The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising is debating whether
to issue agency income figures as an alternative to billings data as a
means of ranking agencies.
The IPA is canvassing its members’ views on the proposals, which some
believe would give a more accurate indication of an agency’s size and
position in the market.
The idea would not be to replace the billings-based league table, but to
introduce an alternative system of ranking agencies based on their
actual income.
The existing billings system is useful because it can be checked
externally against MMS or AC Nielsen Meal. But as more agencies are
working for clients in ways which do not involve above-the-line media
spend, billings are thought by many to be an imperfect reflection of an
agency’s success.
Nick Phillips, the chief executive of the IPA, said that nothing would
happen without the consent of the majority of IPA members.
