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Tom Denford and David Indo of ID Comms: what’s ahead for 2018 media pitches?

On this week’s #MediaSnack Tom and David reflect on what’s driving media pitches in 2017 and what to expect to take centre stage in pitch briefs during 2018.

The start of Q4 is a good time to reflect on the global media pitch market; major pitches are concluding and marketers begin to refine their thinking for reviewing agency contracts for the year ahead.

Tom and David consider the key events that have shaped current thinking, starting with 2015, also known as “MediaPalooza” because of the unusual volume of media pitches triggered, especially in the USA. Subsequent years have been relatively quieter, driven by marketers reflecting on powerful insights provided by 2016’s ANA media transparency report and P&G’s Marc Pritchard making a rallying cry to the industry to clean up its act in January 2017.

Tom and David anticipate all this marketer reflection will result in 2018 being another busy year. Some pitches will occur due to natural three-year cycle following the 2015 gold rush but other major advertisers will be considering 2018 as the year in which they are ready to put their new knowledge and oversight of media investments to the test.

In 2018, they argue that pitches will focus less on cost savings and more on defining a long-term constructive relationship with a media agency as a business partner, built on principles of trust and transparency and shared values and objectives.

Tom and David identify five key themes that will become part of the media pitches in 2018:

1. Liability for fraudulent inventory
2. Brand safety
3. Control of programmatic
4. Data ownership
5. Fair agency compensation

Advertisers who are preparing for a pitch in 2018 should, they advise: Prepare, think long-term, set a clear vision, create a strong contract and drive better accountability.

On this week’s Good Week Bad Week, Tom and David congratulate independent media agencies in the UK, who last week made up five of the top ten most successful agencies in new business in 2017 so far.

But it’s a Bad Week for the ID Comms Library Shelves, who have featured in all 94 episodes so far but will be replaced next week as ID Comms moves into a new, bigger office in London.

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