Connection Between San Francisco and Los Angeles? It’s social, of course.

By Doug Myers, LCI Senior Director
Having just moved to San Francisco from Los Angeles, it got me thinking…What are the similarities and differences to delivering public relations and communication solutions in the two largest California markets?
There is the obvious – coverage in Los Angeles skews Hollywood while San Francisco, Silicon Valley. As the entertainment hub of the world, Los Angeles is much more celebrity-focused while San Francisco skews technology and political and could care less about the Kardashians. And while the Los Angeles Times is the central publication in the Los Angeles region, in addition to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Bay Area has the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune, among others.
There are also similarities. Both have a large presence in financial services, consumer products, healthcare, and professional services – all reflected in media coverage. And there is becoming more overlap, Silicon Alley in Los Angeles and more entertainment in the Bay Area. Just look at the recent filming of Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine and HBO’s Looking as proof.
Beyond that, it’s all about social media, digital marketing and blogs. In both markets, hands down, PR and communications is being driven by these components. The content may be slightly different but the techniques are the same. In fact, I would even go as far to say that these two markets are leading in this area nationwide and even globally.
Broadcast and print journalists continuously look to these mediums for trends and story ideas. And more and more journalists are engaging in conversations through these mediums, with stories generated from this interaction.
I guess the two cities have more in common than one might think with the intersection of Hollywood and Technology paving the way!
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