Blog
When times get tough, we turn to our in-house bartender, Dave Goetz for liquid courage. Here, he shares a few of his most requested cocktails. Manhattan Fill mixing glass with ice. Add 2 oz. Rye, 1 oz. Sweet Red Vermouth, 2 drops Angost...
Communicating With Your Employees in a Crisis For the last few weeks, our inboxes have been filled with messages from every business we ever visited about their approach to COVID-19. Those consumer-facing messaging are often needed, and ...
Reflecting on History Brittany IrbyMP&F Account Supervisor, Diversity Committee Member It’s February, which means that it is Black History Month (BHM)! This year marks 50 years since the first BHM celebration took place at Kent State U...
Some call him the Fox, but we call him our fearless leader. Today we celebrate his 30th anniversary at MP&F by sitting down—in his corner office—with the man himself and reflecting on the last few decades. Is it true that you left a ...
The long-awaited National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is slated to open in summer of 2020. It will be the only museum dedicated solely to preserving African American music traditions and celebrating the influence black Ameri...
Regardless of whether you’re a small business operating out of your basement or a multimillion-dollar franchise, your brand is the core of your business. It’s how your business is perceived by consumers – meaning, it’s what they ...
Like a lot of great writers, The Tennessean’s David Plazas developed a love for writing as a child. “I was a very introverted, shy kid. At the time, writing was an outlet for me, and I loved creative writing.” Still, Plazas – the...
A Q&A With One of Nashville’s Most Admired CEOs By Tom Hayden As the son of a World War II fighter pilot, MP&F’s David Fox has been on a mission of service throughout his professional career and personal life. His devotion to service...
We live in a visual information world. If you doubt it, just take a look at Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn. What does that mean for the communications professional? What does it mean for the business person? In both cases, tel...
July 21, 1969, was a big day for me. It was my 14th birthday, and 14 seemed so much cooler, so much older than 13. I was ready to leave the teen-age apprenticeship year behind and get on with it. I was also heading to Huntsville to play ...
In our sports and social media blog series, which Sandy Weaver kicked off a couple of weeks ago (here), Senior Account Executive Brandon Barca says preparation will help you “win the moment.” As did Weaver, Barca worked in sports pri...
By Celeste Malone for MP&F’s Diversity Committee One of our newest staff associates Celeste Malone wrote the following post in celebration of Juneteenth, an American holiday on June 19 that commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texa...
The Nashville sports scene has been buzzing this spring. From hosting the 2019 NFL Draft in front of a record 600,000 fans and the NHL’s Nashville Predators’ playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to welcoming a former NBA star player a...
Caylan Hays is one of MP&F’s newest staff associates. Here’s her personal take on mentorship and why it is both meaningful and important. I’ve heard it said before that we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we...
I had a lot of self-doubts when I chose to leave my job in Washington at the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, move to Nashville and change careers. Every negative scenario regarding this decision ran through ...
As a young professional, I often ask myself, “Is this acceptable?” Adapting to working in a professional environment can be a challenge in the beginning of a career. As times have changed, so has the dress code. Over time, we have se...
It’s no secret that the right internship can be tremendously helpful for young people’s careers. Benefits of an internship can include experience, networking opportunities, class credit (if a school recognizes it) and a paycheck (ass...
MP&F has been working with client @NissanUSA on a national experiential marketing program. The program features augmented reality to showcase Nissan Intelligent Mobility. The campaign invites consumers to experience the excitement...
Prognosticators often compile myriad facts and evidence when making predictions for the New Year. The communications industry changes so frequently that predictions for the New Year can often come and go within just a few months, but tha...
The holidays are in full swing, and we know they can be stressful. The shopping, the wrapping, the decorating, the traveling … it can be a lot. To help, we’ve created Nogmented RealityTM! Follow these five steps to nogment your reali...
As designers, we are often our own worst enemy, constantly trying to push designs further and not accepting anything short of perfection. Many times throughout the conference, we were reminded to trust our instincts. It’s easy to pick ...
It’s not often you can say with authority that your campaign was one of the best in the world, but that’s the news from MP&F today. The 2018 Global SABRE Awards winners have been announced, and we’re a winner! The “Don’t Be An ...
