Leadership and Accountability Lessons Can Be Fun

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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 they’re in sports, government or business, teach leadership, goodwill and accountability. This recent article written by Gene Healey for the Chattanooga Times Free Press caught my eye. In short, the University of Tennessee–Chattanooga football team’s wide receivers coach gives his players two teachable moment options if they forget to bring their playbooks to a team meeting. Option 1 is to run, …

Do Great Work, Have Fun, Make Money

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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 outside when the office is too cold for some, to the unexpected things, like taking pictures with a catfish to support the Preds, surprises are common. But, working here is not always fun and games. Alongside playful Instagram shoots and pingpong tournaments, staff members are dedicated to producing the highest-quality work for the firm and …

Why Mentorship Even Matters

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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 Cooke’s Platform Magazine blog on the subject is a great example). My purpose here is not to tell you how to pursue mentorship in your own career, but rather to explain why it’s even worth your time. Having a mentor or being a mentor yourself may seem to be yet another item on your infinite to-do list as a PR practitioner, but …

It’s in the Asking …

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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 Fischer, saw Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ mobile phone number in a photograph and, in coordination with his editor, decided to reach out with an interview request. So, you’re thinking, ‘yeah, a reporter reached out to a government official for an interview. What’s the big deal?’ As someone in the communications world who has made hundreds of media pitches, I …

Midyear Retreat – Going Old School

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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. Staffers spent the day learning about best practices, reviewing successes for the year so far, participating in brainstorming break-out sessions and strengthening our best asset – our culture. Scroll down for a glimpse of our retreat and our 30th anniversary party – it’s Our View From 30 (at the farm). To kick off the day, staffers took a tour of the on-site farm at The …

MP&F Makes The Tennessean’s Top Workplace List For Fifth Consecutive Year

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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 Workplaces in The Tennessean here. It also includes seven of our clients who earned spots on the prestigious list. The Top Workplaces list is based on the results of employee surveys that measure qualities such as company leadership, communication, career opportunities, working environment, managerial skills, and pay and benefits. If you are interested in working …

Three Ways Social Media Marketing Is Like a Country Music Song

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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 friends who are extras on “Nashville,” and tell me where Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman recently had lunch. At MP&F, we love embracing all things Nashville, including our country music. Maybe it was the recent CMAs or the social media calendars I’ve been working on, but I’ve discovered country music has more to teach me than a lesson …

Here’s what’s … On! Our! Powerplay(list)!

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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 our borderline creepy obsession with our Preds and have spent much of the last few weeks keeping one eye on our work and the other on Bridgestone, which we can see out our window, just a couple of blocks from our office. To help spread our excitement, we’ve combined forces to create a Preds Pump-Up …

The Results Are in Part 2 … 2017 IABC Music City Gold Pen Awards

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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 excellence and five awards of merit. Below is the list of MP&F’s winning projects. Award of Excellence Winners  Community Relations: nMotion Media Relations: Marine Week Nashville Digital Communications: Marine Week Nashville Community Relations Marine Week Nashville Marketing, Advertising and Brand Communication Marine Week Nashville Publications Marine Week Nashville Social Media Programs Marine Week Nashville Communication Research Marine Week Nashville …

The Evolution of the Digital Influencer

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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 person may or may not have their own website, but they definitely have one or more of these popular social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and/or Snapchat. They use these pages to leverage their popularity to influence their followers to buy a product, introduce them to a brand, or encourage them to try, taste, use something or go somewhere they haven’t before. Why is …