Bell Pottinger, led by Alex Woolfall, head of issues management, will look to strengthen the firm's message in key business media in the UK, France and Belgium.
CCE, which makes, sells and distributes products for Coca-Cola and other brand owners, is looking to communicate more effectively its CRS (corporate responsibility and sustainability) achievements and corporate and financial progress to a wider media audience.
Shanna Wendt, communications director at CCE, said the firm was looking for a 'step change' in its profile among important UK and European business media.
'We have some good stories to tell about our achievements in the CRS arena, as well as our wider business successes in Europe,' she said. 'We felt it was time to turn the volume up on these and Bell Pottinger impressed us with a highly targeted campaign that reflected its brief.'
The agency won the account after a three-way pitch. Woolfall said that the work was initially on a project basis but that there was scope for the relationship to be extended.
Woolfall added: 'CCE has made huge investments in corporate responsibility and sustainability, but perhaps these have slipped under the radar of many journalists. We want to help it to communicate more effectively the work that it is doing in this area.'
He cited as examples work undertaken to reduce CCE's carbon output, decrease its water usage and encourage recycling.
Part of the brief will also see Bell Pottinger looking to raise the profile of CCE's European president Hubert Patricot and help to promote key executives to the media as expert commentators on wider business and economic issues.
CCE Europe recently handed a CRS brief to Mandate Communications. The firm also retains 3 Monkeys for corporate PR and Mercieca PR for trade communications.
