As we mentioned last week, GlobalHue is undergoing a dramatic leadership shift and now the agency has made it official. GH CEO/founder Don Coleman (pictured) will assume the role of GM at both the New York and Southfield, Michigan, offices.

In addition, Maria Lopez-Knowles, formerly EVP, digital strategy at GlobalHue, has assumed the position of EVP, client services, Detavio Samuels takes the same post in Southfield while Michael Jacobs steps up to EVP/ECD and will oversee all creative out of the New York office.

Finally, Brian Williams has been appointed EVP, executive director of engagement, Rob Fitzgerald has been promoted to the position of EVP, executive media officer and last but not least, Allen Pugh, GlobalHue vice chairman, will also take over as CEO of the agency’s eight sister companies. Phew.

More: “GlobalHue NY President Out, Verizon in Trouble?”

GlobalHue has confirmed that vice-chairman Laura Marella, who was brought on nearly three years ago to lead all of GH Latino’s Hispanic business, is no longer with the agency as of this week.

We’ve been told that the split was mutual and that Marella’s bi-coastal living/traveling was an issue with GlobalHue as the agency wanted a leader in the office full-time. From what we’re hearing, via spies, GlobalHue chief Don Coleman is also taking over as GM of GH, but we’re still waiting for official confirmation on this.

Update:: We’ve been told by credible sources that MRM alum Michael Jacobs, GlobalHue’s ECD of digital, will be leading “a lot” of the agency’s business moving forward. We also have a note from Coleman that was sent out to staff yesterday after the jump.

More: “GlobalHue NY President Out, Verizon in Trouble?”

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Since Friday, we’ve been deluged with tips regarding GlobalHue, the agency which just over two months ago lost the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee work to Wieden + Kennedy due to “a heavy workload” if you were to believe Chrysler’s words.

Now, we’ve received confirmation from the agency that Gustavo Razzetti (pictured), former president/CEO of EuroRSCG Latino who was installed in April 2009 as president of GlobalHue Latino and GlobalHue New York, is no longer at GlobalHue (see: let go, according to sources).

Then, there’s the issue of GlobalHue’s Hispanic Verizon telecom business, which one spy says is “up for review.” Check out some excerpts from a rather lengthy diatribe from our source after the jump.

More: “Global Hue’s Digital Dept. Gets 3rd Leader in 6 Months”

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If you have a passion for cultural-based marketing, GlobalHue has the gig for you. The minority-owned communications agency is looking for a digital account director who can manage multi-million dollar accounts and execute integrated marketing programs for its New York office.

You’ll be the interactive point person, identifying smart digital tactics and innovative opportunities for marketing campaigns, while also managing a large part of the business and ensuring client satisfaction.

The job description is lengthy, so we estimate that this position holds a lot of responsibility. However, if you’re a marketing whiz who has mastered the art of multi-tasking, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime to make a real impact at the agency AdWeek recently named one the best of the decade. If you’re up for the challenge, apply here.

Late Wednesday we reported that Wieden + Kennedy have won the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee account, business that Global Hue was supposed to complete. But Chrysler Group LLC announced yesterday in a statement given to AgencySpy that they’d handed the project to W+K, citing Global Hue’s heavy multicultural workload.

At the time we published that story, a source familiar with the matter had informed us that the reason Global Hue lost the account was not due to a heavy workload &#151 rather an alleged botched pitch by GH CEO Don Coleman (pictured) and a former creative director Kevyn Lewis. At the time we only had verification from one source, but today another has come forward and confirmed the story.

As the story goes, Global Hue’s creative and strategic teams created a comprehensive pitch over the course of two months. One source reveals that teams working on the pitch pulled the standard 70-hour weeks preparing for the pitch (12 total, we hear) &#151 but they’d never get the chance to present.

That’s because Coleman and Lewis insisted, we’re told, that their ideas be presented to the clients and no one else. Furthermore, sources tell us Coleman and Lewis presented the work without any help. According to those who know, Chrysler was unimpressed by the creative and last week informed Global Hue that W+K pitched something better.

So on the one hand you have Global Hue’s executives allegedly dropping the ball on their one shot at redemption for the general market Jeep work. On the other, they continue to create multi-cultural work the client is happy with. As Chrysler noted yesterday, Global Hue will now handle much of the multi-cult work, and all of the strategy. It’s no small feat, but for an agency trying to drop a flag in general market territory this loss will hurt.

Look for a few Global Hue creatives to jump ship. We’ve heard folks have been trickling out for a few months as it is.

Update: Global Hue responds:

The Jeep Grand Cherokee campaign process was a normal engagement and a team effort that involved creative and management interaction on all levels. We respect our client’s decision to put a heavier emphasis on multicultural marketing and leverage our expertise in that area while maintaining our role as the lead agency for the Jeep brand.

GlobalHue continues to oversee various general market accounts, which include Jeep, MGM Grand Detroit and Bermuda Tourism.

GlobalHue has significantly increased both its human capital and revenue performance throughout the economic downturn and employee departures are normal attrition.

More: “Breaking: Chrysler Shifts 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Launch Duties to Wieden”

First it was Carl Izzi, but he didn’t know enough about digital. Then Brian Anderson (story), but he wasn’t ready for the work. Now GlobalHue has asked Brian Williams (pictured) to step and run the shop’s burgeoning digital offering.

