• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 6, 2018

Sportswear-fashion brand Puma has launched a global agency review, the company confirmed Wednesday.

Responding to an email query a Puma spokesman replied: “The Puma marketing organization started the media agency review end of May 2018. The review process is expected to run for approximately six months.”

The purpose of the review, the spokesman added, “is to identify a media agency partner that will support the organization’s commitment to drive value and relevance for our consumers ... The outcome of the review will be communicated through the appropriate channels upon completion of the process.” 

Puma has previously worked with Publicis Media's Blue 449.  It wasn’t immediately clear if the agency planned to participate in the review.

It’s estimated that the firm spends more than $100 million on measured media worldwide. Most of those dollars are spent outside the U.S., where the brand spent just $1.5 million last year, according to Kantar Media. It spent about $500,000 in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year, per Kantar.

Earlier this year, Paris-based Kering SA spun off Puma into a separate publicly-traded operation, indicating that it wanted to focus more attention on its luxury portfolio. Kering bought the firm back in 2007 for approximately $6.4 billion.

Puma reported consolidated sales of €4.135 billion in 2017, or close to $4.9 billion. The company has indicated it will continue to spend aggressively on sponsorships with well-known athletes and other celebrities like Rihanna, who has been with company since 2014 as both brand ambassador and creative director for women's fashions.

The singer-entrepreneur, who is credited with helping the brand turn around after a slump, recently unveiled a new line of Fenty Puma espadrilles for the summer season.

ID Comms has been retained by Puma to help manage the review process.