Bacardi GlobalBrands, which oversees nine global beverage brands, including Grey Goose, Dewar’s and its signature rum, is undergoing an internal review of its more than 50 partner agencies.
Patricia Neal, spokeswoman for Bacardi, said she expected the process to take several months and that the review was no reflection on the quality of agencies the companycurrently works with. WPP Group’s Y&Rwon Bacardi’s consolidated global business in 2005.
“We want to know if we are using our [partner] agencies to the best of their skills, and if we could have better utilization of agencies,” Neal explained in an e-mail to DMNews. “In the end, changes may or may not be made.”
The 2007 combined total ad spend for Bacardi’s signature rum was $12.1 million, according to Nielsen.
Seamus McBride, former EVP and president, North America and worldwide commercial effectiveness at Colgate-Palmolive Co., will become president and CEO of Bacardi as of September 1. He succeeds Andreas Gembler, who has been CEO since 2005 and is retiring from the company.
