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Ketchum Inc.

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Ketchum Inc.
IndustryPublic relations and advertising
Founded1923; 101 years ago (1923)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
FounderGeorge Ketchum
Headquarters
New York, New York
,
USA
Key people
Barri Rafferty, President and CEO
Rob Flaherty, Chairman
ParentOmnicom Group
Websiteketchum.com

Ketchum is a global public relations firm, offering marketing, branding, and corporate communications services in the corporate, healthcare, food and beverage and technology industries.[1] George Ketchum founded the firm as a Pittsburgh-based advertising company in 1923. It later evolved to include a public relations practice. The firm is headquartered in New York City, with auxiliary offices and affiliates in North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.[2] The agency has been owned by Omnicom Group since 1996.[3] Ketchum merged with Düsseldorf-based Pleon in one of the industry's largest mergers in 2009.[4] It has been led by Chairman and CEO Barri Rafferty since 2018.

History

The agency that would become Ketchum was founded as Ketchum and MacLeod in Pittsburgh on May 22, 1923.[5] The agency's name was changed to Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove in 1924. It was led by brothers George and Carlton Ketchum, and Norman McLeod and Robert Grove, whom the brothers met at University of Pittsburgh in the 1910s.[6] The agency's early work focused on advertising, publicity, and fundraising.[5]

In 1934 the agency established a public relations department. The department's first assignment was a campaign for Natural Gas Companies, People's Natural Gas and other local natural gas companies.[5] The agency received national attention in 1951 when it orchestrated a sponsorship for client Westinghouse of the first nationally televised NCAA football game.[5] As the firm's billings grew in the late 1950s, it opened offices in New York City and Washington D.C..[5] It acquired west coast-based agency Botsford Constantine & McCarty, forming Botsford-Ketchum in 1969.[7] It continued acquiring other agencies throughout the 1970s and 80s, expanding internationally in Europe and Asia.[7]

George Ketchum died in September 1975.[7] The agency changed its name to Ketchum Communications Inc. in 1981.[5] Its major divisions became known as Ketchum Advertising, Ketchum Public Relations, and Ketchum Directory Advertising.[7] Ketchum Public Relations moved its headquarters to New York from Pittsburgh in 1982.[8]

The agency won its first global account (with FedEx) and its first pan-European account (with Whirlpool) in 1994. In 1996, Ketchum handled the Torch relay for the Atlanta Olympics.[5]

Omnicom Group acquired Ketchum in 1996. At the time, Ketchum was the 25th-largest American agency.[9] In 1998, Ketchum merged with British consumer agency Life PR.[10] Ketchum sold Ketchum Advertising in 1999; the "Ketchum" name has referred solely to the PR practice since that time.[11]

In the 2000s, Ketchum acquired several firms and opened others, including the acquisition of New York management consulting firm Stromberg Consulting in 2001,[12] the launching of influencer marketing and community building firm Emanate in 2006,[13] and the acquisitions of clinical trial patient recruitment agency MMG in 2008,[14] Moscow-based Maslov PR in 2010,[15] Indian agency Sampark PR in 2011,[16] Capstrat in North Carolina in 2012,[17] and German lifestyle and social media PR agency Brandzeichen in 2013.[18] Ketchum took a majority stake in Newscan's China operations in 2011,[15] expanded Ketchum Sports & Entertainment practice into Brazil in 2012,[19] and acquired ICON International Communications in Singapore in 2013.[20] In the US, Ketchum partnered with luxury and lifestyle agency Harrison & Shriftman in 2011,[21] and launched music marketing service Ketchum Sounds in 2012.[22]

In 2009, Ketchum merged with Europe-based Pleon in one of the industry's largest mergers.[23] Ketchum merged with South Korea-based firm InComm Brodeur in 2013.[24]

Rob Flaherty became CEO of Ketchum in 2012.[25]

In 2016, Ketchum created "Cultivate", a new branch to help companies and organizations in organic food markets.[26]

In November 2017, Ketchum announced that then Partner and President Barri Rafferty would assume the role of president and chief executive officer, effective January 1, 2018. Rafferty is the first woman to lead a top five global public relations firm. [27]

Major work

Ketchum's major clients include MasterCard,[28] Chase, IBM,[29] IKEA,[30] Philips,[31] and Pfizer.[28]

