Media Palooza: How CMOs Should Play The Media Agency Game

When an estimated $40 billion of media spend goes to pitch, you cannot sit on the sidelines. Media Palooza creates a once-in-a-decade chance to reset how your brand buys media, which partners you trust, and how you link media investment to growth.

For CMOs, Procurement Directors, and Global Heads of Media, the real pain is not simply ‘should we pitch?’. It is choosing the right strategic route to market when your team is already stretched, your board expects savings and growth, and agencies are more selective about which reviews they lean into.

In this #MediaSnack Live episode, we unpack three live playbooks: the classic competitive pitch, the discreet closed-door renegotiation, and a bold new third route illustrated by PepsiCo’s move from Omnicom to Publicis without a traditional pitch. This article turns that discussion into a practical playbook you can use immediately.

The ID Comms Breakdown

Media Palooza is the moment when billions of dollars of media spend move at once, and you must choose a media agency pitch strategy that balances value, disruption, and growth. Your real choice is between a full competitive review, a closed-door renegotiation, or a bold Pepsi-style direct move.

Whats going on?

We are back in a consolidating world. In the last big Media Palooza around 2015–2016, ID Comms advised on roughly 35–40% of the global pitch market. The single ambition then was simple: drive media prices down by creating as much competitive tension as possible.

Fast forward to today and the brief has evolved. Hard savings are harder to find as more spend sits on biddable platforms. Value now means strategy, talent, data, AI, and effectiveness, not just cheaper GRPs. COMvergence data reported by Storyboard18 shows Publicis Media capturing nearly one third of global media billings that moved in 2025, with about $10 billion in new client billings, proving how much consolidation is happening.

The headline story in this episode is PepsiCo. As reported by Adweek and Marketing Dive, PepsiCo shifted its global media to Publicis in a ‘One PepsiCo’ model after a capabilities review, not a beauty-parade pitch, while Publicis walked away from Coca-Cola’s global media pitch. That single move re-writes the competitive map between two of the world’s biggest advertisers.

What are the implications?

For advertisers, this is no longer a simple ‘who is cheapest?’ question. The agencies have accelerated their offerings around data, AI, and connected identities. PepsiCo alone spent around $5.4 billion on marketing in 2025, with roughly $3.4 billion on advertising, so its decision to entrust that to a single partner signals that growth, not pure cost-cutting, is the new north star.

Traditional pitches used to be a race to the bottom on price. Today, Tom and David see more high-value reviews where commercial discipline is table stakes, and the real differentiation lies in the quality of strategic thinking, integration of tech, and willingness to put fees at risk against outcomes. That creates upside but also risk, particularly around transparency if you focus only on outputs and ignore what goes into the ‘sausage machine’.

On top of that, there is capacity pressure in the agency world. With Publicis already capturing a large share of new global billings, you must assume that the best teams are heavily committed. If you enter Media Palooza without a sharp brief, clear decision criteria, and a compelling growth story, you may simply not get the A-team.

How should marketers be thinking?

First, ‘do nothing’ is not a strategy. Even if you love your incumbent, Media Palooza is exactly when you should have a point of view on your next three to five years: renegotiate, review, or radically reset. Waiting and seeing while others move will leave you with less leverage and fewer options.

Second, you need a conscious route-to-market choice. As David explains, many clients arrive convinced they want a big competitive pitch, but once you walk them through the implications, roughly half end up choosing a closed-door renegotiation because it better fits their risk appetite and relationship reality.

Third, you should frame every decision through one word that sits at the heart of every serious agency proposition and every ambitious brand: growth. Agencies that can convince you they can drive competitive advantage and real business growth will win, but they now have to prove it, not just present it.

Choosing Your Route To Market In
Media Palooza

At the start of any review, you face a fork in the road: full competitive tender, closed-door renegotiation, or a Pepsi-style direct move. Choosing the wrong route creates cost, disruption, and political pain internally without delivering better performance.

The classic route is the competitive pitch. You invite several major networks, create a high-profile process, and turn up the competitive heat. In the last Media Palooza, that was the default because the goal was clear-cut: maximize savings through scale. You still can unlock value here, especially if you are consolidating fragmented scopes across markets into a single or dual-agency model.

The second route is a closed-door renegotiation with your incumbent and perhaps one reference agency. This is quieter, less disruptive, and better suited when the underlying relationship is solid but needs to be modernized. In ID Comms’ experience, once clients reflect on why they want to ‘go to pitch’, around half discover that a structured renegotiation actually serves them better.

