• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, December 13, 2006

As the debate continues to stir over the best way for marketers and ad agencies to manage their media services--integrated as part of a communications planning whole, or divided by media specialty--new research suggests media specialization will not be disappearing anytime soon. Nearly two-thirds (61%) of 2,400 advertisers and agency executives say media specialization will "never go away." That's according to the latest findings from a biannual study of client and agency media decision makers provided to MediaDailyNews.

The vitality of specialization--planning and buying media within vertical groups such as TV, radio, print and digital--is actually stronger among advertisers than their agency counterparts, who seem to be pushing for more integration within their media departments and media services agencies. Sixty-six percent of client executives believe media specialization will remain the prevailing practice, versus only 57% of agency executives.

"I think the reality is that some people are still protecting their silos," says Randy Cohen, president and COO of Advertiser Perceptions, the research firm that conducted the research, and which has been surveying marketers and agencies on their perceptions of media and media companies for the past several years.

By "silos," Cohen means that many ad executives are protecting the status quo of what they know about planning and buying media, sticking with what has worked in the past versus trying a new approach. "Basically, they're in protect mode."

Cohen says the push to integration media and the move away from vertical specialization are more pronounced among top managers in agencies who see the benefit of planning and buying media holistically and what some people describe as "neutrally."

In fact, one in eight of the executives already believes specialization is "a thing of the past," while more than a third believe it will be gone within the next five years.

Media Specialization:
	Totals	Agency	Advertiser	Senior Job Title	Not Senior Job Title
Is already a thing of the past	12%	14%	10%	13%	12%
Will be gone in less than one year	4%	4%	4%	3%	5%
Will be gone in less than two years	11%	11%	11%	10%	11%
Will be gone in less than five years	13%	15%	10%	15%	12%
Will never go away	61%	57%	66%	59%	61%

Source: Advertiser Perceptions. Base = 2,400 advertiser and agency executives. Conducted online in October/November 2006.