Mastercard has appointed We. Communications as its new global communications partner, bringing Ketchum’s nearly 14 year relationship with the payments company to an end.
The appointment followed a competitive review that lasted almost six months and comes less than nine months after Jill Kramer became Mastercard’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.
The change comes as Mastercard expands its focus beyond traditional consumer payments into areas including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, agentic commerce and emerging forms of value exchange. Brandspur Brand News reports that the shift is creating a broader communications challenge for the company as it seeks to explain increasingly complex technology and financial infrastructure to consumers, businesses and other stakeholders.
We. Communications founder and global CEO, Melissa Waggener Zorkin, confirmed the appointment, describing Mastercard as a company entering an important new phase after nearly three decades of building its global brand around the “Priceless” platform.
The agency said its independence would allow it to build a tailored team for Mastercard and bring in specialist expertise aligned with the company’s changing priorities. The relationship will initially operate at the enterprise level, with additional regional and other areas of work expected to be introduced in phases.
Mastercard’s evolving agenda includes work around agentic commerce, where artificial intelligence systems increasingly act on behalf of consumers. In January, reports said the company was working with Google and Microsoft on standards intended to address trust, identity and secure payments in the emerging space.
For Ketchum, the loss ends a long running partnership that began in 2012 when Mastercard appointed the agency to handle its public relations work in the United States. The relationship produced recognised campaigns, including Mastercard’s True Name initiative.
Ketchum itself underwent a significant corporate change earlier this year after merging with Golin. The move formed part of Omnicom’s wider consolidation of its public relations operations following its $13.3 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group.
Mastercard’s decision also highlights the changing contest between large agency networks and independent communications firms. We. Communications is positioning its independent structure as an advantage in assembling specialist teams and responding to the company’s evolving communications needs.
Onboarding for the new relationship has already begun, with the broader scope expected to develop progressively across Mastercard’s operations.
