Currently handled primarily by Burson-Marsteller and Hill & Knowlton in Asia-Pacific, the review covers the full range of public relations, executive communications, analyst relations and internal communications, across the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Japan, and EMEA.
All of HP’s business units, meanwhile, are included in the review: the personal systems group, the technology solutions group, the imaging and printing group, networking, and corporate marketing.
It is believed that the process will be conducted by a reverse auction, which will take place online.
The pitch may include face-to-face presentations which have been scheduled for between the 10 and 21 December for the Asia-Pacific and Japan region.
In an supplementary set of questions, HP has asked agencies to clarify its conflicts of interest - a clause that may yet prove onerous, given the company’s presence in several electronics categories.
An industry source pointed out that the review was a classic example of the influence procurement is having over PR agency selection.
“In essence it implies yet more commoditisation, that you could bid online for PR services,” said the source. “That is nonsense. Their culture is to engineer things so there are year-to-year cost reductions. But that flies in the face of spiraling costs in our industry.
“It’s out of touch with the reality of what’s going on in our business,” continued the source.
“If you take value out of the equation then you leave agencies with nothing but a hammering on margin.”
In terms of specific activities, HP is looking for such services as strategic counsel and planning, corporate positiong, crisis communications, brand development and corporate governance. In addition, the company is also looking for thought leadership and new media counselling and advice.
HP has invited all of its current PR and communications suppliers to take part, including several players that only provide niche services.
In a separate development, HP has also invited several interactive agencies to pitch for its Malaysian e-marketing business.
According to a source, the brief was vague and did not contain clear definitions of what HP sees as e-marketing. Agencies were expected to come up with the scope of work based on their own definitions, he said.