17617: On The White House & White Advertising Agencies, Part 11.

 

More About Advertising reported President Donald J. Trump aired a self-promotional video, prompting accusations that government funds were used to pay for a campaign advertisement.

The White House defended the video with a variety of legal and arguably looney responses.

It appears Trump is like the client—or White advertising agency—who greenlights executions without running concepts through the legal department.

Then again, maybe Trump is campaigning for a White Man Of The Year repeat.

Trump accused of using government funds for campaign advert

By Emma Hall

Only six weeks before the US midterm elections, President Trump has aired an ad providing a highlight reel of his second term and a promise that America will never be a communist country. The soundtrack repeats the words “Love me” over and over.

The controversial bit comes with the text overlay, “Paid for by the US government,” coupled with the timing – six weeks ahead of the critical mid-term elections. The White House denies using government funds to pay for a campaign ad, claiming that the work is a celebration of Trump and acts “as a reminder for Americans to love their country and know why it’s worth defending – at home, at the border, and abroad.”

The sped-up clips apparently include some of Trump’s signature moments like the US military raid on Venezuela, hosting a state dinner for Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, and accepting the FIFA peace prize, and pardoning a turkey.

The White House claims the ad is not campaigning and that “patriotism isn’t partisan,” but here he is boasting about his second-term achievements including tax cuts, manufacturing growth, and improved law and order. The broadcast version also features Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, saying “he is the toughest, most resilient human being I have ever met in my life.”

Albanian-American singer JMSN, who wrote and performed the song “Love me,” says he is “looking at lawyers” due to the unauthorised use of his work.

Further defence from the White House references Obama’s ads to promote Obamacare and Biden’s “We can do this” public health campaign. As Trump’s second term unfolds, it looks increasingly like he’s taking an ongoing trajectory to its logical extreme – and no one can stop him.

17615: On Escalating The Exclusivity Of Account Reviews In Adland.

 

Advertising Age spotlighted a twist on account assignments, whereby a brand charged its White media agency to conduct a creative review for its first White advertising agency.

Or was it really a twist? It’s not the first time a pitch turned into an exclusive, closed, and clandestine affair—although the scenario offered an uncommon maneuver to maintain the status quo in Adland.

The brand is Humann. Yet the new partnerships appear to favor White humans.

P.S. to Humann: Your self-hype boasts being “The trusted name in cardiovascular health.” Research shows people of color in the US are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and poor disease outcomes. Did you choose the best media and advertising partners to reach such critical audiences?

How media agency Eden Collective conducted a creative review for one of its clients

By Brian Bonilla

When cardiovascular-health supplement company Humann went looking for its first creative agency of record late last year, it did not hire a consultant or issue a request for proposal. Instead, it took the unusual step of asking its media agency, Eden Collective, to conduct the search.

Launched in 2009, Humann built its business around a supplement called SuperBeets that supports healthy blood pressure. The company has seen strong growth lately, expanding from a limited retail presence to more than 180,000 points of distribution in the past 20 or so months, said CEO and co-founder Joel Kocher. Humann is also diversifying into cardiovascular health more broadly, with cholesterol, blood sugar, omega and CoQ10 products.

“Our aspirations changed. Our ambitions changed. So naturally, the way you run your business has to change along with that,” Kocher said.

Eden was managing Humann’s media when Kocher began reconsidering the company’s in-house creative model. When he laid out his ambitions to Eden CEO and founder Alison Monk over coffee in New York, she was frank: “I don’t think you’re going to get there without an ad agency; a creative agency that can deliver the goods,” she recalled telling Kocher.

Monk initially suggested hiring a search expert. But Kocher persuaded Eden, which it had already entrusted with its strategy and business data, to lead the assignment. (Eden was hired as Humann’s media AOR in February after previously working on a project basis.)

How the process worked

That coffee meeting led to a four-week process that replaced lengthy questionnaires and rounds of pitching with a detailed video briefing and two primary interactions: an initial chemistry meeting designed to become a working session, followed by an in-person presentation by the finalists.

Six independent agencies were initially invited before the field was narrowed to three, with Humann ultimately selecting independent agency WorkInProgress as its creative AOR. Kocher declined to identify the other contenders.

Monk, who felt up to the task because she also spent much of her career on the creative agency side at shops including Grey and Digitas, said the review’s scope was intentionally broad because Humann hadn’t yet determined if it was looking for a long-term creative agency or a shorter-term solution.

