Mitchell Communications Group

Don’t confuse Mitchell Communications Group with the typical full-service public relations, advertising and marketing firms.

“We focus solely on public relations, the research-based approach to managing all aspects of an organization’s communications needs outside of the marketing and advertising functions,” said Elise Mitchell, founder, president and CEO.

And so far it’s working.

Mitchell founded the company in 1995 after moving to northwest Arkansas. She had previously spent 12 years in the advertising and PR industry with several firms in Memphis and Nashville.

With her former Memphis employer — Promus Hotel Corp., now owned by Hilton Hotels Corp. — on board as her first client, Mitchell caught a break when Wal-Mart Stores Inc. signed on in 1997.

From there Mitchell Communications has added several large clients, creating a “triple play” of northwest Arkansas giants: Wal-Mart, J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Tyson Foods Inc.

The firm’s success, says Mitchell, boils down to helping companies effectively tell their stories. “Companies have stories to tell to different audiences, but when they’re caught up in the day-to-day operations, it’s hard for them to see,” said Mitchell. “We identify those unique stories and find ways to communicate those stories effectively. We think of ourselves as good storytellers.”

The agency has grown to 17 employees in a “virtual agency” business model. Once the client demand outgrew what she could handle alone, Mitchell established a network of senior-level account executives who worked from their homes, while later also adding a small full-time staff to handle day-to-day operations from a Fayetteville office.

“This business model is very unique in the public relations industry,” said Mitchell. “This shifted a majority of the account management work from me to other professionals, providing the service clients expected and freeing me up to lead the business more effectively.”