It's Time for Media Researchers to Shine

It39s weirdamp160 The media business runs on research and measurementamp160 Consider ratings readership viewing listening and traffic data take these away and there39s no buying and sellingAnd yet media researchers are the poor relationamp160 Historically they have never been properly valued within most agencies or vendorsamp160 Yes there are a few exceptionsamp160 They don39t enjoy the superstar status afforded to those in planning or buying Until comparatively recently when UK media data and tech company Mediatel launched its awards there wasn39t an annual set of awards for excellence in the fieldInstead the media research community has spent its time quietly advancing its skills via bodies such as the UK39s MRG and at conferences such as the Advertising Seminars International eventsIn the meantime the buyers and sellers swan around at Cannes or at the plethora of digital conferences where they discuss amp8230 well I39m not sure what exactly but it all sounds very new and shiny and judging by the output often lacks realworld applicationWhat media researchers do is so fundamental so important to the business as a whole that they deserve to be listened to praised and celebratedamp160 And recently there are signs that might be about to happenMedia agencies have long been labeled as buying shops it39s still how many advertisers refer to themamp160 They are seen to exist to buy cheaplyamp160 This is unfair but it39s a factThe reason that this misconception continues is simpleamp160 Agencies have certainly until recently done little to counter the perceptionImagine yourself as an agency CEOamp160 You are charged with raising your revenues which could mean increasing the price at which you sell your services to your clients and to win any new business at a higher feeamp160 Tough assignmentBut you have a choiceamp160 Option one demonstrate the worth of what you do the value of your planning supported by your investment in research Justify your feeamp160 Act like a management consultancy it39s a model you always say you aspire toamp160 Option two hold your fee secure in the knowledge that you can beat up a few media vendors for a few extra percentage points of undeclared rebateOne is hard but the right thing to do as some of our best independent agencies demonstrateamp160 The other is easy and sweeps the whole dreary matter under the carpet for your successor to find one happy dayThat happy day has comeamp160 The agency model is slowly changing post the ANAJon Mandel affairamp160 The biggest guys have cleaned up their act the secondary players including those owned by some of the top holding companies have notChange is in the windamp160 Planning is moving front and center and not just in pitchesamp160 Even the most dedicated buyingled managements have realized that this is essential as more and more advertisers take a look at what39s been going on and react by taking elements of the media function inhouseYou can bring buying and systems inhouse a great deal easier than you can creative thinkingamp160 Creative thinkers thrive in a culture of creativity amp8212 which usually means agencies over advertisersCreative thinking in a media agency tends by and large to be the province of the plannersAnd what fuels planningamp160 ResearchMedia research has been focused on the buying and executional end of the business amp8212 via the currency metricsamp160 These remain fundamental and essentialamp160 But the exciting bit the bit advertisers are crying out for amp8212 so much so that UK trade body ISBA is actively driving its own initiative Project Origin amp8212 is around planning considerationsTime to step forward media research folksamp160 Time to shineClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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It's Time for Media Researchers to Shine

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Brian Jacobs

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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It's Time for Media Researchers to Shine

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Brian Jacobs

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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