Jazz initiates media auditor search
The Pakistani mobile network and internet services provider is looking to analyze pricing and quality by grading the media buying performance of Blitz Advertising.
Jazz has initiated a search for a media auditing firm that will grade the media buying performance of Blitz Advertising by analyzing pricing and quality. While it is unclear which firms will be shortlisted, the scope of work intends to cover contract compliance and price benchmarking.
"Jazz conducts various performance audits in line with its commitment towards continuous improvement,” said a spokesperson from Jazz. “We do not like to comment on our sourcing related processes."
As reported by Profit, a series of events and revelations since 2012 grew mistrust between advertisers and agencies, building a business case for in-housing critical media functions such as strategy, planning, buying, and placement. These revelations also popularized the practice of media auditing as a means of checking that the media agency is fulfilling its obligations as a service supplier to the advertiser.
Shaukat Mehmood, the chief operating officer of Spark at Blitz Advertising told us that the media audit is an annual exercise and is a normal process.
Sources told Profit that Jazz is seeking a media auditing firm that will seek to confirm both contract compliance and price benchmarking. It is unclear how much notice Jazz will give Blitz Advertising in advance of a compliance audit. A senior media practitioner at Blitz Advertising, in speaking to us, did not know of the media audit search itself and thus could not comment.
“Our view is that it is important to consider contract compliance auditing in a holistic way, as part of a mix of accountability techniques to make sure your external agencies are working productively to deliver your marketing and business objectives and operating with transparency,” said Tom Denford, CEO of ID Comms. “It also typically finds where there are errors, especially important in today’s complex world of automated media buying systems.”
He said that far from creating hostility and mistrust between advertiser and agency, a compliance audit can actually benefit the relationship because it removes any uncertainty, provides transparency, and aligns both parties for the future.