GM Moves $500M-Plus Media Buying Account To Starcom

GM has named Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest as its media buying agency of record, ending a ten-year relationship with IPG’s General Motors Mediaworks, according to Andy Bernstein of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. GM “spends more money on sports television advertising than any other company” with $501M, or 7% of the overall marketplace, in ’04. The future of Mediaworks, which has 200 employees and had only GM as a client, “is unclear.” Mediaworks Senior VP Jennifer Shaw handled most of the company’s buying on sports programs, but it is “not known if she will join Starcom MediaVest, or if any other Mediaworks executives will be offered jobs with the agency.” IPG’s GM R-Works will continue to handle all of GM’s sponsorship and event marketing activity (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/16 issue).

BACK ON THE FIELD: Also in this week’s SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, Terry Lefton reports GM has agreed to terms to extend its NFL sponsorship. Sources said that the deal “should be a four- or five-year extension.” The extension includes “support for automotive brands other than Cadillac,” as well as a “large advertising buy” on NFL Network (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/16 issue).