Eviden

ce C

Set objectives based on real business outcomes and invite your auditor to be part of the discussion to avoid agencies buying media just to satisfy audit results

The MEDIA INVESTIGATORS

Top 4 ranked on more important

Top 2 ranked on less important

Agree Neutral Disagree

0%

87%

75%

7%

25%0%

6%

30%

30%

40%58%

17%

25%

Research across the WFA membership set out to investigate what advertisers think of the media auditing companies responsible for policing media value and interrogating media agencies, and to establish what the future has in store for the detectives of the media industry.

These results are based on responses from 29 companies, across 15 different industry sectors. Total global media spend of all respondents represents approximately $35bn.

Auditing is crucial to how we measure media value and our auditor is an indispensable business partner.

What do you use your media auditor for, and where?

Will auditors become more or less important to you within the next few years?

Auditing in rapid growth economies is a crucial way of determining the level of media value delivered.

Pooling is a misleading concept as it detracts from the absolute price paid and reach delivered.

Auditing will become increasingly irrelevant to us in the future - it's just a hygiene factor.

Programmatic buying/trading desks

Online ad viewability tracking

Econometric modelling

Measuring media value in rapid growth markets

Europe

13%

87%

75%

17%8%

Online paid search consultancy

General consultation

91%

5%4%

76%

19%

48%

33%

18%

64%

18%

19%

5%

23%2013

17%2012

APAC12%2013

5%2012

USA/ Canada

12%2013

25%2012

LATAM

For further information email us on m.green@wfanet.orgor visit our website www.wfanet.org…or follow us on Twitter @wfamarketers

3%2013

9%2012

Evidence A

Ensure that

the ‘right to

audit’ is

enshrined in

all contracts

with media

agencies

Evidence B

Pay attention to the % of your budget auditors are able to evaluate, and be wary of forming judgements based on a small sample

Evidence D

Embrace new digital

evaluation tools such

as ad viewability, but

consider that

• Auditors administer

these systems but

rarely own the

software

• Agencies should have

regular access to this

data to optimise

campaigns

More Important Same Less

83%

63%

75%

50%

75%

46%

38%

46%

38%

38%

29%

25%

21%

8% 21%

Complete performance evaluation

Media inflation forecasts

Media agency guarantee validation

Financial auditing

Cost benchmarking

EuropeUS/Canada

LATAM

ME & Africa

APAC

21%

29%

21%

8% 21%

54%

38%

42%

42%

46%

Under questioning, advertisers confess that auditors are

indispensable partners and set to remain so into the future.

Digital found to be the key area for future

development of auditor services.

Auditors used extensively in Europe. Asian and North American usage on the rise

But under cross examination, the share of digital budgets that auditors are able to measure remains low and appears to be declining in some key regions.

Some guidelines to follow to make best use of the

media detective work conducted by auditors.