LG retains WPP multiagency team as global corporate PR AOR

LG Electronics has retained WPP’s LG-One multiagency unit—comprised of Ogilvy and Hill+Knowlton Strategies—for its global corporate PR AOR account.  

LG-One was invited to repitch for the business along with a number of other firms, LG Electronics senior director of global corporate comms Ken Hong told PRWeek. LG conducted a competitive review as standard protocol, as the contract had ended.

Hong told PRWeek that, although the remit is global, the selected agency will not cover “every market, just the key ones we have targeted for this initiative.” 

Hong noted it was challenging and interesting doing a multi-country review in the middle of a pandemic. 

“Nothing has changed in terms of the amount of corporate responsibilities LG-One will have this year,” said Hong. “They will probably have more because we are trying new things, as we cannot call journalists to events or attend trade shows ourselves. They will help us come up with creative ways to engage our audiences and that may be digital or one-on-ones.”

H.S. Chung, president of Asia for Hill+Knowlton Strategies and global client lead for LG-One, said the agencies feel “privileged” to continue the relationship.

“We look forward to continuing and strengthening their overall reputation in the global market,” added Chung. “Technology companies during and post-COVID are going to be very competitive. So given the history of working together and understanding LG and its way of thinking, [we will help] LG go forward in this new normal.”

In 2016, LG Electronics retained WPP’s LG-One multiagency team, which has worked on the account since 2009, to handle its global corporate communications work. The budget at the time ranged up to $10 million globally.

As of the most recent review, LG-One comprised Ogilvy Public Relations and Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Ogilvy began integrating all of its agencies, including Ogilvy PR, under one P&L in 2017.

LG Electronics, which has more than 70,000 employees globally, is made up of five companies: home appliance and air solution; home entertainment; mobile communications; vehicle component solutions; and business solutions. It makes products including mobile devices, TVs, washing machines and air conditioners.