Veritas Communications has been retained as agency of record for the CBC. The agency was chosen following a formal review process for a contract that runs through March 31, 2015.
Bridget Hoffer, CBC‘s executive director of communications, said the broadcaster reviewed pitches from a number of agencies in the first quarter of 2013 and selected Veritas based on its creativity as well as its expertise in specific areas.
Last year CBC made the decision to bring much of its PR efforts in house. Because of this shift, said Hoffer, the broadcaster was looking for support in event management, public engagement, social media and influencer outreach – all areas she said Veritas excels in.
“Veritas has been an exceptional partner since 2010 and we’re all very pleased to be able to continue working together to further build and enhance the brand of Canada’s modern public broadcaster,” she said, adding that the CBC reviewed several quality pitches before selecting Veritas.
“There were a number of very strong candidates. My take is that the PR and publicity industry across Canada is very healthy, active and innovative.”
Hoffer said pitches were judged on four criteria, including the agency’s fit with CBC’s internal PR team, its knowledge and expertise, the quality of its pitch and compliance to the delivered brief and ability to offer competitive pricing. Veritas will be working on projects in collaboration with CBC’s PR team, led by John Wimbs, director of publicity and public relations.
In a statement Veritas president Krista Webster said, “We are thrilled that Canada’s exceptional public broadcaster is renewing its partnership with us, which has been so tremendously successful since we first joined forces three years ago. It has been our pleasure to work closely with some of Canadian broadcasting’s brightest lights amid the major changes and fresh challenges at play in the world of media.”
Veritas has been the agency of record for the CBC since June 2010. Prior to that Media Profile provided PR services to the public broadcaster.
