The National Museum of African American Music and the U.S. Postal Service today unveiled a stamp in honor of legendary performer and civil rights activist Lena Horne in observance of Black History Month. Horne will be featured at NMAAM when the museum opens in 2020. NMAAM curator Steven Lewis gave remarks detailing Horne’s lifetime musical career and contributions to the civil rights movement at the unveiling. “Lena Horne is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic figures in American entertainment,” Lewis said. “She rose from humble beginnings to a prominent place in American history on the strength of her …
McNeely Makes Plans To Shift Role At MP&F, Start New Firm – McNeely Brockman PR
New firm will launch June 1, co-locate with MP&F, share projects NASHVILLE – MP&F Public Relations founder Mark McNeely plans to form a related strategic communications consultancy housed in MP&F’s Nashville offices effective June 1, it was announced today. “This has been a long-term dream, and I am looking forward to transitioning to this new role, where my partner will be my daughter, Kelly Brockman, and we will focus on executive-level media relations, media training, crisis communications and strategic planning,” said McNeely, who started the firm that became MP&F in 1987. “I will still be working with some MP&F clients, …
Using Digital for Brand Authenticity
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 knowing what a consumer wants and values is paramount to building a brand. Studies by Cohn and Wolfe and the Boston Consulting Group have identified brand authenticity as one of the top factors in attracting customers. While it looks different for everyone, brand authenticity is the proximity between the image a brand projects and the reality of what that brand represents. …
Big changes are headed to Facebook (Now’s the time to get ready)
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 changes to Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, are on the way, too. According to Zuckerberg, the shift will take time, but you should see some changes in your news feed quickly. More content in your news feed from people that matter to you means less visibility for content from brands, businesses and news publishers. If your business relies on …
Progressive® Insurance Nashville Boat Show® Docks at Music City Center Jan. 18–21
The Progressive® Insurance Nashville Boat Show®, Tennessee’s premier boating event, docks in the Music City Center, Thursday, Jan.18, through Sunday, Jan. 21. This year’s show has over 300 boats on display for attendees to view, board and buy, the latest in marine tech and accessories on display, educational opportunities, and fun for all ages and experience levels! Kids and families will have endless opportunities for fun at this year’s show. New this year, Kendall Newson, a former Miami Dolphin and MTSU football player, will be on-site teaching a kids’ fishing clinic on behalf of his Teach a Child to Fish …
2017 MP&F Year in Review
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 – Nashville in 2016 and Detroit in 2017 – MP&F provided the Marines with a wide range of services, from event logistics and execution to advertising to media and community relations, as part of an integrated campaign promoting the Corps’ largest outreach program of the year. Throughout, we analyzed and reassessed to see how we could adjust and continue …
MP&F: A History of Comebacks for 30 Years
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 bright, and as long as we can continue to attract the smartest, most motivated, effective and caring people, I know that the company will continue to prosper. It hasn’t always been like this. I wanted to look back over the past 30 years at some of the major challenges, and successes, that the people at MP&F …
Holiday Home Tour With Kirkland’s
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 provided us! As part of the home tour, each social influencer was given a Kirkland’s gift card to shop for seasonal, on-trend products to style and photograph in their homes. Throughout the week, they linked to the other influencers’ posts to invite readers to hop from one blog to the next. To gain excitement and engagement, Kirkland’s gave away a $1,500 gift …
MP&F’s Annual Retreat: Bonding, Reflecting and Planning
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. It is, and I say so confidently, the most highly anticipated MP&F event of the year. Retreat gives us a chance to take a collective breath to celebrate our clients’ successes, to bond and review the ups and downs of the past year. Perhaps more importantly, as a group that is obsessive about planning and delivering results, …
Progressive® Insurance Nashville Boat Show® Harbors at the Music City Center Jan. 18–21
The Progressive® Insurance Nashville Boat Show®, Tennessee’s premier boating event, is bringing a taste of summer to Nashville’s Music City Center with four days of fun Jan. 18–21, 2018. This year’s show has over 180,000 square feet of boats and accessories along with educational opportunities and fun for all ages and experience levels! View, board and shop hundreds of boats from the region’s top dealers, plus take advantage of show specials on the latest marine accessories and electronics, including cruisers, watersports and fishing boats, jet skis, canoes, kayaks, and more! Former Miami Dolphin Kendall Newson will be on hand on …