Agency Pitches Signal Trouble for Some, Change for All

There are a few interesting angles to this rash of pitches aside from the fact that it seemed like only yesterday we were all commenting on the previous enormous review round amp160First IDComms the UK based consultancy is involved in several of them amp160Second Ebiquity is also involved in at least one and possibly more amp160Thirdamp160and related no doubt to the first and second the advertiser associations39 framework media contracts be that the ANA version for USbased clients or the ISBA one for those in the UK are rumored to be central to several of these reviewsIDComms and Ebiquity along with MediaSense were all involved in drawing up the contract framework amp160These framework contracts attracted derision from the networks when they were launched amp160Most were not prepared to go on the record but here39s what one quotagency bossquotamp160had to say back in 2016 when the framework was launched quotI don39t think ISBA really knows what they are doingquotAegis39 Jerry Buhlmann was one of the few to break cover when the ANA39s investigation into media transparency the precursor to the contract frameworks appeared dismissing the whole issue as a storm in a teacupamp160amp160quotWe didn39t get any feedback from clientsquot he said at the time amp160quotI39m not sure it39s a particularly big deal in the real marketquotIt seems he39s getting feedback nowProfessor Mark Ritson was one who disagreed with Jerry39s sangfroid opining that the agencies face real problems and whatever they do they are quottoo late to save their soulsquot amp160I don39t agree with Professor Ritson that it39s too late for the agencies amp160They have the planning skills to change if only they develop them into their core reason for being amp160But the professor is right to point out that time is fast running out and that those who don39t recognize the new world order are in troubleI strongly suspect that this time around advertisers are going to go far beyond the principle of whoever39s cheapest winsMedia agency pitches used to be 90 stuffed full of clever thinking most of which was either not well enough communicated to be understood or was simply ignored once the discussion turned to pricing amp160One could argue I wouldn39t amp8230 that with limited media options price was the most significant discriminatorNow that we live in a world of infinite media choice comms strategy and planning is vital amp160Options are everywhere not only in where you spend the budget but through what means with the rise of the inhouse model the hybrid agencyinhouse solution as well as the more traditional media agency route amp160And that39s before we get into what exactly qualifies as an quotagencyquotamp160these daysPrice has become a hygiene matter amp160A commitment to transparency becomes a condition of entry and not just within the legal contract definition of the term amp160True transparency which is what advertisers want and expect covers the whole ethos of how an agency behaves what drives its decisionmakingamp160and how it trains and evaluates its staffThose who thought that industry framework contractsamp160and the key principles of openness and transparency embedded within them were a passing fad quotin the real marketquot had better think again amp160QuicklyPhoto by Paul Bence on UnsplashClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Agency Pitches Signal Trouble for Some, Change for All

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Brian Jacobs

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Agency Pitches Signal Trouble for Some, Change for All

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"About That" with Carl Mayer: Corinne Casagrande (Episode 8: Consumer Spending) - By Carl Mayer

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