The third route is what we describe through the PepsiCo example: you effectively pick your next partner upfront. You run a capabilities review, align on a new model, and move ‘lock, stock, and 15 barrels’ in one decisive step. It is high risk and high reward, and only credible if you have done deep homework on that partner and your internal stakeholders are truly aligned.

Your decision should be anchored in three questions. One, is your current agency relationship fundamentally broken or just misaligned on scope, data, or incentives? Two, how much disruption can your organization stomach over the next 6 to 12 months? Three, what does your board really value right now: short term savings, long term growth, or a clear signal of transformation?

Designing A High Value Media Agency Review

If you decide to go to market, you cannot afford a vague or purely price-led process. A high value review starts with a scorecard that reflects your future growth agenda, not your old buying spreadsheet.

We highlight that in the last big wave of pitches, every RFP looked similar: heavy on rate cards, light on strategy. Today, your scorecard should weight factors like integrated data capability, AI-readiness, audience strategy, measurement, and talent continuity, alongside competitive pricing. That is exactly where PepsiCo is placing its bet with Publicis’ ‘One PepsiCo’ operating model.

Industry reports show that agency pitches are becoming more structured and outcome-driven, with specialist consultants helping brands introduce standardized criteria and governance. That is positive news for CMOs and procurement, because it creates an evidence trail you can take back to finance and the board.

Internally, alignment is non-negotiable. Procurement, finance, marketing, and media need to agree in advance what ‘good’ looks like and how each criterion is weighted. David’s advice is clear: lock the evaluation model before agencies receive the brief, and avoid changing it mid-process under political pressure. At the end, there should be no ambiguity about why one agency won.

You should also think carefully about your commercial model. More agencies are willing to put income at risk against agreed KPIs. Used wisely, that can de-risk your investment and align incentives around growth, but it can also reduce transparency if you focus only on outcome bonuses and ignore how those outcomes are engineered. ID Comms typically recommends blending performance-based components with clear, auditable underlying costs.

Making Your Pitch Irresistible To Agencies

In a congested market, your challenge is not just choosing agencies, it is persuading the right agencies to choose you. The best networks and specialist teams will be highly selective about which pitches they commit senior talent to.

David outlines four practical levers. First, decide early which agencies you want at the table and why. Think about fit across category experience, capabilities, and existing conflicts. Remember that large groups like Publicis, Omnicom, and others are juggling multiple multi-billion dollar opportunities at once, so your timing and clarity matter.

Second, invest seriously in the brief. As covered in a previous #MediaSnack episode, a powerful brief is specific about the business problem, the role of media in solving it, and the outcomes you will use to judge success. A vague ‘grow brand love’ request will not cut it when agencies are fielding highly structured asks from your competitors.

Third, define and communicate your process transparently. One senior new business leader put it perfectly to David: ‘Transparency is motivation.’ When agencies know how many stages there are, who is involved, what the timings look like, and how decisions will be made, they are far more likely to commit their best thinking. Hidden agendas and moving goalposts kill motivation.

Fourth, behave like a client of choice. That means realistic timelines, access to decision-makers, and constructive feedback at each stage. In the Media Palooza environment, word travels fast about which pitches feel fair and which are painful. The brands that treat agencies as long term partners, even during a tough negotiation, are the ones that will get more discretionary effort.

As you work through this, keep one final thought front of mind: your media ecosystem is a growth engine, not a cost line. If you want help shaping a confidential ‘gameplan’ for your own review or renegotiation, and to explore options to protect and strengthen your competitive advantage in media, ID Comms is ready to coach you through it.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Media Palooza and why does it matter?

Media Palooza is a period when many large advertisers review their media agencies at the same time, putting tens of billions of dollars in play. It matters because it concentrates opportunity, pressure, and competition, making your route-to-market choices more consequential.

2. How do I know if I should run a full competitive pitch?

A full competitive pitch makes sense if your incumbent relationship is fundamentally broken, your needs have changed significantly, or you want to see a very different approach for the next three to five years. It suits organizations that can absorb disruption and have senior backing for a public review.

3. When is a closed-door renegotiation the better option?

A closed-door renegotiation is better when the relationship foundations are solid but the scope, commercials, or ways of working need modernising. If you are happy with the incumbent’s people and strategy, but not the deal or operating model, a structured renegotiation can drive value with far less disruption.

