The 5 biggest issues facing media execs in 2023 according to the WFA

• Competition and plurality

• Measurement and accountability

• Responsibility and society

• Sustainability and planet

• People and partners

Gerry D’Angelo, vice-president of global media of P&G, says the first launch was a “seminal moment... that made possible major advancements in brand safety and cross-media measurement.”

Here’s how the next report builds upon that work.

Competition and plurality

A small number of platforms have a “pervasive” control of digital search, display, video and commerce, it said.

As a result, “some less positive outcomes have emerged. Measurement limitations, opaque supply chains and self-preferencing strategies have become a feature of the ecosystem.”

The report made a renewed call for advertisers to invest in a plurality of media which includes diversity initiatives.

Furthermore, stakeholders were calling for a “level playing field,” adding, “competition can only flourish with fair access to data, inter-operability and limits on self-preferencing.”

In response, advertisers are to request:

• Fair access to data. This must be sufficiently granular while being privacy-focused. Advertisers must be able to identify fraudulent activity, measure performance and outcomes, and minimize extraneous fees and commissions.

• Introduce third-party measurement. Access to media inventory on the basis of bundled media tech is “not acceptable” anymore. Platforms should not be doing their own homework.

• The end of self-preferencing. Tech giants “should not be allowed” to operate as buyer, seller and marketplace.

Measurement and accountability

The rush towards privacy-first adtech has sparked a rethink of measurement. Solutions are needed yesterday. The report identified the programmatic supply chain as a space that needs “true accountability”.

It added: “We believe that every dollar we invest should be measurable throughout the entire media supply chain, globally.”

The key points are as follows:

• Introduce independent third-party verification and measurement tools.

• Conduct accurate share of voice and competitive monitoring. This may require pressure on some sellers that do not enable competitive spend tracking.

• Introduce standard terms and conditions for programmatic data access and sharing.

Responsibility and society

There’s a new focus on ensuring journalism and entertainment are funded at the expense of disinformation, hate speech and clickbait.

“Over the past decade, we’ve seen a range of concerning issues affecting the media landscape, many of which are exacerbated by the way media is bought and optimized. There have been challenging examples of hate speech, misinformation campaigns and deliberate fraud.”

Here's where marketers should focus.

• Put consumer experience first. Ensure good ad experiences, invest in good formats, and ensure data collection and usage is transparent.

• Have a full understanding of brand suitability. Be able to convey which environments are, and are not a fit for your brand, and be comfortable conveying why when pressed.

• Develop or signpost inclusive and representative content. The report encourages more media that fully reflects society. It comes after Bud Light’s recent implosion after featuring a trans influencer in a campaign, showing this stance is more vital than ever.

• Remember the value of contextual data. Part of the media opportunity is the context of a placement, be it time, place, or consumer mindset. Execs rallied for more ways to come to market this way.

• Jointly address responsibility concerns as an industry. Collaborate to improve the ecosystems.

Sustainability and planet

It branded the “climate crisis as the defining challenge faced by humanity and called for a single, common carbon calculation model to help understand the processing billions of digital ads.

The call was to:

• Unite behind one common, industry-wide carbon calculation model. It must be platform agnostic and offer industry-wide granular measurement standards. There must be consistent datasets and transparent methodologies, covering channels, formats, buying methods, or reporting capabilities.

• Reduce your own carbon emissions if you are a media publisher, network or platform.

People and partners

It called for teams to be “well supported in their roles and for partners to be appropriately compensated” – the clear path to addressing talent issues. Furthermore, there was a call for a review of legacy hiring practices is required.

The report warned: “We are seeing a growing sense of urgency to address these issues.”

Here are the priorities:

• Avoid burnout. It's one of the main reasons people are leaving the industry and is contributing to the talent shortage.

• Adopt better hiring practices to help diversity. Embrace inclusive hiring practices to unlock a broader spectrum of talent.

• Market the industry as well as your market clients. The industry needs to relay how exciting a place it can be to work and remind workers of its vital role in changing/saving the world in the years to come.

Reflecting back on the charter, Stephan Loerke said: “While it’s not yet ‘mission accomplished’ on many of the issues flagged in the Media Charter 2.0, there has been progress. In 2023, clients are facing a new wave of challenges and concerns, including the climate challenge and the rise of AI so we need to kick start a new program of governance with global industry leaders from the advertiser, agency, technology and media owner.”

The Charter has been developed by the WFA’s Media Board, which features global media leaders and association leaders from companies including ABInBev, ANA (US), BeamSuntory, Danone, Diageo, Goldman Sachs, Haleon, ISBA (UK), Jacobs Douwe Egberts, L’Oreal, Lipton Teas & Infusions, LVMH, Nestle, P&G, PepsiCo, Reckitt and Unilever.

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