Communications firm Ketchum launches cannabis offering in Canada

Ketchum, a global public relations consulting firm, has launched a new cannabis specialty in Canada as part of its Ketchum Cultivate offering.

Ketchum Cultivate was created in 2016 to provide the food and wellness sector with strategic consulting on marketing, branding, crisis communications, content development, nutrition, and sustainability. The offering will now expand its focus to help cannabis and hemp companies in Canada differentiate and elevate their brands.

According to the company’s analytics and research division, 83% of Canadian plan to use as much or more cannabis after Covid-19 restrictions lift. Approximately 30% said that their cannabis intake increased when staying at home due to social distancing policies.

The Canadian legal cannabis industry is expected to grow to $5.8 billion by 2024.

"Canadian cannabis companies are under pressure to transform quickly as they compete for consumers and satisfy investors in an industry that is increasingly at risk of being commoditized," said Erin Manning, associate managing director, Ketchum Canada. "Ketchum can help by leveraging our 20 years of experience in the Canadian market helping to build many of the world's best-known brands in consumer packaged goods, technology, health and wellness, food and beverage, retail and e-commerce."

Ketchum Cultivate’s Canada team has deep expertise across brand reputation, data and analytics, issues and crisis management, and social and digital marketing.

Based in New York, Ketchum delivers marketing, branding, and corporate communications to clients in a range of industries. The firm has delivered major projects for prominent companies such as Pfizer, IBM, Honda, and MasterCard. Ketchum also works with government agencies across the globe.

The company has over 80 global offices, including Canadian locations in Montreal and Toronto.

Ketchum has since 1996 been a part of Omnicom Group, which is one of the world’s largest advertising and PR companies, alongside rivals WPP, Publicis, and Dentsu.