LONDON—UK satellite communications company Inmarsat has handed global corporate PR duties to Instinctif Partners, ending its one-year relationship with Brunswick.

Inmarsat, which is due to complete the rollout of Britain's biggest single biggest commercial space project this year, has hired Instinctif to oversee UK and European communications, in addition to the global corporate PR brief.

In addition, Inmarsat is reviewing its PR needs in the Middle East region, said SVP of external affairs and marketing communications Chris McLaughlin. The company has worked with Asda'a Burson-Marsteller in this region, part of a global roster which also includes Rice Communications in Asia, JeffreyGroup in Latin America and GK Communications in the US.

"Brunswick is a first rate strategic and thoughtful consultancy but our immediate needs did not make best use of their capabilities," McLaughlin told the Holmes Report, noting the company's focus had shifted from the investor community towards a purer media relations remit.

Instinctif originally pitched for the assignment a year ago, when Brunswick was hired to replace Bell Pottinger. The company is due to complete the rollout of its Global Xpress network this eyar with the launch of two further satellites that will provide high speed communications for customers across the globe.

"This is a very important appointment for Inmarsat, particularly in the year that we complete the worldwide roll-out of Global Xpress, our US$1.6bn superfast satellite broadband network," said Inmarsat corporate communications director Jonathan Sinnatt. "Instinctif will be a vital partner as we undertake the most ambitious communications programme in our history."

Instinctif’s team will be headed by partner Jeremy Durrant and managing partners Damian Reece and David Simonson.