'Cultural similarities' behind John Doe opening office in New York

John Doe, which won Small Consultancy of the Year at the PRWeek Awards last week, follows Diffusion and Frank PR in opening an office in New York this year.

John Doe founder Rana Reeves, who is setting up the agency’s US office, explained that the city’s cultural similarities to the UK made it much more likely that consumer agencies can succeed.

He added: ‘In a mature market any new player, whether in the US or London, has the ability to break the rules, which is interesting for brands.’

Graham Goodkind of Frank PR, which opened a New York-based office in July, agreed that the cultural similarities meant the move was an obvious one for any UK agency looking to expand. He added: ‘Having worked with most clients in most sectors for many years, there are many insights and learnings to bring to the US market.’

Diffusion MD Daljit Bhurji, whose firm launched a New York office in October, pointed out there was a gap in the market in the city for mid-sized agencies with an integrated approach to comms.