MP&F Loves Our Preds – Watch the hype video HERE during the 2016-17 Stanley Cup run (P.S. – That’s Javier in the skates). Stick taps for the Preds’ marketing and communications department As the puck drops tonight for the Predators ho...
Marketing a family of brands Every marketing challenge is different. Some are more complicated than others. And then there are the ones that really make you stretch. Those are the kinds we like. Early in 2018, a company with 40-plus reta...
Nashville’s recent growth has been as hot as hot chicken itself, and for good reason, too. The Nashville area is experiencing the third-highest job growth of large metro areas in the United States, and the Metro Planning Department est...
Have you ever thought about what happens behind the scenes when you “Google” something? Odds are, it’s a lot more than you think. As soon as you click Search, a bidding war begins between the products and services that are using pa...
MP&F partner Keith Miles serves as a professional adviser for the PRSSA and, through this, is given the opportunity to share his knowledge with the next generation of PR practitioners. He recently wrote a blog post about the importance o...
MP&F has been spreading its wings of late and, with it, the scope of our services. After the best year in company history in 2017, we are proud to announce major enhancements to our communications offerings and a new name: MP&F Strategic...
MP&F earned a national Gold SABRE on behalf of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation for the Count It! Lock It! Drop It! campaign, at the recent North American SABRE Awards ceremony in New York City. The three-year camp...
I’m proud of the great job we’ve done. I just voted FOR transit, and here’s why: It’s an investment in infrastructure, like water pipes, electric lines, sidewalks and fiber, we have to make for the good of the city. It’ll cost ...
By Ira Hughes There are many people throughout the world who contribute to making the communities where they live better. Some are even able to effect change in a larger scale. But, in the grand scheme of things, not many individuals are...
This May will mark 25 years since I was an eager college student embarking on an internship at MP&F Public Relations. Little did I know then that it would be the start of a rewarding career in communications. After a few years of client ...
You often hear the phrase “the customer is always right” in industries ranging from fast food to public relations. This comes from the understanding that, without a strong base of consumers, a business will die. So the importance of ...
Last week Mark Zuckerberg announced that major changes are in the works at Facebook. The social network is shifting its algorithms again — this time to make sure you are seeing more content from family and friends. It’s likely that c...
When the Marine Corps needed a few good PR folks to provide strategic communications support for its annual Marine Week activities, the brass turned once again to the crack team at MP&F Public Relations. For the second year in a row – ...
This has been a remarkable year for MP&F Public Relations. We have celebrated our 30th anniversary, in ways large and small, all year long. It has been the best year in our history, with more than $8 million in billed fees. The future is...
Earlier this month, MP&F coordinated a Holiday Home Tour with 15 social influencers from across the country on behalf of our client Kirkland’s. It was a huge success, and we loved the Christmas décor inspiration our blogger partners p...
We are intentional about the attention we give to our office culture. We want our team to be happy and fully engaged in our business. In the end, our clients reap the benefits. One centerpiece of our culture is our annual staff retreat. ...
“Keep typing until it turns into writing.” – David Carr (RIP), New York Times When I think of writer’s block, I mostly envision some great mid-20th century literary figure chain smoking Lucky Strikes, drinking shots of cheap bour...
We’re very deliberate about our office culture and place a high value on the health and well-being of our staff. After all, our motto is “Do Great Work, Have Fun, Make Money.” Whether it’s our just-held annual Halloween party, wh...
I am a big fan of accountants, an appreciation I developed back in the early 1990s when I worked with ADT Automotive and its CEO, Mike Richardson. Mike was/is an accountant who rose through the ranks at ADT to eventually run the company...
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Oct. 10, 2017) – Jennifer Brantley, a 25-year communications veteran, has been named a partner at MP&F Public Relations, it was announced today. Brantley began her career at MP&F as a student intern, working her way t...
After a two-year hiatus, I’ve decided to start posting the #RogerThat blog again on a regular basis. Sort of. I’m actually going to link to another blog to buy time while I continue working on a piece about overcoming writer’s block....
