Last month we welcomed a familiar face back to SMG: Jill Coles (now Jill Watterson) has returned to the agency, as Production and Media Manager.

She takes over for Jaime Stoltz, who has moved from the comfortable confines of Boise, Idaho to the hustle and bustle that is Portland, Oregon. And while we were sad to see Jaime go, we are certainly pleased to welcome Jill back to the shop.

Now while Jill is no stranger to our clients and vendors, here’s a little refresher: She was previously with the agency from 2005 – 2009, and has also held marketing and planning roles with Balihoo, POWER Engineers, Eddie Bauer and Fred Meyer. She is a summa cum laude graduate from the University of Idaho with a degree in business marketing.

In case you forgot, we are located in Boise, Idaho, a good five-hour drive from the nearest major metropolitan area. It’s a small playground with no shortage of agency talent and plenty of competition for local clients.

Agency talent? you ask. In Boise, Idaho? Well in the last few years Boise agencies have earned multiple best of show honors in the Northwest ADDY® competition, as well as national ADDY® awards, competing against more than 60,000 entries from all over the country. This year, SMG was fortunate enough to receive both of these honors.

Granted, awards are a crude measure of anything in this business. But when you look at the names of legendary international agencies on the same list of winners, it says something about the level of work being done in this town. Take a look at the portfolios of leading firms in Boise. There are some amazing people here whose work—often produced on a shoestring—stands up in any major market.

Yet again and again, local firms are overlooked by the largest potential clients in our community.

Recently a large local advertiser took its business out of state to an agency 1000 miles away, a “specialist” in their industry—evidently without inviting local agencies to pitch. The specialist will likely spend the next several months trying to understand the history and attitudes of this area from a seat in coach class, at great additional expense to the client.

It’s unfortunate – for our industry and our local economy. While this specialist may position themselves based on what they’ve done for others in a given segment, they can’t elaborate on why it’s important to this area.

As local agencies, we can. Our knowledge of the market and the audience, and ability to feel the “pulse” of the community is what sets local shops like ours apart from the cookie-cutter specialists from out of state.

It also helps us do the caliber of work that gets recognized at the regional and national level. But most importantly, it allows us to do the work that our clients--and their customers--love.

So Mr. or Mrs. Big Client, please, think Boise first.

Sydney Sallabanks has joined Stoltz Marketing Group, (SMG) to lead the agency’s strategic communications and public relations practice.

Having practiced public relations for two decades, Sallabanks has particular expertise in media relations, crisis mitigation, public affairs, strategic communications and signature events.

Sallabanks most recently was principal at Gallatin Public Affairs where she was responsible for developing and implementing strategic communications plans and managing media relations for a diverse group of clients including the University of Idaho, Friedman Memorial Airport and Idaho Public Television. Prior to Gallatin, she was director of communications director at University of Idaho, Boise where she served as regional press secretary to the university president and managed internal and external communications.

Sallabanks is president of the Idaho delegation of the Public Relations Society of America and board member and lobbyist of the Idaho Press Club. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism.