AUSTIN: Siemens, the dollars 26 billion communications giant, has chosen the team of Nashville-based Ackermann PR & Marketing and Dallas-based Hopkins & Associates over a host of global firms for two large chunks of its PR business.
AUSTIN: Siemens, the dollars 26 billion communications giant, has
chosen the team of Nashville-based Ackermann PR & Marketing and
Dallas-based Hopkins & Associates over a host of global firms for two
large chunks of its PR business.
Hopkins and Ackermann beat out 19 national and international agencies in
Siemens’ four-month search for a firm to represent its Information
Technology Services and Communication Devices units. The contract’s
value and duration were not disclosed, but Kristine Ryan Tanzillo, the
group’s corporate communications director, said that she ’would like to
see this as a very long-term relationship.’
A&R Partners of Redwood City, CA had previously served Siemens’ San
Jose-based Information Technology Services division, while Dallas’
Morrow & Associates worked for the Communication Devices unit in Austin.
The agencies focused primarily on product support, but the
Ackermann/Hopkins team is likely to provide a more comprehensive range
of services, including media relations and crisis communications.
A&R participated in the recent selection process, but Morrow did
not.
’We felt that it was important to find an agency that understands the
dynamics of the consumer market as well as the business-to-business and
high-tech markets,’ Tanzillo said.
Larger firms that pitched were at a disadvantage since some may have
served one of Siemens’ competitors.