As my colleague Taylor Smith mentioned last week on Engage, MP&F regularly works with bloggers to reach our clients’ audiences. One such client is Kirkland’s, a national specialty retailer of home décor with whom we’ve worked with...
At MP&F, we work closely with clients who benefit from having a blogger/influencer strategy in their communications plans. These clients include, but are not limited to, Kirkland’s, The Hermitage, Renaissance Nashville Hotel and Opry M...
Whether you are in the business of networking or sales, looking for your first job or a new job, or searching for your next office superstar, LinkedIn is a powerful tool. The site has 500 million users worldwide, 106 million are monthly ...
We live in a nation divided. And no, I’m not talking about political beliefs or gender wars. The latest variable is age. From baby boomers to Gen Z – the next generation on everyone’s radar – we live in fast-moving times, and eve...
The solar event of a lifetime came to Nashville, and we at MP&F were lucky enough to have a front-row seat! Our internal “RAA-RAA” Committee planned several surprises to mark this special occasion. Everyone received a special black a...
MP&F partner Alice Chapman serves on the board of the PRSA Counselors Academy and is a PRSA member. Her most recent blog post, about the importance of diversity in an agency setting and MP&F’s commitment to being a diverse and inclusiv...
The MP&F motto, “Do Great Work, Have Fun, Make Money,” has stuck with me since the first day of my internship here. Before beginning at MP&F, I studied its portfolio and I was extremely impressed with its clientele. On my first day,...
My parents taught me about leadership and accountability, and I haven’t stopped learning and growing. I feel that I’m just as curious now as I was when I was younger. I enjoy seeing how leaders of different organizations, whether the...
I have only been at MP&F for 30 days. Already, I see how the tagline “do great work, have fun, make money” represents the culture at MP&F – a culture that has lasted for 30 years. From the little things, like moving a staff meeting...
The idea of “mentorship” is a hot topic in the public relations sphere right now, and justifiably so. It’s a concept that has grown in the communications field, and there are countless thought-provoking pieces on the subject (Erica...
On the drive into the office today, I was listening to “Morning Edition” on our local NPR affiliate, WPLN, when they aired an interview with the editor and reporter of a high school newspaper in Washington state. The reporter, Teddy ...
MP&F staff recently headed to The Old School, a farm-to-table restaurant, garden and event venue, for our annual midyear retreat, where family and friends later joined for a 30th anniversary party complete with MP&F-themed cocktails. Sta...
We are honored to announce that we were chosen once again as a Top Workplace of 2017 by The Tennessean. We’re also excited to be one of eight companies to have won this award five years in a row! Check out the full list of Top Workpla...
Nashville – the home of country music, cowboy boots and the Grand Ole Opry. For most Nashvillians, country music becomes a part of life. If you’re a native, you can probably give personal tours of the Ryman, point out at least three ...
The Nashville Predators are entering a pivotal Game 5. Our city sits on the precipice of frozen glory. The timid need not apply, as the pressure will only continue to rise, the stakes only to get higher. We at MP&F have made no secret of...
MP&F had a strong showing at the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Music City Gold Pen Awards ceremony last week at Noah Liff Opera Center. In total, for our work on behalf of our clients, we won nine awards of e...
It’s time to recognize the evolution from “blogger” to “influencer” and adjust the way we are speaking about this aspect of a digital strategy. Bloggers can be influencers, but influencers are not necessarily bloggers. This per...
MP&F had a great showing at the awards ceremony this week for the Nashville chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. We won more Parthenons than any other agency, collecting a total of 36 awards (15 Parthenons and 21 awards of...
It was a real honor to introduce MP&F partner Alice Chapman as a new member of the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club recently. The experience reminded me of something very special about our workplace as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of ...
It’s taken me a long time to ideate this piece of snackable content. After all, I was working to craft a cutting-edge, viral blog post with perfectly synergized messages aimed at exposing pain points around the pervasive use of jargon ...
MP&F Partner Katy Varney was among 40 women nationwide recognized by PRWeek as Champions of PR, for her coalition-building, government affairs and communications work. Read more below or by clicking here. From helping defeat an ill-advi...
