Summary
Principal based media is ingrained in the fabric of media holding companies. Can there ever be pro’s to the con’s of this practice? Not for us, when the agency is both the buyer and the seller, whose interest is really being served?
Redefine perspective
If principal media is so good for advertisers, why the lack of transparency? If something needs to be hidden, it probably isn’t working in your favour. Agencies could choose to be transparent about principal media deals, and share that value with clients, but all too often, they don’t. Campaigns built on brand and audience-centric thinking inevitably get compromised when vast amounts of revenue are generated via principal media. This shifts control into the hands of Investment and Trading teams, eroding the planning integrity that originally fuelled the campaign. For advertisers to receive truly impartial advice, there needs to be a more equal balance of power. Simply put: let’s plan well, and buy what we plan.
