LONDON—Burson-Marsteller has opened the first European office of its wholly-owned subsidiary Direct Impact, which specializes in grassroots public affairs, public education and corporate reputation. The London DI office and a network of field teams in cities across the United Kingdom will deliver local public relations and advocacy campaigns.

Direct Impact’s campaign-style approach uses the knowledge and expertise of local teams to shape grassroots communications. Core capabilities include localized field recruitment and mobilization, direct mail and printed materials creation, digital mobilization, local earned media and database development and management.

“Our clients increasingly want to deliver their message in as localized a way as possible,” says Matt Carter, Burson-Marsteller UK CEO. “The trend in the UK is towards more diffused media channels and centers of power. Polling also shows that the more local the source, the more trusted the information received.”