“In the post-Covid world, Westchester has sprung back to life and whole new ways of doing business need to be communicated,” Bob Knight, president and CEO of Armonk-based marketing and public relations agency Harrison Edwards told the Business Journals. “Fundraising for nonprofits is up again and needs to be communicated. Commerce in general is back so all sorts of marketing and communications activities have sprung back to life.”
ar doubled both its staff and its revenues according to Knight. The firm has been adding new local clients such as the Westchester County Association, Village of Pelham, North American Partners in Anesthesiology, and the Larchmont/Mamaroneck STEM Alliance. Harrison Edwards was an early adopter of digital marketing techniques to help serve its clients and now is taking the next step into virtual reality, creating immersive experiences for clients to use in delivering their messages. The firm also has been actively expanding its activities in helping promote broadband around the country, including adding new clients in such far-flung places as Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, North Carolina and Texas.
“When $65 billion is infused into the broadband industry through the infrastructure bill it becomes very, very active on a national level,” Knight said. “We also started a cannabis practice recently. We”™re developing an anti-stigma campaign for the industry. If someone is trying to site a dispensary or grow operation in a community there”™s lots of stakeholder engagement that needs to occur and community relations. There are new products coming to market. Private equity is putting millions and millions of dollars into the industry and there are go-to-market strategies that a lot of the manufacturers need.”
Knight described Harrison Edwards”™ entry into the cannabis marketing field as starting as a slow walk but rapidly becoming intense involvement with industry leaders.
“It”™s been a legitimate part of medicine for several years and the science does back up its benefits,” Knight said. “We”™re advocates for responsible use, whether it”™s medical or recreational. The laws have certainly come in line with the research. We help our clients promote safe and responsible use.”
Knight pointed out that the firm was founded in 1987 and for years hovered at around 10 employees.
“Within the next couple of months we”™ll be close to 20 full-time employees,” Knight said. “We took new space in the same building in June and we outgrew it by July. We”™re on a hybrid schedule. We require two days in the office and the team can work remotely the other three days. I”™m typically in everyday. Even on our off days we”™re seeing more and more people come into the office just for the collaboration.”
Knight said that offering the firm”™s staff the ability to work remotely helps keep the company competitive while keeping it an attractive place to be employed.
Knight said that with so many people getting their information through social media channels, it”™s more important than ever for businesses to be in control of their messaging.
“Social media information often is not verified and can come from several sources. An omnichannel approach to messaging is absolutely critical for businesses and nonprofits in this day and age. Even in communities like Westchester and Fairfield where a lot of people know each other rumors can travel,” Knight said. “Having campaigns on various social media channels is critically important. Managing your message in the media also is critically important as is packaging that message for the press so they”™ll understand what the client wants to communicate in a clear and honest fashion. It also is important to have creative services to support the message.”
Knight explained that only when it”™s understood how people consume information that effective campaigns can be designed. He said that a Heatmap of data related to the way people absorb information reveals that the first thing the eyes are attracted to is video, then it”™s an image, then a headline, then text.
“Gone are the days when you just issue a press release and everyone knows the information. We have to work three times as hard and work efficiently to get the job done,” Knight said. “As long as you understand how people consume information you can design campaigns that stand out with very clear messaging across multiple channels.”
Knight said that Harrison Edwards plans to continue growing in Westchester as well as on the national front.
“Our broadband practice has us all over the country,” Knight said. “Two weeks ago we had three consecutive events, one in Montana, one in California and another was in Wisconsin. Big events are going on at home too, so managing the company and integrating more creative services into the mix will keep us at the forefront of cutting-edge communications in the country.”
