Edelman has wrested the lucrative Florida Citrus PR and marketing accounts from longtime agency Golin after a review.

citrusThe Florida Dept. of Citrus released RFPs for its PR and advertising accounts in late April, pegging the pacts to be worth up to $4M and $5.3M, respectively.

Edelman pitched the accounts as Edible, a separate food and beverages specialty unit of the largest PR firm's parent company, Daniel J. Edelman Holdings.

The Florida Citrus entity said Edible will launch a "new era" for its brand. First-year budget will top $8M, including PR, brand management, advertising, earned media, issues management and measurement work. PR director David Steele said the department put a "lot of time and effort into the search," noting the move consolidates its PR efforts under a single contract.

Golin is the longtime incumbent and last defended the work in 2013. The Dept. of Citrus axed BBDO Atlanta last year after five decades on the ad business.

The shakeup comes as the $10.7B industry for Florida faces waning production in recent years amid disease affecting orange and grapefruit trees, as well as a consumer base that drinks less orange juice.

Kathy Krenger, a former EVP of consumer marketing for Edelman, is GM of the Edible unit, which started the work on Aug. 1. It gets a two-year contract with three one-year options.