What do clients need (want) from a media agency?

Over the last several years there have seen significant changes in what media agencies can provide to clients to support plan development.  Today a considerable amount of time is allocated to advancing targeting work, communication planning and ROI analytics, to name just three important areas.  These excellent developments have allowed media agencies to jump to the forefront as client advisors

No doubt having the capability to more accurately develop target insights are tremendously helpful in constructing a media approach.  Incorporating Communications Planners into the overall media team has made a great difference in increasing relevant connections into the plan, be they cultural, entertainment, social, etc. The advances in measurement analytics of these relevant connections has and will continue to improve plans by demonstrating how accurate the strategic direction is as it relates to established goals, sales, brand awareness scores, etc.

As we continue to develop capabilities in these areas there are a few things that warrant consideration.  Proprietary target assessment programs can generate enormous amount of information, all helpful in formulating a media approach,  but much of this information can’t be measured in the actual plan.  This creates an uncomfortable disconnect.  When standard research is considered, it often can’t tie back to much of the proprietary data and without a direct link all the proprietary information must still be evaluated and judgmentally applied to the plan.  Network audience measurement serves as an example.

Data consistently supports a multi-channel media plan, but, can clients afford that…can they actually stake out a position in the market when pressure to increase brand “presence” is so intense.  In fact, many clients seem to be consolidating ad dollars and exerting that “pressure” in fewer media, more defined media, fewer channels – not more channels…to increase presence.

If there is no direct, measurable connection to the actual media plan output, clients are questioning the need to pay for the research.  This data has also outrun the capabilities of the fundamental planning tools.  It seems many clients want a media agency to provide what few other companies can provide…smart, strategically focused media plans that cover the critical areas like target analytics that are linked to an actionable, executable media plan.  Plans that address where and when marketing efforts should be focused and how much money should be spent to effect a desired outcome.

In short, with all the advances in planning tools, we need to make sure that any and all of it can be directly applied to plan development and output…and if it cannot, use it cautiously.   As investment advisors we need to be able to clearly articulate how a client should allocate it’s marketing resources and be able to show it on a media plan and strip away confusing theory not delivered in the actual plan.

-Don Morrison, EVP, Managing Director, UM