NZ Media Audit Results & Case Studies

Situation

A national retailer had been with the same agency for four years. Media spend had grown steadily but sales response had plateaued. No one inside the business had an independent view on whether the buy was efficient — reporting came entirely from the agency.

Methodology

Line-by-line audit of channel allocations, CPMs, audience delivery, and response attribution. Each channel benchmarked against independent NZ market data for comparable retail advertisers.

What we found

Digital display was consuming 34% of the media budget and delivering 8% of measurable response. The channel had never been independently benchmarked — the CPMs being paid were 40% above market rate for comparable placements. Two OOH formats were retained for 'brand presence' with no audience rationale.

Recommendation

Reallocate display budget into search and connected TV, renegotiate OOH terms, and set independent measurement benchmarks before next planning cycle.

Situation

A financial services business was launching a new lending product aimed at under-45 borrowers. Their incumbent agency submitted a media plan. Before approving it, they wanted an independent second opinion on whether it was the right channel mix for the audience.

Methodology

Independent media plan built from audience data up — Nielsen demographic consumption data for the target audience, layered against CPM benchmarks and response data from comparable product launches in NZ.

What we found

The agency plan allocated 58% of budget to linear TV and print — channels that heavily over-index for 55+ audiences. The under-45 target was largely on connected TV, digital audio, and search. The plan would have delivered reach, but to the wrong people at the wrong times.

Recommendation

Rebuild the channel mix: shift to connected TV, Spotify, YouTube pre-roll and search. Negotiate broadcast TV rate as remnant only. Retain print for brand credibility at reduced weight.

Situation

A property business was running media across digital, radio, print, and OOH with an agency managing the buy. They wanted independent oversight — not to replace the agency, but to have someone in their corner when reviewing proposals and annual rate negotiations.

Methodology

Monthly review of media schedules, placements, and buying terms. Quarterly benchmarking of CPMs against market rates. Annual audit of agency performance against original plan.

What we found

Overpriced digital inventory had been running undetected for 18 months — CPMs on two major placements were between 35–50% above independent benchmark. Radio buying terms had not been renegotiated in three years despite significant audience shifts post-COVID. Two sponsorship packages were renewed automatically without performance review.

Recommendation

Renegotiate digital and radio terms immediately, require audience rationale on all future sponsorship renewals, and introduce independent reporting benchmarks for agency accountability.