:

"Rather than think of Social Media as part of the marketing toolkit, it would be more accurate to consider Social Media as a communications channel. Social Media isn't a one-way advertising medium but a channel for two-way (or more) dialog; it is much more akin to the telephone or email than to an ad medium such as TV or print."

Social media is a fluid and interactive platform that requires dialogue with the customer base. Let's face it, the most attention getting content is short, direct and sparks some personal interest within our lives. Social media is informal and relaxed - most of the target audience visit Facebook and Twitter purely for entertainment. Yet we all want authenticity and friendship in a sea of strangers and a free service without advertisements. PR's more flexible approach to information release is better suited for social media and has taken the reigns with much success.

And what defines "successful" social media campaigns in business these days? Well, numbers of course!

We all know how much numbers speak; amount of product sold, hits on a websites and now number of followers on Facebook or Twitter. Public Relation departments are finding their measurement methods have been extremely valuable in securing social media in their hands. Coming to the table with concrete numbers is also giving PR more of a voice. The more hardline statistics that PR can bring to executives and clients, the more value and influence they will have in strategic business decisions.

It is interesting to think about our own perceived value in terms of social media. Is our popularity based on how many Facebook friends we have? Our wittiness and intellect on how many followers we have on Twitter? Are we less of a person when someone de-friends us? Where do we draw the line to protect our self perception? I, for one, am hoping that the numbers game stays focused on successful PR moves in social media and no one ever tries to use how many followers I have to measure my worth to the world!

Have a Smoke, Save the Earth

Whether you love it or hate it, The Onion holds up a mirror to our culture and gives us a good reason to laugh. Last week their article on eco-friendly cigarettes announced, “Executives at Philip Morris USA this week unveiled Marlboro Earth, a new eco-friendly cigarette that gradually eliminates the causes of global warming and environmental destruction at their source.” — by killing off the human race. This article reminded me of the constant barrage of greenwashing broadcast every time I flip on the TV or turn on the radio. Whether it’s Chevron claiming to harness “human energy” or a product being repackaged as eco-friendly, suddenly every product is good for the environment! Funny how that works.

But what if your company really does want to lessen its impact on the environment—and let consumers know you care? How do you set yourself apart from the scammers? A good place to start is the University of Oregon’s Greenwashing Index. People submit examples of truly eco-friendly products and examples of greenwashing. Browsing the index is a fun way to see what sustainable-savvy consumers think about green marketing campaigns.

Luckily, we live in Oregon, which can now be found in the Urban Dictionary as Oregonic—organically grown in Oregon. “Made in Oregon” has a new meaning, and its one companies could use to market new lines of organic products nationally. Because it’s better to sound truly Oregonic than sound like you’re peddling Marlboro Earth.

—Jenny Furniss (@jennyfurniss)

Facebook Officialness

Beyond our privacy settings and advertising budgets, Facebook seems to have gained control over the "officialness" of our relationship status.  

Now that everyone and their Mom has a Facebook profile, Facebook has the power to make your relationship official because everyone gets the memo. There is no need to ask, "So, what exactly are we?" in private anymore. Nope, now you can wait to know that answer when your beau requests to confirm you as "in a relationship" with him on Facebook. :) 

Alright, so that scenario is ridiculous. But, I'm sure someone found out their relationship had become labeled via Facebook! Maybe that's not the case, maybe it's a lack of privacy that really gives Facebook the power to make or break relationship titles, publicly. 

On NBC's new hit show, Parenthood, the parents of a high-school-aged girl found out she is in a relatioship via Facebook. The Uncle of the girl, Crosby, knew how to login and get the dirt for her parents, and he even knew the lingo, "They're Facebook official. See? Right there. Is in a relationship with!"  

Each click we make within Facebook is now a status update. Everything we 'Like', comment on, who we befriend, etcetera. 
  
"... is n a relationship with..." 
"... has changed relationship status to it's complicated." 
"... is now single."
 
