The problem nobody wants to talk about in advertising

If you're managing global media investments, you've felt it: the taxonomy chaos when markets use different platforms, the fragmented metrics that never quite align, the constant data access barriers when you need insights quickly, the validation gaps that undermine your confidence in the numbers.

These aren't isolated problems. They're symptoms of a deeper issue.

The real problem? Is that media operates without the foundational infrastructure that every other major business function takes for granted. And there are three uncomfortable truths about this that nobody likes to admit.

Most "agency performance issues" are actually infrastructure issues

When your agency is slow with reporting, the instinct is to blame the agency. When metrics are inconsistent across markets, you assume it's negligence. When optimisation is limited, you question their capabilities.

But here's what's actually happening:

Slow reporting happens because of  data fragmentation. Your agency isn't slow - they're stuck manually consolidating data from dozens of disconnected sources. One team member emails 12 local teams. Each pulls from different platforms. Someone tries to standardise formats in Excel. Another person QA checks because numbers don't match. Finally, it gets sent to you with half the metrics you requested.

Inconsistent metrics stem from a lack of standardised taxonomy. When there's no shared structure for how campaigns are named, categorised, and measured, every market interprets things differently. Platform A reports "total served impressions" while Platform B uses "measurable impressions." Market 1 calculates reach on unique users while Market 2 counts unique devices. You're not comparing apples to apples - you're comparing different variations of similar fruit.

Strategic recommendations feel generic  because they can't see across your entire media portfolio. Agencies can't optimise what they can't see holistically. When data lives in fragmented systems with inconsistent definitions, even the most strategic agency can't identify patterns, spot opportunities, or make informed trade-offs across your full media investment.

These aren't agency failures. They're infrastructure failures.

Advertisers are stuck in the same trap

Here's the uncomfortable part: advertisers aren't just victims of this infrastructure gap - they're often inadvertently reinforcing it, even with the best intentions.

You seek data ownership, but still rely entirely on agency-provided reports. You want control of your media data, but without the infrastructure to collect, standardise, and access it directly, you're still dependent on agencies to compile and deliver it. Real data ownership means having your own system where your data lives, validated and structured the way you need it.

You want real-time insights but operate with monthly reports and manual updates. Real-time visibility requires systematic data collection, automated integrations, and standardised taxonomy. Without this foundation, "real-time" becomes "as fast as someone can manually update a spreadsheet."

You consolidate agencies globally, but each market still operates in silos. You negotiate a consolidated global agency relationship expecting consistency. But without shared infrastructure, each local market continues using different tools, processes, and reporting formats. Your global consolidation is undermined by local fragmentation.

You set strategic direction, but don't have the system to ensure it's actually executed. You create thorough global strategy documents with clear media principles. But without systematic oversight - a way to monitor whether those principles are being followed across markets - strategy becomes a suggestion rather than a requirement.

The common thread? These challenges can't be solved by better agency relationships or clearer contracts. They require foundational infrastructure.

Agencies can't enforce your global strategy locally

Even with a consolidated global agency relationship that promises consistency, local agency teams fundamentally operate independently. They use different processes, different tools, and different reporting standards.

Here's what actually happens: Your global team develops strategic media principles. The agency's global leadership agrees. Local markets receive the guidance. Then reality sets in.

Market A interprets "focus on premium inventory" one way. Market B interprets it differently. Market C doesn't have the systems to track whether they're following it at all. Your global strategy gets diluted not because agencies don't care, but because there's no systematic way to ensure consistent execution.

The promises of global consistency don't translate to systematic local delivery because promises aren't infrastructure. Without a shared operating system that standardises how campaigns are planned, executed, and measured across all markets, consistency depends on manual coordination and individual interpretation.

The infrastructure gap and what actually works

Finance has ERP systems. Sales has CRM platforms. Operations has supply chain management. These systems don't just track activity, they enforce process, ensure consistency, and provide real-time visibility.

Media has...Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and e-mails.

The solution isn't replacing your agency partnerships. The solution is empowering your relationships with better infrastructure.

Shared infrastructure means:

• Both sides working in the same system with real-time data access

• Standardised taxonomy so everyone speaks the same language

• Transparent planning processes with clear workflows

• Strategic oversight without operational micromanagement

• Continuous learning loops where insights inform future guardrails

This is what we've built Global Media Platform to provide: the operating system that makes advertiser-agency collaboration actually work.

When your data has a proper home, collected, standardised, validated, and accessible, everything else becomes possible:

• Agencies can focus on strategy instead of data reconciliation

• You can enforce strategic discipline across markets systematically

• Learnings flow into planning while they're still relevant

• Decisions happen based on current data, not three-week-old spreadsheets

The path for moving forward

The frustrations aren't about people. They're about infrastructure.

The good news? Infrastructure can be fixed. And once it is, the partnerships, insights, and optimisation everyone wants become genuinely achievable.

You don't need a new agency. You need a shared operating system first.

About the author

Jakob Kalkar is the CPO of Global Media Platform, the first operating system for media. He brings 25 years of media experience from across agency, advertiser and marketing technology.