Media Agency Transparency

OVERVIEW

Media agencies are trusted by advertisers to handle vast budgets.

Their business models are increasingly complex and use many non-transparent financial and operating practices. These practices are operated for the benefit of agencies. Non-transparent practices used in Western markets are increasingly being applied globally. In certain markets there is a greatly increased risk of corruption and misuse of advertisers’ media funds.

Quarterback provides support to advertisers in their contract negotiations with media agencies and in relation to contract non-compliance.

CREDENTIALS

30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN WORKING FOR AND AGAINST MEDIA AGENCIES AND THEIR HOLDING COMPANIES.

25 years of agency-side experience, advising WPP / GroupM, Publicis and Omnicom. Client side from 2020 advising global advertisers and industry bodies.

Authored:

• ISBA’s Media Services Framework templates 2021 and 2025.
• WFA’s guide to global media agency contracts.

Extensive experience on a global basis of agency / media owner rebate deals, programmatic and principal / inventory trading. Advising on agency fraud and contract non-compliance in China since 2019.

SERVICES

Bridging the gaps between legal, marketing and procurement functions.

Negotiations. Drafting contracts and commercial schedules. Assisting advertisers in addressing agency contract non-compliance and identifying non-transparent practices. Providing industry expertise and know-how.

Support for in-house legal teams: Your single largest contract by value?

In-house legal teams find themselves negotiating against experienced agency lawyers. The usual risks for advertisers – brand safety, data protection, anti-bribery, regulator fines – all apply, but the single biggest risk is that the advertiser unwittingly agrees a poor commercial deal. Seemingly innocuous changes to contract clauses made by agency lawyers present are often intended to facilitate the adoption of non-transparent practices. Such practices are to the advertiser’s financial detriment.

Holding Agencies to Account

Advising advertisers on contract non-compliance by agencies, interpreting compliance audit results, helping to interpret and challenge agency communications.