A survey of agency professionals found that the majority of respondents said they depend on data insights to inform creative messaging, but the information isn’t always accessible. In fact, more than one in three creatives said getting the brand to share data insights is their greatest challenge to producing a successful campaign, and another third cited the same issues when communicating with media agencies. There’s a disconnect between creatives and data -- both in terms of knowledge and access.

1. Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data.
2016 AGENCY SURVEY REPORT

2. The study was conducted in May 2016 among 206 creative decision-makers in the UK by Morar
Consulting. Respondents involved in the research ranged from junior to director level. Company
sizes comprised small (up to 50 employees), mid-size (up to 250), and large agencies (over 250).
Turn’s survey of more than 200 industry professionals
highlights some of the key differences and disconnects:
When asked whether they’re confident that they understand
what programmatic advertising is:
of all respondents agree that data insights create
more personalized ads. But when asked about their greatest
challenge to producing a successful campaign:
88%
said getting
THE BRAND to share
data-driven insights
35% said getting
MEDIA AGENCIES to share
data-driven insights
29%
of creatives
at LARGE agencies
replied YES
59% of creatives
at SMALL agencies
replied YES
11%
With 60% of UK desktop display traded programmatically
in 2015,* advertisers have an opportunity to harness
audience insights at an unprecedented level.
Whether you’re using first-party, second-party, or
third-party data, it’s never been easier to understand
your audience, what they’re looking for, and where
they’re looking for it.
The challenge? The data, insights, and
intelligence gained from programmatic should
be informing the creation of great campaigns.
But the information isn’t getting to creatives—
and as a result, brands are suffering.
Brands must make sure that their media and creative
agencies are communicating and that everyone has access
to the same insights.
The data is there. Creatives
should know about it.
* IAB PWC Digital Ad Spend Study 2015
22016 Agency Survey Report | Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data.

3. 2016 Agency Survey Report | Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data. 3
The absence of programmatic in creative briefs may be
contributing to an attitude among junior creatives that
programmatic doesn’t matter. Seventy-seven percent
of junior creatives are confident that they don’t need
the insights programmatic offers. And when asked
if creatives had been used solely for programmatic
advertising, 48% of directors said they do this most of
the time, while only 7% of junior creatives said the same.
The chasm in these percentages suggests a significant
knowledge or communication gap that must be tackled
if agencies are to progress in fully serving brands.
The gap skews young.
Seventy percent of senior creatives estimate that more than half of their work
uses data to inform messaging. By contrast, 19% of junior creatives weren’t sure
they’d ever seen the word “programmatic” in a creative brief.
The more senior respondents were, the more highly they rated their awareness and
understanding of using data to develop creative messaging.
Seniority
MANAGERJUNIOR DIRECTOR
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
14.8%
32.4%
48.0%
AWARENESS OF DATA IN RELATIONSHIP TO SENIORITY

4. 2016 Agency Survey Report | Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data. 4
Again, this may be a product of the fact that
programmatic isn’t a regular feature in creative
briefs: 72% of respondents reported that in the past
year, they’ve seen the word “programmatic” in a brief
fewer than 10 times.
But when we look at larger agencies, things change.
In these agencies, 59% of respondents know what
programmatic is and have actively worked on
programmatic projects. Whereas in small agencies,
just 11% share that same level of confidence.
Clearly, large agencies lead the way in best practices
around programmatic.
A disconnect in the creative brief.
Many creatives don’t yet understand the opportunity that programmatic
brings. In fact, among the survey respondents, 62% admitted that they aren’t
sure they fully understand what programmatic advertising is.
OCCURRENCE OF “PROGRAMMATIC” IN BRIEFS
In the past 12 months, creatives at small agencies saw the word “programmatic”
appear in briefs far less frequently than their peers at large agencies.
NEVER
up to 50 staffover 250 staff
NEVER
SMALL
AGENCIES
7.7% 25.9%
LARGE
AGENCIES
NEVER
over 250 staff
7.7%
LARGE
AGENCIES

