Smart infant-monitoring company Owlet has hired Diffusion as its PR AOR in the U.S.

Owlet began its RFP process in late September. Four agencies, including Diffusion, pitched for the business. The process concluded in October, and Diffusion started work on November 1, said Valerie Felski, Owlet’s senior manager of PR and global brand partnerships.

Diffusion’s press campaigns for Owlet will support upcoming brand and product milestones, company announcements and product launches via thought leadership, original research, ongoing earned media relations and creative brand partnerships.

Owlet has not employed a PR AOR for a year, but decided to bring on an agency now because two of its products have received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration this year. They are the Dream Sock, an over-the-counter medical pulse oximetry solution for healthy babies who are one to 18 months old, and BabySat, a prescription pulse oximetry device featuring Owlet’s wire-free sock design. 

“The clearances came up quickly for us this year, so we needed to bring on an agency to lead comms, campaign strategizing and launches for both,” said Felski. Both products are set to launch next month at CES. 

She added that Owlet wants to have a “seamless strategy” for debuting both products since they adhere to different audiences: one requires a prescription and the other is over-the-counter. 

“We are the first baby monitor brand to have both options available,” Felski said.

Diffusion is also helping Owlet to expand its thought leadership and executive presence “and tell the story about how the company rebounded from getting an FDA warning letter to having two FDA-cleared products,” said Felski. “We hope these clearances change what parents view at-home care as and really empower parents with more information and health data.”

Michelle Shen, VP of consumer at Diffusion, is leading a team of eight on the account. Budget information was not disclosed. 

Owlet’s last U.S. PR AOR was Edelman, which worked with the company for two years until 2022. That relationship ended due to marketing budget shifts, Felski explained. An Edelman representative did not reply to requests seeking comment.

In Q3, Owlet reported revenue of $9.2 million, down 47% from the year-ago quarter. Operating loss and net loss were approximately $7.9 million and $5.6 million, respectively, in the quarter. Owlet was founded in 2012. 

This article originally appeared on PRWeek U.S.