What makes us tick

It’s quite simple really. We feel energized and gratified by the type of work we get to do. We’re not just communicators—it’s so much deeper than that. Employing each of our unique talents, we are storytellers and movement builders. We are change agents, reframers and advocates. And continually proud of the impact we make. Learn more about what drives us in our staff-written blogs.


New Flu Television Spot

A new flu/H1N1 television spot launched this week. Keeping up with the pandemic has been interesting. As the H1N1 flu threat wanes, the need to encourage everyone to get their seasonal flu shots has grown. Knowing things could change but not knowing when, we created spots that were flexible enough to swap in new messages as needed. This latest one and the previous have been adjusted to meet current needs. 


CK Holiday Party 09

Coates Kokes just celebrated the holiday’s, making it the agency’s tenth since becoming Coates Kokes. We won’t even say how many (32) that makes it in total for a certain founder. This year’s party was at the Oswego Lake House. As you may have guessed, it was right on the lake (which was frozen over and despite many attempts by this author, no one would bust out their ice skates). Food, drinks, more food and a gift exchange occupied the lot of us for a goodly number of hours.


Testing the Power of Renewable Energy

Take a couple plug-in hybrids and a few rooftop solar panels and that’s a recipe for testing the power of renewable energy. Up at Avista, they’re doing just that. These two hybrids are charged by solar panels on Avista’s roof. The website tracks how much juice the cars use and how much the panels produce. Avista is using the data they’re collecting now to be prepared for the time when more and more customers start plugging their hybrids into the grid. The extra dose of sweet Dutch angle on these shots is free of charge. 


Communications Solutions for a Pandemic

Coates Kokes is fortunate to have a number of causes as clients. It’s an area that has become a specialty of sorts for the agency in recent years, and it makes for rewarding work even if it is filled with the pressures inevitably involved when the environment or even lives are at stake. The State of Oregon’s Department of Human Services has recently tapped the agency to help in the fight against the H1N1 flu virus.


Public Involvement through Social Media

Our clients at the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning & Sustainability came to us for help in shaping a city planning process that is anything but typical. For starters, the Portland Plan is a once in 30-year plan that will set the course for investment in Portland for the next three decades.


Granny Franny is named Portland’s next top model

Last week the postcard we created for the Portland Plan hit mailboxes around the city—now our model is famous…or at least The Oregonian says so. Reporter Anne Saker calls Mary Frances “Portland’s next top model.” We agree.  Check out the great coverage.