Search by name, company, title, location, etc.

Tony Jarvis

Member since April 2006Contact Tony

As proprietor and Research Architect for the Olympic Media Consultancy we serve global clients in 3 key areas: Provide expert leadership, analysis, planning and strategic thinking to optimize the value and usage of available media/marketing and data/systems information. Generate increased marketing ROI (revenue, profitability and brand equity) by providing relevant insights through designing, executing and interpreting superior advertising research. Evaluate and improve advertising and media effectiveness for agencies and their clients by understanding, developing and managing meticulous consumer research and applying "leading edge" models and concepts. Tony was Chairman of CARF, Canada and is a former Board member of The ARF and MRC . An Olympian he was formerly the British Olympic Swim Team Captain. He writes Op Eds exclusively for Media Post and also offers regular pithy comments on Media Post articles. He refuses to use "Fakebook"!

Articles by Tony All articles by Tony

Comments by Tony All comments by Tony

  • Paramount-Trump Deal Fallout: Worried News Producers - And Advertisers? by Wayne Friedman (TV Watch on 07/03/2025)

    Wayne: A terrific piece.  As to your last question, most advertisers have put short term sales and  corporate profits above long term brand equity, democracy, ethics, the truth and consequently I suggest even the consumer.  

  • Good Night CBS News, And Good Luck by Joe Mandese (Red, White & Blog on 07/02/2025)

    'Nuff said!

  • The Real Gulf Of America: Brand Strategy by Sebastien Flynn (Planning & Buying Insider on 06/25/2025)

    Sebastian: Insightful and eloquently stated. Having moved to New York from Toronto during my ad/media research career and based on extensive involvment with agencies and Media JICs worldwide, your comments and strategic cautions are absolutely on point.  So, welcome to the Ad Business in America and I suggest the increasing widening "Gulf's" between (and too often the arrogance of) US marketers and the rest of the world.  I am sadly reminded of a recent research "standards" working group meeting at which a media CMO stated, "We are not going have the Europeans tell us what to do."  The resulting "standards" were a debacle and subsequently called out by a media research star thankfully from the US. The mantra, "Think local but act globally" used to be energetically embraced by US agencies and marketers whether for a sole US brand, accounting for consumers in Maine versus New Mexico, or for global brands, accounting for US versus Italy versus Japan.  So perhaps this fundmental strategic approach can be reignited?  Based on the current US political climate and the brutal influence of the US technopolies I believe regretably that this divide will get worse at least until "we" all reference the "Gulf of Mexico"!   

  • Normalizing Principal Media Buying Is Not Normal by Maarten Albarda (Media Insider on 06/13/2025)

    Josh: As Maarten eloquently and I believe appropriaiately stated it's really about, "transparency, trust and integrity", ever decreasing characteristics in the media buy/sell arenas, notably in the US as exemplified by "Principal Media Buying".  Years ago when JWT went well beyond aggregating brand buys and spending for just a single advertiser/client in the upfronts via a JWT 'principlal media buy', i recall there were threats of law suits for unethical conduct and I believe some at the agency lost their jobs.  Sadly this decline in transparency, trust and integrity, is also reflected in the media currency and research arenas.  As an industry research guru and champion you are on the front lines to addresss the current damaging practices and failures to follow the best practices and established media research principles. As a colleague opined, Advertisers ultimately determine the status and behaviours of our industry via their ad dollars. So perhaps "we" are merely getting what "they" deserve?  As an early member of https://www.advertisingwhocares.org/ , "we" are trying to underline and remind advertsiers of best practices across all the cornerstones of the ad industry to help them understand and embrace the most effective advertising practices and investments possible to dirve brand equity and brand strength for both for the long and short term. 

  • At Cannes Lions, Ad Measurement Is The Creative Industry's Most Urgent Challenge by Nada Bradbury (MAD on 06/13/2025)

    Nada: Encouraging progress on the auditing, tracking, transparency and accountability of "content-rendered-counts", aka "viewable impressions" (Not a measure of REAL OTS), e.g., independently validated proof-of-play/posting/printing.  However, if you remember your Nielsen days, this initial fundamental measurement of whether the creative messages were rendered by the media to advertiser/agency specifications can only "deliver" a brand outcome with, at a minimum, a known valid exposure opportunity, or actual Eyes/Ears-On, or some level of attention by the people in the brand's target group (HHs generally a very poor surrogate!).  Hopefully driven by relevant, brilliant, and meaningful creative in a non-toxic, synergyistic media environment for the brand. The latter requires a persons-based (not synthetic!) sophisticated measure of the population for potential or actual exposure.  In other words, at a minimum, a person-based measure of REAL OTS, e.g. Nielsen, or better, "contacts" or Eyes/Ears-On, e.g., GeoPath (US) or Route UK), or even better, attention, e.g., TVision.  Good luck on the panel!

  • I Care About Ukraine Because I Care About America by Dave Morgan (Media Insider on 06/05/2025)

    Another insighful and pragmatic piece on Ukraine, its people and the fundamental opportunities it offers the US for its full support  on protecting Ukraine's long term sovereignty.  I believe I speak for many in our inustry - We are so very proud of you and your efforts!  

  • WFA Urges Judge To Toss Musk's Boycott Suit by Wendy Davis (MediaDailyNews on 05/14/2025)

    Any Media Agency "worth its salt" for any brand can, I believe, easily demonstrate a media plan's superior cost effectivenes regarding the potential achievement of the brand's objectives for a given budget without the inclusion of various unsafe, brand damaging, misinformation cesspits like X.  GARM offered a real opportunity for social media to be fully accountable and transparent to advertisers. This lawsuit surely underlines the need for all advertisers to re-evalute and increasingly embrace the proven power of other major media in leveraging their  brand's creative message in an safe syngeristic context and environment that drives attention.    

  • Study Finds Advertisers Prioritizing Performance Over Brand Safety by Steve McClellan (MAD on 04/30/2025)

    Brilliant insightful report on a trend that is eroding the cost effectiveness of brand campaigns and the media cess pits they are leaning towards.  Perhaps the Advertiser CFOs should demand real meaningful accountability for media investements from their CMO colleagues?  Hint: High quality media help  optimize long term brand equity!  

  • '60 Minutes': Counting Trump Time, Advertisers Blinking? by Wayne Friedman (TV Watch on 04/30/2025)

    Michael: As usual advertisers and their brands need to double their support for quality, factual, verified journalism and media content.  There is surely a unique brand campaign associated with sponsoring/supporting 60 Minutes.   i suggest they are wasting $Billions on the various social media content sewers that can be transferred to more cost effective media.  Ask any innovative media agency.

  • Strategies For Surviving The News by Gord Hotchkiss (Media Insider on 04/15/2025)

    Insightful a d helpful.  Cheers

About Edit

You haven't told us anything about yourself! Surely you've got something to say. Tell us a little something.