Nashville is known for its music and coffee. I think I’ll stay awhile.
The Maxwell House coffee blend was named for a Nashville hotel and became so popular at the outset of the 20th century, that coffee, not music, was the city’s calling card at the time. As the story goes, none other than President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the coffee, “good to the last drop.”
Although I voted for him twice, I’m not optimistic that President Obama will be coining the next campaign slogan for my school district. How did Maxwell House get so lucky? There is something to be learned here in Nashville about knowing your roots, trumpeting your strengths, and growing your brand.
The Maxwell House coffee blend was named for a Nashville hotel and became so popular at the outset of the 20th century, that coffee, not music, was the city’s calling card at the time. As the story goes, none other than President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the coffee, “good to the last drop.”
Although I voted for him twice, I’m not optimistic that President Obama will be coining the next campaign slogan for my school district. How did Maxwell House get so lucky? There is something to be learned here in Nashville about knowing your roots, trumpeting your strengths, and growing your brand.
Nashville is one of the Top 10 fastest growing U.S. cities. It is a city that appears to know and celebrate its history, while simultaneously stretching itself to become a vibrant 21st century social hub. Beginning with its active vinyl-pressing plant in place since 1949 (one of only four in the nation), Nashville’s music industry accounts for nearly all of the sector’s growth in the U.S. in recent decades. Its professional recording studios pump out hits all along the musical spectrum from Taylor Swift to a Pitbull/Ke$ha collaboration. (Both are on my 10-year-old’s current playlist. Okay, fine, mine too.) Notable also are professional sports franchises. The NHL’s Nashville Predators and NFL’s Tennessee Titans both came to town in 1997.
Sunday night at dinner on my first night in town for the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) conference, we ate at a local joint with live music performances. There are many of these around the downtown area. Solo acts and duos played 1-2 song sets as we ate, leading up to a featured act called Weathered Souls. They were really good by my estimation - I’d trade for their talent at any rate. One interesting story a colleague related from some sightseeing over the weekend was that many acts in these small venues aren’t paid for their performances. The opportunity for exposure and the chance to develop has value. We’re all working toward our 10,000 hours, aren’t we?
So to recap, Nashville has a unique history (just like my school district), takes pride in its music and athletics (just like my school district), and provides opportunities for young people to follow their passion and hone their craft (just like my school district). I'm learning just as much about marketing from the host city as I am from our NSPRA conference.
Photo shows one of the dishwasher-sized street corner music boxes that exist throughout the downtown Nashville area.
Sunday night at dinner on my first night in town for the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) conference, we ate at a local joint with live music performances. There are many of these around the downtown area. Solo acts and duos played 1-2 song sets as we ate, leading up to a featured act called Weathered Souls. They were really good by my estimation - I’d trade for their talent at any rate. One interesting story a colleague related from some sightseeing over the weekend was that many acts in these small venues aren’t paid for their performances. The opportunity for exposure and the chance to develop has value. We’re all working toward our 10,000 hours, aren’t we?
So to recap, Nashville has a unique history (just like my school district), takes pride in its music and athletics (just like my school district), and provides opportunities for young people to follow their passion and hone their craft (just like my school district). I'm learning just as much about marketing from the host city as I am from our NSPRA conference.
Photo shows one of the dishwasher-sized street corner music boxes that exist throughout the downtown Nashville area.