The robust exchange of views around agency rebates, kickbacks and the rest in the USA continues, with many of the main protagonists showing up at the ANA’s Advertising Financial Management Conference, which kicked off with a Transparency Town Hall (what?) at the weekend.

AdAge headlined their first report ‘Advertisers and agencies far apart…’ and quoted Ana Jernestaal, Assistant VP – Finance for L’Oreal USA as follows: “We know [rebates] exist, but we’re sitting across the table from advertising agencies that are flatly denying it.” Read more

It’s election time, which means it’s the season for manifestos. Last week’s Cog Blog post outlined many of the problems facing the media agencies; this week’s proposes some solutions. A sort-of manifesto for the media agencies.

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It had to happen sooner or later. After weeks of negative stories around media agencies, rebates and the rest, many of which demonstrate that if you’re an agency it is indeed possible to shoot yourself in the foot whilst the foot in question is firmly lodged in your mouth, one or two rocks have been lobbed back towards those doing the bashing.

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Media researchers need to have thick skins, not to mention an ability to smile as yet another key stakeholder decides that the lessons of the past mean nothing, and that the time to chuck everything up in the air and recast the entire industry is NOW!

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