Size matters in media

When clients in Hong Kong consider taking on a media planning and buying agency, the big three networks of MindShare, OMD and ZenithOptimedia are king.

Topping the list in Hong Kong is the WPP-owned MindShare, which senior client marketers overwhelmingly selected as the agency they most likely hire to manage their media buying and planning duties. MindShares's approval rate among senior client marketers was almost double that of its nearest rival, the Omnicom-owned OMD.

Among its agency peers, MindShare scooped the bulk of recommendations from executives working in brand agencies, (53.85%), as well as those working in the public relations sector. On the client side, MindShare was again a clear favorite, talking the lead across the consumer products category, media and entertainment categories and most notably across the property, construction and utilities sectors, where it took 50% of all client recommendations.

The agency however was leapfrogged by ZenithOptimedia in the financial services sector and MindShare failed to rate a mention in the automotive sector. It's sister GroupM agency mediaedge:cia, however lead the automotive field with 11.54% share of client recommendations.

With a total of 59 agencies up for nomination by client marketers, there were some notable exemptions from the list.

The Havas-owned Media Planning Group, more commonly known as MGP, failed to achieve one single client recommendation in Hong Kong, as did the Interpublic-owned media agency Initiative. While both agencies failed to garner one recommendation among client marketers, both agencies managed to secure a small number of recommendations from their agency peers.

From the client's perspective, media agencies only managed to record a slightly better rating approval than their creative counterparts. It is clear from the research that media buying agencies must improve on communicating their services to client markets.

MindShare is an exception to this. Clients as well as agency executives consistently ranked MindShare above many agencies, particularly the banding consultants, agency PR executives and within the market research industry.