General Motors Co. has put the Chevrolet brand's global advertising account into review, according to people familiar with the matter.
Chevy is seeking to reduce the dozens of ad agencies it works with globally so it can get a "more consistent ad message around the world," said a person familiar with the matter.
Consolidating agencies also would help GM save money, two people familiar with the situation said.
GM is the second-largest ad spender in the U.S., behind Procter & Gamble Co. The Chevy brand accounts for more than 70% of GM's U.S. sales, and the auto maker spends the majority of its ad budget on that brand.
GM, which doesn't release ad-spending figures, shelled out $2.1 billion on U.S. ads last year, with about $1.1 billion being used to promote Chevy, according to Kantar Media, an ad-tracking firm owned by WPP.
GM declined to comment.
GM Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson recently told The Wall Street Journal GM is working to shore up the its advertising and marketing operations. "The company has far too many advertising agencies which drives up costs and complexity. Multiple agencies lead to inconsistency and a dilution of our message," he said.
GM is trying to recast its image around the globe. In Europe, the company faces the challenge of expanding Chevrolet's business without hurting sales of its higher-end Opel brand. Meantime, the company is trying to get a foothold in fast-growing emerging markets, such as India and Brazil, while fighting against increasing competition in China.
Chevy's U.S. ad duties are currently handled by Omnicom Group Inc.'s Goodby, Silverstein & Partners—an account it won in 2010, shortly after Joel Ewanick, GM's global chief marketing officer, joined the company. Mr. Ewanick is under pressure to deliver results for the auto maker.
He has a very close relationship with Jeff Goodby, co-founder of Goodby. The agency worked with Ewanick several times over his career, including when he worked at Hyundai Motor America, a unit of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea.
Despite the strong ties, Ewanick has lately expressed some dissatisfaction with Goodby's work. Goodby created the "Chevy Runs Deep" campaign, which began airing last fall. In August, Ewanick told car industry trade magazine "Automotive News" that Goodby's work "hasn't been consistent."
Even so, Goodby, along with its parent company Omnicom, is among the agencies that have been invited to pitch for the business, according to people familiar with the situation. Ad-holding companies competing for the business include Publicis Groupe SA, Interpublic Group of Cos. and Cheil Worldwide Inc. of South Korea.
"We are very confident that we will continue to work on Chevy," said Mr. Goodby.
GM is currently also reviewing its estimated $3 billion global media buying account.
This story originally appeared on WSJ.com.
