LONDON—Twinings has hired Cohn & Wolfe as the beverage company aims to step up engagement across consumer and corporate stakeholders in the UK and Ireland.

Cohn & Wolfe secures the six-figure brief following a competitive pitch that featured numerous UK PR firms. The assignment was previously handled by Comms IQ on an ad hoc basis.

In addition to working across the Twinings, Ovaltine and Options portfolio of brands, Cohn & Wolfe will also support Twinings' efforts to bolster its premium tea positioning. While UK tea sales are declining, premium categories continue to grow.

“Cohn& Wolfe impressed us with their intellectual firepower and ability to both develop a winning strategy and deliver great campaigns," said James Smith, head of connections at Twinings. "We look forward to a fruitful and rewarding partnership that will help us continue to build meaningful and personal connections with our consumers."