Data: China's Advertiser-Agency Relationships.

Reflecting the ongoing global debate on agency rebates and media buying mark-ups, we take a renewed look at the sixth wave of R3 and SCOPEN’s biennial Agency Scope study, 80.8 percent of marketers in China score media planning skills as their most demanded characteristic of their ideal media agency; and award-winning skills the least.

Media agencies who have chasing awards lower on their priority list seem to develop longer-term relationships with advertisers and marketers in China, with the most stable durations averaging 4.6 years, followed by advertising agencies with an average 4 year relationship. Digital agencies are the most vulnerable, where the average partnership lasts just 2.7 years.

Bad service and account team issues are among the most frequently mentioned reasons by Chinese advertisers for changing to another agency, whether media, advertising, or digital. One technique recommended by R3 is to have agencies evaluate each other to drive better results. How well is your media agency rated by your digital agency? What can your digital agency teach your advertising agency about improved processes?