SAN FRANCISCO — Hotwire has won two new smart consumer technology brands in the US, after competitive pitches.

Cricut (pictured), which makes smart craft cutting machines that work with an app to design and personalise custom cards, clothing and everyday items, has tasked the agency with developing a product-focused PR programme across its range, including reviews, inclusion in gift guides and deals coverage, seasonal moments and campaigns, and helping to build out its affiliate program. There was no incumbent PR agency.

Vivint Smart Home, which previously worked with Method in the US, has come to Hotwire to step up its communications program, including product messaging, storytelling, and improving brand awareness and consumer understanding of what differentiates Vivint in the market, while helping establish the brand and its executives as leaders in the smart home and security sector.

Both accounts are led by Hotwire SVP Sophia Zhao and senior director Brittany Margiotta.

Hotwire North America CEO Heather Craft said: “Much like the rest of the technology market, consumer tech brands feel the waves of the larger macro-economic environment. To navigate that turbulence, while continuing to push their industries forward and meet their customers where they are, these clients were seeking partners who can provide distinct strategies that drive business impact.”