LONDON — Garmin has hired Golin to lead its public relations programme in the UK after a three-way competitive pitch.

The agency takes on the consumer PR account as the GPS technology giant enters its 30th anniversary year.

The account covers all Garmin’s product categories, including wearable activity/running trackers, cycling and marine GPS, automotive sat-navs, and smart watches.

Golin will be tasked with elevating Garmin’s reputation through earned and owned media. The brief is to explore how Garmin’s products enhances its customers’ lives as part of the brand’s long-term ambition to be seen as a leader across the markets it serves, worldwide.

The pitch process was brokered by Creativebrief. Garmin’s incumbent agencies were Tangerine Communications in Manchester and brand communities specialist Gung Ho Communications.

Richard Daish, Head of Marketing (UK&I) for Garmin said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Golin aboard. We’re looking to the next phase for Garmin in 2019 and beyond, and in Golin we have an excellent agency capable of taking strong strategic leadership of our brand. We’re excited to see, and greatly anticipate, the work to come.”

Golin London MD Bibi Hilton added: “From professional runners to those of us who want to be just a bit fitter or more easily navigate, Garmin is a brand which enables us all to achieve our potential. As a sports and fitness mad and outdoors loving agency, Golin is really excited about unlocking that potential through a progressive communications strategy which fuses data with creativity to deliver real business impact.”