“It was an amorphous ask: What do we need?” Monk said. “So we went through a range, and Joel and I sat down and said, ‘OK, let’s look at a couple of folks that skew more project-based, and let’s also look at deeper, more AOR-like partners.’”

The review began in mid-December with a mandate to reach a decision by February, ahead of Humann’s planned retail launch of a broader cardiovascular product suite in April. Monk said Humann’s executives spent “dozens, if not 100 hours” preparing for the process.

Rather than ask agencies to complete what Monk called a “27,000-page RFI,” Eden sent agencies a video featuring Kocher and his executive team, along with supporting materials.

The extensive briefing covered Humann’s history, its origins from research conducted at the University of Texas, its Nobel Prize-winning scientific roots, and information on how nitric oxide—a key ingredient in its products—works. It also detailed the brand’s past creative, evolution from direct-to-consumer to Amazon and retail, recent packaging redesign, consumer research and customer profiles, product expansion, media strategy and competitive landscape.

Agencies had one week to review the material before a two-hour meeting with the company.

“It was a chemistry meeting, but it became a work session because of the information we were given,” said Evan Russack, co-founder and partner at WorkInProgress. “As an agency, we value those moments deeply because they allow us to ask a variety of questions—important backgrounders—but also to determine if this is right for the agency.”

Russack said the video conveyed the leadership team’s personality, passion and communication style while giving agencies unusual access to Humann’s founder and CEO from the outset.

“It was really helpful that a media agency was running the pitch, because we typically have a ton of questions related to media, and we were able to get them all answered,” Russack said.

Each of the three finalists received a $15,000 stipend. WorkInProgress used the money to research consumers’ relationship with the supplement category, then incorporated the findings into its communications strategy and creative, Russack said.

Why WorkInProgress won the pitch

To Monk, WorkInProgress stood out for its “funnel fluency” across different marketing needs. Specifically, she was looking for shops that understood the difference between what she called “salesmanship” versus “showmanship.”

“Brands with high awareness can do more showmanship and only focus on entertainment, because they don’t have to explain who they are and what they do,” Monk said. “We’re talking about a complex product in a quickly commoditized category, with lower-quality value players nipping at their heels.”

The strategic challenge was to make cardiovascular health relevant beyond older consumers or people already managing a medical condition. Humann also sought to differentiate itself in a supplement category where Kocher said few companies have meaningful clinical science. That said, he acknowledged that the company had “over-rotated on science” with previous creative focused on testimonials, especially from doctors and researchers.

All participating agencies argued Humann needed a stronger emotional connection with consumers, Kocher said.

“Our formula was: give me a point of relevancy, give me a benefit—a reason to care. Then give me the science. Then make it credible,” Russack said.

For Kocher, the defining moment came about 10 minutes into the first meeting, when he asked how the agency views the brand. WorkInProgress Creative Director Josh Shelton responded by characterizing Humann’s existing brand personality as “cool Cheerios.” Kocher embraced the comment, which he recognized as “ostensibly an insult,” because it defined the brand as a management tool for an existing condition rather than one relevant to consumers who think proactively about wellness, longevity and performance.

“I thought, ‘Finally, someone had the guts to call it for what it was,’” Kocher said. “For me, that was the defining moment. I’d made up my mind right then. Ten minutes in, it was game over.”

Kocher actually bought a box of Cheerios that he planned to send the agency—but WorkInProgress beat him to it. Two days after the meeting, a package arrived at Humann via FedEx, with Cheerios boxes decorated with what Kocher described as “cool Ray-Ban shades” stickers.

The process also convinced Kocher that Humann needed an AOR rather than a project shop.

The first campaign, backed by an investment “approaching $50 million,” according to Kocher, will break in early October.

Monk said Eden does not intend to turn agency reviews into a business line. Its role grew from its knowledge of Humann and its position as a strategic marketing partner, she said.

Russack had not previously encountered a creative review run by a media agency, but said he wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes more common.

“We’re all looking for really good partners who have subject-matter expertise we don’t possess, and have a working style that matches ours so we can deliver results for brands,” he said.

17613: KFC = Kyiv Fried Chicken…?

 

This KFC campaign—explained below—emphasizes even White advertising agencies in Ukraine love hip hop.

In August, KFC launched a new street food menu called “Street Beat,” featuring shawarma, hot dogs, Bessarabian placinda, and a bunch of other delicious dishes. The agency idealer$ was responsible for developing the project’s communication concept. The creatives decided to break KFC’s usual advertising rules. The campaign doesn’t invite people to restaurants; instead, it encourages them to head outdoors — to work up an appetite and enjoy the summer vibes and breathtaking views.

