Three reasons why it’s time for marketers to move on from the concept of “non-working” media, as shared by R3 Senior Consultant Connie Pincus.
The conversation about working with non-working media persists. We continue to hear chatter about working to non-working spend ratios. Conventional wisdom had told brands that agency fees are “non-working” and that they should never account for more than 15% of the advertising budget. The Critical Agency Compensation Theory tells us that our modern, fast-paced, always-on, customer-driven landscape has turned that conventional wisdom on its head.
Conventional non-working guidance is outdated. Thinking that agency compensation is “non-working” and following the conventional guidance is a critical mistake. Consider that agency fees are the muscle hard at work, satisfying the demand for the magnitude of relevant content needed in today’s always-on, customer-first world; and are the engine driving the analysis of the boundless data needed to make decisions. Couple that with the rise of earned media in the equation, and surely it is clear that “non-working” media is an antiquated concept.
A change in the term and the mindset are long overdue. It’s time to give this hard worker its due. First, a change in the terminology: from “non-working” to “indirect”. More importantly, decision-makers must not be guided by an obdurate benchmark and should consider investment in the forces that allow for making great decisions and creating meaningful connections with customers.
To learn more about trends in working and non-working ratios, contact us.
