STOCKHOLM — European online payments provider Trustly has appointed Weber Shandwick as its pan-European communications agency. The six-figure account was won after a competitive pitch.

Weber Shandwick’s brief is to work with the Swedish fintech to strengthen its position as a leading European online banking payments company, including strategic, operational and creative communication to help Trustly grow across key European markets. The pitch process was run by Creativebrief.

Joe Walton, MD of B2B and technology at Weber Shandwick, told the Holmes Report: “The fintech space is crowded right now, with lots of different companies jostling for attention. Trustly has a unique proposition and a compelling story, and our job is cutting through the noise and ensuring the industry hears it.”

Trustly VP marketing and communications Stefan Backlund (pictured) said: “We're really excited to have the Weber Shandwick team joining Trustly on our growth journey with the mission to create a borderless digital payments market based on the online bank account.  To make a mark in today’s busy and changing communications landscape, it’s important for us to work differently and across the entire communications board. Our choice of agency reflects this and we're looking forward to working together to develop our communications, and further boosting Trustly's growth journey.”

Weber Shandwick takes the PR baton from Kreab. A Trustly spokesperson said: “Trustly have had a long-term engagement with Kreab, who has been a very good match during these years, successfully helping us to build our UK presence, and raising awareness of Trustly and interest in our online banking payment method in Europe. On our journey ahead we can see that our needs will change, as we work towards a more holistic approach to marketing and communication.”

Founded in 2008, Trustly operates across 29 European countries, with a focus on the UK, Germany and the Nordics. Global merchants in the e-commerce, travel, financial services, games and digital goods use its payment solutions. The Financial Times has ranked Trustly as one of the fastest growing companies in Europe on the FT1000 list and in 2017 the London Stock Exchange named it as one of Europe’s most inspiring, fast-growing companies