MP&F is celebrating 30 years in business, and we realize that most anniversary news is met with responses like: Oh, really? That’s nice. Yes, I got the release. No, my readers don’t care. Shoot … I forgot. I’m sorry, honey. Yes, ...
Social media evolves daily, and it can be a challenge to predict the next turn it will take; but I’m willing to make a few predictions based on what we saw in 2016. Here are my predictions for the state of social media in 2017. 1.) Virt...
An avid reader of the New York Times, I logged on to get my daily morning intake of business, environmental, science, political and world news. The first thing that grabbed my attention was a Patagonia call-to-action ad. It wasn’t impl...
MP&F Public Relations is proud to announce that former Southern Living managing editor Mary Elizabeth Davis has joined us to lead our Creative Services department. With almost a decade at one of the South’s most prestigious publication...
MP&F is a longtime member of the Public Relations Society of America’s Counselors Academy, an organization whose purpose is to enable collaborative peer relationships among senior-level public relations counselors. Counselors Academy b...
MP&F started as a one-man consultancy in 1987. Thirty years later, we are the largest independently owned, full-service PR firm in the state, have more than 70 employees, and are the winners of numerous local and national awards. Basical...
Recently, MP&F Senior Vice President Jennifer Brantley and Vice President Javier Solano led separate industry-related information-sharing sessions with Nashville’s governmental, corporate and nonprofit communicators. Brantley was on a ...
Recently, I had the opportunity to address a group of community banking executives on social media best practices at the Tennessee Bankers Association biannual roundtable event. It was an engaged group of 40 or so bankers from across the...
There are two ways to gain perspective: Experience and Altitude. MP&F has both. Join us in 2017 as we celebrate our 30th anniversary by sharing the View From 30. “Nobody cares about your anniversary.” – Anonymous MP&F ...
It’s been a banner year for MP&F! In 2016, we helped more than 100 clients across a variety of industries connect with their audiences through media relations, advertising, social media, web design, event management, community...
2016 was a big year for obvious reasons, many of which either were discussed on social media or involved social media in some facet. Personally, I’m obsessed with keeping up with social media trends, and at MP&F we want to make sure we...
At MP&F, our staff is organized into two teams, 1 and 2. This is done for a few reasons, mainly organizational. At every annual company retreat, typically held the first week of December, teams 1 and 2 go head to head in a friendly, but ...
Most college students hear the mantra “network, network, network” if you want to get a job after graduation. And while most graduates hear what their professors are saying, actually diving in and doing it is a different thing. But it...
PR life can be busy, hectic and challenging. But we love it. Now that mobile is the new desktop, apps have become our best friends. So I took an internal poll: What are your favorite apps that lessen your stress? Facebook and Instagram, ...
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Foundation and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) named MP&F Partner Keith Miles as the 2016 Dr. Frederick H. Teahan Outstanding Professional Adviser for his work with t...
MP&F Public Relations has, not one, but two people named to the prestigious Nashville Business Journal Power 100 list this year. Partner Katy Varney and Account Supervisor and Metro Councilman Colby Sledge were named to the Power 100, no...
Many visitors arrive at Andrew Jackson’s home with their opinions already fixed, sometimes using words like “crazy” and “violent.” At first, I visited The Hermitage solely to enjoy the history. But I left with a clearer image o...
So my college major, grades and transcripts won’t matter in the “real world,” or at least that’s what I’m told. The question then becomes ‘what can we students do to land that postgraduate dream job?’ College students have ...
MP&F recently welcomed a new class of interns. These talented young people were chosen to spend the fall semester at MP&F after a competitive round of interviews with our team of intern coordinators. Like every intern class before them, ...
Earlier today, MP&F Vice President Javier Solano led an online “diversity chat,” presented by the Nashville chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Solano, also the vice president of the Tennessee Latin American Ch...
Disappearing images are all the rage on social media lately, starting with the increasingly popular 5-year-old Snapchat and, more recently, Instagram’s disappearing stories feature. So now that there are two platforms doing the same th...
Marine Week, the Corps’ largest community outreach event of the year, was held in Nashville, Sept. 7–11. MP&F had the honor and pleasure of working with the Corps on this large-scale project. There were more than 80 events across the...
