In an apparent cost-cutting effort, Nestlé recently launched a review to consolidate its entire North American advertising business with just four to six agencies, several sources have confirmed to Adweek.

While the precise scope of the review is currently unclear, it does include creative and digital duties across some of Nestlé’s largest brands. According to one source who has worked on the account for years, this review primarily or exclusively concerns prepared food products.

The Swiss confectionary, food and beverage conglomerate concluded its last lengthy review in 2014 by trimming a roster of 20 digital agencies down to eight. One source with direct knowledge of the current review said it will primarily involve those remaining partners, with other specialty shops potentially pitching to keep certain unspecified portions of the work.

This individual also claimed the review is entirely procurement-driven, consisting of an external auditing process rather than a series of creative pitches. The source told Adweek that the review has so far proceeded “with no involvement from the brand teams,” adding, “they never once talked to the agencies.”

Read more at AdWeek: http://www.adweek.com/agencies/nestle-launches-review-to-consolidate-its-633-million-north-american-ad-business/