Background

Ketchum is a public relations firm offering a range of communications, marketing, strategic, and analytical services.“Industries + Specialties,” Ketchum, Inc. Archived August 20, 2025. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/sI7ES Founded in 1923 in Pittsburgh, Ketchum has significant clients in food and agriculture, as well as energy, government affairs, and financial services.Greg Hazley. “Ketchum Marks 90 Years,” O’Dwyer’s, May 22, 2013. Archived October 6, 2022. Archive URL: http://archive.today/FDk6H “Industries + Specialties,” Ketchum, Inc. Archived August 20, 2025. Archive URL: http://archive.today/sI7ES Some notable clients include the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, ExxonMobil, and the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA).“National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA),” DeSmog. “U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action,” DeSmog. Contact: Jenna Thomas. “News + Releases: Ketchum Named Large Agency of the Year at North America Sabre Awards 2023,” Ketchum, May 4, 2023. Archived June 24, 2025. Archive URL: http://archive.today/9xkNE

Ketchum has won more than 130 Cannes Lions, a prestigious industry award, which it says makes it “one of the most creatively awarded firms in [the Public Relations] industry.”Contact: Jenna Thomas. “News + Releases: Ketchum Named Large Agency of the Year at North America Sabre Awards 2023,” Ketchum, May 4, 2023. Archived June 24, 2025. Archive URL: http://archive.today/9xkNE

It is headquartered in New York, with offices and subsidiary agencies across the United States and Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania.“Ketchum,” LinkedIn. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. “Locations + Partners,” Ketchum. Archived August 17, 2025. Archive URL: http://archive.today/PFm8U

It is a subsidiary of Omnicom Group, a global network of marketing, public relations, and advertising agencies.”Omnicom Group,” DeSmog. It has been owned by Omnicom since 1996.”Omnicom Group,” DeSmog. Cristina Rouvalis. “Ketchum Sold: City’s Oldest, Largest advertising agency will be taken over by Omnicom Group,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via Google News: Newspapers), January 11, 1996. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Omnicom has long-time fossil fuel clients, including ExxonMobil, Halliburton, and Eni.“DDB Reorganizes Interactive Agencies,” The New York Times, August 29, 2000. Archived September 27, 2000. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/twRVx “Organisation Profile: GRACosway Pty Ltd.,” Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department, February 7, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/P8M2U “Eni Print YOU & AGIP by Eni Div. Refining/marketing,” AdsSpot, May 2007. Archived September 25, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/nsUBc Omnicom announced in December 2024 that it would take over Interpublic Group (IPG), a competitor holding company. This takeover of IPG will create the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue.Cameron Clarke. “What you need to know about Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic,” The Drum, December 8, 2024. Archived December 17, 2024. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/mbJb8

Stance on Climate Change

As of late, Ketchum lacks a clear, overarching commitment to fighting climate change, but its position, or lack thereof, can be inferred based on a series of related statements, clients, and activities.

For example, in 1991, Greenpeace obtained a Ketchum-designed “crisis management plan” for the Clorox Company that involved labeling environmental advocates as “terrorists” and suing unflattering journalists.“Ketchum (the UN’s PR Firm) Tackles Corporate Responsibility,” PR Watch, Volume 9, Number 3, Third Quarter 2002. Archived March 15, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

However, in the following years, it did more explicitly work towards corporate responsibility aims. In 2001, it joined the United Nations Global Compact, “a set of voluntary principles through which businesses pledge to support human rights, labor, and the environment.” It was also a member of the Business for Social Responsibility group. [FOOTNOTE 16] According to the most recent list of UN Global Compact signatories, Ketchum is no longer listed, but its holding company, Omnicom, is.“Ketchum (the UN’s PR Firm) Tackles Corporate Responsibility,” PR Watch, Volume 9, Number 3, Third Quarter 2002. Archived March 15, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

In the following decades, Ketchum maintained an outward-facing focus on socially responsible actions. In its 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report, it described its corporate social responsibility (CSR) credentials. In the then-CEO Barri Rafferty’s introductory note, she wrote, “CSR is so engrained [sic] in our culture that we have even Ketchum-ized its name: Ketchum Social Responsibility, or KSR.” The report said it set “KSR” environmental goals in 2013 and was committed to “sustainability,” noting that the platform EcoVadis recognized its efforts. However, the report or any further communication from Ketchum did not specify the parameters of these goals. It defined its sustainability principle as “[conducting] business in ways that are sensitive to the physical, economic, and cultural environments in which [it operates].” In a graph depicting issue priority among internal and external stakeholders, “environmental stewardship” came in last.”2026-2017 Ketchum Social Responsibility Report” page 3, Ketchum. Archived August 13, 2024. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Omnicom, Ketchum’s parent company, has more formalized sustainability goals. As of 2023, Omnicom Group was working to reduce its Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 46.2 percent by 2030 against its 2019 baseline, according to its website.“Protect Our Planet,” Omnicom Group, 2023. Archived July 3, 2023. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/JwnmK

In its 2024 annual report, Omnicom said it works to reduce emissions through efficient spatial and energy usage and travel and vendor engagement, which it says align with the 1.5 degree Celsius climate scenario. It also supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”Omnicom Annual Report 2024” page 3, Ketchum, Archived April 9, 2025. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Funding

Since Omnicom owns Ketchum, some of its financial information is not published individually: instead, Omnicom reports on the combined finances of its subsidiary agencies. However, in recent years, trade outlets have listed Ketchum as among the world’s top PR firms, pulling in $600 million in fee income in 2022.”GLOBAL TOP 250 PR AGENCY RANKING 2023,” PRovoke Media. Archived September 4, 2025. Archive URL: http://archive.today/Cyml2

In 2022, Omnicom recorded revenues of $14.3 billion.“Annual Report 2022, p. 9,” Omnicom Group, February 2023. Archived April 5, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Omnicom Group reported that two percent of its 2022 revenue came from clients in the oil, gas, and utilities sectors, an increase from one percent in 2020.“Annual Report 2022, p. 9,” Omnicom Group, February 2023. Archived April 5, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Two percent of Omnicom’s 2022 revenue was $286 million. In 2024, Omnicom reported global revenue of $15.7 billion, a nearly 10% increase from the previous year.“Annual Report 2022, p. 16,” Omnicom Group, February 2023. Archived April 5, 2023. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.

Key People

Clients

Contact and Address

Headquarters: 

1285 Avenue of the Americas
4th Floor
New York City, New York, 10019, U.S.

Social Media

LinkedIn: Ketchum
Facebook: Ketchum
X: @KetchumPR
YouTube: @KetchumPR
Instagram: @ketchumpr

Resources