Asked to describe how the level of trust between marketers and their agencies has changed over the past two to three years, more than twice as many members responding to an Association of
National Advertisers’ survey said it has gotten worse vs. improved.
That’s one of the top findings from the just-released “Trust Report” from the ANA, which
comes two to three years after a series of whistle-blowing events and in depth interview-based studies revealed an acute loss of trust among big marketers, especially with regard to non-transparent
media-buying practices and agency kickbacks and compensation methods.
While 59% of the respondents said the trust sentiment is about the same as it was at that time, 28% said it has actually
declined -- more than twice the percentage (13%) who said it has improved.
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In conjunction with the release of the report, the ANA also unveiled a new “Trust Consortium” during the
opening day of its Advertising Law & Policy Conference in Washington, DC his morning.
The “consortium is designed to help marketers advance the interests of their brands
and provide them with the tools they need to keep supply chain participants honest and transparent,” ANA CEO Bob Liodice said in a statement, adding: “Trust is the foundation of growth and
will be restored through full transparency and integrity — not through realignment or pre-negotiated positions.”
The ANA said the consortium will focus on creating white
papers on best practices and key issues, FAQs, templates, and industry standards for marketers, agencies, and suppliers.
“Its focus will cover both demand-side and supply-side
platforms, including media buying agencies, trading desks, and publishers,” the association said.