4. What can I learn from PepsiCo’s move to Publicis?

PepsiCo’s shift from Omnicom to Publicis without a traditional pitch shows that a third route exists for very prepared advertisers. If you have done deep due diligence, built a compelling model, and aligned stakeholders, you can move decisively to a new partner in pursuit of growth, not just savings.

5. How has ‘value’ in media pitches changed since the last Media Palooza?

In 2015–2016, value was mostly defined as lower media prices through consolidation. Today, value is far more nuanced, taking in strategy, talent, tech, data, AI, and effectiveness. Savings still matter, but the differentiator is how an agency will help you grow and prove that growth.

6. What should be on my agency evaluation scorecard?

Your scorecard should balance commercial terms with strategic and operational capabilities. That includes pricing, quality of strategy, data and tech capability, measurement, AI-readiness, team quality, cultural fit, and ability to manage global-local complexity. Weight each area and lock it before you invite agencies.

7. How do I motivate top agencies to take my pitch seriously?

Make the opportunity attractive by being clear, transparent, and inspiring. Share a sharp brief, realistic timelines, and a transparent process. Show that senior leaders are engaged and that you are serious about partnership and growth, not just squeezing price.

8. What risks come with performance-based agency fees?

Performance-based models can better align incentives and de-risk your spend, but they can also reduce transparency if not designed carefully. You still need visibility into how media is bought and which levers drive the outcomes you are paying for, rather than focusing only on bonus metrics.

9. Is ‘do nothing’ ever a smart choice in Media Palooza?

Very rarely. Even if you decide not to pitch or switch, you should at least review your contract, scope, and ways of working, then consciously re-commit to your incumbent. In a fast-moving market, standing still without a plan effectively means falling behind.

10. How can ID Comms support our next media review?

ID Comms works as a coach to advertisers, helping you choose the right route to market, design high value reviews or renegotiations, craft powerful briefs, and evaluate agencies objectively. If you want a confidential conversation about your ‘gameplan’ and how to protect your competitive advantage in media, get in touch.