Especially for the launch of “Street Beat”, one of the country’s most popular musicians, MONATIK, recorded a sizzling hit of the same name, for which a music video was filmed during a particularly hot day in Kyiv. The music video became the basis for the street food line’s commercial, which is already airing on TV.

Working side by side with MONATIK on the project and the track’s composition were KFC’s new ambassadors — Bogdan Cooper and Sasha Bardachenko. These young talents emerged as the winners of KFC’s nationwide casting call, “Club of Fantastic Flavors”. Their musical talents, on-camera presence, and ability to create content truly shone during filming. Together with the star performer, they showcased “Street Beat” not only in the music video but also on billboards and citylights across all major cities in Ukraine.

A unique feature of the new “Street Beat” menu is that it’s convenient to enjoy on the go. To emphasize this, instead of the usual photos of dishes, the campaign showed how perfectly lemonade, fries, and even shawarma fit in your hands. These images are already featured on the menus at the restaurants’ digital kiosks and in the KFC app, as well as adorning subway and tram cars throughout the Ukrainian capital.

Ukrainians will be able to step outside — rather than staying indoors — to experience KFC’s new flavor in all its glory for a limited time — through the end of September.

17604: Continuing Cola Wars Craziness.

 

More About Advertising opined on Ogilvy scoring a Coca-Cola European football project via a pitch featuring WPP Open X (presumably led by Ogilvy), Publicis’ Le Pub, Studio.One (led by former AKQA CEO Ajaz Ahmed), and Uncommon Creative Studio (co-founded by former Grey London Chairman and CCO Nils Leonard).

Was the pitch underway before Publicis Groupe landed PepsiCo global media duties?

Given WPP Open X was invented to solely serve Coke, facing competition from outsider enterprises does not seem to reflect favorably on the single White operating company and its offerings.

The scenario also indicates an industry shift, whereby reviews for major chunks of business are not necessarily closed affairs, exclusive privileges available only to a handful of White holding companies. Although it still involves cronyism and entitled relationships.

In the end, the self-proclaimed Trusted Growth Partner For The World’s Leading Brands hasn’t gained trust, realized growth, or been a partner for any brand in the world—and the global flaming dumpster now competes against ex-employees for assignments.

Coke goes great with humble pie.

More Coke pitches: this time Ogilvy’s on top

By Stephen Foster

They do love their pitches at Coca-Cola despite the creative part of the giant account supposedly safely harboured at WPP. This time it’s a WPP team led by Ogilvy reportedly winning a European football brief in a pitch against Publicis’ Le Pub (which handles Heineken), Ajaz Ahmed’s new Studio.One and Uncommon Creative Studio (there are nearly as many studios these days as pitches.)

Coke has invested heavily in football with some lively campaigns although this seems to be the first time it’s been a separate project. Coca-Cola is an official sponsor of the Premier League in the UK.

Nobody’s saying anything on the record but it’s an interesting pitch. Studio.One, the new creative company formed by former AKQA boss Ajaz Ahmed has already picked up a Christmas assignment from Coke. Ogilvy has won (or retained) a number of Coke assignments recently and seems to be the lead agency on WPP Open X work. Must be frustrating, not to say exhausting, having to keep repeating yourself though.

17593: On Zapping Callaway And Good Good Golf.

Adweek published more seemingly self-promotional schadenfreude from the Chief Marketing Officer of Zappi, who threw her sanctimonious soapbox at Callaway and Good Good Golf for their misogynistic marketing.

The author made one semi-insightful point: “The problem is that the infrastructure hasn’t kept up. Brands are producing more content, across more platforms, with more partners, for more audiences. The old model of heavily researching a few major campaigns wasn’t built for hundreds of smaller decisions.”

This is followed by shameless self-promotion, as the CMO presents Zappi AI services as capable of screening content quickly and efficiently.

There are key flaws in the proposal.

First, the old model never heavily researched a few major campaigns—at least not through a culturally competent lens. Indeed, work was evaluated with an exclusive, predominately White perspective.

Second, AI has already been called out for its cultural cluelessness. The real problem in this area involves technology and algorithms created with an exclusive, predominately White perspective.

Third, the root problem—which Adland has absolutely failed to address for at least 75 years—is the global DEIBA+ issue. That is, White advertising agencies—and companies like Zappi—perpetuate an exclusive, predominately White perspective.