Details are foggy regarding Anderson’s departure, but word is digital account and creative folks have been leaving (to the tune of 7-10 total) since the new year. Why? Same story: digital restructuring is best accomplished from the ground up.

Now it’s up to Anderson’s replacement, Williams, to right the ship. He won’t be working alone. Joining the ranks as Digital ECD is MRM alum Michael Jacobs, who had been working solely on the GM business.

Williams too has MRM on his resume. Maybe that history will help the shop get its digital act together. Maybe not. A strong step in that direction would be to sway public opinion by sharing some successful efforts or at least managing rumors about journalistic impropriety. Sometimes though, you have to take one on the chin.

More: “GlobalHue’s Kelli Coleman Reacts to Adweek Nod”

Despite the less-than-flattering reactions to its recent ad campaign for Jeep, GlobalHue nonetheless nabbed “Multicultural Agency of the Decade” honors from Adweek this morning (Goodby meanwhile won Agency of the Decade).

Kelli Coleman, the agency’s VP of business development, tells us that she is “extremely honored and humbled” by the win, which “validates years of hard work and study.” According to Coleman, the proof is in the financial statements as GlobalHue has increased billings from $560M to $825M between 2006 and 2008 via its business units like GlobalHue Africanic, GlobalHue Latino, GlobalHue Asian and GlobalHue Next. The continual revenue growth is perhaps the most noteworthy item to pluck from all this.

While the exec cites early Domino’s work, the launch of Neon for Chrysler, the Jeep Cherokee Classic work featuring Barry White, Verizon campaigns targeting Hispanic consumers and the initial campaign for Bermuda Tourism as efforts that led GlobalHue to the Adweek accolades, she says the significant projects still don’t translate into mainstream acceptance of MC agencies. “Multicultural consumers, as well as agencies have been marginalized,” Coleman states. “However, marketers can no longer ignore MC consumers’ exploding populations and buying power. We fully understand that our knowledge of these consumers and their effect on popular culture has prepared us for many other AOR assignments.”

With US census bureau predictions claiming that white America will become the minority by 2042, one can assume that agencies like GlobalHue (as well as Bromley, Conill, Vidal, Alma DDB, etc.) that are doing multicultural work now could better handle general market projects as the date approaches. Of course, it’s still too early to tell whether the Mad Men as we know them will take heed. And while GlobalHue has had its issues with clients like Bermuda Tourism, the Jeep win is obviously a major catalyst for the agency’s evolution according to Coleman. “The Jeep win allows for both increased staffing and revenue,” she says. “But more importantly, it helps fuel our evolution into what we call the ‘total market’ via GlobalHue Next. ‘Total market’ is a term coined by GlobalHue used to describe today’s highly complex, multidimensional society. GH Next is the division that connects brands to the total U.S. market.”

While the Jeep work as of late hasn’t necessarily reflected the agency’s growth and positive qualities, does GlobalHue’s Adweek nod deem a closer look at the impact of multicultural agencies today?

More: “Jeep Wants You to Throw Your Cut Out the Window”

GlobalHue, an agency known for its multi-cultural prowess that of late has focused on winning general market work, has created an executive digital officer position which is to be filled by Lion winning strategist Brian Anderson.

“Technology and the world of digital marketing is changing rapidly,” said Don Coleman, Chairman and CEO of GlobalHue in a statement. “Clients want agencies that can create strategic, influential programs that are integrated efficiently across all communications platforms. Brian’s experience working across the entire spectrum of technology will help us continue to innovate our digital marketing creative services for our clients.”

Anderson, a former Stratos-Group practice director and lead executive, has the Herculean task of leading innovation and coordination of the agency’s digital strategies across the network.

But is it what GlobalHue needs? If the agency’s Jeep work is any indication, what the shop really needs is creative &#151 strategy and planning appear to be humming along well enough to win the kind of business that will show the industry they’ve broken free of their multi-cultural history. Without leaving their behind the stuff that got them to where they are today.

More: “Global Hue Wins Global Jeep Project”

With Sergio Marchionne‘s marathon press briefing about the future of Chrysler now underway, we unfortunately have to start things off on a bad note.

Above is the new 30-second Jeep spot from Global Hue, which is part of the “I live. I ride. I am. Jeep.” campaign that Marchionne is expected to unveil today. We’re thinking the creative(s) behind this is obsessed with Coldplay’s “Clocks”, because that’s about the only thing this rather forgettable ad reminds us of. Lewis Lazare at the Chicago Sun-Times was a bit more frank in his assessment, calling this “Ghastly. Unspeakably bad. Pompous. Empty” and something that hits “a new low in advertising.” It’s hard to argue with his logic or that of the commenters in this morning’s Jeep post, as the message is muddled at best in a spot that leaves us hoping that things can only get better from here.

More: “Breaking: GlobalHue Wins Global Jeep Account”

Today Chrysler is set to reveal a number of things about their brands. The six-hour press conference is happening in Michigan and though we don’t have anyone there, we’ll be bringing you updates along the way. So far, nothing, except this.

A Wall Street Journal story regarding the future of Jeep signals good news for GlobalHue in the short-term, and whoever lands the account long-term.

“As part of a new five-year business strategy it will unveil Wednesday, Chrysler is expected to spell out a plan to expand Jeep’s sales dramatically, especially in overseas markets, people familiar with the matter said.”

WSJ via Jalopnik

More: “Global Hue Wins Global Jeep Assignment”