Exclusive: Mastercard picks We. Communications, ending decade-plus Ketchum run
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Mastercard is tapping We. Communications as its new communications partner, replacing Ketchum after nearly 14 years, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The agency change comes roughly nine months into Jill Kramer's tenure as Mastercard's chief marketing and communications officer, an early signal of how she is reshaping the company's global marketing and communications operations.
The big picture: Mastercard is trying to position itself for a world where payments increasingly intersect with AI, cybersecurity and new forms of commerce.
- Axios reported in January that the company is working with Google and Microsoft to help shape standards for agentic commerce, focusing on trust, identity and secure payments as AI agents begin buying on consumers' behalf.
- The new comms challenge stretches well beyond Mastercard's traditional consumer-facing "Priceless" story: explaining the company's role in increasingly technical infrastructure to consumers, businesses and other stakeholders.
What they're saying: "For nearly 30 years, Priceless has been rooted in a simple idea: helping people experience moments that matter to them," Kramer said.
- "We're excited to evolve the Mastercard brand story, with We. Communications as our new agency of record helping us tell the fuller story of how Mastercard is powering new forms of value exchange for economies around the world, in new and different ways."
Between the lines: Losing Mastercard is a notable blow for Ketchum.
- Mastercard first assigned U.S. PR duties to Ketchum in 2012 and the partnership produced award-winning work including Mastercard's "True Name" initiative.
- Ketchum was also merged with Golin earlier this year as Omnicom consolidated its PR portfolio following its $13.3 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group.
- The move highlights a growing split between the scale of consolidated agency networks and the speed and flexibility of independent firms.
Zoom in: Mastercard selected We after a nearly six-month competitive review, a spokesperson for the agency said.
- Mastercard also saw the agency's independence as an advantage, allowing it to build a more tailored team and draw in expertise as needed.
- "Our independence gives us the agility to bring together exactly what our clients need around their ambitions," We founder and global CEO Melissa Waggener Zorkin said, adding that the agency wants to "put communications at the center of [Mastercard's] transformation."
- The relationship will begin at the enterprise level, with additional scope and regional work expected to roll out in phases. Initial onboarding is already underway.
What we're watching: Whether the new partnership tangibly changes how Mastercard shows up across markets and audiences.
- The next round of enterprise announcements and major brand moments, including Money20/20 in Las Vegas next month, should offer an early read on how Mastercard's comms are changing.
