LOOKING BACK TO SEE FORWARD
There aren’t too many 100-year-old companies in our industry.
In any industry
Our roots span generations of devoted colleagues,
clients and campaigns.
Our evolution, guided by empathy + intelligence, is measured by the progress we make for and with our clients and our people.
1920
1930
1940
1950
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
Founded as an ad agency, Ketchum and MacLeod opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 22, 1923.
1923
1927
Fun fact: George Ketchum cranked out all his ad copy on an Underwood Noiseless typewriter –
but declined a job with Underwood demonstrating typewriters in department store windows.
1924
The agency’s name was changed to Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove (KM&G) in 1924. It was led by brothers George and Carlton Ketchum, and Norman McLeod and Robert Grove, whom the brothers met in Pittsburgh in the 1910s.
OUR
HISTORY
Click here to travel
through the decades.
The Public Relations department was established at Ketchum, and its first campaign was for Natural Gas Companies, People’s Natural Gas, and other local gas companies.
1934
"We were rather proud of ourselves because
we held on to our agency staff throughout
the depression. We never discharged anyone
for lack of business."
- George Ketchum, "Morley History" VIII-3
Lorraine Thelian
Debbie Brannan
Teresea Garcia and Tony Noel
Sabine Hückmann
Saskia Wallner
Joon Kim
Kevin Kim
Lauren Lapid
Jenny Lee
Claudia Michelle Marvin
Volker Matheis
Ketchum has always been more than the sum of our parts. We're sharing stories from the people,
partners, and clients who've helped create our history. We'll be adding stories as you share them all year.
YOUR KETCHUM, YOUR STORIES
Volker Matheis
Head of Office for Munich, Ketchum Germany
I am proud to be a part of this Ketchum family – and to work for a company whose existence spans the whole history of modern communications. From the era of telegraphs to the beginnings of the Worldwide Web to the dawn of advanced AI…communication continues to revolutionize itself; it never stands still... nor should it. And Ketchum will always be there to help shape the art and science of communication. Happy centennial, Ketchum: Here’s to the next 100 years!
Claudia Michelle Marvin
Assistant Account Executive, Ketchum USA
HAVE A KETCHUM STORY TO SHARE?
SEND US YOUR STORY
You don't make it to 100 years without having an eye on the future. These innovations and others will carry us into our next century.
FUTURE-FOCUSED, AS ALWAYS
As we look to our future, we are renewing our commitment to growth-driving innovation: a collective and global intention to fuel new offers and opportunities based on the needs of our clients, our business and our people. The output of this commitment is what you see here – it’s what we think of as “Communications +”: a suite of proprietary offers to enhance, elevate and enable work that matters, pushing the boundaries of how we approach communication and partnership with our clients.
So far in 2023, Ketchum has developed and brought to market some industry-defining product and service innovation, enabled by our already best in class data and analytics solutions, and delivered through bespoke frameworks driven by our expert consultants worldwide.
GROWTH-DRIVING INNOVATION
Ketchum has enjoyed a long-standing commitment to flexibility – since way before companies had to urgently make that change – and we will continue that commitment into our next 100 years. Our Flex & Flow program will help carry Ketchum into the future by offering Calm premium for free, mindful micro-breaks, Focus Fridays, and an evolving suite of well-being initiatives to let us all feel better for being here.
FLEX AND FLOW
In 2020, the pandemic put health equity in the spot light, and today the demand for continuous innovation, education and communication on the topic of healthy equity is only increasing. Every sector of business is seeking guidance around health equity, and it is our job to help them through that journey and into the future. Here at Ketchum we are focused on fostering deeper partnerships that link public health efforts with specific health outcomes and metrics, and helping clients drive organizational transformation.
HEALTH EQUITY
Our proprietary data tech stack is called omniearnedID (OEID), a turbocharged data engine that fuels audience understanding, optimal brand/company territories, optimal strategy (overall and channel) as well as deeper, more precise measurement. It allows us to build precision-based communications programs that are informed by your audience’s behavior.
OMNIEARNEDID
We’re using this moment to reflect on who we are:
Experts in leading through change. And re-commit to making progress in this new world.
With joy, humility, and humanity.
A century of Ketchum.
We love where we’ve been.
We love where we’re going.
That’s Progress at Work, for 100 years and counting.
This holiday party photo was circulated to and saved by many KM&G employees serving in the war overseas.
1944
KM&G celebrates its 25th anniversary, growing from 2 employees to 136 and $6.2M in billings.
1947
KM&G won prestigious awards such as the Clios, Andys, Addys, and Silver Anvils.
1960s
1950
Kay Neumann began at KM&G on November 8th, 1950.
In less than a month, "Kay's Kitchen" was on the air and was one
of the most popular programs nationwide. The show used products from several clients and contributed to record sales.
1951
The agency received national attention in 1951 when it orchestrated a sponsorship for client Westinghouse of the first nationally televised NCAA football game.
A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT'S NEXT
1952
KM&G pioneered nationwide television and radio coverage of the national Democrat and Republican conventions and the November election results, on behalf of client Westinghouse.
1969
The agency's major pivot changed its trajectory forever.
It completed the first merger in its 47-year history.
KM&G bought Botsford, Constantine & McCarty, Inc.,
one of the oldest and largest advertising agencies in the west.
The agency then became Botsford Ketchum, Inc.
"The day of the one-country agency is over."
In May 1970, KM&G purchased David Williams and Partners (DWP) in London. Two months later, Ketchum bought 25% of Durana Werbeagentur GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany and 20% of Lorin-Leydier in Paris. KM&G then acquired a Belgium agency, p.v.b.a. Group s.p.r.l, for a few years, with one of the largest agencies in France, Feldman Calleaux et Associes, and KM&G purchasing 70% of its stock.
1970-1972
Ketchum becomes the first large agency to make a commitment to food marketing with the opening
of a test kitchen in San Francisco
in the late 1970s.
1973
George Ketchum retires.
As a part of the centennial anniversary, Ketchum is also launching
100 Acts – a global, purpose-driven employee participation movement that will encourage 100 acts of giving back from team members across the globe. The movement launched in an effort to activate employees on a local level to support their communities and take action in a way that is personally meaningful to them. Employees from around the world will capture their acts of giving back, which can range from an individual supporting a local cause that they’re passionate about or organizing a community volunteer initiative.
At Ketchum, we show up every day for each other and our clients to
do work that matters to the world. We believe there is a connection between the way we work and the way we treat one another. As we celebrate our centennial milestone with 100 Acts, we aim to make
a positive impact on our society and our consultancy.
100 Acts to Commemorate 100 Years
1980
Pittsburgh remained the headquarters for all divisions except Ketchum Public Relations, which moved to NYC.
Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove becomes Ketchum Communications, Inc.
1982
1988
Dianne Snedaker becomes
president of Ketchum/Advertising
San Francisco – the only woman president of a major west coast
agency and the second woman president at the agency.
Ray Kotcher is appointed as CEO.
2000
Ketchum acquires change management firm Stromberg Consulting.
2001
Ketchum Alumni
Ketchum Alumni
Co-Founder and CEO of Ketchum Spain,
Chairman, OPRG & Former CEO, Ketchum Spain
CEO, Germany
CEO, Austria
Senior Vice President
Account Director
Art Director
Account Director
Assistant Account Executive
Head of Office, Germany
Jenny Lee
Account Director, Ketchum South Korea
It’s not an overstatement to say that Ketchum Korea has become the go-to agency when it comes to representing our clients in the Olympics. We helped our client P&G Korea carry out the nationwide Thank You Mom Campaign for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games as Worldwide Olympic Partner. Our work resulted in impressive media coverage and PR volumes for P&G Korea. We also implemented Olympic PR strategies and activities for Samsung Electronics at the 2020 Youth Winter Olympic Games in Lausanne, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics including the Paralympic Games.
Ketchum Korea planned, designed, executed and operated the virtual media hub for both Olympic fans and the media, setting positive sentiments for Samsung’s Olympics sponsorship that resulted in a total of 10k PR mentions with 70B impressions global, and 30% / 42% SOV during the Olympics and the Paralympics. As long as the Olympic Games keep going, so will Ketchum Korea!
Many of our Ketchum Korea team members also worked day and night to brainstorm ideas, reach out to the media and execute plans during the four months that led up to the Feb 2023 launch for our client Google Korea’s , which was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The event rode a huge wave of positive media both here in Korea and around the world, successfully intertwining our country’s unique history with the DMZ’s untouched nature and art. Our client praised us for demonstrating resilience and dedication to our work despite being under pressure. The project helped Ketchum Korea build a stronger client relationship with Google Korea.
Lauren Lapid
Art Director, Ketchum USA
Chris Ditner
SVP, Marketing, Ketchum USA
Lorraine Thelian
Alumni, Ketchum USA
Congratulations on 100 years! As a 45-year veteran of Ketchum, I shared many of those years! Starting as an assistant to John Paluszek many years ago, I had many different adventures during my time at the consultancy, ranging from an account executive role to a senior partner. I spent a lot of that time running our Washington, D.C., office and then our North American operations.
It was a privilege to be part of this wonderful organization that allowed me to interact with and learn from so many great clients and employees. It is gratifying to know that Ketchum gave so many smart and creative people an opportunity to engage in important, challenging and stimulating work, yet also know its strong values would be encouraged and supported. As the adage goes, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” I was one of those lucky people. Thank you, Ketchum, for an amazing career and much happiness!
Debbie Brannan
Ketchum Alumni
I was 17 and graduating from high school. At my graduation party, Rita Schrey – a long-time employee, suggested I should interview Ketchum, Macleod and Grove. On June 18, 1979, I was hired as a billing coordinator. I billed Outdoor Advertising, Network, TV and Radio to start, and then moved on to roles in Accounts Payable and General Accounting. I went to night school at Robert Morris College (now known as Robert Morris University) and graduated with a degree in accounting. After college, I studied and passed the CPA exam.
It was a turning point in my career... I remember thinking, “Do I accept a role with our accounting firm in the tax department? Or do I stay with Ketchum that had been so good to me over the years?”
You guessed it, I stayed at Ketchum!
I eventually rose to the role of controller and was fortunate to work with Rob Lorfink as my CFO. You can imagine that I learned a lot! 20 years later, I moved to a corporate role at OPRG, but remained on Ketchum’s payroll. I have been so blessed that I was given an opportunity in 1979. Ketchum, an awesome people agency, has always had my back and has taken good care of me. One hundred years in business is so exciting. Thank you, Ketchum, for taking a chance on me.
Teresea Garcia & Tony Noel
Co-Founder and CEO of Ketchum Spain,
Chairman, OPRG & Former CEO, Ketchum Spain
Sabine Hückmann
CEO, Ketchum Germany
At Ketchum, I had the incredible opportunity to play a role in a piece of contemporary history: In 2011, the German government decided to phase out nuclear power. This means that running nuclear power plants must be decommissioned and dismantled. Spent radioactive fuel elements must be taken to an interim storage facility for this purpose. Starting in 2017, we accompanied this dismantling process, including a Castor transport of spent nuclear elements on an inland waterway, the first and, so far, only one of its kind in the world, and the detonation of a cooling tower. This also earned us an award in the crisis communications category at PR Report Awards.
Saskia Wallner
CEO, Ketchum Austria
Joon Kim
Vice President, Ketchum South Korea
Kevin Kim
Account Director, Ketchum South Korea
We've come a long way – from our founding in Pittsburgh to the latest developments in our consultancy,
here are just a few of the highlights from throughout our history.
A STORIED CENTURY
“I think the most significant change for the agency in the 1980s was
when we dropped all the different names and became Ketchum Communications; then we all belonged to something.”
– Ken Dudwick, Chairman of Ketchum/Advertising in San Francisco.
By the end of the 1980s, Ketchum was the first and only agency specializing in consumer and food service, brand and commodity,
retail marketing and nutrition. This deep and extensive breadth of expertise established Ketchum as the leader in food communications.
