IKEA Canada has awarded Hill+Knowlton Strategies the assignment to be its new public relations agency of record.

H+K will work with IKEA’s in-house comm team to execute the retailer’s national communications strategy, which includes both corporate and commercial public relations, government relations and ongoing strategic counsel. The mandate also includes media relations, events, influencer relations, product launches, strategic partnerships and sponsorships.

H+K was selected following a competitive RFP that had four agencies involved at its final round.

Tanya Bevington, country communications manager for IKEA Canada, said in an email to strategy that H+K was selected for its experience across the key areas of the mandate, a corporate culture that aligned with IKEA’s own culture and values, as well as a presence across the country that gives it an understanding of the markets IKEA is looking to reach (H+K has nine offices in Canada).

Bevington pointed to the launch of its annual catalogue and the opening of a new store in Quebec City later this summer as immediate projects H+K would be working on.

IKEA Canada works with Rethink as its creative AOR – an assignment that was awarded last year – and Jungle on media. The company previously worked with Citizen Relations on PR.