LONDON — Global paints and coatings business AkzoNobel has appointed Cirkle as its retained PR agency for its decorative paint brands in the UK, including Dulux, Dulux Trade, Hammerite and Cuprinol, after a competitive pitch.

The agency’s remit covers PR, digital, social media and influencer relations, and will include consumer activations to support key brand initiatives, as well as news generation and content creation. The team will also help to drive consideration among trade audiences, driving advocacy and footfall into its Dulux Decorator Centres and retail partners.

Cirkle will be working alongside AkzoNobel’s creative agencies BBH and Redwood BBDO, and media agencies Mediacom and Mediahub. The agency replaces Manchester PR firm Democracy, which was appointed in 2018 on a consumer and trade brief.

AkzoNobel’s UK & Ireland marketing director for decorative paints Karen Wilkinson said: “Through the pitch process, the Cirkle team impressed us with their strategic thinking, creativity and deep understanding of our audiences – and most importantly their absolute passion for our business.”

Cirkle CEO Ruth Kieran added: “After the last 18 months, no one can be in any doubt about the importance of our home environment and the impact of the places where we spend our time. It has been a joy to witness the creativity and passion that the AkzoNobel team have for their brands, and we can’t wait to begin work together in order to inspire consumers and professionals alike.”

AkzoNobel joins Birds Eye, Britvic, Dyson, Dreams, Goodfellas, Honda, GSK, Premier Foods, PepsiCo and Pendragon in Cirkle’s client portfolio.