Balancing national campaigns with local engagement

Jeremy Heilpern, founder and CEO at Ammunition, shared how a brand can resonate with local consumers. He gave the example of an HVAC company having a cooling message in the South vs. a heating message in the North.

“It’s really thinking about what’s that message, where does it show up, and why should I believe the thing that you’re saying?” Heilpern explained. “I think localizing it to that region, whether it’s from a messaging standpoint or it’s from a just visual standpoint, that resonates with me. It looks like what I expect.”

Tom Gargiulo, CMO at BODYARMOR, added that local is a critical element of his marketing mix. He pointed out that the brand is in a unique context with both flashy NFL players but also being on-site for athletes at a local fun run.

“A big part of our strategy is collecting assets that really resonate with everyone and that can relate to that small mom-and-pop bottler all the way to the big multinationals,” Gargiulo said.

To resonate, Yates advised brands to listen to their audiences. “The only way you can be authentic is if you listen.” 

Choice agreed and highlighted the listening sessions the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is conducting with its local partners as it evolves its digital strategy.

“Across the board, listening in Georgia and Atlanta right now, it’s critical, especially as we make this shift and figure out how to support B2B and B2C with digital.”

Featured Conversation Leaders

• Jackie Choice, Head of B2B Marketing, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Tom Gargiulo, CMO, BODYARMOR
• Jeremy Heilpern, Founder and CEO, Ammunition
• Rebecca Hogan, Head of Integrated Communications, The Weather Company
• Will Lee, CEO, ADWEEK
• Matt Wikstrom, Chief of Partnership Sales, United States Olympic and Paralympic Properties
• Kim Yates, Chief Commercial Officer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution