By Darren Gilbert

Enter Urban Espresso. Positioned as a lifestyle, entertainment and travel PR agency, it’s built on a premise of energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas, all things owner, Brondani feels the industry needs. Now, this is not to say that the industry is devoid of new thinking – Brondani herself refutes such an idea. However, the industry will always need “new players”.

“It’s always a good thing,” believes Brondani. And what is more, it keeps things interesting, preventing those already working within the industry from thinking that they can take it easy. “New people entering an industry add fresh ideas and a fresh approach to the traditional,” says Brondani. At the same time, it can be argued that such additions strengthen the industry.

Having said that though, it is important to point out that Brondani is not seeking to usurp or push agencies aside. In fact, she’s not even attempting to compete. Rather, she is hoping that with Urban Espresso, she will be able to “add her own energy” to the industry. Yes, you read that right.

To anyone, that may seem rather confusing. Surely she’d want to compete for and win business? Well, of course she does. And she will. But first, focus needs to be placed on more important matters, one of which is how to differentiate Urban Espresso from the next agency. And this is where her stance makes perfect sense. In an industry such as PR, there will always be room for agencies that aim to offer something different.

One thing particularly different (read bold) move is that she is to fly solo. Yes, Urban Espresso is currently a one-man band. Reading that, one could argue that this fact shouldn’t be mentioned because it can result in premature and unfair assessments of Brondani’s ability. She’ll readily agree, admitting that this negative stigma that surrounds such agencies is one of her biggest concerns. However, it’s a detail that is important to highlight.

If you’re thinking it’s to point out the hurdles that Brondani will face in choosing this path, you’d be shortsighted. It is rather the opposition. One only needs to look at Black-Sheep-Media, for whom she worked prior to stepping out on her own to understand my reason. For the most part it was a team of two people. And yet, they did some great work. In other words, incredible results are not a by-product of a big team.

“It comes down to a ‘quality’ team rather than a ‘quantity’ team,” affirms Brondani, a statement to which I’d readily agree. Yes, in some instances it is necessary to have a big team, but that doesn’t mean that you’re guaranteed to get good results. In fact, any such thoughts should be dismissed. Instead, the best outcomes stem from the energy and drive that one shows for a project. Under the umbrella of Urban Espresso, it’s a notion that Brondani intends to hold close to her heart.

Of course, she won’t be on her own, if that is what you are concerned about. As much as Brondani doesn’t have any plans to expand the Urban Espresso family just yet, that doesn’t mean she’ll be tackling problems and finding solutions on her own. “I’m in the fortunate position now where I have an incredible ‘extended’ network of people who I can call upon, so I never really feel like it’s ‘just me’,” she points out.

That isn’t where it ends though. An agency built on energy and drive (and an extended network) will only get you so far. However, add a healthy dose of self-belief into the mix and your chance of success increases. For Brondani it’s a vital point for anyone looking to branch out. “If you know you are great at what you do; are confident in what you can offer; [and] that it is unique to what is [currently] being offered, you’ll do well.”

Of course, a move such as Brondani’s is risky. However, you’ll never know how successful you can be if you don’t challenge yourself. “It’s important that you never become too complacent in what you’re doing,” warns Brondani. The same can be said for PR. The only way for the industry to learn how to tell better stories is to push the boundaries. Here’s hoping Urban Espresso helps it to find the courage.