Episode Transcript

Welcome back to Media Snack. $40 billion of media spend is in play, Media Palooza. Um, if you are an advertiser, you have got a big strategic decision. If you are thinking about how to approach Media Palooza- Yeah ... should you go route one, which is launch a pitch, a competitive pitch with lots of, uh, the major agencies, all the best agencies, line them up and take them through a process and pick one or two? Or is it better to do a closed door, more discreet, you know, just renegotiation with your existing incumbent agencies and maybe one other? Um, or are you like Pepsi and you just kind of rewrite the entire playbook and you create a third route, which is really interesting. We are gonna touch on that. But, uh, today it is about how do you make the right decision. strategically if you are going to go to market in Media Palooza, uh, how are you' gonna do that? We are gonna look at and give you the, the playbooks, the two and now three play books and way- the ways you can do that. Uh, it is live from New York. And live from London. It is Media Snack Live. Hello, I am Tom Denford in New York. And I am David Indo from London. Welcome to Media Snack Live. It is our weekly roundup of, all the important news and stories and trends you need to know, about the global media marketing industry. In every show we ask what is going on, what are the implications for advertisers, and what should marketers be thinking about next. Thanks for joining us, let us get into this week's show. Right. So we are talking about, uh, the Pepsi story, it is just amazing. We will come to that- Yeah ... in just a second because, um, you know, I think, I know you have got some kind of good thoughts on, on that one. Uh, we are talking about here how brands ... Just routes to market. You know, often at this time of year we have got brands coming to us just kind of thinking about, 'Right, well, are we gonna pitch in Q4?' And, or G- or going into next year. And then increasingly looks like a bit of a Media Palooza going on. So if you have been following the last few episodes of Media Snack, we are dedicating a whole season to this idea of Media Palooza, which is, happens occasionally. It is this strange weather event that happens in, in advertising and agencies where you suddenly get a lot of advertisers all pitching at the same time. Um, and it creates some great benefits for advertisers actually, but you gotta navigate it very well. Um, in our experience of doing this the last 15 years or so, advising major brands about how to, you know, create strategies for this and how to activate pitches and engage with agencies, um, you know, there is typically two routes to market to do that- Yeah ... um, which we are gonna come on. But, you know, increasingly we have been involved in really what is kind of a third route, with adv- advertisers. Um, just going direct, picking an agency, doing a deal, just getting on with it. Um, which is, again, valid. And it has been, it, it is happening more, and we will, we will touch on that. Yeah. Just a quick reminder before we' get into the show. Um, this is livestreaming. If you are following us on LinkedIn, YouTube, uh, you can leave comments live in the show and we will bring them up on screen and, or answer them if we can, uh, during the, show. Um, the, uh, ... So that is always good. We love, we love your questions. Uh, somebody is calling me, apologies about that. This is a live show. Uh, if you are not a subscriber or follower, please think about subscribing, you will be updated. This is a regular thing we do every Friday, 11:00 AM Eastern. Uh, we Livestream for 30 minutes and we talk about something that is kind of pertinent and interesting- Yeah ... to the industry. So will help you be better- Mm ... at media. Um, so David, last episode Yasmina and I actually talked about how to write the ultimate pitch. Yeah. Um, which I know we love talking about. Mm-hmm. But now we are talking about these kind of two, break three, routes to market. So- Yeah ... uh, let us just get straight into that. And as usual, we are gonna say, like, what is going on, so you can kinda tell us what that strategy is. Hm. I will talk about some of the implications, and then as, as usual, come back with, you know, stay to the end because David has really good advice about what marketers should be doing next. Okay. Okay, let us do it. Good. Right. So, um, let us go back to the last Media Palooza, Tom- Mm ... 2015/2016. And we, our, our advisory company managed around 35, 40% of the global pitch market in that period. It' was busy. It' was a lot. We were very busy. Um, and w- without exception, I think it' would be fair to say that every single one of those pitches that was run over that period had one overarching ambition, and that was to reduce media pricing, so- Yeah ... uh, in that environment, uh, every advertiser that wanted to review was looking to generate the greatest competitive tension in order to secure the cheapest media pricing or the greatest value improvement in their media pricing. Yep. Um, if you fast forward to Media Palooza now, the market considerations are far more nuanced. Hm. Okay? Not least because the, the hard value improvements have shrunk as more and more advertisers, have migrated more and more of their media investments onto billable platforms. The opportunity- Yeah .... to force the agencies to kind of reduce their media pricing has kind of shrunk, so that becomes less of a, of a motivating factor. Mm-hmm. Uh, now it is more about strategy, it is more about talent, it is more about, uh, access to technology and data usage and AI, and all of the other elements that it is just a far more nuanced kind of decision. Um, and so one of the critical decisions that we help our advertisers, our clients make now is very early on in the process. So they have perhaps thought about going to market because- Yeah ... their contract with their agency is running its course or, uh, There is a, there has been a challenge with the business or a new