The Circle of Trust: Creating an Effective Media Client/Agency/Seller Ecosystem

Much like the situation in the movie, there were more than two parties involved in this trusted relationship -- Jack, Greg and Jack’s daughter Pam. As it goes in Hollywood, so it goes in the world of media partnerships. Who are the players in my Circle of Trust? The Media Client, Media Agency and Media Seller. My experience tells me that when these three constituencies are partnering effectively together, the brand ultimately benefits. Conversely, where there is dysfunction in the Circle of Trust, the brand loses.

I’ve been a Media Client for most of my career, so I can wax philosophical on my own, but thought it more useful to bring in two longtime industry partners of mine to represent the rest of the circle.

Rich Smyth and I go back the '90s. He’s always represented to me a great media sales partner from his time as publisher of the venerable Southern Living magazine. He will represent the seller point-of-view.

Warren Griffiths and I don’t go quite that far back, though we partnered closely when I ran GSK Global Media and he led Media Partnerships for Publicis Media. Warren is one of the best I have worked with at representing a media agency working on behalf of a client. Very objective, analytical and unflappable. He will represent the Media Agency point-of-view.

To begin with, all three of us agree this is an issue worth advocating for in the industry and it is a must-have in any great media partnership. We all have had experiences both good and bad that inform our collective point-of-view.

The foundational aspect we all agree on is that it starts and ends with the Media Client. Ultimately, the brand representative needs to clearly articulate expectations in how all parties will function in this process. The client is accountable for bringing a full and transparent brief to the circle. While it sounds simple enough, my experience as a client is we are not consistently excellent at delivering on this and there are numerous factors, though the predominant obstacles are investing the time and also having the capability to crisply communicate the brief parameters. According to Rich Smyth, clients make a mistake if they are not "punch in the face" clear in this upfront part of the process. If this is not present at the outset, you are "not getting out of the blocks in the best interest of the brand." Warren Griffiths agrees, stating the client owns the business objective and should be framing that out clearly for the Media Agency and Media Seller.

We will come back to the role of the Media Client, but let’s take a look at the role of the other two constituents. On the Media Agency role, Warren is clear and I agree: The Media Agency delivers deep subject-matter consultation, leveraging experience with other clients as well as painting an unbiased view of the marketplace overall. Not in all instances will the client follow the agency’s advice. "We will give consultation, but as the agency, we need to get on board and work with that partner (that the client opts for)," he says. I’m aligned on this as well; ultimately the client makes the call. However, a big part of setting ways of working within the Circle of Trust is to encourage everyone to openly share their POVs in service of the best outcomes. "Be solution orientated," Warren advises.

What about the role of the Media Seller? "The Media Seller earns a spot in the circle by first listening to and understanding the brief. If the seller does not understand the brand goals their place in the circle is compromised," says Rich. "I have seen this early but crucial step go wrong so many times. The seller can take for granted that all media briefs are alike." Rich also states that "the client and media agency are not looking for off-the-shelf programs. It is expected the seller provide bespoke and custom-tailored ideas that best fit the brief." Now here’s the challenge many of us on the buy side suspect could occur on the sell side: "It's always possible back at seller's headquarters, upper management may be dictating to the sales team that a designated inventory must be pushed to meet internal quarterly goals."

Here, we get into the realities of business, and they exist not only with the seller, but also the agency and client. The client may say they want all the best bespoke inventory, but when it’s time to make a decision, best price may win the day even if it’s not best content. The media agency may have similar internal pressures to move spend into agency deals.

This is where the integrity of the members of the Circle of Trust is vital. Warren puts it nicely: "It comes down to humanness around our empathy, honesty and civility" to keep the trusted relationships alive and well.

Rich tells a story of one of his mentors who would say to media agencies and clients, "After you do all the calculations and evaluating if you decide we are not offering what your brand needs you should not buy us." I think that is an extraordinary example of integrity you do not see every day anywhere. For me as a client, integrity starts with establishing and leading the Circle of Trust as the expected way of working and to abide by those principles throughout the process and apply it consistently across all media sellers who may qualify for my business.

In the final analysis, although we are awash in data, this business still comes down to people I am happy to say. Whatever role you play in the Circle of Trust, you will be best served if you are clear on your role. Ask a lot of questions if you are not. Play your role well. Earn the trust of your Circle partners through integrity and transparency. In that way, you will always win more than lose.

What is the alternative? Coming back to my Meet the Parents metaphor, Greg Focker found himself outside the Circle of Trust because he did not always act with integrity. Once outside the circle he almost didn’t make it back in, but Hollywood loves a happy ending and Jack readmitted him back into the Circle of Trust. In the real world, however, you won’t be so lucky. Whether you are a client, agency lead or seller, if there’s communication dysfunction in the process, the brands will ultimately lose out … meaning, nobody wins.

My thanks to Rich Smyth and Warren Griffiths for helping shape the dialogue. You guys are always in my Circle of Trust.

Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership self-publishing platform.

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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.org/MyersBizNet.