Diana Marszalek 18 Apr 2019 // 4:02PM GMT
MINNEAPOLIS — Retail giant Target, which works with a number of PR agencies, has consolidated much of its corporate and product PR business with Ketchum, following a competitive review.
Ketchum’s New York and Chicago offices will be handling the bulk of the work, which includes a broad range of corporate and product assignments. Ketchum did not have a relationship with Target before winning the business.
“At Target, we believe our communications team is at our best when we have the support of agency partners who bring diverse experiences and expertise that complement our team’s strengths,” said chief communications officer Katie Boylan.
"We recently chose Ketchum to support Target’s corporate and product communications work, based on their creativity, deep and broad subject matter expertise and passion for our brand. Ketchum will join a roster of communications agencies that support Target’s business.”
The retailer won’t be severing ties with any of its existing agencies, including H+K Strategies and Boden. A number of those agencies, including H+K, however, will see their work significantly reduced as Ketchum is absorbing some of their assignments, sources said.
The agency review is the latest in a series of recent changes in Target's communications and marketing function. In January, the retailer upped its two top marketing execs — Boylan and Rick Gomez — as part of a larger revamp of how it handles internal and external public relations.
Boylan, who had been leading comms as a senior VP, was elevated to chief communications officer, a position that had not been filled since Dustee Jenkins stepped down in 2017. Around the same time, the communications group, which was previously part of the marketing department, started operating independently.
Gomez, who is the company’s CMO, added the chief digital officer role to his remit and now leads Target’s digital team, focusing on personalization, loyalty and the overall shopping experience, in addition to overseeing the marketing division.
Ketchum’s president of North America Mike Doyle said: “There is tremendous excitement around Ketchum today because Target is not only a brand we admire and shop, but one we were built to support. We are grateful to Target’s communications team for a process so thorough and generous that we were able to learn about their business and their culture in great depth, giving us confidence in our joint mission to keep elevating Target’s brand reputation.”