We have created Facebook Officialness. -@jacqsmith

Bend, Oregon Art Events

We heart Bend! One of the biggest reasons we love Bend besides its natural beauty - the art! Be sure to attend one of the most fantastic events that bring this town to life, First Friday Art Walk. The first Friday of each month the Old Mill District and Downtown Bend come together and beam with local art, libations, and smiling faces. The Old Mill District Art Galleries will be open Friday, May 7th from 5 - 9 p.m. offering wine and light refreshments. Galleries include DeWilde Art & glass, faceout studio, Lahaina Galleries, Lubbesmeyer Studio & Gallery and Tumalo Art Company. Also, the Old Mill District TRASHformations will be on display for its final appearance for First Friday May, 7th. Visit theoldmill.com for more information. The May 7, 2010 Downtown Bend Art Walk features art exhibits at participating downtown Bend businesses from 5 - 9 p.m. Our dear friend Rebecca at Cowgirl Cash is always filling mason jars with a pony keg from Bend Brewery for her First Friday visitors! This week she will feature Christeena Madsend and Cari Dolyniuk from Scavenger Jewelry. They will be presenting their one of a kind jewelry made from found items in epoxy resin. Rebecca will also be announcing the winner of the Eli Halpin "Lady in Chamomile" painting (image above). You can still buy a raffle ticket for your chance to take home "Lady in Chamomile" for just $5. All proceeds benefit the Wild Horse Coalition. Visit CowgirlCashBend.com for more details. -@jacqsmith

Portland Oregon Events: May

Welcome to Portland, Oregon. Events are nonstop, rain or shine. As you probably know, Portland is a hoppin' town. There are literally hundreds of things to do here in May, and even more in the summer. Here is a list of some of the upcoming exciting things to do in Portland.

If you know of a Portland, Oregon event that we missed, tweet at us @ccgpr!

Cinco de Mayo

From May 1 to May 5, 2010, Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association presents the 26th annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta event at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Find out more at www.cincodemayo.org. Portland Farmer's Market Downtown Is Open For Business Buy local, eat local. Artisan food and drink abound at Portland's Farmers Markets, which occur all over the city. The most famous is the farmers market at Portland State University, but lesser known is the market at Shemanski Park between SW Salmon and Main, which opens May 5 and runs through October. Other markets take place in the King and Buckman neighborhoods, so you have no excuse not to check out one of these great eat local events. Find out more at http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/.

First Springtime "First Thursday" Art Walk

You know it! Come wander through the galleries downtown for the First Thursday art walk. DJs, sometimes even live music, vendors, complimentary wine, sometimes snacks and of course the main event, local art and lots of it! May 6. More at http://www.firstthursdayportland.com/.

11th Annual UFO Festival

In 1950, two local citizens witnessed and captured a UFO on camera, so the story goes, and the photos are said to be some of the most convincing evidence of UFOs to date. Whether you're a believer in alien life or not, you should still head out for this fun and quirky event at McMenamins Hotel. May 14 to 15. More info at http://www.ufofest.com/ufofest07/.

Reach The Beach 2010

That sun is shining, and that means it's time to get to cyclin'! This ride (destination: beach party) starts from four different locations: Portland (100 mi), Newberg (80 mi), Amity (55 mi) or Grand Ronde (28 mi), all gorgeous routes on the way to a "magnificent beach party with a delicious, hearty feast." Benefits the American Lung Association. May 15. More info at http://action.lungusa.org/site/TR?fr_id=1630&pg=entry.

First Springtime "Last Thursday" Street Fair

Roam down Alberta for this classic Portland pastime of eating, enjoying live music and performances, and shopping for local crafty things. The quintessential Portland experience. May 27. Photos and a bit more info at http://lastthursdaypdx.ning.com/, but the event is not formally organized so expect to be surprised!