CMO has come in or whatever reason. They are considering going to market. Uh, the biggest decision that- they make initially is based on one. of two decisions. Yeah. Do you wanna go to market. and conduct a competitive tendering process- Yep ... like we' did f- 10, 15 years ago during the first Media Palooza, where you invite lots and lots of different agencies to tender for your business? Or do you want to do something slightly more discreet and conduct a closed-door negotiation with your incumbent agency and perhaps one other agency partner in order to have a point of reference? Now both routes are equally valid, but they offer different things. So, the competitive tendering process can often generate more value because you are amplifying the competitive environment with which you have got competing agencies vying for your business, right? Yeah. Yeah. And the opportunities to drive greater value are greater or higher in that area. Yeah. Yep. But it is more disruptive, it is more expensive, and it is more exposing to the marketplace. Yeah. The second option is a closed-door tender, where it becomes a little bit more discrete. Now, the opportunities to drive- I love how your tone of, your tone of voice just changed. Does it? Does it ... Does that, does that change with, with the ... That is, that is what, that is how I talk to clients. No, the second one- No, I know you do ... is a lot calmer. And the way- It is a lot calmer ... that you kind of ... And it becomes a little bit more subtle. Now, the opportunities to drive hard value improvements perhaps are reduced, but it is less disruptive and it is more kinda nuanced. But that is a really, really important decision-making framework that we take our clients through at the beginning of the process because they need to understand what the opportunities are versus both options, but also what the implications are to them as a business. And generally speaking, generally speaking, uh, we are finding that perhaps half of those clients that come to us, uh, with the intention of going to competitive tender, once we begin to start allowing them to think more reflectively about, the reasons to go to tender- Okay .... actually are far more comfortable with going with a closed door, uh, with a closed-door renegotiations. Yeah. But understanding what the upsides and, the, the, the implications are of both is really, really important because then you' need to take that as a business case back to the business and make sure that, you know, they, they are, they are, uh, aligned with those kind of key objectives. Yeah. Yeah. Um, generally speaking, uh, when you are trigging a, triggering a competitive tendering process, it' is normally because the relationship with your incumbent agency is, uh, fractured and ... Well, you see, one of two reasons. Either the relationship is, is very difficult to mend, or you have not been to market for a number of years and you are just genuinely, as a business, interested to see what innovations has taken place- Mm ... in, the industry and you wanna see, you wanna compare and com- and contrast different agency offerings. Yeah. Um, the closed-door tendering process can drive improved value, but normally it is when there are solid foundations within the client and the agency relationship and you are looking just to drive improvements and maybe modernize the way that you go to, to go to market. Yeah. Uh, really good. Well. listen, tho- ... And those are traditionally the routes to, market. And then in the last few years, we have had more advertisers, and it is really peak ... Well, it is starting to really kind of peak now, I think, in the last 12 months. Uh, advertisers then also saying there is some other driver where we' just need to wholesale pick up and move our tent- Yeah ... you know, and our business. Um, and ag- again, I think it is happening, in our experience, it is a lot more, again, a bit like the o- the old Media Palooza where it was very consolidating. You know- Mm ... in, uh, 10 years ago or so, a lot of accounts were fractured across different agencies and different geographies and that. Yeah. And, and there was an opportunity, as you say, a value creating opportunity to kind of consolidate into agencies, and they were very willing. The agencies wanted to consolidate more, and they offered certain very good incentive deals to advertisers. that. would put all of their media scope or sometimes- Sure ... all their media creative and everything i- in one company contract. Yeah. There is pros and cons of doing that- Hm ... we have discussed over the years. Um, then we have had a period of last five years where there has been a bit of fragmentation. We talked- Yeah. ... about fragmentation of scope, hiring different specialists, and that works to an extent. An advertiser has been bringing internally, building their internal capabilities, bringing some buying and decision-making in house. There has been this kind of hybrid, let us just figure out how. it works. Hm. Um, and then AI comes along- Yeah ... and that is really, I think created a, created a, like a fence down the middle of this, which is basically you have got to either decide to do that all yourself or you are gonna use agencies to do that kind of stuff. Mm-hmm. And so we are back into the wholesale should we' just get agencies to do everything? Yeah. And, this is, you know, if we are officially moving into ... I should put my little thing here, Lena, what are the implications. Hmm. Um, what are the implications? It is that' we are kind of in a consolidating world again. Yeah. However, it feels a bit more, uh, a little bit more constructive in the sense that- Yeah ... it is really focused on value creation and value generation. It is not a consolidate to find savings, as you s- as you said. Mm. It is not purely commercial. Um, and it is really about trying to find effectiveness of putting- Yeah ... all these things around. Which I think is fascinating Generally, in the market right now which is part- as we said was partly