You are doing yourself and your fellow creative professionals a disservice if you embrace the mantra of “There are no bad ideas in a brainstorm.” Almost every idea in a brainstorm is bad. That’s why only a few – at best – survi...
More than 700 Marines are headed to Music City! MP&F Public Relations is working with the United States Marine Corps on their largest community outreach event of the year: Marine Week from Sept. 7 to 11. The events will feature hands-on ...
MP&F’s founding partner, Mark McNeely, was recently presented with the Nashville Emerging Leader 2016 Impact Award by YP Nashville and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. The award honors a top Nashville leader who has made a signi...
For the past two months, I have worked as an MP&F intern conducting research, creating social media calendars, writing blog posts and generally learning what it’s like to work in an agency setting. It’s been a great experience that...
In the world of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, email is still the No. 1 digital activity. According to online marketing firm Ezanga, 58 percent of adults check their email first thing in the morning. Here are a few tips to he...
MP&F partner Alice Chapman recently attended her fourth PRSA Counselors Academy Spring Conference, an annual event where independent agency owners and other senior leaders come together for professional development and networking. Chapma...
MP&F recently welcomed Conexión Américas intern Arturo Prieto for a nearly monthlong internship. Arturo, a rising sophomore at Trevecca Nazarene University studying political science and business, previously interned with District 31 M...
In a world where all graphic designers are exceptional pingpong players … one … is not. But, that’s not stopping him from diving into Nashville’s Ponger Games: an underground pingpong tournament where one second you’re the padd...
MP&F Partner Katy Varney recently penned a guest column for the Nashville Business Journal about the firm’s new office space and how it’s an asset for clients and the future of the company, along with the reasoning for why we...
I’m very proud to report that, for the fourth consecutive year, MP&F has been named a Top Workplace in Middle Tennessee by The Tennessean. What is especially gratifying is that the Top Workplaces list is based on the results of employe...
Every college student looks forward to walking across the stage and receiving his or her undergraduate degree. The late nights filled with double espresso shots, the frantic cram sessions during finals week and the insurmountable piles o...
Javier Solano, a vice president at MP&F and at the Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce, recently penned a guest column for the Nashville Business Journal about diversity and inclusion in the Nashville area. Read Javier’s...
The news of Larry Daughtrey’s death was hard to take for those of us who knew him well, especially those of us who were also close to Larry’s good friend Mike Pigott, who passed away less than a year ago. Larry and Mike were a lot al...
At the risk of being a little boastful, we’ve had a pretty good run over here with awards lately. Our Kirkland’s work picked up Best of Show at this year’s PRSA Nashville Parthenon awards, the second straight year we’ve brought h...
There was a time when the editorial and advertorial worlds had clear lines of demarcation. It was easy to tell the difference between an investigative report and an ad. However, the days of this “Church and State” arrangement have ...
My colleagues Mark McNeely and Alice Chapman, along with an incredible MP&F team, have just completed a clean sweep of national awards honoring their work for the statewide “Red White and Food” campaign to allow the sale of wine in T...
We are excited to share that MP&F took home yet another national honor for the Red White and Food campaign at the PRWeek Awards in New York City last Thursday. In the article below, PRWeek explains why MP&F’s and the Red White and Food...
Back in 2011, my friend Gini Dietrich asked me and several of our marketing and PR colleagues nationally to write one-pagers for a book she was working on titled “Dear CEO: Letters to the C-Suite from Experts on Vision, Culture, Commun...
MP&F was thrilled to work with Bryan Byrdlong during his time as MP&F’s first diversity fellow. Bryan spent six months at MP&F, and the following blog shares highlights from his experience. Click here to learn more about our diversity ...
12th & Broad recently honored recipients of The 12th Awards during a reception at Rosewall in Nashville. The awards are designed to honor Nashville’s most innovative, creative and community-minded individuals and organizations of the yea...
Happy New Year. May 2016 be productive and rewarding. Before it gets too far gone, though, I want to talk about 2015, a year like none I have ever experienced in my 28 years of PR agency work. 2015 was wrenching, heartbreaking and heartw...
Katy Varney’s roots in Tennessee and Nashville political circles run deep. She took time off in college to work on Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign, a stint that got her a job offer straight out of school from Ned McWherter. She...