The problem is that the infrastructure is built on systemic racism.

Callaway and Good Good’s Ad Was So Bad, Even AI Audiences Sounded the Alarm

Callaway and Good Good are arguing about approval, but should be arguing about why no process existed to flag the video before it aired

By Nataly Kelly

You know the clip by now. Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark shoves fellow creator Alexis Miestowski to the ground as she reaches for his new Callaway driver. He stands over her and tells her not to touch it.

The ad is gone. So is the partnership. 

Retailers pulled Good Good merchandise, the company withdrew as title sponsor of a PGA Tour event, while Callaway pledged $1 million to organizations working to prevent violence against women in an effort to wash away the controversy. 

And the entire public argument is about approval. Callaway CEO Chip Brewer says the video was produced by Good Good but signed off by Callaway, and that “that approval should have never happened.” 

On Friday morning, Good Good CEO Matt Kendrick broke an 11-year Twitter silence at 3:38 a.m. to accuse Callaway of asking for the ad, approving it, then dropping his company in a “coordinated media blitz.” Asked whether he’d sue, he replied: “Not opposed.”

Both men are addressing the wrong questions. It’s not about who approved the ad; it’s how nobody and no process stopped it before it went live, when the tools to catch the warning signs cost less than the driver they’re selling. 

The story is much bigger than just one terrible ad

We’ve entered a dynamic where brands and creators need each other. Brands need creators to reach communities they can’t, while creators need to monetize their audiences.

That relationship comes with risk, as brands put decades or centuries of hard-earned equity into the hands of culturally nimble third parties, and ask them to translate it for new audiences. That’s inherently risky. It’s also increasingly necessary.

Creators aren’t the problem. The problem is that the infrastructure hasn’t kept up. Brands are producing more content, across more platforms, with more partners, for more audiences. The old model of heavily researching a few major campaigns wasn’t built for hundreds of smaller decisions.

An ad so bad even AI frowned upon it

The frustrating thing about the Good Good ad is that the warning signs weren’t particularly difficult to find. We tested the ad after it was pulled, first with U.S. consumers. It performed significantly below advertising norms on appeal, likelihood to drive behavior, brand fit, relevance, believability, and attention.

More telling was the reaction underneath those scores. Nearly one-third said there was something offensive, unpleasant, or disturbing about the ad. Shock was eight times higher than our norm. 

But let’s assume the Good Good and Callaway teams involved didn’t have the time, resources, or know-how to commission a traditional market research study for one piece of creator content. Fair enough. They at least could have tested the ad with AI.

So that’s what we did at Zappi. We ran the creative past 150 AI synthetic respondents trained on real consumer response data. We had answers back in just minutes. The ad received the lowest possible score (1/5) and even synthetic respondents could spot the warning signs about the content of the ad. Its recommendation, in hindsight, is almost unbearable to read: “Soften or clarify the physical moment so it reads as playful rather than awkward.”

Testing with humans allows you to feel the fire and know exactly how hot it was. But AI was a smoke detector that, if it had only been in place, would have told people to look more closely before the brand equity went down in flames.

Now, to be very clear, AI should never be the cultural arbiter deciding what’s acceptable, but when content moves faster than the infrastructure legacy brands have at their disposal, it can be an incredibly helpful early warning system that tells a human when something deserves a second look. 

What brand leaders should take from this

Who’s at fault here? Everybody involved. Who can learn from it? Marketers. Agencies. All of us.

Creator partnerships and the creator economy aren’t going away. Neither is the pressure to produce more content, faster, for increasingly fragmented audiences.

Brands need creators, and creators need brands. Both need better guardrails, frankly, to cover their own (brand) asse(t)s. 

For brands, those guardrails protect hard-earned equity. For creators, they protect the livelihood and audience they’ve spent years building. The lesson isn’t to slow creator marketing down until it resembles traditional advertising. It’s to build processes capable of moving just as fast as the media they’re meant to govern. And in this not-so-new reality, what the Callaway scandal makes clear is that AI already has an important role to play, but that many brands remain behind the curve.

17592: Labor Day 2026 In Adland.

 

In many ways, Labor Day 2026 in Adland isn’t much different than last year. Feel free to re-read the 2025 post.

Yet as AI continues to dominate the collective conversation and consciousness, the drama has accelerated along with a lack of empathy and surfeit of indifference.

Celebrating the social and economic achievements of American workers is tough while thousands are being terminated because of radical restructuring and global accounts shifting between a limited, exclusive pool of White holding companies—many of which are based abroad.