f- which has triggered Media Palooza, which is this agencies have really accelerated their offering and their capabilities. They have done a really good. job I think, the agencies so far. It is-- A lot of people are saying it is a bit smoke and mirrors- Mm ...and that. may be the case, right? And so we are yet to see really, the real, the real proof points and we are s- we are helpfully skeptical on behalf of our clients. Um, but they have done a very good job of telling advertisers that they cannot do without agencies. Yeah. You know? Year or two ago there were a few of us worried, you know, what the future of agencies was it was looking a bit like it is m- you know, quite a big threat. I remember- Mm ...I was, I was, you know, a couple of years ago meeting with agency leaders and they had not yet figured it out, and that was, that was gonna be a, a big concern to them, is actually if they had a role at all. Yeah. But here we are, you know, Media Palooza on its way, advertisers falling over themselves honestly to try- Yeah ....and get th- you know, hook up with the right agency - Yeah ...for them. Lock in for five years, go wholesale, big bet on a, an agency being the solution to their growth challenges and let us see. I mean, it should be a positive thing. Do you know what? Do you know the one word, and you, you kinda mentioned it there, Tom. The, the one word that sits at the heart of all of these discussions, that sits at the heart of every agency's proposition, that sits at the heart of every brand's ambitions, uh, the North Star, is, is growth. If you go and listen to the propositions of the big holding companies, the growth company, the growth mindset. Everybody is trying to articulate their unique ability to help an advertiser grow their business. Yeah. Drive growth within their business. And those agencies that are able to do that most successfully are the ones that will win- Yes ...in this because everybody wants growth. Ev- It is a, it ... We are all operating in a highly competitive kind of marketplace, and if you can convince me as a brand leader that working with you as an agency either in, in part or in wholesale, that you will help me deliver competitive advantage and drive my growth agenda- Yep ...I am, I am kinda, I am all in. Yeah. I am, I am in, right? Hmm. Yeah. Well, they are all saying it and now we have gotta see the proof now, but I th- But it is, it feels like advertisers are ... Which is good news for the agencies. I mean, it feels like advertisers are generally kinda tipping towards the hmm, let us try the agency. Maybe has not worked for the last 10 years. You know, we have not seen the growth honestly, given the trillion dollars a year that we are spending in- Yeah ...media and advertising compared to growth, to oth- in comparison to other things that are growing. Hm. Um, but let us see. That is a big bet. So okay, let us just kind of unpack some of the implications quickly. The first thing is, is what you said is that when you think about the last rushes of pitches that happened, they were very, you know, they were value focused- Yeah ...but that was very commercial focus. This was- Yeah ...about kind of savings reducing costs from consolidating lots of activity into single agency, and they gave an incentive to do that. There was like, you get a better financial deal. Now what is value is, is different. So what you are getting from an agency or what you are asking from an agency, you know, they have all, all the major a- major advertisers have already consolidated into one or two, you know, fewer agencies. They have realized that incentive, that economy of scale. Now it is a race to the top. We, in most cases hopefully that is what we try and engineer obviously in the, in the contracts that we facilitate between advertisers and agencies, is value is yes, really good discipline on commercial terms, really good p-competitive pricing. A lot of that is incentive based, so it is performance based so that there is, you know, it, it de-risks the advertiser's position. Things do not work out, they do not have to pay- Hm ...for stuff, which is great. Um, but also they, they are wanting to invest in agencies technology and capabilities to grow. Mm-hmm. And so that is changing the commercial model now. It is not just about savings, saving money, but, but also like what are we willing to invest for a return? And- Yeah ...agencies are very willing to, or more willing than ever let us say, to put their income somewhat at risk to an outcome that can be reliably measured and that is, you know ... There are some red flags that come with that because as we have said, advertisers will end up losing a bit of transparency, like where is my money going and what is it doing? Mm. If you just focus what comes out at the end of the sausage machine, you do not, you v- you kind of lose focus on actually what is going into the sausage- Yeah ...which you still need to know. Uh, however, having agencies burden some of the risk, having agencies be willing to be held to higher quality KPIs- Yeah ...which is what we have been advocates for, for the last 10, 15 years. Um, actual growth, actual results for customers then, then that is probably a good thing. I am listening to myself. Goon. Did not think we would be saying this. I mean, oh, you know, the, but, but you know, the, the agencies have done a pretty good job I think of generally- Yeah ...kind of, kind of positioned themselves as gr- as growth engines as you said. Um, the, but now they are, now they gotta deliver. Yeah. Um, the traditional pictures have kind of, uh, uh, uh, you know, been this race to the bottom and now we have got this high, high-value review and that is what this episode is really about. Is that,- Yeah ...that high-value review. Um, a couple of other implications and then let us get onto advice for marketers. Yeah. Um, w- When ... If you are going to market with a pitch and you are in Media Palooza, the, uh, the critical thing that we would be advocating Or you. If you came to us and