Raia named managing partner of new firm at Nail Communications

PROVIDENCE – Mike Raia, former communications director for Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, is starting a new public relations and strategic consulting firm Nail[PR] under Nail Communications, the company announced Friday.

Raia will be managing partner of Nail[PR].

“Our clients rightly expect their agency partners to deliver strategic communications regardless of the marketing channel (advertising, social media, PR). At NAIL Communications, we struggled to find a PR partner who had this same focus we did. Mike’s deep experience and fresh approach to PR gives clients across Rhode Island and the New England region the opportunity to engage a firm that will deliver strategic services that are fresh and innovative,” said Jeremy Crisp, managing partner of NAIL Communications and founding partner of NAIL[PR], in a statement.

The company said that Raia will recuse himself from working on any contracts – including pre-existing Nail Communications contracts – with the Rhode Island executive branch agencies until February 2020 in accordance with the state’s revolving door law.

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“Communications and public relations are shifting as rapidly as the broader media industry. Brands and organizations need to take control of their own message, content and distribution to keep up,” said Raia. “For 20 years, NAIL has been the leading creative firm in the region. This is an exciting opportunity to bring NAIL’s creativity, design and social savvy to public relations. NAIL[PR] will apply the tactics, structures and attitude of digital-first political campaigns and communications operations to help brands tell their stories.”

The firm will provide strategic communications, crisis management message development and rapid response services, along with more traditional public and media guidance and services.

Raia departed his role at the governor’s office Feb. 1.

Chris Bergenheim is the PBN web editor. Email him at Bergenheim@PBN.com.