Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada have formally announced they are the new agency of record for Whirlpool Canada, following a formal review.
H+K will now handles a full range of public relations activities for the company, including media and blogger relations, product launches, community management and strategic event support.
The formal pitch process took about six weeks, said Ilyse Smith, general manger of H+K Strategies in Toronto, and wouldn’t comment which other agencies made the shortlist.
She said H+K was the right fit for Whirlpool Canada based on the agency’s strong track record with companies that have a lot of brands under one umbrella and the fact that instead of pitching tactics, the agency went into the review process armed with some solid ideas.
“We really understand the challenges and nuances of marketing in that space,” said Smith. “When we began conversations with the client we did a lot of deep strategic thinking into their sector.”
H+K has been working with Whirlpool Canada since January, recently putting together a KitchenAid sponsorship activation for the Food Bloggers of Canada conference. (The Whirlpool Canada portfolio of brands includes Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air and Gladiator GarageWorks.)
Smith said new Whirlpool Canada product launches are in the works, and consumers can expect to see H+K’s work on those campaigns in the coming months.