In 1985, Ketchum launched the Acura line of cars for American Honda Motor Company.[32][33] Ketchum also worked on the rebranding of Orville Redenbacher's popcorn in the 1990s to appeal to a younger demographic,[34] developed Doritos' 2006 crowdsourced "Crash the Super Bowl" contest, which won a Golden World Award from the International Public Relations Association,[35] and created a campaign for Delta Air Lines during US Airways' 2008 bid to take over the airline after it had filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. US Airways later dropped the bid and the campaign won a Silver Anvil.[36][37] The agency has also worked with Kodak in 2010,[38] the Committee to Preserve Olympic Wrestling (CPOW)'s campaign to keep wrestling in the Olympic program,[39] and Wendy's on the launch of the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger in 2013, for which they were nominated as a 2014 Shorty Award finalist.[40]

In 2011, Ketchum faced backlash for a promotion for ConAgra, in which the agency hosted a dinner for food bloggers that was billed as serving food prepared by George Duran, but diners were served ConAgra frozen foods instead. Ketchum filmed each dinner and hoped to use footage of diners' reactions for promotional purposes. However, many bloggers felt tricked by the switch. Ketchum apologized and ConAgra offered reimbursement for any incurred expense to the attendees.[41]

Crisis management

Ketchum has a team of approximately 50 crisis management executives in the US[42] and offers a suite of related services, including Mobile RepProtect,[43] University RepProtect for higher education, Cyber RepProtect for data security,[44] and Game Plan for sports teams and brands.[45]

In 2011, Pennsylvania State University hired Ketchum to handle crisis communications following the Jerry Sandusky scandal in 2011.[42] Ketchum worked with Malaysia Airlines during the search for and response to missing plane MH370 in 2014.[46] The agency also provided crisis counseling to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in 2015 during the largest data breach in the US insurance industry's history.[47]

American government work

Ketchum has fulfilled multiple contracts for the United States government, including for the Department of Education, Department of Health & Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, and the US Army.[48][49] In 2015 the agency worked with the Library of Congress to provide support for the National Book Festival.[50] In 2004, Ketchum was accused of "covert propaganda" for a series of news stories for HHS that used actors playing journalists reporting on drug benefits without informing viewers of the government connection, for which it was found to be in violation of a federal propaganda ban by the Government Accountability Office.[51] In 2005, the Ketchum received similarly critical coverage after the Education Department directed the agency to pay for coverage that praised President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act.[52] The final investigation by the FCC did not find Ketchum to be at fault, but it did issue a citation for Armstrong Williams, who was paid by Ketchum to promote the NCLB Act, and fined two broadcasting companies.[53]

Russian government work

In 2006, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press attaché, hired Ketchum to work on the 32nd G8 summit held in Saint Petersburg, to improve Russia's reputation in the West after its state-controlled energy company, Gazprom, cut off natural gas supplies to Ukraine.[54]

From 2006 to 2015, Ketchum represented the Russian Federation in the US and Europe[55] for events including the G20 Summit, World Economic Forum, and 2014 Sochi Olympics, media and op-ed outreach.[56][57] In 2013, Ketchum pitched an op-ed from Russian president Vladimir Putin on the Syrian Civil War to The New York Times.[58] According to The Holmes Report the assignment "attracted plenty of mainstream media scrutiny in the US, most of it negative" due to the countries' political relationship.[55] In January 2015, Politico magazine reported that Ketchum had received more than $60 million from the Kremlin for their work from 2006 to 2014.[54] The contract between the Russian and Ketchum ended in March 2015.[59]

Awards

As of 2016, Ketchum has won more Silver Anvils from the Public Relations Society of America than any other agency.[29] Its campaigns have been awarded "Campaign of the Year" by PRWeek five times,[60] and Ketchum was the 2002[61] and 2012[62] PRWeek Agency of the Year. Ketchum London was named Agency of the Decade by U.K.’s CorpComms magazine in 2015.[63]

Corporate overview

Ketchum is owned by Omnicom Group and is part of the company's Diversified Agency Services network's Omnicom Public Relations Group. The agency's subsidiaries include Access Emanate Communications, Capstrat, Harrison & Shriftman, and MMG.[64]

Locations and employees

Ketchum's headquarters are located in New York City. The agency has more than 130 offices and affiliates in over 70 countries.[65]

