Countless major websites went dark momentarily this week because of disruptions at two key global internet infrastructure services. Everything is back up and running again, but systems aren’t perfect and websites crash. What to do when things go dark? First, call your hosting company or agency. Next? Here are some ideas. When the internet goes dark, make a list. Make a list of 10 ways you want to improve your business in the next six months. Some will be small things. Some will be big dreams. When the internet returns, research. Find at least one article, person, company or service …

As we reclaim our social lives and return to some version of pre-pandemic normal, the loners are freaking out. Believe it or not, this is a thing.  I believe it. I’m a loner. Big pile of awkward. I hate talking to strangers. (No offense if you don’t know me. It’s not you.)  So while others were baking sourdough, making art and doing other sequestered things, I decided to do something about my biggest fear. No, not actually talk to strangers. Too much, too soon. Instead, I talked to someone about talking to someone. Meet Lily Clayton Hansen, Nashville author, actor …

The free press has been a staple of our democracy since our nation was founded, and journalists have long been respected as a vessel for bringing crucial information to the people. In our modern digital age, saturated with resources and information, it can be hard to discern reality from speculation, fact from fiction.  We need journalists now more than ever to make those distinctions. I sat down — virtually, of course — with David Plazas, director of Opinion and Engagement at USA Today Network Tennessee, to discuss the unique challenges journalists face in today’s world, and how we can all …

Wondering how you can celebrate and honor Black History Month in our socially distant, virtual world? There are just as many opportunities as ever to celebrate this month and every month. While we of course encourage you to partake in some of these activities, hold on to this list and use it all year long. If you are looking to get out of the house and do some in-person sightseeing, spend your Saturday or Sunday with our client the National Museum of African American Music. Here you can learn about African American music from its conception all the way to …

Whew. 2020 was quite a year. While we won’t deny it was challenging in many ways, it also was a great year full of hard work, creative energy and winning results. We helped clients across all industries navigate changes and crises brought on by COVID-19. We are so thankful to our clients for sticking with us through a year filled with so much uncertainty. We can’t wait to see what 2021 brings!  Here’s a recap of some of our work we’re most proud of from 2020 (and this hardly scratches the surface!). Launched a new marketing and advertising strategy for …

In a time of remote work, making sure we find ways to enjoy each other is more important than ever. Do Great Work. Have Fun. Make Money.As a member of MP&F’s RAA-RAA (aka party planning) Committee, fulfilling the “Have Fun” portion of our company tagline has always been one of my favorite parts of working here. From monthly birthday treats to extravagant Halloween parties, to making sure the Kegerator always has a great local beer on-tap, it’s never been much of a challenge to make sure my fellow MP&Fers enjoy a never-ending supply of fun. Now in a time of remote …

As an independently owned communications firm in business for 33 years, MP&F has always believed that the diversity of our company is important. We benefit from the richness diversity brings to our culture, we benefit from the different perspectives it brings to our work for our clients, and we benefit from the incredible people we get to work with, who are part of our MP&F family.  As a company that advises other organizations on the best ways to communicate to diverse audiences, we know from experience that having a diverse company allows us to do our job better. But beyond …

As a lifelong fan of the NFL franchise now known as the Washington Football Team, my relationship to it now spanning five decades, I remember Super Bowl VII. I remember the lovable “Over the Hill Gang” that lost, 14–7, as the footnote to Miami’s perfect season. I don’t remember that, in the spring of 1972, months before that Super Bowl season began, a delegation of Native American leaders met with Redskins President Edward Bennett Williams and urged him to change the team’s name, which means that the controversy over the team name is at least 48 years old. Williams tweaked …

In my years at MP&F, I am increasingly grateful to work for an agency where my colleagues and I immerse ourselves every day in industries from education to entertainment, from technology to transportation. We are better communicators on behalf of all of our clients because the work we do reaches across so many types of businesses. It is both humbling and rewarding to see that effort recognized. O’Dwyer’s Magazine, now in its 34th year, is the top publication for PR and marketing communications professionals. Each year, the magazine ranks firms across the country on net fees and staff. In the 2020 …