Who needs a London PR agency when there's one on the Thames Valley doorstep?

The Thames Valley has been nicknamed the Silicon Valley of the UK - understandably as the number of tech companies in the Thames Valley is seven times higher than anywhere else in the country. Indeed, Reading is the fastest growing region, growing by about 2.5% compared to the rest of the south east region which is growing at about 2%.

The number of start-ups in the region is also on the up with more incorporating in 2018 than Manchester and Birmingham combined.

Why is the Thames Valley so attractive for start-ups?

The universities, well appointed office space, rail links into London and connections further afield via Heathrow all help provide the environment, pool of skill, collaboration and investment needed to succeed.

And of course with companies like Oracle, Microsoft and Vodafone based in the region there is an abundance of experience and a groundswell of innovation both from the companies themselves, but the tech start-ups and SMEs that are pioneering the innovation that supports them.

At the same time, there has been a growth in service industries who provide everything from the HR resourcing to the marketing, PR and creative support that the large and the small need to keep their growth on track. In fact when you look at the agencies being used, many are very local to the offices of the tech giants.

5 reasons start-up entrepreneurs choose the Thames Valley

It's clear then that the conditions are ripe for entrepreneurs:

1.  Start-ups are choosing the Thames Valley because they are keen to be part of a local and abundant melting pot of a wide range of skill and investment. Some of the tech start ups are born out of breakaway skill and experience. That's people who have left the large employers because they've seen a way to serve the market differently, offer better economies and quality, or innovate in a way their ex-employer can't.
2. But they also recognise that they don't just need tech and sales skills to run their core business but they also need expertise to run the peripheral operations like marketing and HR too.
3. These start-ups are therefore looking for a similar ethos from their creative partners and suppliers. They are people who buy experience, not a name. They see that there's no reason to use the big London agencies if you can achieve excellence in creativity and delivery using an agency on your doorstep. They see that the local agencies have built teams that have experience and expertise.
4. Just like some of the tech start-ups, the agencies have been set up by entrepreneurs who have left the large agencies because they see there's another way. Testament to their strategy is the fact that many of the agencies in the region have been in business longer than the start-ups - they know the tech industry well, they know what's needed to support it today and tomorrow and because they are small, agile and keen to succeed.
5. It's this drive that means they are among the best and are recommended by their clients be they international tech distributors, or new ambitious IoT providers. They win awards, they are trusted, they have hard to gain accreditations. They know that they must continually improve for their clients to grow. They don't rely on a name.

Recommended PR agency in Thames Valley

In our case, and in the opinion of our clients, The Drum Recommended Agency directory rates us at 8.6/10. It speaks volumes about what you can expect from us: Hard work, creativity and most importantly results.

So if you think it's time to get a PR strategy that works in place, or you're thinking of reviewing, why not go local? You'll get far more than you'd expect.