Marketing trends come and go, but successful ad campaigns play by some age-old rules. How can you create ads that drive action? Below are four key points to keep in mind during the creative process. Don’t lose sight of your goal. This ...
This time a year ago, MP&F partner Andrew Maraniss was waiting on pins and needles for his first book, “Strong Inside,” to be published. Now, he’s receiving phone calls from Ethel Kennedy and having his book mentioned along with th...
As a friend and former longtime client of MP&F, I was always impressed with the company culture. There is an ingrained sense of service to the community, a desire for personal and professional growth, which is encouraged, and a great cam...
The Gerst House. Nov. 8, 1988. Election Day. Mike Pigott’s 34th birthday. George Bush was elected president that day. It was the day and place Mike and I sealed the deal to go into business together, therefore one of the scariest days ...
MP&F hits trifecta with prestigious national Silver Anvil Award for its work on the Red White and Food campaign to allow the sale of wine in Tennessee retail food stores! At the annual Public Relations Society of America award show tonig...
When I arrived at MP&F four months ago, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. Would I be handling some mundane or important tasks? Would I be sitting at a desk doing research all day, or would I be driving around doing errands for cli...
We’ve been working on a website refresh for the last few months. Google’s announcement about the mobile-friendly algorithm change scheduled for today added fuel to our fire. As Search Engine Journal reports, “mobile-friendliness w...
Your handshake could potentially make or break someone’s first impression of you. When networking, a handshake can either send the message that you’re confident and sociable, or say the opposite. Check out this vlog for some do’s...
MP&F professionals share advice for college students “If you could go back to college, what would you do differently while in school?” This was one of the many questions college students asked panelists and me during the University o...
We sometimes learn the most important life lessons in situations we least expect. More often than not, these same life lessons can be applied to multiple aspects of our lives, including our careers. When Jennifer Pharr Davis, an author a...
Pandora? TV? Billboards? With so many advertising options available to marketers today, how do we ever decide which mix is right for our clients? For more than 25 years, MP&F has had extensive experience producing and placing digital, TV...
By Amanda Gambill Even though our office is closed today in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we won’t be using that as an excuse to sleep in, catch up on Netflix or shop. Instead, our staff is honoring Dr. King by participating in ...
By Erin Clements At MP&F’s fall retreat, networking was a big topic of conversation. This can be an intimidating topic for rising young professionals, but it’s an important skill to have for your own development and for the success o...
By Dan Schlacter We are days away from a historic Twitter opportunity: the College Football Playoff championship game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks on Monday, January 12, at 8:30 p.m. EST on ESPN. You might not lik...
By Mike Pigott One of my first memories after joining Mark McNeely in this company in 1988 was the fact that he was donating a significant amount of the company’s time to Our Kids, a Junior League-sponsored program that addresses child...
Secrets of a Seven-Year PR Campaign Uncorked By Alice Chapman When Tennessee voters overwhelmingly approved the sale of wine in retail food stores in 78 municipalities last month, they ended a seven-year quest to change outdated liquor ...
By Katy Varney Mark McNeely likes to tell the story that one of the conditions of my joining MP&F in 1993 was that we would have an annual off-site company retreat. There was no way to predict back then what would evolve into years of c...
By Dan Schlacter I recently attended Modern Healthcare’s Mobile Health Summit: Connecting Providers, Payers and Patients. As the conversation began, it quickly became clear that health care conversations – especially those about cons...
Nobody likes to hear negative things about their company online, but the fact is that when people have negative experiences, they want to talk about it. And with so much activity happening online, especially in retail, there are lots of ...
A version of this post also appeared in The Tennessean. By David Fox Congratulations to the Downtown Partnership as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. As a partner in a company that has operated in downtown Nashville since 1987, I can s...
If, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, then doesn’t it make sense to plan visuals for your social media stream? I can see a marked increase in engagement in my own blogs and Facebook posts when I use a photo or share a...
MP&F’s Sarah de Jong recently wrote about how MP&F is Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk by advising clients on blogging best practices, and hosting a number of personal blogs ourselves. That entry ginned up some great...