Regular readers of our public relations agency blog, or indeed the media press in general, will be well aware of the plight of many regional and local media agents. From broadcast outlets to magazines and newspapers, over the last few years business as usual has felt a more like a cull than anything else.
Nevertheless, here at Smoking Gun PR we’ve remained strong advocates of regionalised content, and fully believe that if it weren’t for the obvious difficulties involved in financing news and current affairs websites, the regional side of online publishing would be thriving whilst its elder print sibling continues to decline. Whichever way you look at it, there will always be an inherent public demand for location-specific articles and reports, because everyone cares about what’s happening on their doorstep.
Clothing brand Berghaus has just launched a new advertising campaign that shows it fully understands how regional and local angles resonate with an audience. The new commercials will run in cinemas nationwide until 31st October, and boast a different final frame targeted to various localities, along with information on the nearest stockist for each region. All of which sounds pretty logical so far as decisions go.
Of course we can’t all afford to pay for bespoke video work and notoriously expensive screen advertising time. Irrespective, the basic idea can obviously be applied to a plethora of campaigns and a range of budget, not least in the age of social media marketing, with several major platforms (not least Facebook) offering products and services to tailor PR, marketing and advertising efforts towards specific regional customers (so long as they are a fan, follower or similar of the business online).
None of which says anything about a healthy regional press in the years to come, but suggests there will be a continued need for editorial on localised consumer matters. If people respond to a blatant commercial, at least in part thanks to the fact it concerns something in their area, then it really stands to reason a more critical localised stand point could also influence their buying decisions. From restaurant reviews to columnists recommending products and services, there’s a lot that can be achieved if a business contacts the right person and sends out the right invite; irrespective of what the doom and gloom media headlines suggest about this essential arm of the press. Certainly worth bearing in mind next time it comes to the planning meeting.