Commentary

Let's Bring Industry Together, Not Widen Divide

by Marla Kaplowitz , October 15, 2019

The recent MediaPsssst article “It’s Going to Be a Wild Ride in the Media Agency Pitch Department” focused on forecasts from marketing consultancy ID Comms regarding media reviews. ID Comms is “predicting a very busy first quarter in 2020 with multibillion-dollar media reviews.”

Yet there is nothing that points to this prediction: no current pitch proposals or knowledge of specific reviews. There’s merely the perspective -- or perhaps hope -- the pitch business will be vibrant if enough speculation is put out into the marketplace.

Watching the ID Comms "Media Snack" video linked to in the article, the positioning changes: “If they [marketers] are going to review next year…” note the consultants in the video. So forecasts shift from a “very busy first quarter,” based on conjecture, to a possibility that marketers may consider pitch reviews next year -- as they always have.

The rationale for the forecast cited is the need for marketers to address evolving needs in data and technology, talent, and strategic leadership: all areas where agencies continue to invest to ensure they are strong partners for marketers to help them address business challenges and identify opportunities for growth.

Self-serving predictions do nothing to support change within the industry. Some consultants understand the disruptive impact that changing agencies has on marketer -- especially in a time of rapid change. There needs to be a focus on the value of an enduring partnership over time.

It’s time to get back to business and put aside the distractions that take up attention and resources. Let’s focus on bringing the industry together -- not speculating to create a further divide.

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2 comments about "Let's Bring Industry Together, Not Widen Divide".

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Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, October 15, 2019 at 4:50 p.m.
Good one, Marla. And the same goes for those endless "predictions" about new media applications and platforms taking over as traditional media wanes---or is "disrupted". To the consumer who uses media in many ways---not one way---all of this is nonsense, yet "we" take all of the self-serving propaganda so seroiusly only to wonder why, in this era of rapid and revolutionary change and upheaval, so little actually changes.
Reply

Tom Denford from ID Comms Inc, October 17, 2019 at 4:46 p.m.

Marla, there is no intention to 'widen the divide'. Predicting major pitches is meant as helpful intelligence for agencies and marketers wanting to know how to plan their resources for the year ahead. Our predictions are based on actual briefs we have received from advertisers (at present ID Comms has received briefs from 3 advertisers considering pitching media in 2020, each one with a media budget of over $1bn) and we predict 2-3 others at that scale, using our own market tracking tools which have been pretty accurate over the years as predictors of global pitch activity. We also refer to the good database managed by ComVergence on pitch activity as well as the 4As own database, which we have previously contributed information to when asked. There are a number of robust data points that sit behind this story, I can assure you we don't make these headlines up in a self-serving way. But I concede it remains somewhat speculative - who is foolish enough to predict anything in this industry? We try.