This post was created in partnership with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Key takeaways
- When going digital, staying true to the brand that loyal customers have come to love is integral.
- Activations need to be hyper-relevant and personalized to a brand’s audience.
- Even a national brand can find a way to connect with consumers on a more specific, localized level.
From neighborhood activations to citywide movements, today’s most resonant brands are proving that community is the ultimate growth channel. They are scaling brand impact by fostering trust, culture, and collaboration at the regional level.
During an ADWEEK House Brandweek 2025 Group Chat co-hosted with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), a panel of industry leaders explored how local relevance can build national reach and lasting growth.
Maintaining brand authenticity in the shift to digital
Kim Yates, chief commercial officer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, kicked off the conversation by addressing the recent news that the publication will no longer have a printed newspaper.
“Becoming a fully multimedia, modern media company, fully digitized digital media company is the goal, and rolling that out to our loyal customers has been something that we’ve learned a lot from,” Yates shared.
She said the newspaper is maintaining communication and connection with subscribers by doing special things like giving certain loyal customers iPads and teaching them how to view the digital version of the publication. The newspaper has also launched several different brands within the Atlanta Journal-Constitution umbrella to connect with the local community, including high school football and Black culture.
“Tapping into different connections within the portfolio of brands has been really important with our evolution instead of hyper-focusing just on the AJC brand,” Yates explained.
Jackie Choice, head of B2B marketing at Atlanta Journal-Constitution, emphasized the importance of separate voices for each community and authenticity for each brand’s core audience.