MEMPHIS, TN — FedEx has moved its PR duties to Burson-Marsteller displacing Ketchum after 20 years of leading the company's global communications. 

The decision comes after a competitive review that was initiated earlier this year with an RFP that called for "a world-class global communications firm to tell the FedEx story in traditional and digital media across the spectrum of earned, shared and owned media channels." 

"After an extensive review process, FedEx has selected a team led by Burson Marsteller...to provide PR and corporate communications support for FedEx Services and several FedEx operating companies," Patrick Fitzgerald, FedEx SVP integrated marketing and communications said in a statement. "FedEx continues to have relationships with a variety of agencies to support a variety of business requirements."

Ketchum continues to support FedEx in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Weber Shandwick also retains work in certain markets. 
 
"We are proud of the award-winning work that Ketchum and FedEx have done in partnership for more than 20 years," a Ketchum spokesperson told the Holmes Report. "We look forward to accomplishing many more great things together as we share our best practices and ideas at the integrated table."

It is understood the financial impact for Ketchum will not result in agency layoffs.

Burson will be expected to collaborate with FedEx's integrated marketing and communications teams to execute programs that "inspire people to choose us, that build and protect our reputation, and that resonate with new and existing audiences." 

The brief includes: thought-leadership and corporate citizenship; e-commerce and innovation; environmental and sustainability; products and services, retail and B/B; growth and profitability; public policy and network and operations excellence.  

In late 2012, longtime FedEx communications head Bill Margaritis took a voluntary buy-out and the company promoted Fitzgerald to lead comms, reporting into marketing EVP Raj Subramaniam. The transition was part of a corporate restructuring in 2013 that didn't displace Ketchum as FedEx's primary PR agency partner.