The Ethics of Agency Remuneration

The Director General of the IPA discusses how clients and agencies should work together to establish a fair remuneration method.

The Ethics of Agency Remuneration

Nick Phillips

At first glance the idea of ethical agency remuneration may seem contradictory, with the client only interested in the lowest cost and the agency in the highest revenue. But the advice of prophets and philosophers over thousands of years has been Do as you would be done by, and enlightened selfinterest from the two parties having to work together will move them away from the zerosum game of maximising their own satisfaction.

Rights and responsibilities

In ethical terms each side has rights and responsibilities. These start at the competitive pitching stage. Advertisers may...

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