No two cities are alike, and when focusing on a single market, brands need a true understanding of a city and all of its nuances in order to succeed. We spoke with our member agencies with HQs in Canada, Las Vegas, Miami and Nashville to get a better understanding of the unique aspects of their markets that people might not consider.

One of the overarching themes we found is that going local gives a brand an automatic intimacy with the market. “Las Vegas welcomes more than 43 million visitors every year from all over the world,” says Amy Rossetti, founder of Las Vegas-based agency Rossetti Public Relations. “The destination itself has an emotional real estate in people’s mind and helping people make that connection is something that drives us.”

Local partners are also incredibly important to ensure messages are authentically localized, as consumers are sensitive to branded messages and stories that are driven by other countries. “Cultural nuance sensitivity is pivotal. What works for the East Coast will fall flat in the West, and that can lead key opinion leaders to disregard or even distrust a brand,” says Daniella Macri, Managing Partner of Bicom Communications. “As an agency that was founded in Montréal, Quebec, we understand the importance of adapting brand campaigns, key messages and overall relationships based on the market needs.”


BICOM Communications

From an efficiency standpoint, a local agency has the benefit of having a better handle on the press and influencer communities in their own markets, much more so than an outside company would. An out of town PR agency would likely require days of researching on media in an unfamiliar city. A local agency already knows the lay of the land.

“If you're working on an event, I think this is doubly important, as the home team is going to also likely to have caterers, florists, rental companies and venues on speed dial,” says Libby Callaway, principal of Nashville firm The Callaway. “The Callaway has had a lot of direct experience in this area: over the last year, we've helped many national luxury brands execute big brand events and launches. The feedback from our clients is that it's a major time-saver.”


Edward Constantini (Oceana Bal Harbour) and artist Jeff Koons at the unveiling of the Seated Ballerina at Art Basel 2016, Quinn PR

If a brand is not well known in a target market, or locals are very important for everyday traffic and revenue, having a local PR agency can be extremely beneficial. The consensus of our conversations was that a local firm should have strong relationships with the local media and understand the nuances of the market. 

“The local agency should also be able to guide the creation of local partnerships that will help cross promote and build a business-driving database,” says Tathiana Rosado, Senior Vice President at Quinn PR Miami. “Miami in particular is a pretty small media market and everyone knows each other. I’ve noticed that the journalists here really care about having that face-to-face time with the publicists they work with.”

That ties into the value of familiarity, as people respond faster and more positively when they’re approached by someone they already know. “In the case of events, unless the company we're working with has majorly sexy name recognition (Vogue, for instance, to cite a recent example), Team Callaway always prefers to send invitations from our personal email addresses to spark recognition,” says Libby Callaway.


Restoration Hardware Nashville, The Callaway

Despite the curated, unique value they bring, local agencies are sometimes at the disadvantage of outsiders’ expectations. Many times, people’s assumptions about a city and its patrons are far from the reality, and the unique aspects of each place are actually something totally different.

Miami, for example, is known for its Hispanic culture, but conducting business in Spanish is not as common as one might think. However, Tathiana Rosado shares that, “The one thing that is consistent when it comes to media, is that we will confirm, say, 20 journalists to attend an event or press conference and maybe five will show up in true Miami fashion which is typically around 45 minutes to an hour late."

Libby Callaway urges people to understand that local doesn’t mean small in scale or experience. “Nashvillians are a lot savvier than the podunk country stereotype gives us credit for. For example, every member of Team Callaway has worked in communications in either New York City or Chicago. We know what we're doing - we have experience, here and ‘there.’ That's why you're hiring us!”


NoMad Las Vegas, Rossetti Public Relations 

And as important as it is to offer a local perspective, it’s also crucial to understand where the brand is coming from, which calls for experience that goes beyond the city in which you live. A firm that understands the local and national landscape is a huge plus for any brand.

“We act as communication architects; we’re building the foundation for our clients,” says Amy Rossetti. “That means we must not only set our clients up for success in Las Vegas, but also position them for global reach.”