HAMBURG--Philips has entrusted a sensitive new marcomms assignment to Cohn & Wolfe, dismissing claims that the decision represents a threat to its existing global PR deal with Omnicom agency consortium OneVoice.

The Holmes Report understands that the Dutch conglomerate has enlisted Cohn & Wolfe to provide integrated marketing support for a new six-figure healthcare-related brief in Germany, which will eventually expand to the UK and US.

However, Philips global head of external communications Andre Manning rebuffed the suggestion that his company was looking outside of its Omnicom alignment, which came into force in mid-2009.

“I know one of the colleagues in one of our business lines in a new venture is looking for a partner on providing integrated marketing support and Cohn & Wolfe has been invited for a pitch,” said Manning.

“We have no intention to look outside our global partnership with OneVoice as our worldwide partner for PR support as the results of working together with them have been very good with some outstanding examples in both geographical markets as well as sectors.”

Philips’ global PR business with OneVoice is worth an estimated £7 million and covers all of its business units: lighting, consumer electronics and healthcare. The alliance is led by Fleishman-Hillard and Ketchum Pleon, and also features Kreab Gavin Anderson and CPR Worldwide.