Glossary A–ZLetter M
Media agency
A media agency plans and buys advertising time and space in various media on behalf of advertisers.
Together with the client, it decides which media a campaign will use and negotiates the prices. The creatives are usually designed by a different agency, the creative agency.
For screen networks, the media agency is often the actual point of contact rather than the advertiser itself. It asks, for example, which sites are available in a target region, what reach they deliver and what they cost, and compares this with posters, radio or online advertising. Bookings are made directly, through a sales house or through a demand-side platform.
Media agencies expect comparable data: site lists with coordinates, impression figures based on a transparent method, technical specifications for creatives and reliable play reports. Small networks therefore often find it easier to reach agencies through a sales house that bundles several networks. Operators should clarify who receives the invoice when an agency books on behalf of a client.