Procter & Gamble, the consumer packaged goods manufacturer, believes that fundamental change is required in the media supply chain, rather than only seeking to “clean up” the problems that now beset the digital ecosystem.

Marc Pritchard, Procter & Gamble’s chief brand officer, discussed this subject at the Association of National Advertisers’ (ANA) 2019 Media Conference.

“It’s time to create a new media supply chain,” he said. (For more, read WARC’s in-depth report: P&G’s Pritchard calls for a media supply chain revolution.)

“At minimum, we want P&G brands to operate in a highly efficient, quality, civil, transparent and privacy compliant media supply chain.

“Ideally, we will all take these steps and work together to create an entirely new media supply chain for our industry that creates greater value and trust for the consumers we serve.”

Previous “clean-up efforts” in these areas, P&G’s marketing chief asserted, have been undertaken in good faith, but cannot disguise the presence of broader, apparently intractable, obstacles in the digital realm.

“The problem is many of the platforms were not originally built for advertising. They were built for social communication and freedom of expression,” said Pritchard, who also chairs the ANA’s board of directors.

“We’ve all had a hand in monetizing them and we’ve all been trying to retrofit them for our media and advertising standards for years, but it’s only partially working.”

His proposed solution: “Perhaps we should consider that significant parts of what we have today are beyond our control, and we need to begin charting the course for a different way going forward.”

Indeed, given another wave of technological change is on the horizon – lead by Internet of Things technology – it is essential that brands do not repeat the mistakes of recent digital history.

“We’re on the edge of the next great revolution of technology to make people’s lives better, but we can’t ignore the potential pitfalls. We’ve seen what happens with unbridled technology expansion. We cannot let this happen again.

“With all the great minds in our industry, we can and should chart a course for a better future. We don’t want to waste time and money on clean up. Instead, we want to invest in raising the bar on creativity and innovation to drive growth.

“P&G is taking action because it’s good for consumers, good for our brands, responsible for the industry and good for society. Please join us.”

Sourced from WARC