White holding companies and White advertising agencies seek to do more with less; that is, more outcomes-based remunerated work with less White people.

Enjoy the holiday.

17587: PepsiCo Takes Cola Wars To Global Scale.

 

Adweek reported PepsiCo handed its global media account to Publicis Groupe sans a formal pitch.

Did Publicis Groupe outdo incumbent Omnicom in terms of Corporate Cultural Collusion? Omnicom has been the standard-bearer for that maneuver—especially with PepsiCo.

The appointment prompted Publicis Groupe to withdraw from a global review for Coca-Cola media, data, and technology—which probably has WPP breathing a sigh of relief, as the single White operating company likely would’ve lost at least some of the Coke business.

Shifting global media duties to Publicis Groupe was not tied at all to the PepsiCo global review for AI transformation. Maybe a competitor in that pitch will persuade PepsiCo its media can be executed via AI, effectively negating the French holding company’s victory.

The entire spectacle underscores how serving global brands are closed affairs, exclusive privileges available only to a handful of White holding companies.

Rarely discussed is the impact on countless drones at White advertising agencies and White media firms whose livelihoods are lost without advance notice.

Far less consideration is given to non-White advertising agencies, even though Pepsi pioneered multicultural marketing through the iconic accomplishments of Eric F. Boyd.

Today’s Cola Wars create casualties on a global scale.

Publicis Lands PepsiCo’s Global Media Business, Withdraws From Coke Pitch

As the CPG unifies its media account under Publicis Groupe, a source told ADWEEK it will withdraw from Coca-Cola’s global media pitch

By Rebecca Stewart

PepsiCo has chosen Publicis Groupe to handle its global media account, the CPG confirmed to ADWEEK.

The appointment will see the French holdco build a new media model underpinned by AI and data, uniting strategy, planning, activation, connected identity, and technology under one roof.

The “One PepsiCo” model will serve the brand’s entire portfolio, including Pepsi, Gatorade, and Lay’s, in more than 200 markets.

Per its latest annual report, PepsiCo spent $5.4 billion on marketing activities in 2025, with $3.4 billion of that total going toward advertising.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the PepsiCo appointment will prompt Publicis to withdraw from the ongoing pitch for the remainder of Coca-Cola’s global media business. MediaSense is handling that review, which has previously been estimated to be worth around $4 billion.

Publicis, which already handles Coca-Cola’s media account in the U.S. and Canada, declined to comment.

A new model

Publicis’ appointment as PepsiCo’s exclusive lead global media partner will displace U.S. rival Omnicom, whose OMD network has held the account in key markets, including the U.S. and U.K., for more than two decades.

A PepsiCo spokesperson told ADWEEK that Omnicom will remain a “critical strategic partner” across many creative, sports, and PR briefs. Omnicom declined to comment.

Publicis has previously worked with PepsiCo in markets including China, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and parts of Eastern Europe.

ADWEEK understands there was no pitch for PepsiCo’s media account, and that Publicis was appointed following a media capabilities review.

In a statement, the soda and snack maker said its new media model will help it deliver “more relevant consumer connections” and make “smarter marketing decisions” across paid, earned, and shared media.

PepsiCo is currently running a separate global review focused on broader AI marketing transformation and capabilities.

It was previously reported that Omnicom, Accenture, Deloitte, and Publicis Groupe’s Sapient unit were competing for the AI brief.

17584: AD + CW + ACD + CD @ VML + WPP = WTF.

This actual job listing—along with numerous listings promoting other roles—seeks a Creative Director for VML, underscoring how the White advertising agency within global flaming dumpster WPP should be avoided by applicants at all costs.

VML and WPP have collectively released thousands of employees in recent times, announcing that additional worldwide downsizing is planned. So, why the hell are they recruiting? Seeing job listings during constant and impending layoffs is not exactly a morale booster.

The entry includes:

“VML is a leading creative company that combines brand experience, customer experience, and commerce, creating connected brands to drive growth. VML is celebrated for its innovative and award-winning human-first work for clients including AstraZeneca, Colgate-Palmolive, Dell, Ford, Microsoft, Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Wendy’s.”

Um, the client status of Coca-Cola and Wendy’s is pending.

The entry also states:

“We are looking for a hands-on, visionary Creative Director, Copy to join a tight-knit team dedicated to elevating our creative output. This role is designed for a true maker and master of the written word — someone who is genuinely passionate about television, film, and the craft of writing for the screen.”