Rose Festival

Starting with a fireworks spectacular over Waterfront Park on May 28, this family event includes games and performances at Waterfront Village and things don't wind down until June 13. Get more info at http://www.rosefestival.org/.

This is just a taste of what's happening in Portland this month. There's also the circus show FROGZ at Imago Theatre, the Beethoven Festival, The Eagles at the Rose Quarter and the Barber of Seville at the Portland Opera. Too many great Portland events to list here! We recommend http://www.travelportland.com/event_calendar/ for a more comprehensive rundown.

-@msfener

1st Annual Women's Brew Review to benefit the Women's Resource Center of Central Oregon

We love it when great events benefit worthy causes, and this one does just that. Bend is graced with two esteemed female brewers, Veronica Vega at Deschutes Brewery and Tonya Cornett of Bend Brewing Company. They will be at the helm of a unique and fun women's beer event on May 13 that will benefit the Women's Resource Center of Central Oregon. It's a great chance to meet the brewers and sample several beers from both breweries and enjoy small plate appetizers. For just $25, attendees also get a private tour of Deschutes Brewery and get to take home a souvenir glass. Talk about a fun girls' night out! Date: Thursday, May 13, 2010 Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm Location: Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room If the 1st Annual Brew Review to Benefit the Women's Resource Center of Central Oregon sounds like a great "Girls Night Out" for you and your friends, contact the Women's Resource Center for tickets at (541) 385-0750, or buy tickets online via TicketLeap. Only 150 tickets are available, first come - first serve! Restriction: Must be 21 years or older to participate. Cheers! -Campbell PR Team, @ccgPR

Scrabble PR gimmick

A brief word on this PR stunt from a couple weeks ago. It looks like this stunt was orchestrated by Mattel:

The rules of word game Scrabble are being changed for the first time in its history to allow the use of proper nouns, games company Mattel has said.

-BBC

Although it has been widely reported that Scrabble will soon allow the use of proper nouns, it turns out that that is not true. In England, an entirely new version of the game will allow that plus other unusual play, but the original game will stay the same.

-cnet

Needless to say, people freaked out over this story. It got a lot of press and successfully got the word out about a new version of the game called Trickster. I guess the stunt was in keeping with the spirit of the new variation, in which anything goes, including stealing tiles and spelling words backwards.

Still, I thought it was bad form when the company turned around, after clearly implying that the rules would be changed to allow proper nouns, and accused the press of sloppy reporting. To me that goes beyond clever Trickstering in service of promoting your product, and starts to get into burned-bridges territory.

-@msfener

Nike ad with Tiger, redux

You probably read or heard some debate over the Nike ad that @JacqSmith posted last week. Lots of people loved it; some found it counterproductive, unpersuasive, creepy and in poor taste. I have to admit that as an ad, I wasn't really into it either.

The spot was actually created by artsy brandmakers Wieden & Kennedy, an ad firm here in Portland, Oregon. WK recently got blasted by Willamette Week for their new TV channel/radio station, Califunya, which WWeek thought was silly, dumb and obscure. I think the root cause of both these failures is that WK's fantastic creativity slipped the reins and carefully determining what the message should be sort of fell by the wayside. Tiger has learned something from this sex scandal? Really? Our interest in his sex life is celebrity voyeurism, and our interest in him at all is his ability to play golf, which is wholly independent of his ability to stay faithful to his wife. What do we care if he learned something?

I think WK crafted a beautiful, mesmerizing viral video but it doesn't have the right message. The result was perpetuating a narrative that should have been contradicted. WK and Nike -- a sports brand that people look to because skilled athletes wear their stuff, not because it's a moral authority -- should have made that the message. Maybe they could have done a spot where Tiger is so focused on the ball (remember Tiger's Gatorade?) that he doesn't notice a crowd of bikini-clad women jostling each other for his attention.

