Reviews
Part of Why programmatic advertising reviews need a scoring method
What programmatic advertising agency reviews can and cannot prove
How to tell what programmatic advertising agency reviews prove and what they do not, with a scoring table for contract, data handling and fees.
What to take away
- The Coalition for Better Ads status page is public, so ad experience claims in agency pitches need a date attached rather than a badge.
- The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 changed how consumer protection and digital market conduct are enforced, so claims about targeting and pricing carry more weight.
- A review is useful only when it separates vendor claims from independent evidence. Most published agency reviews blur the two.
- Use a written scoring sheet before you shortlist, covering evidence, contract terms and regulatory posture. Anything unscored becomes an opinion.
What was assessed, and what was not
This review covers the public record: agency websites, case studies, published terms, regulatory guidance and standards documents. It does not include hands-on testing of any trading desk, and no agency was briefed.
Where a supplier claims a performance figure, treat it as a claim. Where a regulator publishes a position, treat it as evidence. Programmatic buying sits between both worlds.
Nothing here is a ranking. The programmatic advertising review methodology sets out the scoring weights used across this series, and every agency is judged on the same criteria.
Unpublished pricing, private references and internal trading data were not assessed, because none of it can be checked from outside. Where a claim could not be checked, it is flagged rather than scored.
Why the regulatory picture changed
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 brought new consumer protection powers and a digital markets regime, so claims about targeting and pricing carry more weight.
Consent and cookie rules remain a separate strand. The ICO guidance on direct marketing and electronic communications sets out what agencies must do before dropping identifiers or tracking pixels.
Ad experience is the third strand. The Coalition for Better Ads status page shows which formats sit inside the accepted standards, which matters when an agency promises premium placements.
How to score an agency review
Score each line from 1 to 5 and require a source. If a claim has no source, mark it zero rather than guessing.
Agency review scoring criteria
- Trading modelnamed demand and supply paths
- Measurementnamed attribution method and window
- Contractpublished terms or sample insertion order
- Data handlingnamed lawful basis and retention
- Feesdisclosed margin or fixed fee
- Referencesnamed client willing to speak
| Criterion | What counts as evidence | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Trading model | Named demand and supply paths | "Proprietary AI" with no route |
| Measurement | Named attribution method and window | Screenshots with no date |
| Contract | Published terms or sample insertion order | Verbal renewal terms only |
| Data handling | Named lawful basis and retention | "Fully compliant" with no detail |
| Fees | Disclosed margin or fixed fee | Bundled tech fee with no split |
| References | Named client willing to speak | Logos with no contact |
For example, an agency quoting a £12,000 monthly media budget should show the working behind its fee line. If it cannot, the score should reflect that gap.
Weight the contract and data handling rows highest. A weak delivery month can be fixed, while an unclear fee basis or an undefined retention period is harder to unwind once live campaigns depend on it.
Separating claims from evidence
A common pattern in agency reviews is a strong opening claim followed by a weak proof section. Ask for the date on every metric, the definition of every term and the owner of every number.
The programmatic advertising reviews and comparison methods guide sets out how to build a side-by-side comparison that survives procurement scrutiny, which is worth reading before you run a pitch.
A review that names its sources is more useful than one that names only winners. Ask which criteria moved a score, and whether the reviewer checked the claim at all.
Editorial judgement still has a role. Two agencies can both publish clean evidence and still differ on fit, so a review should say which suits a fixed-budget brand and which suits a seasonal retailer.
What to ask before signing
Pre-signing evidence checklist
- Written statement of the trading model
- Written fee basis and termination window
- Data ownership after contract ends
- Three months of dated delivery reports
- Review date with 90-day notice window
Set a review date in the contract. A term of 12 months with a 90-day notice window gives room to re-score the agency against the same sheet, rather than starting the comparison again from nothing.
A verbal answer is not evidence, so a caveat belongs on the shortlist.
Common questions
Do published agency reviews count as independent evidence?
Usually not. Most are written by the agency, a partner or a paid directory. Treat them as claims unless the reviewer names a method and a source you can check.
Can a review replace a procurement process?
No. A review narrows the field and sets the questions. Your own contract, data protection checks and fee negotiation still decide the outcome.
How many agencies should a shortlist contain?
Three to five is workable for most English buyers. Fewer than three gives no comparison, and more than five makes scoring inconsistent.
What if an agency refuses to disclose its fee model?
Score the criterion zero and ask again in writing. Refusal is itself a data point, and it usually signals a bundled margin.
