Looks like Veritas Communications and Zak Communications will be doing a little scent marketing. The two PR shops (based in Toronto and Montreal, respectively) have been named Coty Canada’s new PR agencies of record.
Coty sells fragrances, cosmetics and body-care products in 130 countries. Its top brands include lines for Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Davidoff and Adidas. The company also markets several celebrity scents for Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, David Beckham and Sarah Jessica Parker.
“We are forging ahead to drive awareness and leverage our exciting portfolio of brands,” said Mary van Praag, general manager of Coty Canada, in a statement. “We believe this new partnership will bring together strong synergies between Coty’s unique and exciting brands and the engaging influencer expertise embodied by the Veritas team.”
Zak includes beauty brand Sephora on its client roster, while MDC-owned Veritas counts Target among its clients.
Veritas has a “deep beauty sensibility in terms of understanding the influencers, the media and the bloggers and the things that are most important to them,” said Krista Webster, president of Veritas, in an interview with Marketing. “It is a core sensibility that we have and certainly one that helped us through the review process.”
Prior to joining Veritas as executive vice-president and partner in 2009, Webster oversaw the P&G beauty business during her tenure at MS&L, where she managed the North American consumer practice and served as global beauty director.
“My co-pilot at the time was Martha McKimm, who I hired [as executive vice-president at Veritas] in the summer,” said Webster, who became president of Veritas last June. “So we both have very deep beauty experience.”
