Questions for Magel, Bosetti, Hiltz, Gambelli, Swift and Haljun

The questions reflect interest in and concern about the major issues facing agencies and media companies. They deserved to be asked and answered. Here are the questions, along with an invitation to both buyers and sellers to share their insights and responses. In the next several weeks, several of these questions will be asked in the online poll at www.mediavillage.com.

AGENCY AND ADVERTISER BUSINESS MODELS AND AGENCY PITCHES

Q: How are media agencies creating cross-platform solutions when the planning and buying groups at big agencies are so separate?

Q: With so many of the largest accounts in review and commanding a lot of attention, should mid-sized clients be concerned about a lack of attention to their needs?

Q: If it is about "disruption" and "new," why is the same group of players (media agencies) pitching? What's the difference among them?

Q: Do you think consolidation on the media owner side will accelerate the industry trends we're seeing?

Q: As an advertiser who does a majority of digital, is it fair to say when we want to use an agency it will be for creative-only, and we'll use ad tech for activation?

Q: According to a recent ANA survey, 60% of clients are fairly opaque on how digital trading desks run by agencies are helping their R-O-I. How will that play out in the media agency reviews?

Q: Where do relationships among buyers and sellers fit in the "new" world?

THE UPFRONT, DATA, CONTENT AND TECH

Q: What role will data targeting and R-O-I play in this Upfront?

Q: Every new data stream, platform and technology creates less opportunity for a standardized, comparable metric or currency. What will it take to get us there?

Q: Are the "data driven" metrics being developed by the media content owners providing more "sizzle" than "steak"? Is there any there, there?

Q: What are each of you doing in the area of branded content?

Q: Would you say the broadcast industry was prepared for the digital and mobile explosion? If not, how are broadcast sales organizations working to catch up and stay ahead of emerging platforms?

Q: Is there really a shift to mobile video? Where is the $$$ coming from?

Q: How long will it take for dynamic ad insertion to become a legitimate opportunity, especially given the growth of VOD?

Q: Is programmatic here for local TV? How about local radio? If not, when do you expect it will be implemented and a meaningful part of the local business?

Q: Are you disappointed that some programmers, like AMC, did not present an Upfront event as they did last year?

Q: Should NewFront participants let agency buyers know when new series are scheduled to launch, when they actually launch and how they perform? Do you penalize them when they don't perform?

Q: What is your take on overall media revenue growth for 2015-2016? (Editor's Note: MyersBizNet projects 2015 growth of total advertising of 0.9%)

IRTS event sponsors included ABC/ESPN/Disney Media/ABC Family/ABC Owned Television Stations /Maker Studios; Active International; CBS Corporation; Comcast NBCUniversal; DISH Media Sales; Facebook; iHeartMedia; MediaVillage.com; Nielsen and SONY Pictures Television. At the breakfast event, the IRTS introduced 30 IRTS Fellows who were selected from more than 3,000 applications, and who are spending the summer in New York at leading media companies, agencies and production studios. All IRTS Fellowships are underwritten by corporations and individuals, and include all travel, housing, overhead and compensation.

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