Specific Media And MSN Top IPA Digital Media Owners Survey
Specific Media and MSN lead the rankings in the IPA’s fourth Digital Media Owners Image Survey, published today.
As well as coming first in the statement: “My overall experience of dealing with this supplier is a good one”, Specific Media (formerly Adviva) tops the media owner rankings in respect of basic ‘hygiene’ service-related variables including having an excellent understanding of their own products, having a sales team that is easy to contact and providing adequate after sales support in terms of service, communication and optimisation.
The survey has been designed to highlight the levels of service media owners provide and outline where improvements can be made, with the aim of helping the growth of digital advertising, providing a collective voice for the industry and raising the digital standard in general.
MSN leads the media owners rankings in respect of attributes which are more relationship-based such as engendering a real sense of agency/media owner partnership, having regular constructive contact and pro-actively communicating new opportunities.
Further key findings include:
Across 13 of the 14 attributes (excluding the question on cross media opportunities) the following performed best, appearing in the top five places most of-ten:
- Specific Media and MSN (11 times each)
- Vibrant Media (eight times)
- MySpace (seven times)
AOL does not achieve a top five ranking in any variable and Yahoo! only achieves it on one occasion.
At the other extreme, across 13 of the 14 attributes (excluding the question about cross media opportunities) the following appeared in the bottom five places most often:
- MoneySupermarket and Ad-2-One (eight times)
- The Telegraph Online, Adlink Internet Media and Tiscali (six times)
Delivery of innovative, creative solutions is a particular strength for the social networks with MySpace in 2nd position, MSN and Bebo in 3rd position and Facebook in 9th position.
Matt Simpson, chairman of IPA Digital Media Group and group head of digital at OMD, said: “It’s great to see more media owners striving to improve their customer service levels as a result of this survey. Rather worryingly, some of the established players in the portal, newspaper and network disciplines do not seem to be meeting the demands of agencies and also do not seem to be showing any real improvements from previous surveys.
“The positive news is that some of the previously less established players including Specific, Vibrant and the social networks are stepping up to the mark and delivering better service. MSN continue to set the standard and we must hope that the perennial under achievers in this survey decide to challenge MSN’s dominance and change their ways, taking customer service more seriously then they have to this point.”
Nigel Gwilliam, head of digital, IPA, said: “Service counts, especially in tough market conditions. We’re delighted with the level of interest this survey generates amongst media owners, but even more, we’re delighted that some are raising their game.”
IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk