Icon Agency wins Schneider Electric public relations account

Schneider Electric Australia has appointed Icon Agency as its national public relations agency of record.

The appointment follows a competitive pitch earlier in the year, with Icon commencing duties this month.

Icon will work across public relations, trade communications, strategic advice, thought leadership, media training and content services for all Schneider Electric Australia brands, including Clipsal.

Announcing the appointment, a spokesman for the company said the partnership would further strengthen Schneider Electric’s position as a trusted expert in the critical social and business challenges of our time.

“We were impressed by Icon’s collaborative and creative PR approach, which aligns with our focus on better integrating communications, marketing and social media activity across the business,” said Elyse Glenn, Schneider Electric Australia Corporate Communications Manager – Pacific Zone.

“Schneider is leading the digital transformation of energy management in Australian homes, workplaces, factories and public buildings. We look forward to working closely with Icon as we build and expand our business nationally,” Ms Glenn said.

Icon Agency Managing Director, Joanne Painter, said the team looked forward to supporting Schneider’s vision to help customers move towards a low-carbon economy.

“Globally, Schneider Electric operates at the leading-edge of energy automation and efficiency. As an agency committed to sustainable futures, we’re excited to help Schneider Electric re-imagine its public relations for the new decade.

In Australia, as well as providing advice and energy management solutions to Australia’s biggest companies, Schneider Electric’s residential brand, Clipsal, is the market leader in home electrical accessories, with products in 80% of Australian homes.

The addition of Schneider Electric caps a busy few months for the Melbourne-headquartered agency. In February it launched a dedicated crisis communications arm, Icon Reputation, headed by former Age Newspaper Editor-in-Chief, Mark Forbes.

Icon also recently inked a pro-bono partnership with the Climate Council which will see the agency lead a number of campaign and branding initiatives over 2020.

Schneider Electric’s new agency relationship will be overseen by Ms Glenn, who was recently promoted to the new role position of Corporate Communications Manager – Pacific Zone.

A highly experienced corporate communications professional, Ms Glenn assumed the role in December. Prior to joining Schneider Electric in early 2018, Elyse held senior communications roles at Beam Suntory and Vodafone.

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