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Despite accelerated media transformation due to COVID-19, agency models are lagging behind clients’ expectations: MediaSense study
The year 2021 is expected to see much upheaval in the media agency marketMediaSense
As a part of the Media 2020 report, over 100 global marketers consisting of CMOs and Directors were surveyed
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Despite accelerated media transformation due to COVID-19, agency models are lagging behind clients’ expectations: MediaSense study

As a part of the Media 2020 report, over 100 global marketers consisting of CMOs and Directors were surveyed
  • As a part of MediaSense's Media 2020 report, over 100 global marketers consisting of CMOs and Directors were surveyed. The survey provided a barometer for current thinking around the media industry.
  • The survey found that while 65% respondents thought they had the vision and leadership for media transformation, only the minority were future-fit in key areas; technology & systems (35%), ways of working (38%) and people & skills (48%).
A recent study by independent global media advisors MediaSense finds that while media transformation has been accelerated due to COVID-19, with brands having to work in more integrated and consumer centric ways, agency models are still lagging behind clients’ expectations.

As a part of the Media 2020 report, over 100 global marketers consisting of CMOs and Directors were surveyed. The survey provided a barometer for current thinking around the media industry. In partnership with ISBA, the report found that while 65% thought they had the vision and leadership for media transformation, only the minority were future-fit in key areas; technology & systems (35%), ways of working (38%) and people & skills (48%).

COVID-19 has for provided around 30% brands an impetus to speed up their media transformation and while 45% are pushing ahead, 25% have stopped or delayed initiatives. Given that previous Media2020 studies found a correlation between media transformation and agency model redesign, 2021 is likely to see much upheaval in the media agency market.

The report suggests that agencies will need to speed up their own transformation process given that 57% of respondents believe their agency model is hindering their own transformational progress. Brands are frustrated by a combination of legacy business models, rigid processes and opaque tools which are restricting their progress rather than enabling them.

Meanwhile, around 66% of the respondents believe that when an agency leverages data on their behalf, it has a positive impact on their performance, indicating that agencies are playing an important role in this area of progress.

There is still much work to do for brands and their advisors because even though brands are continuing on their journeys of change, still 52% believe they are behind target and the largest single reason for this delay is organisational structure (54%).

Ryan Kangisser, Managing Partner, Strategy at MediaSense comments, “The study reveals some promising findings about the progress brands are making through their transformation programmes. However, as brands become more self-sufficient and agile in how they operate, they are looking to their agencies to compliment more closely their model and provide the supplementary capabilities which help them to deliver growth. Against the backdrop of Covid-19, this desire will only grow stronger.”

Andrew Lowdon, Director of Agency Services at ISBA said, "Media 2020 highlights the desire for CMOs to transform their media models whilst outlining the many challenges they face in achieving their goals. If we are to bring about much needed change as an industry we must work together to form more agile and responsive partnerships – a topic that resonates with ISBA’s members."