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Ketchum Creates New Food and Nutrition Digital Communications Role

Posted on: Wednesday, 11 March 2009, 09:15 CDT

Tom Barritt Appointed Director of Online Relationships and Reputation

NEW YORK, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketchum, a leading public relations agency, today announced the appointment of Tom Barritt, a Ketchum partner, to a newly created position: director of online relationships and reputation for Ketchum's Global Food and Nutrition Practice. He will also serve as associate director of the practice. Barritt was previously director of the agency's global Issues and Crisis Management Network.

"We're thrilled to have such a proven leader join our team," said Linda Eatherton, partner and director of the Global Food and Nutrition Practice. "This new position was developed with Tom in mind. It capitalizes on both his passion for all things food-related and his expertise in the online space, and it represents the beginning of the next generation of our 40-year heritage in food marketing."

In his new role, Barritt will be responsible for working with clients to embrace online channels to help them better manage their communications needs to achieve their business goals. As associate director, the practice will capitalize on Barritt's six years as head of Ketchum's Issues and Crisis Management Network as he takes on the role of chief adviser on food reputation management, as well as builds and activates growth plans to benefit the practice's client relationships and business development. This move aligns the Food and Nutrition practice with the agency's growing global digital strategy capabilities and follows the appointments of Jonathan Kopp as global director of Ketchum Digital and Clement Lau as senior vice president of digital communications in Ketchum's Greater China division in February.

"There is a dynamic conversation around food taking place online from recipe sharing to food blogs to photos to social networks," said Barritt. "Food is emotional and evocative and perfectly suited to social media. We have a great opportunity to help our food clients navigate this space and join in the conversation."

"This is a very specialized role, and critical to business strategies of our food clients moving forward," said Eatherton. "Trust is a key component in marketing food, and social media networks are a primary channel for our clients to build trust with consumers in both good times and bad."

Barritt has completed numerous training programs at the French Culinary Institute in New York and is an avid food blogger. His Culinary Types blog, begun in 2006, serves as a diary of food experiences, with entries ranging from family recipes to cooking techniques to food concepts to favorite restaurants around the world. Through his blog, Barritt has built relationships with home cooks, chefs, food enthusiasts and industry influencers.

In addition to this new role, Barritt will continue to manage Ketchum's Communications Training Network out of its New York office.

About Ketchum

A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global public relations agencies, operating in more than 50 countries. With five global practices - Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, and Technology - and specialty capabilities that include Access Communications (high- and consumer-tech PR, www.accesspr.com), Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), MMG (clinical trial recruitment), Ketchum Global Research Network, Ketchum Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communication expertise to build brands and reputations for clients. In 2009, Advertising Age named Ketchum to its annual "Ones to Watch" Agency A-List, noting the agency's long-standing client partnerships, digital and disruptive media expertise, and CSR and sustainability programming. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), visit www.ketchum.com.

SOURCE Ketchum

Source: PR Newswire

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