There is no dumb media money

The world has become an angry place. Sniping seems to have become part of the furniture and it’s not just #Brexit and #Trump that fire up the rage. Increasingly it seems aggressive discourse is becoming part of our industry too.

Almost every conference, panel and news story seems to feature one player sniping at the claims of another. Whether its digital media criticising traditional players (and vice versa) or digital media players attacking ad:tech, sniping has become the most common form of discourse, in person and, naturally, on social media.

I understand the temptation to go this route – we live and work in a competitive industry – one person’s deal means that another player could be getting less or nothing at all. Constant sniping, however, means that we spend our lives fighting over the same slice of cake.

Instead, I think it’s time to celebrate the smartness with which media investment is now managed and the benefits that this provides to the whole ecosystem. The truth is that in 2017 advertisers and their agencies are now making smarter decisions about their media investments than ever before. Sophisticated tools and measurement frameworks are enabling them to understand with greater clarity which media option is delivering where.  

The sophistication of today’s media decisioning means that all media has become smart. Even if a medium doesn’t connect or interact, it’s on the plan because it’s the smart thing to do. Astute advertisers have built up years of insight on the impact of each medium, not only on immediate sales, but also on long-term growth arising from improving brand health. 

Advertisers are investing right across the board in all channels because they have the smarts to know what works for them and what delivers. This is all good news and it’s going to get better because the level of smarts that we have to demonstrate value will only increase. In the world of addressable video, for example, we can now be more targeted, more precise and in many instances, more cost-effective.

In TV we see that the best, most emotionally engaging content around is being made available across more devices for viewing in more places. All4 and Sky Go, for example, allows advertisers to target viewers wherever and whenever they are watching their favourite shows and sports.

On the main screen too, we see that TV advertising options are improving. GroupM’s launch of Finecast, for example, is allowing advertisers to reach people watching shows on smart TVs and connected devices in ever more precise ways.

Such efforts – and they are going on in all media channels – can only benefit everyone. If we consciously set out to demonstrate how we are working smarter and sharper and how media is delivering at an unprecedented level for more brands than ever before, then we will persuade advertisers that it’s right to invest more in what we do.

If all they hear is the sniping then they won’t believe the good news and will be reluctant to invest in a bigger cake. 

Let’s celebrate the smart getting smarter and work together.

By Jay Rajdev, VP of Brand Solutions at Videology UK.