I was just revisiting some conversations I had with Robin Parker, blog master / communications specialist at the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross, while I was in Portland, Oregon. I flipped through her blog and found one of the most sticky posts I have read in a long, long while. It's an interview with Portland Rain. That's right - an interview with weather. But first, some background:

Portland Rain (along with Portland Sun) is, as Robin has written in her blog, "Weather coverage with personality." It is a Twitter personality that plays off of people's natural affinity for anthropomorphism. As Parker points out:

Portland Rain says things like, "Had a long night. Taking a few hours off this morning." While Portland Sun keeps it simple with, "There you go, folks. Enjoy."

But it's not just one-way coverage. Both Rain and Sun are fairly interactive, responding to fans with banter like, "Just for that, you'll be seeing even less of me this winter.

Robin's sticky post was an interview with Portland Rain:

Me: Can you reveal any of your plans for the upcoming winter? Anything we the Red Cross or an average Portlander should be prepared for?

PortlandRain: Y'all better get your galoshes and umbrellas ready, 'cause I'm gonna be high-steppin'. More like PortlandReign, you hear? There won't be a dry eye in the house.

Robin's post is hilarious, and puts the highlight on something fun, a concept a substantial organization like Red Cross isn't necessarily synonymous with. Further, embedded in the post are two links - one to the Red Cross's efforts in wild-fire prone California and another about flood preparedness, so it is conveying information in an enjoyable way without shoving it down the reader's throat.

Finally, the Portland Rain Twitter persona is brilliant, and it represents a truism about most people who have every watched television / had something on a commercial resonate for them - a people raised on tens of thousands of talking mice, bears, bathroom tissue boxes, car radiators, etc. just love anthropomorphism. As you consider revamping your Twitter presence, perhaps you should consider whether or not the service you represent can speak for itself rather than have you speak for it. Are you representing a dying forrest? Stripped down health care? Whatever? Would people prefer to interact with it rather than you speaking on its behalf?

@JuvenileDiabetes - We're going to kick your butt.