Journey of An Entrepreneur: Alima Atta, MD Sesema PR
Culled From - The Holmes Report
Samsung Electronics is set to increase its business with FleishmanHillard and Edelman after recently reviewing specific aspects of its North American and global PR support.
The Holmes Report understands that FleishmanHillard has been selected to handle Samsung’s consumer electronics business, focusing on TVs and home entertainment. The assignment covers Samsung’s global HQ remit, along with the North American mandate.
The new assigment, worth upwards of $1m, comes after FH won Samsung’s global mobile business earlier this year. Samsung is a major player in the global TV market, leading the new smart TV category and several segments in North America.
The recent agency review also included a corporate component, covering issues management and crisis support for Samsung North America. It is understood that this business will move to Edelman, which has held global corporate PR duties for several years.
Edelman’s business with Samsung has grown significantly over the past two years, thanks in part to the Korean company’s PR requirements during its lengthy legal battle with Apple. Edelman also works for Samsung’s semiconductor division.
In a separate development, Samsung’s VP of PR for its North American mobile division has departed for Microsoft. Teri Daley spent one year with Samsung, but joined Microsoft as GM of integrated communications for Windows Phone in May.
Both of the account shifts follow a competitive review that featured several contending agencies. They come at the expense of Weber Shandwick, the incumbent firm on the assignments that have now moved to FH and Edelman.
“We continue to value Samsung as an important client in different markets around the world,” Weber Shandwick CEO Andy Polansky told the Holmes Report.
US roster agencies that are unaffected by the shift include Allison PR (IT and cameras); Current Lifestyle Marketing (appliances); MWW (mobile) and PMK-BNC (mobile).
At a global level, Samsung has stopped working with Cohn & Wolfe London, which handled global launches for the company’s Galaxy range until its parent agency recently won Nokia’s PR business. In the UK, the Nokia assignment is being handled by Cohn & Wolfe and sister agency Axicom.
A Samsung spokesperson declined to comment, while representatives from FleishmanHillard and Edelman did not respond to request for comment as this story went live.
Yesterday, AdAge reported that Samsung’s mobile division had moved digital marketing duties to RGA from Razorfish.