-@msfener

Nike Golf ad: Tiger and Earl

Have you seen the most viewed video on YouTube today? We have. No matter what emotion this ad has evoked in you - we're sure you felt something. Nike is making you think with this unlikely introspective ad, because Tiger is back in the golf game. This ad is brilliant. Nike's message is clear in condemning Tiger's recent behavior as not a sponsor or corporation, but as a parent. The ad was quick, moving and thoughtfully finished in black and white. They had to say something, and they said that something quite well. Bravo! -@jacqsmith #

Public relations and April Fools' Day

April 1st is a chance to pick up some easy PR. It's all in fun and it's no biggie if it doesn't go over well. Google changed its name to Topeka, design firm ZURB launched a Sharpie-sharpening campaign, and a law blogger punked the New York Times.

Fun and games, right? If it doesn't go over well, you just throw up your hands and say, "April Fools!" None of that usual burden of responsibility that comes along when a public relations agency controls a client's brand's messaging!

Just kidding. April Fools' Day is a hectic, headaching, aggravating tradition for our poor friends in the news media. And trying to separate the real news of the day from the publicity stunts, the jokes and the wild spin can make them cranky.

Quite a few reporters were irked, for example, when the Eugene Emeralds put out the news that they had recruited former Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who was recently convicted for second-degree burglary.

Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, potential Heisman candidate turned convicted burglar, will not be playing minor league baseball this summer. That was only an April Fools joke. But some in the media aren't laughing. They call it a lie and a scam. "Eugene Emeralds Lie About Masoli Playing for the Ems," says KEZI. "The management team for the Eugene Emeralds played an April Fools' joke and then lied to local media to keep it going." The complaint is that, when asked if this press release was an April Fools joke, the Ems said no.

-Oregon Media Central

Other annoyed journalists called it "a breach of trust" and "tasteless." Well!

The moral of the story? Use April Fools' Day to put out something charming, and leave the deception to the Yes Men.

If you're not convinced, check out this list of truly tasteless April Fools day stunts.

-Adrianne (@msfener)

From the brilliant PR campaign archive

An oldie but a goodie:

The Lemonade Stand That Umpqua Bank Built Umpqua Bank, an Oregon bank famous for nontraditional marketing and customer service, has created a clever summer campaign to promote its services to small businesses: it is offering children a kit and start-up capital to set up and run a lemonade stand. Dubbed “the lemonaire,” the campaign is aimed at children in the 96 cities in Oregon, Washington and California where Umpqua operates 144 branches. Lani Hayward, executive vice president of creative strategies for Umpqua, said 70 percent of the bank’s deposits and loans came from small and medium-size businesses.

- The New York Times

Right. It's a lot easier to pull off a stunt like this when you already have an established base of 144 stores and hordes of moms and dads as customers. But what about when you're a small startup with nothin' but a great idea? Answer: Think Bacon Salt. Have fun, be clever and use the tools of the new digital frontier.

We're working right now with a little company that meets that description, who we will probably be introducing to you very soon. They have a great story -- it's actually about making lemons in lemonade as well, figurative ones in this case. And they have a great product (not lemonade). We can't wait to introduce them to the world.

-Adrianne (@msfener)

2010 Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic chefs revealed!

So check it out -- the Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic chef lineup (minus one mystery chef) has been revealed, and it has a few surprises! Along with favorites Mark Kiffin, Roberto Donna and Jackie Lau, this year's event will include Parisian chef Jean Pierre Lelievre and Seattle chef Jonathan Sundstrom plus a few other newbies. Ooh la la! Can't wait to see what they cook up. Today the Deschutes Brewery Classic Feast showcases culinary artistry of national and international star chefs in beautiful Broken Top Meadow in Bend. This food and beer pairing event has evolved into a must-attend event for chefs and party-goers alike. The Sagebrush Classic has distributed more than $2 million to Deschutes County and Central Oregon charities serving children and families. Bios and photos of the full delicious chef lineup can be viewed on the Sagebrush Classic web site here.

-Adrianne (@msfener)