Two-thirds of marketers say media agencies lack the technical expertise they need

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Source: Media Investment Evolved, a report from Kepler based on a survey of marketers worldwide.

Methodology: Working with research company Vanson Bourne, Kepler conducted a combination of online and telephone interviews with 150 C-suite leaders, strategic business unit (SBU) leaders, and senior managers within SBUs. All had responsibility for media investment decision-making. The companies represented are based in the US, UK and APAC (Japan, Australia, Singapore), with 55% operating primarily in multiple countries and 45% operating primarily in a single country. The companies, representing a wide range of industries, all had revenues above $1 billion, and 43% had rvenenues above $10 billion).

More from this source:

APAC respondents:

• 94% of APAC marketers will enhance in-house media investment technology.
• 68% of APAC marketers to consider bringing all media investment in-house.
• 96% of APAC marketers are likely to review their media agencies as data and technology become more important.

Global respondents:

• 85% say data optimisation, rather than media-buying clout, is now the most important criterion determining media-investment performance.
• 81% agree automation will reduce the importance of agency-network scale and traditional buying power.
• 65% say traditional media agencies do not have the technology expertise their organisation requires to maximise media investment.
• 61% believe media-agency talent and operating models are not evolving fast enough to deliver the support and service their organisation requires.
• 60% struggle to find agencies that can support their in-housing strategies.
• 52% will consider eventually taking all of their media investment talent and technology in-house.
• 71% believe their digital-media performance is suffering because their media-agency partner/s do not have strong enough relationships with the technology giants.
• 51% say ‘our corporate ethics will increasingly influence how and with whom we invest digital budgets.