Spark Foundry | Agency Profile, Contacts, AOR, Client Relationships

See Winmo sales intelligence in action

Score 43 - Future Possibility: Brown-Forman hires CEO, focuses on ROI, launches global creative review

last June and saw Mark McCallum become chief brands officer to lead all marketing. The shifts continued this January when Lawson Whiting became president and CEO. Whiting was promoted from EVP & COO, though he he served a number of positions at B-F since joining in 1997.

In addition, the company promoted Neil Punwani from European marketing director & SVP to global marketing director & SVP (August). It promoted Laura Petry from Jack Daniel's marketing director to emerging brands director & VP (August).

Please view lower-level shifts looking for a shopper insights lead, a consumer & shopper insights director and an established brands modern media specialist.

These personnel will assist B-F with its recent spend strategies. Execs in the Q4 earnings call (B-F's FY ends in April) said B-F will increase its investments in broad reach media, digital and "scalable consumer facing activations" by about 30% because it is reallocating spend from less efficient areas. The company is specifically cutting investments in sponsorships, local events and agency fees.

Since B-F is cutting agency fees, we imagine the global creative review it just launched will see it consolidate its roster. It has not been Fallon Worldwide (Herradura; 2014). We'll keep you posted as we learn more.

We have not heard if the review includes Fords Gin, which B-F acquired in June, but we will let you know as soon as we find out. As of right now, it is only known that the review includes Jack Daniel's and most of the brand portfolio. B-F's roster also includes Woodford Reserve, Canadian Mist, Korbel, Finlandia, El Jimador and Chambord. The review is being managed by AAR Partners.

Whenever the review ends, we are likely to see a new campaign from the agency or agency team that is chosen. Therefore, sellers should reach out to marketing leaders now to stay top-of-mind. Know that B-F spends the most during Q2 and Q4, holds planning conversations in Q2 and holds buying conversations in Q1. It primarily targets men, especially millennials.

Please view digital display spend (courtesy of here. Keep in mind that the company and its brands have also been known to use outdoor, print, radio, sponsorship, experiential, earned media and social media.

Agency and martech readers -- reviews often follow one another, and the new leadership is likely to review more agency relationships, so those with alcohol experience should reach out for media and/or digital work. Media has been out of Spark Foundry since 2014, and digital is split between a variety of agencies. Focus pitches on helping B-F with the spend strategies outlined above.