VEVEY—Nestlé is searching for European corporate PR support for its Purina Petcare brand, after handing the US assignment to Burson-Marsteller last year.  

The FMCG giant is in talks with five agencies regarding the brief, all of whom currently handle Nestlé PR business: Burson-Marsteller, Edelman, Grayling, MSLGroup and Weber Shandwick.

Aside from Burson, it is thought that Edelman and MSLGroup also handle Purina activity. The move marks the FMCG giant's first attempt to bring in a PR firm to oversee its corporate brand at a European level. 

Nestlé Purina is present in 35 European countries, operating such brands as Felix, Purina One, Darling, Beneful. A market leader in the category, the company's petcare unit accounted for $11.9bn in sales last year, or about 12 percent of Nestlé's total.

A Nestlé spokesperson confirmed the review and the agencies taking part.