ANA Selects Consultants to Lead Media Transparency Fact-Finding

The combination brings strong business assessment skills and deep industry knowledgeNEW YORK October 20 2015 amp8212amp160The ANA Association of National Advertisers has selected K2 Intelligence an industryleading assessment compliance and cyberdefense services firm and EbiquityFirmDecisions a top marketingperformance optimization company to lead discovery and factfinding efforts into media transparency issues including rebates Among other key priorities is demystifying the landscape which is critical to developing longerterm transparent business practicesThe two firms were selected following a comprehensive vetting process of 26 highly capable and respected companies Inperson interviews were conducted with more than a dozen candidatesK2 Intelligence specializes in complex business and industry assessments business intelligence and data analytics Founded in 2009 by Jeremy Kroll and Jules Kroll the company has built a reputation not only for advisory excellence but for the independence and insight it brings to its assessmentsEbiquityFirmDecisions is a marketing performance specialist Its services comprise marketingperformance optimization advertising intelligence researchreputation analysis and mediavalue measurement including media auditing In 2012 Ebiquity acquired FirmDecisions a global specialist in rebateAVB auditing with a focus on media financial transparencyThe ANA39s project calls for a multiphased approach Phase I will focus primarily on domestic and global factfinding via confidential interviews with senior ecosystem executives and other business intelligence processesquotWe believe ANA39s objectives will be best facilitated by combining a company that specializes in business examination and factfinding with a firm that knows the industry and has superb awareness of media transparency issuesquot said Bob Liodice ANA president and CEO in announcing the selection of the two firms As outlined in the request for proposal issued this past June the essential objective of this project is to elevate trust and confidence throughout the mediabuying supply chain The project is expected to accomplish the followingDemystify the landscape and provide a clarifying perspective on the state of transparency This is foundational to advancing solutions and the development of longerterm quality business practicesProvide industry perspective on nontransparent behavior such as rebates barter arbitrage dark pools inventory management global transactions and supply chain media managementAssess the quality of the mediaplanning process and understand if media plans are being compromisedEvaluate marketers39 practices and processes Marketers should have the same level of scrutiny as the balance of the media supply chainDevelop practical solutions and bestpractice behaviors that can serve as industry standardsquotI am very pleased that both K2 Intelligence and EbiquityFirmDecisions have agreed to provide leadership for this important industry initiativequot Liodice said quotEach brings a unique perspective and a set of powerful skills and resources We believe those assets are highly complementary and will lead us to the objective amp8212 independent insights that our industry requiresquot He added that the ANA looks forward to quotsharing K239s findings with our colleagues at the American Association of Advertising Agencies 4A39squotThe ANA39s focus on media transparency began three years ago when undisclosed media rebates were brought to light An ANA member survey taken at that time indicated that a wide swath of marketers had never heard of rebates or did not know that rebates were a part of their companies39 mediabuying process in the US The ANA then developed a white paper in conjunction with its general counsel Reed Smith to explain rebates in more detail In early 2014 the ANA and Forrester teamed up to explore quottransparencyquot more broadly via another ANA member survey Results indicated rapidly growing concerns about transparency across a variety of business practicesAs a statement of industry collaboration and cooperation a Joint Media Transparency Task Force comprised equally of member executives from the ANA and 4A39s was created this past April to establish best practices in transparency In June a Task Force working group was established to develop a set of key transparency principles In the coming weeks those principles serving as a commitment to transparency by advertisers and agencies will be jointly issued by the ANA and 4A39sThe independent assessment will be stewarded by the Executive Committee of ANA Board of Directors The board has made the successful completion of this study one of ANA39s top prioritiesAbout the ANAThe ANA Association of National Advertisers provides leadership that advances marketing excellence and shapes the future of the industry Founded in 1910 the ANA39s membership includes nearly 700 companies with 10000 brands that collectively spend over 250 billion in marketing and advertising The ANA includes the Business Marketing Association BMA and the Brand Activation Association BAA which operate as divisions of the ANA and the Advertising Education Foundation a subsidiary of the ANA The ANA advances the interests of marketers and promotes and protects the wellbeing of the marketing communityThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecom MyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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ANA Selects Consultants to Lead Media Transparency Fact-Finding

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