MRG Conference: Joint Media Research Contracts Under Fire

The IPA’s research director, Lynne Robinson, admitted at this year’s MRG Conference in Budapest that 2002 has been a poor year in terms of joint industry media research contracts.

Delivering the final soap box session of the conference, she said: “Almost all industry contracts have ranged from being in complete turmoil to coming under fire from a range of different sources.”

In what was intended to be a retrospective look back over the last 12 months, Robinson highlighted the importance of the joint industry media research contracts, which cost around £32 million pounds per annum and underpin £32 billion worth of trading.

She said: “The existing contracts provide the cost for all the major media money at risk, but they don’t provide the value.”

Robinson went on to argue that the established currencies are suffering from the desire for new bespoke research, but commended them for continuing to be a “vital” component in a rapidly changing industry.

She emphasised that the industry contracts are evolving to keep pace with the shifting media landscape and called on delegates to understand that changes to “large and complex” systems often lead to teething problems.

She went on to highlight the disruption caused by the introduction of new technologies, referring specifically to the problems with the new BARB contract, which had the TV industry up in arms earlier this year.

Robinson concluded her soap box session by suggesting that with the forthcoming Communications Bill set to clear the way for further consolidation within the industry, the creation of a SUPERJIC, for all joint industry media research contracts, has never been more possible.

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