BlackPine Communities appoints Merlot Marketing as Agency of Record for Nānā Kai

Award-winning home and building agency tapped to promote discovery of a luxury master-planned community on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Merlot Marketing (Merlot) has been named Agency of Record by BlackPine Communities to build awareness, interest, and purchase intent for Nānā Kai, a master-planned residential community on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Merlot will guide marketing strategy, storytelling and promotion for the community's collection of ocean-view homes, working alongside a development team that includes developer Somers West and on-island sales partner Hapuna Realty.

"Nānā Kai reflects what makes life on the Big Island so compelling: a strong sense of place, a connection to the land, and a community shaped with intention," said Mike Paris, Founder, President, and COO of BlackPine Communities. "Bringing that vision to market requires both sensitivity and precision, and Merlot understands how to communicate it."

Set on the golden hillsides of the South Kohala Coast, Nānā Kai – Hawaiian for "view of the sea" – reimagines island living for buyers seeking space, privacy and permanence. Positioned between Kona's energy and Kohala's calm, the community pairs panoramic Pacific and mountain views with architecture drawn from the land itself: low rooflines that echo the volcanic slopes, native landscaping, lava rock, and indoor-outdoor living designed around the trade winds. Priced from $1.5 million to $2.6 million, these new homes appeal to those entering a defining new chapter: whether a second residence or a place to settle into retirement and leave a legacy.

"Nānā Kai has a rare sense of place, one that feels both deeply connected to the Big Island and thoughtfully designed for the people who will call it home," says Debi Hammond, CEO and Founder of Merlot Marketing. "For more than 25 years, we have helped premium home and building brands communicate what makes them distinctive, and we are excited to bring that same creativity, insight and discipline to telling the Nānā Kai story."

Merlot will lead an integrated program spanning strategic consultation, digital advertising and media management, social media engagement, email marketing, and brand storytelling: all engineered to move qualified buyers from awareness to interest to purchase intent. The work draws on the agency's signature PR.0™ approach, which blends traditional public relations with digital marketing innovation, and on nearly three decades of category expertise across home, building and outdoor living.

To learn more about Merlot Marketing, visit https://merlotmarketing.com/. To explore Nānā Kai, the most beautiful place on Earth, visit https://nanakai.com/.

About Merlot Marketing

Promoting brands throughout North America and Canada for more than 25 years, Merlot Marketing is an award-winning, national marketing agency specializing in consumer goods and the home and building products category. In 2022, Merlot Marketing was named Influential Agency of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is a proud member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). Services include public relations (PR.0™), brand strategy, social media, advertising and digital communications. Discover the agency's passion, creativity and results at merlotmarketing.com.

About Nānā Kai

Nānā Kai is a master-planned residential community on the South Kohala Coast of the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. Translating to "view of the sea," the community offers ocean-view homes set among native landscaping and rolling hillside terrain, positioned between Kona and Hilo with panoramic Pacific and mountain views. Designed around sustainability, privacy and a deep respect for the land, Nānā Kai brings together original developer Somers West, builder partner BlackPine Communities, and on-island brokerage Hapuna Realty. To learn more, visit nanakai.com.

SOURCE Merlot Marketing Inc