The rebates debate: Are broken client–agency relationships to blame?

This article outlines details from a study by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) regarding transparency in the media-buying industry, as well as related arguments concerning the current state of client–agency relationships.

The rebates debate: Are broken client–agency relationships to blame?

Stephen WhitesideWarc

American media buyers stand accused of pocketing rebates, reselling inventory at a mark-up, and withholding such information from advertisers.

Each of these allegations, in turn, hint at much deeper problems with the traditional client–agency relationship.

The weight of the evidence against agencies was revealed in "An Independent Study of Media Transparency in the US Advertising Industry," a 58-page report commissioned and published by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the New York-based trade body representing 1,000 firms that together control $300 billion in advertising and marketing spend....

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