The Royal Mint has awarded MHP Group its PR account on a retained basis, with a brief to support its strategic comms, social media strategy and creative campaigns.

The agency has also been tasked with showcasing the mint’s expertise in precious metals, British craftsmanship and sustainability in the precious metals industry to global audiences – particularly in the US and Japan.

The mint put its PR account out to pitch earlier this year. It had worked with Hope&Glory since 2013 and, while the firm “brought fun, creativity and endless enthusiasm”, the mint’s “PR requirement has changed” according to a spokesperson. “We’ve made coins for 1,100 years, but we make so much more. The brief isn’t to generate more PR, it’s to fundamentally change what people associate with The Royal Mint.”

Gemma Sawyer, MHP’s head of studio, and James Rollinson, associate director in the agency’s brand and reputation practice, are leading on the account with a group of specialists from MHP’s creative studio and financial services team.

Sawyer said: “The Royal Mint is one of the world’s oldest brands but can provide a unique point of view on everything from sustainable precious metals to coin collecting. It’s the type of story we’re good at telling, blending our corporate and consumer comms teams with compelling creative and smart social.”

And Rachel Thomas, interim head of comms at The Royal Mint, said: “As The Royal Mint continues to transform as a business, it was important to get the right team on board to reach new audiences. We look forward to working closely with the MHP team to cement our status as the home of precious metals and continue to grow our brand story both nationally and internationally.”

She added: “The Royal Mint is a successful portfolio business and is growing in areas that complement our core skills in craftsmanship and precious metals. Over the last year, as part of our transformation, we have announced the build of a new plant to recover precious metals from electronic waste, as well as unveiling the new effigy King Charles III on the nation’s coinage. With many more exciting projects underway, we look forward to working with MHP to communicate these.”