AMSTERDAM — Versuni, the owner of domestic appliance brands including Philips, Saeco, Gaggia, Preethi, Philips Walita, Senseo and L’OR Barista, has appointed Hill & Knowlton as its global corporate communications agency after a competitive pitch.

It is the company’s first global corporate communications appointment since Versuni bought the Philips domestic appliances brand from Royal Philips in 2021. Last month, Versuni appointed Tin Man as its global consumer agency.

Hill & Knowlton’s brief is to communicate Versuni’s “turning houses into homes” proposition to stakeholders, manage and mitigate risk, and help Versuni grow across the 100 markets where the business operates.

The six-figure corporate communications remit includes executive visibility, issues preparedness and management, sustainability communications, employee engagement, and strategic media relations.

Versuni head of global brands and marketing strategies Trix Van der Vleuten said: “We were looking for solid, strategic thinking and a shared enthusiasm to drive global growth through purpose-driven communications that build and protect business value. The Hill & Knowlton team impressed us from the start - no matter what we threw at them throughout the pitch process, they always rose to the challenge. We look forward to doing award-winning work together.”

Hill & Knowlton EVP Avra Lorrimer, who will lead the account, said: “As soon as we met the Versuni team we were exhilarated by their ambition. Versuni’s belief in communications as a key business and reputation driver aligns with our strengths as an agency – we are excited to unleash the power of communications to accelerate the brand’s growth.”

Hill & Knowlton last week said it was returning to its original name, after being known as Hill+Knowlton Strategies since 2011.