Report: Wal-Mart to hire more PR firms

Bentonville, Ark. Wal-Mart Stores plans to hire five public-relations firms to promote its brand, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The company plans to put the firms on retainer and then have them bid on individual projects as a part of an effort to contain costs, the report said.

This strategy is becoming more common in the advertising industry as businesses attempt to rein in marketing budgets and spur creativity with a competitive "jump ball," the report said.

Wal-Mart’s public relations has previously been handled almost entirely by Edelman, which is among the firms bidding for the new contracts.