Recent research carried out for The Jones Britton Breckon Company (JBBC),the recently set up media agency (see Senior Buyers Form Start-Up Agency), looking at advertisers’ views of media agencies has been published.
The research was carried out by De Saulle Associates, with around 300 marketing/media/communication directors asked for their opinions. One of the key findings was that the size of a media agency is not the most important issue for the majority of advertisers spending less than £10 million, although those who fell into this category were less than completely happy with the service they get.
Around 39% of all those surveyed (53% in the £5-10 million category) felt that ‘big equalled ressurance’, compared to 34% who did not and another 20% who were ‘looking for specialist media supplier’ or 7% who ‘preferred to be a big fish in a small pond’.
When questioned about what degree media agencies ‘understood how to deliver real and appropriate service’, around 17% of the total agreed with the description ‘completely’, while 64% preferred ‘adequate’ or ‘keen but erratic’. When asked for their own views of service, 78% chose ‘service more of a competitive discriminator than agencies realise’.
On the subject of scale, 66% of the total agreed that ‘agencies should deliver a client specific service – scale not an issue’; 63% said that ‘understanding and apporopriate service more impotant than scale’, and 63% that ‘size was irrelevant without service’.
When asked the key question about their satisfaction with their agency’s ability, as media opportunities grow, to offer them the best advice, only 54% (63% of the highest spenders, 38% of the lowest) said they were ‘completely’ satisfied. 26% said ‘not at all’
Commenting on the findings Steve de Saulles, from de Saulles Associates, said: “They should make media agencies sit up and think what they have to offer their lower spending clients.”
The Jones Breckon Britton Company c/o The Media Foundry: 0171 937 1510