Ketchum is led by President and CEO Barri Rafferty. Other leadership roles include President Rob Flaherty, Chairman, Jerry Olszewski, and Chief Financial Officer Bill Visone.[66] As of 2016, Ketchum has approximately 2,500 employees.[64] In 2016, Ketchum announced the formation of a global leadership council comprising 20 senior leaders. The GLC replaced and significantly expanded Ketchum's Executive Committee.[67]

Company culture

Ketchum developed a program called MindFire for college students to respond to client challenges with creative solutions in order to earn prizes and networking opportunities.[68]

References

  1. ^ "2012 Top Places to Work in PR: Ketchum Inc". PRNews. November 29, 2012. Archived from the original on March 10, 2014.
  2. ^ "Ketchum Communications"[permanent dead link], Pennsylvania Department of State
  3. ^ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Google News Archive Search
  4. ^ Bush, Michael (June 16, 2009). "Omnicom to Merge Ketchum, Pleon to Create Global Network". Ad Age.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Greg Hazley (May 22, 2013). "Ketchum Marks 90 Years". O'Dwyer's. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  6. ^ Jerry Vondas (October 8, 1976). "City's 'Horatio Alger' Recalls Past". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d "Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove". Advertising Age. September 15, 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  8. ^ Philip H. Dougherty (May 21, 1985). "Ketchum Continues To Grow". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  9. ^ Stuart Elliott (January 11, 1996). "Advertising;Omnicom Agrees to Buy Ketchum Communications". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  10. ^ Kathy Savitt (July 12, 1999). "EUROPEAN SURVEY: United Kingdom". PRWeek. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  11. ^ Patty Tascarella (August 9, 1999). "Ketchum ends struggle with new name, owners". Pittsburgh Business Times. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  12. ^ Paul Holmes (April 8, 2001). "Ketchum Acquires Change Management Specialist". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Ketchum: Agency Business Report 2007". PRWeek. April 23, 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Ketchum: Agency Business Report 2008". PRWeek. April 28, 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  15. ^ a b Tonya Garcia (January 5, 2011). "Ketchum Takes Majority Stake in Chinese Operations". Adweek. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Omnicom Group's Ketchum acquires Sampark PR in India". Reuters. April 14, 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  17. ^ Lee Weisbecker (January 9, 2013). "New York's Ketchum to acquire Raleigh's Capstrat". Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  18. ^ Lindsay Stein (June 7, 2013). "Ketchum acquires German firm Brandzeichen". PRWeek. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Ketchum Expands Sports Marketing Presence To Brazil". The Holmes Report. March 31, 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  20. ^ Racheal Lee (November 12, 2013). "Ketchum acquires Icon Singapore". Campaign Asia-Pacific. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  21. ^ Danielle Drolet (July 22, 2011). "Ketchum forms strategic alliance with Harrison & Shriftman". PRWeek. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  22. ^ Andrew Hampp (November 27, 2012). "Ketchum Launches Music Division, Ketchum Sounds, With Snoop Dogg, One Direction Deals". Billboard. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  23. ^ Michael Bush (June 16, 2009). "Omnicom to Merge Ketchum, Pleon to Create Global Network". Advertising Age. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  24. ^ Arun Sudhaman (September 25, 2013). "Ketchum Launches In Korea Via InComm Brodeur Merger". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  25. ^ Arun Sudhaman (May 4, 2014). "Rob Flaherty: Sketching The Future". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  26. ^ Malkan, Stacy (14 March 2016). "PR Firm Attacks Organic Food, Then Pitches Itself to Organic Companies". Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
  27. ^ "Ketchum Appoints Barri Rafferty Chief Executive Officer, Rob Flaherty Continues as Chairman". Ketchum.com. Ketchum Inc. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  28. ^ a b Sam Burne James (April 28, 2016). "PRWeek Global Awards 2016: Winners revealed at London ceremony". PRWeek. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  29. ^ a b Aaron Sarno (February 11, 2016). "Who are the 5 Largest PR Firms in the World?". Everything PR. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  30. ^ "PRWeek Campaign of the Year 2009". PRWeek. March 6, 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  31. ^ Michael Bush (March 5, 2009). "Philips Taps New Omnicom Unit for Global PR". Advertising Age. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  32. ^ Philip H. Dougherty (April 22, 1985). "Acura Car Account Goes to Ketchum Unit". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  33. ^ Mark Rechtin (May 2, 2011). "Acura's bargain birth". Automotive News. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  34. ^ Stuart Elliott (July 17, 1995). "Sorry, Orville, but Redenbacher's new look". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  35. ^ Noel Murray (February 7, 2016). "25 Super Bowl commercials that explain Super Bowl commercials". Vox. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  36. ^ Paul Holmes (April 21, 2009). "The Campaign to "Keep Delta My Delta"". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  37. ^ "SAYING NO! TO US AIRWAYS' HOSTILE TAKEOVER BID: The Campaign to Keep Delta My Delta". prsa.org. Public Relations Society of America. 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  38. ^ Stuart Elliott (April 25, 2010). "Modernizing the 'Kodak Moment' as Social Sharing". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  39. ^ Kelly Whiteside (September 8, 2013). "Wrestling had cash, charisma backing it in Olympic bid". USA Today. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  40. ^ David Griner (March 6, 2014). "Here Are the Finalists for the Year's Best Brands on Twitter, Vine and Everywhere Else". Adweek. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  41. ^ Andrew Adam Newman (September 6, 2011). "Bloggers Don't Follow the Script, to ConAgra's Chagrin". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  42. ^ a b Alexandra Bruell (November 15, 2011). "Penn State Enlists Ketchum for Crisis Communications". Advertising Age. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  43. ^ Steve Perlberg (May 13, 2014). "Crisis Management — There's An App For That". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  44. ^ Lindsay Stein (October 20, 2015). "Omnicom Group's PR revenue drops 1.5% in Q3". PRWeek. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  45. ^ Diana Bradley (June 16, 2015). "Ketchum tackles sports crises head-on with new specialty". PRWeek. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  46. ^ Patrick Coffee (March 31, 2014). "Malaysia Airlines Turns to Ketchum in MH370 Crisis". PRNewser. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  47. ^ Diana Bradley (February 6, 2015). "A look at Anthem's PR response following the data breach". SC Magazine. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  48. ^ Kristen Rountree (June 13, 2003). "Ketchum Picks Up PR for Medicare". Adweek. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  49. ^ "Ketchum PR – An Omnicom Group Agency". Everything-PR. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  50. ^ Laura Nichols (August 19, 2015). "Ketchum lends Library of Congress a hand with National Book Festival". PRWeek. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  51. ^ Christopher Lee (October 10, 2005). "Medicare Drug Benefit Outlined in Campaign". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  52. ^ Greg Toppo (January 7, 2005). "Education Dept. paid commentator to promote law". USA Today. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  53. ^ Farsetta, Diane (October 19, 2007). "Time To Pay for Payola Pundit Armstrong Williams". PR Watch. Center for Media and Democracy. Retrieved December 21, 2016.
  54. ^ a b O'Brien, Luke (February 2015). "Putin's Washington". Politico. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  55. ^ a b Arun Sudhaman (March 13, 2015). "The Unravelling Of Ketchum's Russia Relationship". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  56. ^ Dennis Lynch (March 11, 2015). "Russia, Ketchum End Controversial Nine-Year Public Relations Partnership". International Business Times. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  57. ^ Mikhail Volkov (June 19, 2013). "Ketchum launches thinkRUSSIA platform on sidelines of St. Petersburg Economic Forum". Russia Beyond the Headlines. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  58. ^ Coffee, Patrick (12 September 2013). "Ketchum Placed Vladimir Putin's Controversial New York Times Op-Ed". Adweek. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  59. ^ Kottasova, Ivana (March 12, 2015). "Putin drops his American PR company". CNNMoney. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  60. ^ "Ketchum and MasterCard Win PRWeek Global Award for Campaign of the Year" (Press release). Ketchum. May 5, 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  61. ^ "PR Agency of the Year 2002". PRWeek. March 7, 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  62. ^ "PR Agency of the Year: Ketchum". PRWeek. March 2, 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  63. ^ "Agency of the Decade – Gold". CorpComms. 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  64. ^ a b "Ketchum: PRWeek Global Agency Business Report 2016". PRWeek. May 2, 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  65. ^ "Ketchum Inc. Company Information". Hoover's. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  66. ^ "Company Overview of Ketchum Inc". Bloomberg. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  67. ^ Arun Sudhaman (June 16, 2016). "Ketchum Revamps Leadership With New Global Council". The Holmes Report. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  68. ^ Adrienne Frank (February 27, 2012). "Ketchum's Mindfire a Sure Fire Hit for SOC Students". American Today. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
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