5. 2016 Agency Survey Report | Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data. 5
Sixty-five percent said that at least half (and sometimes
all) of their current work uses data to inform creative.
Regardless of size, 67% of agencies cite relevance as
a top priority for digital ads. Location (60%) and timing
(59%) were also rated as top priorities—all of which
speaks to an understanding of the importance of data
in delivering performance.
Impressively, smaller agencies are the most acutely
aware of the importance of location in advertising
today, with 65% of respondents choosing it as one
of their top priorities, as opposed to 56% of large
agency respondents.
Relevance begins with data.
The results from our survey show overwhelmingly that data is key to developing a successful
ad strategy. Eighty-eight percent of respondents agreed that data is something they either depend
on or find helpful in developing messages with greater impact.
SMALL
LARGE
MID
YES NO N/A
over 250 staff
50- 250 staff
I depend on data It is somewhat helpful I don’t find data
plays much of a role
I‘m not sure
up to 50 staff
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
YES
RELIANCE ON DATA FOR SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN CREATION
Large agencies currently depend on data more than small ones do—but most
creatives agree that data is important.

6. 2016 Agency Survey Report | Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data. 6
Unfortunately, 35% of creatives say that getting the
brand to share insights is currently their greatest
challenge in producing a successful campaign, and
29% point to similar difficulties in communications with
media agencies. These barriers are cited far more often
than cross-device compatibility (15%) and creating a
consistent, multichannel experience (17%).
The good news is, larger creative agencies report having
great relationships with media agencies. And they’re
looking to make those relationships even stronger.
Fifty-three percent of creatives at large agencies
regularly sit down with media agencies to share insights
and coordinate campaign planning.
At the other end of the scale, small agencies learn by
example, with 50% involving media agencies at least
occasionally, although primarily when they have
a specific need for data-driven insight.
Success is built with shared data.
For brands to realize all of the benefits in delivering the right ad to the right
person in the right place at the right time, data-driven insights have to be shared
among the media agency, creative agency, and brand.
Agency Size
MIDSMALL LARGE
9.3%
23.0%
52.6%
over 250 staff50-250 staffup to 50 staff
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
PERCEPTION OF MEDIA AGENCY RELATIONSHIP STRENGTH
In a clear upward trend, the larger a creative agency is, the stronger it rates its
relationships with media agencies.

7. There are significant differences between the attitudes
of small and large agencies, with larger agencies more
exposed to programmatic technology.
Key takeaways:
Creatives clearly understand the need to use data, and
they want to gain visibility into the data-driven insights
that brands and media agencies access.
There are also differences between senior and junior
creatives, regardless of agency size, with seniors using
data more often than juniors.
1 Where to go next.
Overall, for campaigns to succeed, all involved
parties need to promote collaboration.
Brands: Should take a more structured approach
to sharing data-driven insights with creatives and
emphasize the importance of working together to
both their media and creative agencies.
Creative Agencies: Should do more to learn
about programmatic, especially the data-driven
insights that enable more relevant, personalized
storytelling.
Technology Providers: Ad tech partners can
play a major role in helping marketers get smart
about using data and programmatic. They should
also make sure that the brand, media agency,
and creative agency collaborate to ensure a
successful campaign.
2
3
72016 Agency Survey Report | Bridging the disconnect between creatives and data.

8. About Turn
Turn, the independent ad tech company, delivers real-time insights that transform the way
leading media agencies and enterprises make marketing decisions. The Turn platform enables
anonymous audience planning, data centralization, cross-device advertising, and advanced
analytics, along with point-and-click access to more than 150 integrated technology partners.
Turn works with the world’s top brands and agencies, including DirecTV, Experian, HP, Kia,
Kraft Heinz, L’Oreal USA, Thomas Cook, and Zales. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Turn offers
its products and services worldwide.
© 2016 Turn Inc. All rights reserved. Turn is a registered trademark of Turn Inc. All services are subject to change or discontinuation without notice. July 2016.
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