Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. is reviewing its media planning and buying business.
Last year Nationwide spent more than $330 million in media, according to Nielsen. That figure does not include Internet or business-to-business spending.
Cheil's McKinney handles traditional media planning and Interpublic Group's UM buys media for the insurance company, which is based in Columbus, Ohio. Each incumbent is expected to defend.
Nationwide’s creative business, at McKinney, is not up for grabs.
McKinney, which is based in Durham, N.C., began working for Nationwide in 2009 after a review in which it won the creative business from IPG’s TM Advertising. UM has worked for Nationwide since 2001 and was retained after the company conducted a media review in 2009.
It is not clear if Nationwide is including digital duties, at Engauge, in the review. The client declined to comment on details about the search and Engauge did not respond to inquiries.
However, in a statement, Nationwide CMO Matt Jauchius said: "We are open to a variety of incumbent and new agencies, and we reserve the right to consolidate all traditional and digital planning and buying, or to keep it piecemeal as we deem appropriate."
The executive also said the company plans to increase media spending this year "consistent with the advertising arms race in the P&C insurance category."
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