Front row, left to right: David Drobis, Cynthia Stirling, Larry Werner, Walt Lindenmann, Ray Kotcher; Middle row: Keith Burton, Ray Marquis, Allen Miller, Bob Feldman, John Paluszek; Top row:
Jerry Olszewski, Jane Shivers, Lorne Fisher, Lorraine Thelian,
Barry Brinster, Judith Rich.
1991
David Drobis is appointed as CEO.
1994
1993
The Food Network was launched, gaining mass appeal and giving rise to the phenomenon of celebrity chefs. Ketchum was well-positioned to guide clients through the changes. Ketchum’s skill and expertise were a significant differentiator — something no other agency could claim.
1996
Omnicom acquires Ketchum Public Relations,
Ketchum Advertising and Ketchum Directory Advertising.
1997
Ketchum acquires tech marketing
and communications boutique Crescent Communications.
Rob Flaherty is appointed as CEO.
2012
2017
Barri Rafferty is appointed as Ketchum president and CEO, the first woman in history to lead a
top-five global public relations firm.
1960
2018
Ketchum evolves to its global communications consultancy model.
2019
Ketchum announced the appointment of Caio Bamberg as CEO of Ketchum Brazil on April 15. Ketchum Estrategia was acquired in 2011 and became Ketchum Brazil in 2014.
2020
To match our evolution to a communications consultancy, we crafted a new positioning—
This mix of being human-centered and business-focused is the essence of Ketchum, and the focus on "empathy" was particularly well-received during the global pandemic and fundamentally changed how we worked with each other and our clients.
Ketchum has enjoyed industry-leading workplace flexibility before companies pivoted to that change during COVID. We quickly adapted to remote work, saw back-to-back years of record-breaking growth, implemented our global well-being program Flex & Flow, and won Best Places to Work and Global Network of the Year.
Mike Doyle fills the
shoes of Barri Rafferty
as president and CEO.
2020
Jo-ann Robertson becomes
CEO, Global Markets.
2022
2023
Ketchum unveiled its new tagline, “Progress at Work" as part of its extensive new brand refresh.
Now
A global consultancy in more than 70 countries across 6 continents and more than 1,200 global employees.
Kathrin Pauser
Account Director
David Rockland, PhD
Ketchum Alumni
Ryan Whitchurch
Ketchum Alumni Turned Client
Petra Sammer
Ketchum Alumni
Felix Zeh
Executive Director Analytics
Jane Shivers
Ketchum Alumni
Kerstin Steglich
Managing Partner, Germany
Betsy Quinn
Global Awards Director
Kathrin Pauser
Account Director, Ketchum Austria
“As you know I switched from client side to Ketchum. My first impression of Ketchum was as a client. We had invited the top three agencies in Austria to get to know them for a quote because the institute was preparing for an anniversary. While the other agency meetings were standard, the meeting with Ketchum stuck out for me. First, because the meeting took one hour longer than scheduled: The rapport was so good we didn’t want to stop talking. I remember leaving the meeting knowing these were the kinds of people I wanted to work with because they were so different from us – and they would bring a new perspective. Later I learned how diverse the team was and that I fit in as well in their team. I have not regretted the switch.”
Kathrin Pauser has a master's in communications from the University of Vienna. She has more than 15 years of experience. Before joining Ketchum in October 2021, she worked as a media relations manager for the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria.
David Rockland, PhD
Ketchum Alumni
I joined Ketchum in 2000 thinking I’d stay a few years and then seek the next adventure as I had done previously throughout my career. 17 years later, I retired from the agency.
What kept me there? Of course, the great people and fun, interesting experiences. So many of the client challenges were exciting and varied. A day might start with working on how to bring a Japanese whiskey to the U.S. market, continue with re-positioning a company best known for its lightbulbs and TVs as a healthcare technology innovator and wrap up by working with a global chemical company seeking to emerge from a cloud of reputational challenges.
But, having been out of the firm for six years and looking back, what stands out as most meaningful to me is having had the opportunity to help younger staff grow into leaders and innovators themselves. Seeing someone who came to Ketchum as an intern now leading several functions at a major financial services company, for example, makes it all worthwhile. Since leaving the agency, the notes I get from former staff bring me so much happiness as they credit their Ketchum experience with turning them into people who make a difference in roles from Manila to London to New York.
Sure, Camp Ketchum, partner meetings, winning major pitches and growing my Ketchum business were great. But what was most important was that by having a leadership role at Ketchum, you could make other people’s lives better.
Happy birthday, Ketchum, and thank you for the incredibly rewarding experiences I had as a Ketchumite.
Ryan Whitchurch
Ketchum Alum turned client, Ketchum USA
Petra Sammer
Ketchum Alumni, Germany
My best story in 25 years at Ketchum? That might just be an impossible choice, but let’s give it a try...
Without Ketchum, I would never have glimpsed my first-ever dolphin on a Florida beach at 4:30 in the morning – right before a pitch while attending Camp Ketchum. I would never have been able to speak at the U.N. – just one among many locations where the Ketchum Global Media Network has hosted its international meetings. I would never have visited the headquarters of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where I attended a Ketchum Partners meeting. I would never have set foot in Babson College in Boston to attend Omicron University. And I never would have been able to travel across Germany and Austria – including Legoland Germany and BMW Welt in Munich – to open on behalf of our wonderful clients.
Whether the client was Barbie, or Pixar, or Kikkoman Soy Sauce or the National Sunflower Association (where I won my first creative award), Ketchum gave me near-limitless access to creative opportunities like no other consultancy could.
Also, it needs to be said... Without Ketchum, my life in PR would have been a whole lot less fun. I’ll give one brief example: In 2013, while teaching at Camp Ketchum, I was asked to help brainstorm a closing event after the nearly 100 camp attendees had finished their presentations. I took the most successful communications campaign of that year (the winner of multiple Cannes Lions Awards), Dumb Ways to Die, a prevention campaign from Australia that aimed to keep people Down Under from falling onto train tracks – and turned it into an inescapable earworm renamed Dumb Ways to Pitch. I’ll spare you all the lyrics, but suffice to say, it was one of the funniest moments of my time at Ketchum, having the whole management on stage, singing my silly rewrite.
At Ketchum, we worked hard for our clients, yes. But above all that, we had a lot of fun, trusted each other and worked together as friends.
I wish all my friends at Ketchum the best for the future and may the legacy of George Ketchum last for another 100 years.
Felix Zeh
Executive Director Analytics, Ketchum Germany
Jane Shivers
Ketchum Alumni, Ketchum USA
Happy 100th anniversary, Ketchum.
In the mid 1980s, my tiny firm in Atlanta merged with Ketchum, and it put booster rockets on our success. Ketchum always has had a strong culture with solid values and dedicated leaders with a vision to build a global company. It also always gave great value and service to clients while taking care of its employees.
Looking back at that time and my almost two decades at Ketchum, I am so grateful for the training, teamwork, humor and award-winning creativity I experienced first-hand. Ketchum always understood that I was a community activist, chairing many boards and encouraging the staff to get involved in non-profit causes. I appreciated the consultancy’s support of what was important to me outside of work.
Today, my greatest joy is getting a message or an email from a former colleague letting me know how much they appreciate what they learned at Ketchum Atlanta and how it has served them well when starting their own business, moving up the corporate ladder in one of the world’s largest companies or playing a role in making the world a better place through volunteer work. I am in touch with many in the Ketchum and Omnicom orbit and will forever value those friendships.
Kerstin Steglich
Managing Partner, Ketchum Germany
Ketchum is always about connections and personal relationships. And it is part of Ketchum's credo to bring people from all over the world together and let them learn from and with each other.
One of my fondest memories is Camp Ketchum. Meeting colleagues from all over the world, working together for a day and a night on a joint task and learning a lot in the process - is priceless. The fact that I made connections that still exist to this day is a gift. And by the way, my Camp Ketchum hoodie still travels with me around the world.
Betsy Quinn
Global Awards Director, Ketchum US
It’s hard to believe that I’m celebrating 38 incredible years with Ketchum. Okay, so I clearly love this agency and feel embedded in its fabric and virtual walls. I’d moved from Chicago in 1985 to join a firm in Los Angeles and head up the brand marketing practice, which Ketchum acquired a year later. It was quite a period of transformation for our industry as we moved from manual typewriters to networked computers. Our first IT guru, in fact, was a remarkable fellow named Mitch Burgess, who went on to be the head writer of The Sopranos with his partner (true story).
What endeared me to Ketchum then and still now is its collaborative “best teams” culture – the bedrock of what makes us tick. It’s understandable how we naturally evolved from a marketplace operation to an industry service model in recent years. We’ve always been forming and working in “best teams” to serve our clients.
The sheer numbers of brands and companies I’ve touched and consulting roles I’ve served could fill a book and a story on every page. From running hallmark campaigns for Visa and Kodak in the early days; launching the first 16-bit Sega gaming machines, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and start-ups in the dot.com years; to designing the first Ketchum Planning Process (KPP) in 2002 – there was always a new adventure around the bend. Everyone has a defining campaign in their careers, of course, and mine was the California Dancing Raisins – the lovable Claymation characters that took America by storm in the late 80s and early 90s and became one of the most successful licensing phenoms in history. Oh, and they sold more raisins, too. Ketchum’s claim to fame was launching the physical costumed Raisin characters (worn by Fresno State University dancers) and taking them on the road to support the TV commercials. We literally became their agents. And did we ever take them on the road… A 100-city vacation across America in a Winnebago to meet and greet fans… Appearing at every White House function and Macy’s Day and Tournament of Roses parade… Working with the President’s Council on Physical Fitness to promote healthy snacking and the American Library Association to encourage reading and literacy through the popular characters… And launching every new star-studded commercial, including Raisin Ray (Charles) and Michael Raisin (Jackson), who chose to star in the campaign for no fee.
Not surprisingly, many of these iconic programs in our early years won every industry creative award, and were among many blockbuster campaigns that set Ketchum on a course to becoming one of the most admired and awarded communications consultancies today. It was fun to have a personal hand in that, as I evolved my role into creative and strategic planning, and ultimately global awards responsibilities to groom and champion our best-in-class work around the world.
1960
Ketchum was the first agency to recognize the importance of basing consumer product and food benefit-messaging on nutrition science.
Bee Marks was the mastermind behind this work.
Some of Ketchum's alumni and PR glitterati!
2022
Jim Joseph becomes CEO, U.S. and
Global Chief Marketing and Integration Officer.
empathy + intelligence.
Ketchum was named Large Agency
of the Year at the prestigious
North America SABRE Awards.
Glimpses of 2023
Chris Ditner
Senior Vice President, Marketing
My Ketchum story started 25 years ago when they acquired the boutique tech marcom agency that I was a part of. Although Ketchum was much bigger, it was no behemoth – I was fortunate to continue working part-time from home for several years while being mom to my two boys, long before that was a standard practice. I love that at Ketchum, you can write your own story: I went from working on tech clients to an internal marketing role where I led not one, but two Ketchum rebrands, to my current role, where I’ve returned to my love of writing and storytelling for client executives and corporate brands. Many chapters at Ketchum have given me lifelong friends and many fond and funny memories. Like Camp Ketchum, where teams of colleagues from around the world vied for first place on the client pitch assignment. We worked crazy hours and were fiercely competitive, but were happy to socialize with the other teams during our downtime and even toil away to renovate a park. Classic Ketchum.
Ketchum has a workforce that is 78% women. We introduced our DE&I Center of Excellence — an evolution of our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, which for us is an always-on function embedded into our business.
Ketchum accolades OVER the years
2023
As a part of the centennial anniversary, Ketchum is also launching 100 Acts –
a global, purpose-driven employee participation movement that will encourage 100 acts of giving back from team members across the globe. The movement launched in an effort to activate employees on a local level to support their communities and take action in a way that is personally meaningful to them.
Employees from around the world will capture their acts of giving back, which can range from an individual supporting a local cause that they’re passionate about or organizing a community
volunteer initiative.
At Ketchum, we show up every day for each other and our clients to do work that matters to the world. We believe there is a connection between the way we work and the way we treat one another. As we celebrate our centennial milestone with 100 Acts, we aim to make a positive impact on our society and our consultancy.
100 Acts to
Commemorate 100 Years
GROWTH-DRIVING INNOVATION
As we look to our future, we are renewing our commitment to growth-driving innovation:
a collective and global intention to fuel new offers and opportunities based on the needs of our clients, our business and our people.
The output of this commitment is what
you see here – it’s what we think of as “Communications +”: a suite of proprietary offers to enhance, elevate and enable work that matters, pushing the boundaries of how we approach communication and partnership with our clients.
So far in 2023, Ketchum has developed and brought to market some industry-defining product and service innovation, enabled by our already best in class data and analytics solutions, and delivered through bespoke frameworks driven by our expert
consultants worldwide.
Ketchum has enjoyed a long-standing commitment to flexibility – since way before companies had to urgently make that change – and we will continue that commitment into our next 100 years. Our Flex & Flow program will help carry Ketchum into the future by offering Calm premium for free, mindful micro-breaks, Focus Fridays, and an evolving suite of well-being initiatives to let us all feel better for being here.
FLEX AND FLOW
You don't make it to 100 years without having an eye on the future. These innovations and others will carry us into our next century.
FUTURE-FOCUSED, AS ALWAYS
In 2020, the pandemic put health equity in
the spot light, and today the demand for continuous innovation, education and communication on the topic of healthy equity is only increasing. Every sector of business is seeking guidance around health equity, and it is our job to help them through that journey and into the future. Here at Ketchum we are focused on fostering deeper partnerships that link public health efforts with specific health outcomes and metrics, and helping clients drive organizational transformation.
HEALTH EQUITY
Our proprietary data tech stack is called omniearnedID (OEID), a turbocharged data engine that fuels audience understanding, optimal brand/company territories, optimal strategy (overall and channel) as well as deeper, more precise measurement.
It allows us to build precision-based communications programs that are informed by your audience’s behavior.
OMNIEARNEDID
HAVE A KETCHUM STORY TO SHARE?
SEND US YOUR STORY
Ketchum has always been more than the sum of our parts. We're sharing stories from the people, partners, and clients who've helped create our history. We'll be adding stories as you share them all year.
YOUR KETCHUM, YOUR STORIES
Chris Ditner
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Lorraine Thelian
Ketchum Alumni
Debbie Brannan
Ketchum Alumni
Teresea Garcia and Tony Noel
Co-Founder and CEO of Ketchum Spain,
Chairman, OPRG & Former CEO, Ketchum Spain
Sabine Hückmann
CEO, Germany
Saskia Wallner
CEO, Austria
Joon Kim
Senior Vice President
Account Director
Kevin Kim
Lauren Lapid
Art Director
Jenny Lee
Account Director
Claudia Michelle Marvin
Assistant Account Executive
Volker Matheis
Head of Office, Germany
Kathrin Pauser
Account Director
David Rockland, PhD
Ketchum Alumni
Ryan Whitchurch
Ketchum Alumni Turned Client
Petra Sammer
Ketchum Alumni
Felix Zeh
Executive Director Analytics
Jane Shivers
Ketchum Alumni
Kerstin Steglich
Managing Partner, Germany
Betsy Quinn
Global Awards Director
Jane Shivers
Ketchum Alumni, Ketchum USA
Happy 100th anniversary, Ketchum.
In the mid 1980s, my tiny firm in Atlanta merged with Ketchum, and it put booster rockets on our success. Ketchum always has had a strong culture with solid values and dedicated leaders with a vision to build a global company. It also always gave great value and service to clients while taking care of its employees.
Looking back at that time and my almost two decades at Ketchum, I am so grateful for the training, teamwork, humor and award-winning creativity I experienced first-hand. Ketchum always understood that I was a community activist, chairing many boards and encouraging the staff to get involved in non-profit causes. I appreciated the consultancy’s support of what was important to me outside of work.
Today, my greatest joy is getting a message or an email from a former colleague letting me know how much they appreciate what they learned at Ketchum Atlanta and how it has served them well when starting their own business, moving up the corporate ladder in one of the world’s largest companies or playing a role in making the world a better place through volunteer work. I am in touch with many in the Ketchum and Omnicom orbit and will forever value those friendships.
Lorraine Thelian
Ketchum Alumni, Ketchum USA
Congratulations on 100 years! As a 45-year veteran of Ketchum, I shared many of those years! Starting as an assistant to John Paluszek many years ago, I had many different adventures during my time at the consultancy, ranging from an account executive role to a senior partner. I spent a lot of that time running our Washington, D.C., office and then our North American operations.
It was a privilege to be part of this wonderful organization that allowed me to interact with and learn from so many great clients and employees. It is gratifying to know that Ketchum gave so many smart and creative people an opportunity to engage in important, challenging and stimulating work, yet also know its strong values would be encouraged and supported. As the adage goes, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” I was one of those lucky people. Thank you, Ketchum, for an amazing career and much happiness!
Ketchum Alumni, Ketchum USA
I joined Ketchum in 2000 thinking I’d stay a few years and then seek the next adventure as I had done previously throughout my career. 17 years later, I retired from the agency.
What kept me there? Of course, the great people and fun, interesting experiences. So many of the client challenges were exciting and varied. A day might start with working on how to bring a Japanese whiskey to the U.S. market, continue with re-positioning a company best known for its lightbulbs and TVs as a healthcare technology innovator and wrap up by working with a global chemical company seeking to emerge from a cloud of reputational challenges.
But, having been out of the firm for six years and looking back, what stands out as most meaningful to me is having had the opportunity to help younger staff grow into leaders and innovators themselves. Seeing someone who came to Ketchum as an intern now leading several functions at a major financial services company, for example, makes it all worthwhile. Since leaving the agency, the notes I get from former staff bring me so much happiness as they credit their Ketchum experience with turning them into people who make a difference in roles from Manila to London to New York.
Sure, Camp Ketchum, partner meetings, winning major pitches and growing my Ketchum business were great. But what was most important was that by having a leadership role at Ketchum, you could make other people’s lives better.
Happy birthday, Ketchum, and thank you for the incredibly rewarding experiences I had as a Ketchumite.
David Rockland, PhD
Debbie Brannan
Ketchum Alumni, Ketchum USA
I was 17 and graduating from high school. At my graduation party, Rita Schrey – a long-time employee, suggested I should interview Ketchum, Macleod and Grove. On June 18, 1979, I was hired as a billing coordinator. I billed Outdoor Advertising, Network, TV and Radio to start, and then moved on to roles in Accounts Payable and General Accounting. I went to night school at Robert Morris College (now known as Robert Morris University) and graduated with a degree in accounting. After college, I studied and passed the CPA exam.
It was a turning point in my career... I remember thinking, “Do I accept a role with our accounting firm in the tax department? Or do I stay with Ketchum that had been so good to me over the years?” You guessed it, I stayed at Ketchum!
I eventually rose to the role of controller and was fortunate to work with Rob Lorfink as my CFO. You can imagine that I learned a lot! 20 years later, I moved to a corporate role at OPRG, but remained on Ketchum’s payroll. I have been so blessed that I was given an opportunity in 1979. Ketchum, an awesome people agency, has always had my back and has taken good care of me. One hundred years in business is so exciting. Thank you, Ketchum, for taking a chance on me
Ketchum Alumni, Ketchum Germany
My best story in 25 years at Ketchum? That might just be an impossible choice, but let’s give it a try...
Without Ketchum, I would never have glimpsed my first-ever dolphin on a Florida beach at 4:30 in the morning – right before a pitch while attending Camp Ketchum. I would never have been able to speak at the U.N. – just one among many locations where the Ketchum Global Media Network has hosted its international meetings. I would never have visited the headquarters of the World Economic Forum in Geneva, where I attended a Ketchum Partners meeting. I would never have set foot in Babson College in Boston to attend Omicron University. And I never would have been able to travel across Germany and Austria – including Legoland Germany and BMW Welt in Munich – to open on behalf of our wonderful clients.
Whether the client was Barbie, or Pixar, or Kikkoman Soy Sauce or the National Sunflower Association (where I won my first creative award), Ketchum gave me near-limitless access to creative opportunities like no other consultancy could.
Also, it needs to be said... Without Ketchum, my life in PR would have been a whole lot less fun. I’ll give one brief example: In 2013, while teaching at Camp Ketchum, I was asked to help brainstorm a closing event after the nearly 100 camp attendees had finished their presentations. I took the most successful communications campaign of that year (the winner of multiple Cannes Lions Awards), Dumb Ways to Die, a prevention campaign from Australia that aimed to keep people Down Under from falling onto train tracks – and turned it into an inescapable earworm renamed Dumb Ways to Pitch. I’ll spare you all the lyrics, but suffice to say, it was one of the funniest moments of my time at Ketchum, having the whole management on stage, singing my silly rewrite.
At Ketchum, we worked hard for our clients, yes. But above all that, we had a lot of fun, trusted each other and worked together as friends.
I wish all my friends at Ketchum the best for the future and may the legacy of George Ketchum last for another 100 years.
Petra Sammer
Ketchum Alumni turned client,
Ketchum USA
Ryan Whitchurch
CEO, Ketchum Austria
Saskia Wallner
Co-Founder and CEO of Ketchum Spain,
Chairman, OPRG & Former CEO,
Ketchum Spain
Teresea Garcia
& Tony Noel
Sabine Hückmann
CEO, Ketchum Germany
At Ketchum, I had the incredible opportunity to play a role in a piece of contemporary history: In 2011, the German government decided to phase out nuclear power. This means that running nuclear power plants must be decommissioned and dismantled. Spent radioactive fuel elements must be taken to an interim storage facility for this purpose. Starting in 2017, we accompanied this dismantling process, including a Castor transport of spent nuclear elements on an inland waterway, the first and, so far, only one of its kind in the world, and the detonation of a cooling tower. This also earned us an award in the crisis communications category at PR Report Awards.
Betsy Quinn
Global Awards Director, Ketchum US
It’s hard to believe that I’m celebrating 38 incredible years with Ketchum. Okay, so I clearly love this agency and feel embedded in its fabric and virtual walls. I’d moved from Chicago in 1985 to join a firm in Los Angeles and head up the brand marketing practice, which Ketchum acquired a year later. It was quite a period of transformation for our industry as we moved from manual typewriters to networked computers. Our first IT guru, in fact, was a remarkable fellow named Mitch Burgess, who went on to be the head writer of The Sopranos with his partner (true story).
What endeared me to Ketchum then and still now is its collaborative “best teams” culture – the bedrock of what makes us tick. It’s understandable how we naturally evolved from a marketplace operation to an industry service model in recent years. We’ve always been forming and working in “best teams” to serve our clients.
The sheer numbers of brands and companies I’ve touched and consulting roles I’ve served could fill a book and a story on every page. From running hallmark campaigns for Visa and Kodak in the early days; launching the first 16-bit Sega gaming machines, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and start-ups in the dot.com years; to designing the first Ketchum Planning Process (KPP) in 2002 – there was always a new adventure around the bend. Everyone has a defining campaign in their careers, of course, and mine was the California Dancing Raisins – the lovable Claymation characters that took America by storm in the late 80s and early 90s and became one of the most successful licensing phenoms in history. Oh, and they sold more raisins, too. Ketchum’s claim to fame was launching the physical costumed Raisin characters (worn by Fresno State University dancers) and taking them on the road to support the TV commercials. We literally became their agents. And did we ever take them on the road… A 100-city vacation across America in a Winnebago to meet and greet fans… Appearing at every White House function and Macy’s Day and Tournament of Roses parade… Working with the President’s Council on Physical Fitness to promote healthy snacking and the American Library Association to encourage reading and literacy through the popular characters… And launching every new star-studded commercial, including Raisin Ray (Charles) and Michael Raisin (Jackson), who chose to star in the campaign for no fee.
