The United Nations Population Fund has brought in PR firm support after an RFP process to help the global agency raise its profile to further its development mandate.
Portland Communications, with operations in New York, London and Nairobi, beat pitches from APCO Worldwide and Hoffman & Hoffman for the multiyear contract with the Fund’s media and communications division.
Portland is led by former Tony Blair aide and BSkyB director of corporate communications Tim Allan. Omnicom took a majority stake in the firm in April, placing it alongside units like Fleishman-Hillard and Ketchum in its Diversified Agency Services division.
As previously reported, the UN agency released an RFP on March 9 under a recommendation from its executive director to become “significantly more visible.”
The scope of work covers media relations, social media and monitoring mainly for the U.S. and Western Europe. The firm will also orchestrate the launch of “The State of the World Population” report in London.