Benchmarking, Reinvented
From cost control to clarity, alignment to stronger partnerships In recent years, brand advertisers have doubled down on building strong benchmarking capabilities, often in close partnership with their marketing procurement teams. Scope-of-work and cost benchmarks provide a critical lens—comparing what agencies propose to deliver, at what price, against either internal historical data or broader industry […]
Volume 83 | July-August 2025
Executive Summary More than 15,000 attended the five-day Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June. The expectation of many is that AI will be the enabler of human creativity. Havas, for example, is referring to itself as an “AI-driven organization fueled by human ingenuity.” On the first day of Cannes Lions, Apple marketing leader […]
Volume 82 | May-June 2025
Executive Summary Surprise. AI continues to dominate conversation at the intersection of technology, consumer trends, and business transformation. From headline-grabbing controversies to escalating legal battles over copyrighted content used for training models, the boundaries of responsible and practical AI are being tested in real time. Yet AI’s role in marketing is expanding rapidly, requiring us […]
“If My Agency Uses AI, Am I Overpaying?”
As artificial intelligence reshapes agency operations and increases productivity, advertisers must rethink compensation models and ensure they’re paying for true value—not just output. Every CMO, whether aloud or behind closed doors, has posed the same question to their marketing procurement team: Are we overpaying our agency now that AI is in play? Amid economic […]
From Turmoil to Triumph in the Trump Era
Harnessing Agency Partnerships to Drive Growth in Turbulent Times: How Brand Advertisers Can Flip Uncertainty into Opportunity “Forward-Looking Statements and Economic Risk Disclaimer: This report contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to macroeconomic conditions, fluctuations in consumer demand, supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressure, interest rate volatility, […]
Volume 81 | March-April 2025
Executive Summary Like everyone else in the advertising industry who was watching the Super Bowl, you were probably wondering: Who will win the USA Today Ad Meter? We all did. February is always about the Super Bowl and its remarkable display of advertising brilliance. Per Fox, Super Bowl LIX set a viewership record with an […]
Beyond Innovation: Transforming Partnerships for Lasting Value
Innovation is the lifeblood of the modern knowledge economy, fueling growth and shaping industries… The World Economic Forum highlights that innovation-driven productivity accounts for a staggering 50% of long-term GDP growth in both developed and emerging markets. Nowhere is this impact more pronounced than in the advertising industry, where the ability to stand out, […]
Volume 80 | January-February 2025
Executive Summary Hello, 2025! The race is underway. In the US, the newly elected president declared a new “golden age” across the board, including the nation’s economy. “Sorry, Mad Men. The Ad Revolution Is Here.” was the headline of a Wall Street Journal article announcing the merger of advertising giants Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group […]
The Marketing Procurement Renaissance: Redefining Value and Innovation in a New Era of Relationship Capital
Industry leaders prepare for a transformative year of client and agency partnerships Leaders in marketing procurement gather every year at events to anticipate, explore, dissect, and debate the trends that are shaping the industry today and for years to come. The advertising industry has entered a transformative phase, its most profound in decades, as […]
Volume 79 | November-December 2024
Executive Summary Geopolitical events, international hostilities, terrorism, public health crises, high and sustained inflation in countries that are our major markets, high interest rates, and labor and supply chain issues continue to cause economic uncertainty and volatility. That is how most holding companies start conversations about their earnings and financial performance. It’s not just a […]
Volume 78 | September-October 2024
Executive Summary We’ve been busy, and not just at Agency Mania Solutions—the entire global marketing industry is booming. It’s expected to reach $2.4 trillion in 2024, with US advertising estimated to grow by 11.4%, according to experts. New agencies are launching. Existing agencies are streamlining, reorganizing, and simplifying how they work and engage with clients. […]
Breaking Silos: The Key to Effective Cross-Agency Teamwork
How Brand Advertisers Can Foster Collaboration, Enhance Communication, and Drive Collective Success! The largest brands in the world rely on a web of agencies across several advertising and marketing disciplines. Some brands have dozens, even hundreds, of agency partners working on their behalf. The ability of their agencies to seamlessly collaborate and work together […]