Not surprisingly, many of these iconic programs in our early years won every industry creative award, and were among many blockbuster campaigns that set Ketchum on a course to becoming one of the most admired and awarded communications consultancies today. It was fun to have a personal hand in that, as I evolved my role into creative and strategic planning, and ultimately global awards responsibilities to groom and champion our best-in-class work around the world.
Volker Matheis
Head of Office for Munich,
Ketchum Germany
I am proud to be a part of this Ketchum family – and to work for a company whose existence spans the whole history of modern communications. From the era of telegraphs to the beginnings of the Worldwide Web to the dawn of advanced AI…communication continues to revolutionize itself; it never stands still... nor should it. And Ketchum will always be there to help shape the art and science of communication. Happy centennial, Ketchum: Here’s to the next 100 years!
Kerstin Steglich
Managing Partner, Ketchum Germany
Ketchum is always about connections and personal relationships. And it is part of Ketchum's credo to bring people from all over the world together and let them learn from and with each other.
One of my fondest memories is Camp Ketchum. Meeting colleagues from all over the world, working together for a day and a night on a joint task and learning a lot in the process - is priceless. The fact that I made connections that still exist to this day is a gift. And by the way, my Camp Ketchum hoodie still travels with me around the world.
Executive Director Analytics,
Ketchum Germany
Felix Zeh
Chris Ditner
SVP, Marketing, Ketchum USA
My Ketchum story started 25 years ago when they acquired the boutique tech marcom agency that I was a part of. Although Ketchum was much bigger, it was no behemoth – I was fortunate to continue working part-time from home for several years while being mom to my two boys, long before that was a standard practice.
I love that at Ketchum, you can write your own story: I went from working on tech clients to an internal marketing role where I led not one, but two Ketchum rebrands, to my current role, where I’ve returned to my love of writing and storytelling for client executives and corporate brands. Many chapters at Ketchum have given me lifelong friends and many fond and funny memories. Like Camp Ketchum, where teams of colleagues from around the world vied for first place on the client pitch assignment. We worked crazy hours and were fiercely competitive, but were happy to socialize with the other teams during our downtime and even toil away to renovate a park. Classic Ketchum.
Senior Vice President, Ketchum South Korea
Joon Kim
Account Director, Ketchum South Korea
Kevin Kim
Kathrin Pauser
Account Director, Ketchum Austria
“As you know I switched from client side to Ketchum. My first impression of Ketchum was as a client. We had invited the top three agencies in Austria to get to know them for a quote because the institute was preparing for an anniversary. While the other agency meetings were standard, the meeting with Ketchum stuck out for me. First, because the meeting took one hour longer than scheduled: The rapport was so good we didn’t want to stop talking. I remember leaving the meeting knowing these were the kinds of people I wanted to work with because they were so different from us – and they would bring a new perspective. Later I learned how diverse the team was and that I fit in as well in their team. I have not regretted the switch.”
Kathrin Pauser has a master's in communications from the University of Vienna. She has more than 15 years of experience. Before joining Ketchum in October 2021, she worked as a media relations manager for the Institute of Science and Technology in Austria.
Jenny Lee
Account Director, Ketchum South Korea
It’s not an overstatement to say that Ketchum Korea has become the go-to agency when it comes to representing our clients in the Olympics. We helped our client P&G Korea carry out the nationwide Thank You Mom Campaign for the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games as Worldwide Olympic Partner. Our work resulted in impressive media coverage and PR volumes for P&G Korea. We also implemented Olympic PR strategies and activities for Samsung Electronics at the 2020 Youth Winter Olympic Games in Lausanne, the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics including the Paralympic Games.
Ketchum Korea planned, designed, executed and operated the virtual media hub for both Olympic fans and the media, setting positive sentiments for Samsung’s Olympics sponsorship that resulted in a total of 10k PR mentions with 70B impressions global, and 30% / 42% SOV during the Olympics and the Paralympics. As long as the Olympic Games keep going, so will Ketchum Korea!
Many of our Ketchum Korea team members also worked day and night to brainstorm ideas, reach out to the media and execute plans during the four months that led up to the Feb 2023 launch for our client Google Korea’s , which was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice. The event rode a huge wave of positive media both here in Korea and around the world, successfully intertwining our country’s unique history with the DMZ’s untouched nature and art. Our client praised us for demonstrating resilience and dedication to our work despite being under pressure. The project helped Ketchum Korea build a stronger client relationship with Google Korea.
Assistant Account Executive, Ketchum USA
Claudia Michelle
Marvin
Art Director, Ketchum USA
Lauren Lapid
There aren’t too many 100-year-old
companies in our industry. In any industry.
Our roots span generations of devoted colleagues, clients and campaigns.
Our evolution, guided by empathy + intelligence,
is measured by the progress we make for
and with our clients and our people.
LOOKING BACK
TO SEE FORWARD
A CLEAR VISION
OF WHAT'S NEXT
We’re using this moment to reflect on who
we are: Experts in leading through change.
And re-commit to making progress
in this new world.
With joy, humility, and humanity.
A century of Ketchum.
We love where we’ve been.
We love where we’re going.
That’s Progress at Work,
for 100 years and counting.
A STORIED CENTURY
KETCHUM ACCOLADES OVER THE YEARS
KETCHUM ACCOLADES OVER THE YEARS
KETCHUM ACCOLADES OVER THE YEARS
KETCHUM ACCOLADES OVER THE YEARS
KETCHUM ACCOLADES OVER THE YEARS
Glimpse of 2023
Ketchum was named
Large Agency of the Year
at the prestigious
North America SABRE Awards.
2023
Ketchum unveiled its new tagline, “Progress at Work"
as part of its extensive new brand refresh.
2023
Jim Joseph becomes
CEO, U.S. and
Global Chief Marketing
and Integration Officer.
2022
We introduced our DE&I Center of Excellence — an evolution of our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, which for us is an always-on function embedded into our business.
Ketchum has a
workforce that is
78% women.
Jo-ann Robertson becomes
CEO, Global Markets.
2022
Mike Doyle fills the
shoes of Barri Rafferty
as president and CEO.
2020
We quickly adapted to remote work,
saw back-to-back years of record-breaking growth, implemented our global well-being program Flex & Flow, and won Best Places to Work and Global Network of the Year.
Ketchum has enjoyed industry-leading workplace flexibility before companies pivoted to that change during COVID.
This mix of being human-centered
and business-focused is the essence of Ketchum, and the focus on "empathy" was particularly well-received during the global pandemic and fundamentally changed how we worked with each other and our clients.
To match our evolution to a communications consultancy,
we crafted a new positioning—
2020
Ketchum announced the appointment of Caio Bamberg
as CEO of Ketchum Brazil on April 15. Ketchum Estrategia
was acquired in 2011 and became Ketchum Brazil in 2014.
2019
Ketchum evolves to its global communications consultancy model.
2018
Barri Rafferty is appointed as Ketchum president and CEO,
the first woman in history to
lead a top-five global public relations firm.
2017
Rob Flaherty
is appointed as CEO.
2012
Ketchum acquires change management firm
Stromberg Consulting.
2001
Ray Kotcher
is appointed as CEO.
2000
Ketchum acquires tech marketing
and communications boutique Crescent Communications.
1997
Omnicom acquires
Ketchum Public Relations,
Ketchum Advertising and Ketchum Directory Advertising.
1996
David Drobis
is appointed as CEO.
1994
The Food Network was launched, gaining mass appeal and giving rise to the phenomenon of celebrity chefs. Ketchum was well-positioned to guide clients through the changes. Ketchum’s skill and expertise were a significant differentiator — something no other agency could claim.
1993
Front row, left to right: David Drobis, Cynthia Stirling, Larry Werner, Walt Lindenmann, Ray Kotcher; Middle row: Keith Burton, Ray Marquis, Allen Miller, Bob Feldman, John Paluszek; Top row: Jerry Olszewski, Jane Shivers, Lorne Fisher, Lorraine Thelian, Barry Brinster, Judith Rich.
1991
Some of Ketchum's alumni and PR glitterati!
By the end of the 1980s, Ketchum was the first and only agency specializing in consumer and food service, brand and commodity,
retail marketing and nutrition. This deep and extensive breadth of expertise established Ketchum as the leader in food communications.
Dianne Snedaker becomes
president of Ketchum/Advertising
San Francisco – the only woman president of a major west coast
agency and the second woman president at the agency.
1988
Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove becomes Ketchum Communications, Inc.
1982
I think the most significant change for the agency in the 1980s was when we dropped all the different names and became Ketchum Communications;
then we all belonged
to something.
– Ken Dudwick,
Chairman of Ketchum/Advertising
in San Francisco.
"
1980
Pittsburgh remained the headquarters for all divisions except Ketchum Public Relations, which moved to NYC.
Ketchum becomes the first large agency to make a commitment to food marketing with the opening of a test kitchen in
San Francisco in the late 1970s.
1973
George Ketchum retires.
1973
1970-
1972
"The day of the one-country agency is over."
In May 1970, KM&G purchased David Williams
and Partners (DWP) in London.
Two months later, Ketchum bought 25% of Durana Werbeagentur GmbH in Frankfurt, Germany and 20% of Lorin-Leydier in Paris. KM&G then acquired a Belgium agency, p.v.b.a. Group s.p.r.l, for a few years, with one of the largest agencies in France, Feldman Calleaux et Associes, and KM&G purchasing 70% of its stock.
The agency's major pivot changed its trajectory forever.
It completed the first merger
in its 47-year history.
KM&G bought Botsford, Constantine & McCarty, Inc.,
one of the oldest and largest advertising agencies in the west. The agency then became
Botsford Ketchum, Inc.
1969
Ketchum was the first agency to recognize the importance of basing consumer product and food benefit-messaging on nutrition science. Bee Marks was the mastermind behind this work.
KM&G won prestigious awards such as the Clios, Andys, Addys, and Silver Anvils.
1960
KM&G pioneered nationwide television and radio coverage
of the national Democrat and Republican conventions and
the November election results,
on behalf of client Westinghouse.
1952
The agency received national attention in 1951 when it orchestrated a sponsorship for client Westinghouse of the first nationally televised NCAA football game.
1951
Kay Neumann began at KM&G on November 8th, 1950. In less than a month, "Kay's Kitchen" was on the air and was one of the most popular programs nationwide. The show used products from several clients and contributed to record sales.
1950
KM&G celebrates its 25th anniversary, growing from
2 employees to 136 and $6.2M in billings.
1947
1944
This holiday party photo was circulated to and saved by many KM&G employees serving in the war overseas.
We were rather proud of ourselves because we held on to our agency staff throughout the depression. We never discharged anyone
for lack of business.
- George Ketchum,
"Morley History" VIII-3
"
1934
The Public Relations department was established
at Ketchum, and its first campaign was for
Natural Gas Companies, People’s Natural Gas,
and other local gas companies.
Fun fact: George Ketchum cranked out all his ad copy
on an Underwood Noiseless typewriter – but declined
a job with Underwood demonstrating typewriters in department store windows.
1927
The agency’s name was changed to Ketchum, MacLeod & Grove (KM&G) in 1924. It was led by brothers George and Carlton Ketchum, Norman McLeod, and Robert Grove, whom the brothers met in Pittsburgh in the 1910s.
1924
Now
A global
consultancy
in more than
70 countries,
across 6 continents,
and more than
1,200 global
employees.
Founded as an ad agency, Ketchum and MacLeod opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on May 22, 1923.
1923
We've come a long way – from our founding in Pittsburgh to the latest developments in our consultancy, here are just a few of the highlights from throughout our history.
Use the arrows above to travel through the decades
OUR
HISTORY