Are these AI-generated generic descriptors? Most hiring managers demand candidates fill specific roles and requirements—right down to having relevant brand and category experience for the position.

Or is this exercise satisfying performative DEIBA+ initiatives? White advertising agencies often posted fake job listings to claim offering opportunities to minorities and underrepresented groups. Although such tactics have almost disappeared given the current anti-DEIBA+ vibe in Adland.

The single White operating company boasting to be the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands should consider being the trusted employer for its worldwide workforce.

17578: Another Perspective On Whistleblowers In Adland.

MediaPost published a perspective on the WPP whistleblower lawsuit that made one significant point:

Don’t rely on agency self-reporting. Demand log-level data for programmatic buys and contractually insist on third-party audits for all barter or non-transparent arrangements. If an agency claims an inventory pool isn’t auditable, treat that as a red flag.

This notion could be directly applied to the history of DEIBA+ in Adland.

That is, White advertising agencies cannot be trusted with self-reporting, as firms often inflated representation figures by counting minority employees like janitorial maintenance, security, and cafeteria workers.

Additionally, White advertising agencies cannot be trusted with self-regulation, as firms routinely engage in performative propaganda, heat shields, and delegating diversity.

Alas, no one ever succeeded in demanding third-party audits—or disputing White advertising agencies’ classic excuses for non-compliance, lack of commitment, and absence of accountability. Forget red flags—White flags are the weapon of choice.

BTW iconic DEIBA+ whistleblowers in Adland were never able to pursue a $100 million lawsuit.

The WPP scenario exposes schemes involving media, which mirrors Adland’s duplicity involving minorities.

The Foster Whistleblower Case: How Holdco Culture Enabled WPP’s $350M Mess

By Maarten Albarda, Featured Contributor

It has been a week of legal fireworks, relevant to day-to-day marketing management. No, I am not (yet) commenting on the federal trial brought by 29 U.S. states accusing Meta of designing manipulative features that addict children and harm teen mental health on Facebook and Instagram. That trial is underway in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland.

I am talking about Richard Foster’s $100 million wrongful termination and retaliation lawsuit against WPP, playing out in the Supreme Court of the State of New York.

The latest legal filings in this suit against WPP make for grim reading. Internal audit details from Sony allege undisclosed markups, shell brokers used as financial warehouses, and missing rebates disguised as principal media buying in China.

To understand the scope, let’s understand what happened. A 2023 Chinese government probe into GroupM (now WPP Media) executives over kickbacks led to criminal convictions. And now we learn that a Sony investigation alleges that WPP used 47 shell brokers to improperly retain $350 million in client rebates in 2024 alone. GroupM allegedly passed off proprietary media deals to launder those funds into corporate profit while pitching artificial “80% discounts” to clients.

I don’t think you can hold WPP corporate fully responsible for the rogue mechanics of a local scam. The individuals in China clearly acted for their own personal enrichment in a market where opacity is sadly often standard procedure.

Still, WPP corporate does not get off scot-free. It clearly missed the mark in governance. By aggressively pushing principal media trading across its network to juice corporate margins, WPP’s leadership set the tone at the top. They created an environment where local executives were guided into pursuing principal media income to bolster agency performance (and with that, their personal performance score).

If I were a juror on the Foster case, I’d view the Sony findings as a crucial signal. They show WPP built a culture where principal-beneficial buying was incentivized, leaving the back door wide open for local leadership to take it to extreme levels.

Which raises the question every marketer should ask: How many other “Chinas” exist in agency holding company networks? And why did it take a client audit by Sony to expose this?

It’s fair to say (again) that marketers should stop treating principal media as a harmless discount. When your agency buys inventory upfront and resells it to you, they aren’t your fiduciary agent anymore. They’re a vendor selling goods they own. If you don’t know the exact markup, you’re funding their profit margins (and executive bonuses).

To prevent this from happening, you should require explicit opt-outs for proprietary or non-transparent media, unless your C-suite approves a written business case. Demand clear visibility into media flowcharts and mandate proof-of-performance data down to a detailed performance level (and compare/contrast that against “normal” performance for “normal” paid media buys).

Don’t rely on agency self-reporting. Demand log-level data for programmatic buys and contractually insist on third-party audits for all barter or non-transparent arrangements. If an agency claims an inventory pool isn’t auditable, treat that as a red flag.

The agency model is shifting. Agencies need profit, but you need transparency. Set the rules in your contract now, or your media dollars will end up paying someone else’s bonus.