The Rise of the Regionals Challenges Global PR Dominance
Photo credit Jack Sloop @jacksloop
What you will learn when you read this article:
Why independent PR firms are gaining ground over global holding companies through authenticity and regional focus.
How regionalization enables more culturally attuned, precise, and effective communications strategies.
What the shift means for global agencies and how communicators should adapt to stay competitive.
Globalization once promised limitless opportunity for communications firms. Today, the shine has dulled. Many holding companies and their PR divisions are reporting revenue declines while independent firms are capturing market share.
Independent firms are thriving for reasons that should make communicators take note: senior professionals remain engaged in campaign execution, creativity feels fresher, and client responsiveness is sharper. The deeper driver is authenticity. Regionalization is powering a new era of communications, one that independents are uniquely positioned to lead.
Global firms historically directed campaigns from headquarters, expecting strategies and measurements to apply universally. The cost was steep: a loss of cultural sensitivity, local market insight, and the chance to build authentic relationships with stakeholders. Independent firms saw the gap and moved in, emphasizing proximity to audiences and nuanced messaging.
Patricia Santa Marina, founding partner of Melius (Latin for Better), explained why her regional agency model is gaining traction.
“In Latin America, the predominant language is Spanish. But across our countries, we speak differently. We use not only different words, but also expressions and localisms that reflect our region’s diversity, alongside profound cultural and social variations that must be considered when developing a region-wide communication campaign. To be successful requires a regionalized approach—one rooted in cultural sensitivity, linguistic nuance, and an understanding of social and economic distinctions. No global agency can handle all that. They are too far removed. We created Melius to respond to the need for consistent, accurate communication across the region that others fail to appreciate.”
Regional markets are growth opportunities worldwide. In Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, independent firms are winning because they deliver culturally attuned messaging, local credibility, and cost-effective execution. Regional campaigns foster brand-consumer connections and build trust with influencers who matter locally.
Christian Josephi, founder of Joe Communication, offered a similar view.
“When we founded the regional agency Joe Communication, focused on trans-Atlantic communication, we perceived a need for a firm that could serve clients throughout the EU who were seeking greater visibility in the US. What we quickly learned was our clients sought the ability to speak to Americans in a way that would demonstrate credibility, enable authentic US-focused storytelling, and leverage multiple channels of impact in the US, rather than pursue an emphasis solely on traditional media. It worked especially well, and we are now collaborating with partners who can do much the same through our regional agency in five African countries.”
The global players are not vanishing, but they are under pressure. Regionalization strikes at the core of their long-standing globalized model. Even WPP has acknowledged the shift, acquiring a firm dedicated to Latin America.
The question for communicators is clear: who will serve clients better in this new era? Independents already have the head start. They know their territories, deliver growth faster, and operate with cultural fluency that global firms struggle to match.
As tariffs rise, crisis support grows more specialized, and brand growth becomes harder to achieve, the regional model is emerging as a powerful force in communications. Communicators should recognize this dynamic not as a passing trend but as a reshaping of the industry’s future.
