Payment by results is just good marketing

5 November 2009

Having read Antti Ohrling’s response to the report of Procter & Gamble’s switch to rewarding publishers for consumer engagement (nma 22 October 2009), I feel the crux of the argument is about brands ensuring they get what they pay for.

P&G’s move is about the role agencies play. Agencies are sales people. We’re paid to shift things: products, perceptions, brand loyalty and, yes, our own product, be that media or creativity. In short, we’re paid to generate engagement for our clients. This can be as simple as visiting a website or as focused and results-driven as generating a sale. Either way, every brand under the sun is looking for engagement with their target audience.

That said, 99% of all marketing communication is at best forgotten and at worst goes completely unnoticed. So who’s at fault? It has to be us, the agencies. For all our moans about demanding, pig-headed clients, we have a duty to ensure their businesses stand out.

What P&G’s approach to media buying will do is sort the wheat from the chaff. Those agencies that have got by selling their clients lazy ideas and rehashed media strategies will, and should, fall by the wayside. Those that are willing to give the client what they’ve paid for - real consumer engagement -will thrive. All that remains is for agencies and clients to define how they measure this engagement. And for that, no medium is better placed than digital.