we were helping you in that process, this is the kind of thing that you would hear from us, which is the actual s- you know, the scorecard really, I know it is a clumsy way of saying it, but the scorecard. Like what are we looking for? What do we want from agencies? How. are we going to evaluate it? Yeah. Um, how do we compare different agency capabilities? That stuff. That is the stuff that we are really, really good at, is helping advertisers differentiate between, okay? And help them in their evaluation of agencies. That stuff has gotta be really good going into- Yeah ... this because, um, the way that you evaluate agencies is not just on what is, you know, what is the price, uh, like it was. It is, it is m- more nuanced and, and more specific. Um, and the only other thing I would say is that there is so much going on. Yeah. Uh, y- where a lot of advertisers come to us now asking, you know, pre, pre us talking about Media Palooza, um, to say, 'What should we be thinking for next year?' The, uh, the primary thing is, like do nothing is really not an option. You have got to have a point of view, at the very least, on what you are gonna do. It is going to be a let us renegotiate with agencies. Yeah. Um, let us reestablish terms with our incumbent. We l- we are very happy. Okay, great. Let us just upgrade your current position. Okay, we wanna see what else is out there. Okay, well let us facilitate that for you so it does not have to be a full-on review. Or, okay, we definitely need to pitch because our needs have changed or whatever it is gonna be, or we, we, you know, we ha- we have to, we have to. Um, in which case go to full competitive review. Yeah. Um, but d- kind of doing nothing and waiting and seeing is not really a good option. Everyone else is gonna move forward and you will be stuck where you are probably. Um, okay. Can we talk on some of the implications? I would ... Just wanted to flag for those that are watching, um, you have probably seen this week, it is another story, David, where you and I went, 'Oh my God,' like this is, this is, this is really amazing. This is, uh, Pepsi have ... Maybe I will, I will let you explain what it is. But we- we have got a ... We have got, we are gonna do a special episode arent we, next Tuesday? Yeah. We are gonna do a live episode just talking about Pepsi and the kind of masterful chess move- Yeah ... they have just made- Yeah. We- ... change the rules. Uh, I mean, we- you and I have been leading ID Comms for 17 years, and I have been in media for a lot longer than that, and I do not think I have ever been more, uh, surprised and amazed by a brand's strategic move as I have been, uh, based on what Pepsico have done over the last- Yep .... week or so when God knows how long it has taken them to k- build to that. Um, but they have, uh, shifted lock, stock, and 15 barrels- ..... uh, from Omnicom, which has been their agency of record for two decades- Yup ... into Publicis Media or Publicis Groupe- Yup ... without a tendering process, without a competitive tendering process. Uh, and as part of that process they have encouraged Publicis Groupe to withdraw themselves from the competitive tender that they were in against WPP Media to win the Coca-Cola business. Yeah. So fetching Coca-Cola. Yeah. Uh, and so in one foul swoop they have, uh, left Omnicom, gone in with Publicis, and Publicis have removed themselves from the Coca-Cola pitch. Mm. Uh, and I do not think I have ever known anything quite so, um, seismic in terms of, uh, kinda media play. Not least because it is Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Yeah. The two- Mm-hmm ... largest, most competitive FMCG businesses in the world. Mm. Uh, and right in the middle of Media Palooza. So we are gonna unpick it properly- Yeah ... but it is, it is bonkers with bells on. Yeah. Yeah. And you got some good views on this. David's, David's, um, you know, uh, you know, you have got, you have got a lot of kind of interest in, in this category. Um- Well, I used to work for Coca-Cola apart- Yeah ... from anything else. I mean, not least because, because of my personal connection with one of the brands. And not that I have anything to do with either of those brands now, but, but my, uh, my previous working relationship with Coca-Cola made it very interesting, that whole dynamic, that competitive dynamism between- Yeah .. the two, the two competing businesses. And it is threading a needle. I mean, it just, it just, it just, the ... Anyway, we will talk about it on Tuesday. W- you can tell our excitement's bubbling anyway. . Uh, Tuesday 11:00 AM Eastern, we will do- Yeah ... a live show just dedicated to the, to the, to the Pepsi/Publicis deal. Uh, we will unpick it all. There has been lots of commentary on it. We are gonna kinda tell you how it happened, what, you know, w- why it happened, why it is really interesting. Um, so join us for that. We will, um, we will be reaching out to you. Uh, subscribe if you- Yeah ... are not. Okay. So for the, for the kind of rest of us mere mortals, let us say out, out here who, uh, then th-are thinking back on a kind of Media Palooza thing- Yeah ... Pepsi's just swooped in and, uh, got, got, got all the value off the table. Um, and maybe taking P- maybe taking Publicis out of the game for a few months, uh, certainly. But other advertisers are gonna be thinking this is another disruption, but- Yeah ... what, what should they, what should they be thinking about now Okay. So, so if, if a business is considering going to market at the moment, either in this quarter, this year or, you know, the first half of next year, uh, there is a couple of key considerations that I think they need to make. The first is, as we have talked about, that decision. W- what is the right strategic play? Are you gonna go to competitive tender and, uh, hopefully secure more value, see what the market has to offer, or are you gonna go and conduct a slightly more considered discreet, uh, engagement with your current incumbent agency to try and improve, uh, the