58 countries across six continents - each dot a market where Alain has run pitches, audits, vendor management or training for advertisers.
These markets are home to ~5.9 billion people combined.
Europe
Middle East
Africa
Asia
Oceania
North America
Latin America
Writing
A gross rating point is one percent of your target audience reached by one insertion. Learn why equal GRPs produce different reach, and how to read the difference.
Reach vs frequency explained for client teams. Understand the trade-off, the three numbers that matter, and the questions to ask your agency.
Media mileage measures effective exposure against budget spent. Most waste is visible in the plan before it runs. Here is what to look for and what to ask.
Frequency capping limits impressions per user, but cross-platform accumulation and budget displacement mean it rarely solves the problem it targets.
Saving money and growing share of voice are different objectives. Understand why a budget cut can cost more than it saves, and what to do instead.
Media measurement explained: why the same budget can deliver very different reach, and how frequency distribution reveals where spend is wasted.
An agency of record coordinates your media portfolio, but does it provide independent agency oversight? Here is what the structural difference means in practice.
Trust and verification are not opposites. Learn why a verifiable media agency relationship protects both sides and makes good work visible.
Most advertisers receive plenty of data. The question is whether it can be assessed. Learn why definitions matter more than figures in media reporting.
Value leaks where media is bought locally but contracted globally. Understand the four structural gaps in network deals and how to close them.
A media performance management programme runs as a fixed annual cycle. Here is what happens at each stage, and why the sequence matters.
A financial audit checks billing accuracy. A performance audit asks what the investment returned. Learn which question you're asking, and which audit answers it.
No single interval fits every advertiser. Learn the two situations that shape audit frequency, and the occasions that trigger a review regardless of cycle.
Media audit cost depends on scope: markets, brands, media mix, and whether the question is financial or performance. Learn how pricing works and where to start.
Vendor management applied to media: five building blocks that make your agency investment visible, comparable and steerable through the year.
A media audit examines a closed period. Vendor management applies independent scrutiny in real time. Learn what each catches that the other cannot.
A contract compliance check tests whether your media agency delivers what was agreed. Learn what to check, how to read the findings, and what to do next.
A media audit examines what was planned, delivered and invoiced against an external benchmark. This overview explains how it works, what it covers and what drives the cost.
A global media agency review is an architecture question. Learn the two selection routes, how to keep markets comparable, and what the process asks of your team.
No abstract answer: the right international media agency model matches where media is actually planned and bought. Four honest reasons to consolidate, and when not to.
Three is the ideal agency shortlist size, here is why the number is a fairness question, how the funnel narrows, and when four or two is the right call.
Agency roster consolidation makes sense when governance costs outweigh local performance. Learn when, why and how to consolidate a historically grown multi-market roster.
Media agency fee negotiation starts with the wrong number. Learn which commercial elements to negotiate first, and why the headline fee comes last.
A fair agency pitch attracts stronger respondents and makes differences visible. Here is what a level playing field requires, and what it returns.
Selecting a global media agency across ten or more markets is a structure question before it is an agency question. Overview and guidance for multi-market reviews.
A checklist of the seven building blocks every media agency contract needs, with a test question for each one, so you can judge whether yours holds.
No fee model is universally best. Learn which agency commission structure fits your budget, scope and market, and why fairness matters as much as fit.
Agree a lump sum with your pitch consultant - the scope is shaped by geography, media mix and process structure. The ROI: in our experience, a multiple of the cost.
An agency can prepare for anything it knows you will ask. These are the tests that show you the real agency behind the pitch - what to ask, when, and how to read it.
A sign detected early is a correction. The same sign detected late is a crisis. The signs it is time to review your media agency - and the process that surfaces them in time.
Not every agency problem needs a pitch. Learn when to audit, renegotiate, or replace your media agency, and how to sequence these interventions effectively.
What are media agency fees, how are they structured, and what should a rigorous agency selection deliver in return? A practical guide for advertisers.
Learn how to build and use an agency scorecard to compare media agencies fairly, criteria, weighting, and how to turn scores into a defensible decision.
Media specialist knowledge spans planning, trading, econometrics and audit, too broad for a generalist role. Learn why media demands dedicated expertise.
The agency selection criteria that actually predict a strong media partnership, beyond pitch performance. A practical framework for advertisers.
A complete media brief checklist covering all seven elements agencies need to respond fairly and strategically. Avoid the gaps that weaken most briefs.
A well-run agency review builds team knowledge, benchmarks costs, and sharpens strategy. Here is how to capture the full value of the process.
A strong media agency brief determines agency pool, comparability and negotiating leverage. Here is why the brief matters more than any presentation.
A media agency transition takes 8–12 weeks after contract signature. This guide covers data, timelines, incumbent management and day-one onboarding.
The senior marketing leader owns the media brief. Learn who contributes, in what order, and which common authorship mistakes cost you in the review.
Including your incumbent in an agency review is almost always right, if the process is genuinely competitive. Here is how to make it fair and defensible.
A media brief defines what your business needs from a media agency. Learn what to include, who should write it, and why quality determines your outcome.
The agency chemistry meeting and case round reveal what no RFP can show. Learn how to run both stages and what to look for before the commercial round.
Learn the difference between an RFI and an RFP in media agency selection, when to use each, and why the sequence matters for finding the right agency partner.
A structured guide to the media agency selection process, from brief to contract, with every stage explained and common pitfalls addressed.
A pitch consultant guides advertisers through media agency selection, independently, from brief to decision. Here is what the role covers in practice.