10 things...

1. Attention

You pay 100% of the bill so you should get 100% of the attention you deserve. Make sure you are getting what you pay for.

2. Transparency

Should be automatic you’d think, but actually it's not always a given. Let's face it AVBs are real! (Even though they’re harder to track down than people who voted for the Nats in the 80s.) Have an honest conversation about value and benefits.

3. Senior servicing

What’s the point of hiring a consulting media service and then not getting higher level input? If you know as much as your strategist, or even more (God forbid), then you’ve got a serious problem!

4. Innovation

Media is not a commodity and clever media can go a very long way. Yes, media can be very clever! It’s not only 25-year-olds in sneakers that have great ideas!

5. Business intelligence

Definitely a two way street with input from both sides.

6. ROI, efficiency and effectiveness

The role of media is to bring the cost of marketing down, and business return up through smarter and more effective media.

7. Integration

If you’re not getting one revert in one place, and are still relying on a strategy pieced together from different sources, then you’re either at the wrong place, or you are trapped in a 90’s media time warp!

8. Strategic direction

Yep, should be par for the course. Unfortunately, not all media strategists are media strategists.

9. Digitally sound

This plays a big part in future-proofing your business so take it very seriously. Many agencies talk this but not many do this properly. Are you stuck in a Facebook loop, where all roads lead to Facebook?

10. Relationship

Challenge, debate, interrogate. A solid partnership is critical. Find an agency that pushes to do the right thing and not just what they are told.

Remember clients always get the media agency they deserve.