Media agencies which apply uncommon knowledge retain strategic highground

"The kind of media leadership that has won awards is often strategic thinking that inverts commonly held norms on how to use particular media channels," he says. Media independents have led the way in breaking new ground, and their success is being determined by how prudently they execute media solutions, and on their creative ability to deliver on the strategic battleground, MindShare director Donald Liphoko says.
 
A decade ago, advertising pundits argued that moving media out of full service agencies would weaken the overall product. Media purists argued that non-dependency would result in not only improved efficiencies but better planning and strategy - and now that the trend for media independence is firmly entrenched, it is evident that these media performance efficiencies can be achieved without compromising the creative product. In fact, media buying and planning efficiency is a hygiene factor for the modern media independent. The slew of planning processes, tools and optimisation software has made this a parity competence. 
 
At issue is media efficiency at what cost? Liphoko says dissonance between media buying efficiency and media campaign effectiveness is growing. "One can broker a very cost efficient media buy, but the deal may underperform in terms of sustained brand awareness and consumer impact," he says.
 
This has created a gap for strategic media agencies to aim for the high ground. The fundamentals of value creation in this new terrain include a deeper understanding of the consumer, ROI econometric modelling, and assessing the interrelationship between the spectrum of communication touch points. "These new agencies know that differentiated media communication is ultimately the route to measurable return on investment – and the awards are simply a useful indicator of the pace of media innovation.