Ketchum Named PRWeek's 2012 PR Agency of the Year

NEW YORK, March 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading public relations agency Ketchum was honored as the 2012 PR Agency of the Year at the 13th-annual PRWeek Awards held last evening in New York City. In addition to the top honor, the agency also was named Large PR Agency of the Year and received two awards and three honorable mentions for its work on behalf of its clients. This brings the firm's total number of PRWeek Awards to 33, more than any other agency.

"Being recognized as PR Agency of the Year is really a measure of the talent we have at Ketchum, the value we deliver to clients and the strength of our partnerships with them," said Raymond L. Kotcher, senior partner and CEO. "It is a validation not only of our ability to break through in the work we do for our clients, but to break through as an agency. Our clients and employees are leaders, and tonight's awards are shared with all of them."

Of Ketchum's PR Agency of the Year win, PRWeek noted, "This Omnicom firm's continued excellence and phenomenal growth led judges to award it with one of the evening's most coveted honors. [...]The agency's internal initiatives to foster more creativity, keep staff abreast of digital technologies, and improve client service also wowed judges." PRWeek also underscored judges' praise for its "excellent employee programs" and the fact that the agency "shares its success through pro bono work and philanthropic efforts."

Ketchum and its clients won awards for:

AWARD WINNERS

PR AGENCY OF THE YEAR
"Break Through: Bold New Approaches Yield Returns"
Ketchum

LARGE PR AGENCY OF THE YEAR
"Break Through: Bold New Approaches Yield Returns"
Ketchum

PRODUCT BRAND DEVELOPMENT CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
"DoubleTree by Hilton Cookie CAREavan Across America"
DoubleTree by Hilton with Ketchum

PROMOTIONAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
"7-Eleven Unites America with Purple Slurpees"
7-Eleven with FreshWorks and Ketchum

HONORABLE MENTIONS

PRODUCT BRAND DEVELOPMENT CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
"Ken May Be Plastic, But His Love is Real"
Mattel with Ketchum and HL Group

COMMUNITY RELATIONS CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
"IBM Stages Largest Corporate Service Event in History, Reaching Communities in 120 Countries"
IBM with Ketchum

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL
"Healthy Choice Progressive Coupon Offer Drives Sales and Online Engagement"
ConAgra Foods' Healthy Choice brand with Ketchum

The PRWeek Awards are recognized as one of the industry's highest accolades given annually to the best corporate, nonprofit and agency teams, as well as the campaigns they produce. The awards honor best practices and creative excellence in public relations programming.

This win follows a number of honors for Ketchum in 2011. The agency won International Consultancy of the Year at the 2011 PRWeek Awards in London. Also in 2011, Ketchum was named a Top Place to Work in PR by PR News for the second straight year, was the winner of two Global SABRE Awards, and was named to the InformationWeek 500 for the third year in a row. In addition, Ketchum was named Greater China Consultancy of the Year by the Holmes Report and earned a third consecutive PRWeek Campaign of the Year Award.

About Ketchum
Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. Named 2012 PR Agency of the Year (PRWeek) and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), visit www.ketchum.com.

SOURCE Ketchum