Ad fraud and transparency issues force a crack down on media agency management finds WFA
Major questions over ad fraud, transparency and measurability have forced seven-out-of-10 brands to make major changes to their media agency management, a World Federation of Advertisers study has revealed.
In moves the WFA believes have been triggered by investigations by the Association of National Advertisers in the US which revealed widespread concerns by brands over the loss of controls over their media spending, the federation said companies were reporting a crackdown on their agencies and their practices.
The WFA said 35 companies representing more than $US30b in global spending said they had already made or were planning to make extensive changes to their media governance practices.
As a media owner with one of the largest billboard inventories in Queensland including a what has been for many years the largest digital billboard network in Brisbane the crack down that has occurred in the US market can’t come sooner to Australia .
Over the last two years I have witnessed for the first time in my 35 plus years in the industry situations where there are a couple of Agencies simply not briefing us anymore.
I don’t have any issue with a precommitment deal as such what I take exception to is the ones that are undisclosed to clients . The risk is that if this is rife throughout our industry that when the game is up ,both clients and the broader community ( which includes the potential next generation of Ad people ) will view our great profession as being morally bankrupt . A tragedy also for the honourable people in our Industry doing the right thing day in day out who will be tarred with the same brush .
Audits won’t necessarily uncover what is going on here . Another angle is for clients to have all of their agency middle and senior management sign off on affidavits that brings with it the risk and consequences to the individuals of perjuring themselves should they lie about the existence of these types of deals.