MiC checked into whether HBC may be planning to rejig its media buying m.o. as part of its rethink on creative strategy. The answer, according to senior media manager Katherine Raso, is no. She says media will continue to be handled by HBC’s internal team. ‘And, as has always been the case, our agencies will work with our internal media department. A change in agency will have no impact on that dynamic.’

The creative shops HBC is now considering are some so far unnamed ones, plus the same five that participated in last year’s RFP process: FCB, DDB, Doug, Saatchi and John Street. Although Raso declined to cite HBC’s annual ad spend, Nielsen’s latest estimate is between $10 and $15 million.