Two years after the launch of its somewhat controversial Media Services Framework document, ISBA, the body that represents UK advertisers, has today unveiled a revised version.
The framework was designed to help brands review their terms with agencies and bring added protection on a growing list of issues, including transparency, brand safety, data ownership and rebates. It came under fire for being published without any wider industry consultation, and has struggled to sign-up agencies.
ISBA said that the new version focuses primarily on the complicated issue of digital advertising clauses but also ensured improvements on issues such as digital media, brand safety and verification, while ensuring everything is aligned with current industry standards.
Having taken some criticism from many of the big six agencies as well as their representative trade body, the IPA, following the launch of version one, ISBA appears to have learnt from its mistake with the revised offering, asking PwC to act as an independent broker on its behalf and collecting feedback from media agencies and the IPA.
Commenting on what he thought was “encouraging and useful feedback” ISBA director general, Phil Smith, said: “ISBA has worked hard to ensure we consulted proactively with the network agencies and believe this has been beneficial in ensuring agencies are aligned.”
According to Richard Lindsay, IPA director of legal & public affairs: “The new version of the framework contains numerous changes, particularly with regard to digital media, and includes some points that agencies will appreciate, although the core of the document remains much the same.”
Despite reservations, IPA director general, Paul Bainsfair, recognised that the framework “could be seen as a useful starting point for any advertiser about to embark on a new relationship with a media agency because it covers a number of topics that should be discussed.”
He continued: “We have been working with ISBA for some time now to overcome the concerns that exist over trust and transparency and so I have appreciated ISBA’s openness and the spirit in which they have involved the IPA in the updating of their Media Services Framework. We also know, as ISBA do, that “one size does not fit all”, so every agency should approach the framework in the spirit in which it is intended, which is as a conversation-starter, and then work out and agree what the mutually beneficial terms of their client-agency relationship should be.”
The revised framework will be discussed at the ISBA Annual Conference on 6 March, while on 17 April ISBA members will be invited to a teach-in session to assist them in using the document with agencies.
