LONDON — Pendragon, one of the UK’s leading automotive retail groups, has appointed Cirkle as its first PR agency after a competitive pitch.

The agency has been briefed to develop a PR and social media strategy and deliver internal and external communications across Pendragon’s brand portfolio: premium retailer Stratstone, which holds franchises to retail and service Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Porsche and Smart cars, as well as Harley-Davidson motorcycles; volume car and commercial vehicle retailer Evans Halshaw, which holds franchises for Citroen, Dacia, DAF, DS, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault and Vauxhall; and online car marketplace Car Store.

Cirkle’s remit is to support Pendragon’s business objectives and to drive consumer engagement with the brands, with a focus on how it is evolving car retailing through digital and customer service innovation. The team, led by strategy director, Claire Haddrill, will work alongside incumbent branding and creative agency, The Maverick Group, and advertising agency The Kite Factory.

Pendragon’s chief marketing officer Kim Costello said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Cirkle at this very exciting time for the business. We wanted an agency that could match our ambitions and not only did the team’s forward-thinking mindset and proven track record of delivering innovative and impactful campaigns really impress us, but it also aligned with our long-term business strategy.”

Cirkle CEO Ruth Kieran said: “We’re looking forward to joining and supporting Pendragon on this exciting new chapter for its business and working collaboratively with its roster of agencies. The automotive retail sector is evolving fast and we know that consumer priorities are shifting, so we’ll be implementing a breadth of tactics and content opportunities to ensure we achieve real impact.”