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Anheuser-Busch InBev "has selected WME's IMG as its new sports experiential marketing agency of record" after having "previously handled U.S. duties in-house, while using Octagon for global work," according to E.J. Schultz of AD AGE. An A-B spokesperson said that Octagon "will remain on the brewer's roster." A-B "holds official sponsorship rights" for the NFL, MLB, NBA and UFC, but the brewer is "expected to take a closer look at how it executes its sports marketing." For instance, one goal is to "put more of an emphasis on experiential marketing, rather than simply using sports to raise awareness for brands such as Bud Light, which are already universally recognizable." The decision to "outsource U.S. sports duties to an agency follows last year's move to shift media-buying to WPP's MediaCom." The work "had previously been handled in house by Busch Media Group," which historically had a "huge influence on the sports marketing landscape because it controlled the purse-strings for sports media buying" ( ADAGE.com, 5/15 ).
