New joint study with the World Federation of Advertisers finds that briefing quality, trust and feedback — not remuneration models — are the strongest drivers of agency performance.
SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2026 – Bruno Gralpois, Co-Founder and Principal of Agency Mania Solutions, will present the findings of a new joint research report with the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) at WFA Forum Connect in New York on September 29. The report, How Brands Define, Scope and Reward Agency Work, examines the full commercial lifecycle between brands and their agencies — from briefing and scoping through performance, remuneration and payment — and challenges the industry’s long-standing focus on compensation as the primary lever for agency performance.
Gralpois will share key findings from the report during the WFA Sourcing Forum, before leading an interactive workshop with marketing procurement leaders on measuring agency performance, linking remuneration to performance, and the impact of AI on agency commercial models. The session is part of WFA Forum Connect‘s “Four Forums, One Goal: Better Marketing Effectiveness,” a day-long gathering of marketing and procurement leaders at WFA’s New York event.
Based on a survey of 71 global brands conducted in June 2026, the research found that great briefing, respect and trust, and high-quality feedback are the three strongest contributors to agency performance — each rated far higher than financial incentives, which scored just 3.9 out of 6. The study also found that client-agency relationships are lasting longer than they did in 2018, with average tenure in paid social nearly doubling, from two years to 4.3 years. Yet 36% of client-side respondents say managing agency relationships has become harder over the past year, compared with just 12% who say it has become easier. The research also tracks a decade-long shift in how agencies are paid: labor-based remuneration models have fallen from 54% of arrangements in 2011 to just 17% today, while fixed-fee and output-based models have risen to 35% and hybrid labor-plus-performance models have more than doubled, to 23%. Despite the accelerating impact of AI on how agency work gets done, only 20% of brands have begun adapting their commercial models in response, though 61% intend to.
“For almost a decade, our research has told us something that’s easy to overlook: the biggest barriers to better agency performance are rarely found in rate cards,” said Bruno Gralpois, Co-Founder and Principal, Agency Mania Solutions. “A commercial model can’t fix a poor brief, compensate for weak collaboration, or create trust where it’s missing. The opportunity for marketing and procurement leaders isn’t simply to negotiate harder — it’s to connect the dots between better commercial decisions and better marketing. Better procurement leads to better relationships. Better relationships lead to better marketing.”
The report builds on WFA’s decade of work through its Global Sourcing Board and Project Spring initiative, which has pushed marketing procurement to move beyond process efficiency toward demonstrating business value. Gralpois’ session will be followed by a cross-forum discussion led by WFA CEO Stephan Loerke and Krista Hill, Head of Strategic Sourcing – Global Marketing at Uber, exploring actionable steps the industry can take on marketing effectiveness. WFA Forum Connect New York takes place September 29, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information is available at wfanet.org/NYC.
To learn more about the report and request your copy of the summary, visit https://agencymania.com/wfa-report/. The full report is available to WFA members and AMS clients.
Follow Agency Mania Solutions on LinkedIn
Follow Bruno Gralpois on LinkedIn
About Agency Mania Solutions
Agency Mania Solutions (AMS) is a Seattle-based software company dedicated to transforming the way global brands get the most value from their agency partnerships. As the industry leader in customizable Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, AMS offers tailored software that evolves with your business needs. With an unmatched depth of client and agency experience, AMS provides insights and best practices gleaned from years of expertise on both sides of the relationship. For more information, visit www.agencymania.com
About the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA)
WFA is the only global network for senior client-side marketers and the voice of marketers worldwide, championing more effective and sustainable marketing communications since 1953. WFA represents over 150 of the world’s biggest brands and more than 60 national advertiser associations on five continents. Together, this voluntary peer-to-peer network of 12,000+ of the world’s best marketers — from Chief Marketing Officers to media, sourcing, and insights specialists — offers a unique source of expertise, inspiration, and leadership. WFA represents 90% of global marketing communications spend, roughly US $900 billion per year. For more information, visit wfanet.org
Media Contact
Carley Newman
Agency Mania Solutions