ways of working and the commercial terms there? Understanding what is the right route for you is absolutely critical. Generally speaking, if you are happy with your incumbent agency and you are just simply looking to, uh, improved the deal or improve the ways of working, then a, a renegotiation is often the right solution. Yeah. If you are looking to find something very different from the media agency, not ju- the media agency marketplace, not just for now, but also for the next three years, then a competitive tender is probably the right solution for you. Yeah. Bearing in mind that this is a congested marketplace, and which brings me onto my next point. Yep. Yeah. So if you decide that you are gonna go to competitive tender, the next critical decision that you need to make is who you are gonna invite and how you are going to make them, the agencies I mean- Mm-hmm ... how are you gonna make the agency candidate list want to exert effort on your pitch when there is lots going on, when you are bedding in a, a carbonated soft drink business globally. When you are fighting on one front trying to protect an automotive account, when you are-- You have got three or four different interesting strategic briefs on your table, how do you make that agency CEO wanna work on your brief? That is really, really important. So the, the second most important decision that you have to make is how are you gonna seduce, how are you gonna inspire, and how are you gonna motivate the agency community to want to work on your pitch, on your- Yeah ... on your brief. That is the second thing. Once you have got reassurance that they are in, then you and Yasmina talked about the power of the brief. Investing effort, time, consideration on making that brief as powerful and as motivating as possible. That is the third thing. And then the fourth thing is evaluation criteria. Making sure that you have got an objective evaluation criteria that is aligned internally, procurement, finance, marketing, media, all of the key stakeholders are aligned behind how you will be evaluating the agency's performance through that kind of process. Yeah. That has to be objective, that has to be locked in because there can be no debate or discussion at the end of the process. You have gotta, you have gotta be really clear as to what that looks like. And then the f-fourth or fifth one, I cannot remember what numbers I am at, but the final one, which is really kind of im- Fourth yeah ... is really important is, um, is kind of transparency to the agency. A, a, a brilliant new business director from one of the big agencies said to me, uh, he gave me the best piece of advice that I think I have heard about five years ago. And he said to me, 'Transparency is motivation.' Those, those simple words. Be as transparent, be as clear as you can possibly be to the agency community as to what you are looking for from an agency partner- Sure .... in every form of communication throughout the process, and that will motivate them to wanna do their, their very best work. So that would be the final piece of advice that I would give. Awesome. Very good. Uh, just a quick reminder to everybody that, um, two quick things. There is-- One is that if you are in the market and you are thinking about a pitch, go to FiveFigurePitch.com. That is, uh, that will kinda direct you to the right resources that, of a fixed price, full agency pitch that we run. Um, it runs in five weeks basically. We engage agencies for five weeks. Uh, it is really kind of what you need. In a Media Palooza, you do not want this kind of like fast lean, really focused pitch process. You cannot mess about. Uh, we do it for a five figure price tag as well. So, uh, go to FiveFigurePitch.com and kind of start to, uh, you know, build your own pitch. Speak to us if you want to about that. We would love to help. Um, the final thing I almost wanna say is m- is more of a, just a ... Wanna pay tribute, uh, to a good friend of MediaSnack, and that is, uh, Bill Duggan, who this week officially kind of stepped back from his immense role that he is, he is played for the Association of National Advertisers. So, uh, Bill has been senior vice president of the ANA for a long time. Everybody, uh, who has been any- anything to do with the ANA or involved as a member or attended any conference will know Bill and the contribution that he has made. Um, uh, he officially retired at the end of August, so this week. Uh, I think Bill holds a, a badge of honor as being the most frequent guest on our show actually over the years. I think he has been on like four or five times. It is-- But that is testament to the, to the view that he has on the industry and the, and the influence he has and the, and the expertise he can offer. Um, and so he is-- We do not have a Hall of Fame, but if he was then he would be the inaugural kind of Hall of Fame member. So Bill, thank you. Uh, he has been a tireless advocate for marketers. He shined lights into these murky media supply chains, all of th- that comes from, from his passion and enthusiasm, uh, to try to help marketers, you know, be better. Um, and I think even on his last day, he sent us a, 'Here is, uh, here is our-- Here is my latest report on influencer marketing.' So t- to the, to the very end, um, you know, was adding value. So, uh, I know you are not leaving entirely, Bill, but, uh, this-- we are gonna miss you massively and huge credit and tribute to you and the impact that you have had on the business, so thank you so much. Well said. Uh, very good. Okay, and that is all for this week. Join us on Tuesday 11:00 AM. P- Why Pepsi's chess move was so masterful. We are gonna unpack that. Uh, subscribe to the show and then we will see you next time on MediaSnack Live. See you next week. Cheers. Thanks for watching MediaSnack Live. If you found it helpful and want to learn more, head to IDComms.com to get more tips, tools, and resources to help you get good at media. We will see you next week

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