BEYOND CARTEL CLAIMS: FIXING THE BROKEN MEDIA MODEL

The recent investigation initiated by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) into the alleged cartelization by media agencies following a complaint has sparked conversations across the advertising ecosystem.

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But for anyone who's worked inside this industry, it doesn't feel like a sudden shock. It feels like the inevitable fallout of a system that has, over time, lost clarity on who adds value, who gets paid, and who is ultimately accountable.

As someone who built a career inside the agency ecosystem and eventually stepped away not out of frustration but conviction-it's evident to me that this isn't a story of villains and victims. It's a story of a flawed structure. One that agencies, media owners, and especially advertisers have all helped shape, often unintentionally.

The middleman that everyone relied on

Agencies were originally meant to act as facilitatorsbridging the gap between advertisers and media owners, and earning a commission (often around 15%) for managing that relationship. But over time, both sides began to feel they were the ones funding the agency, and, therefore, expected control over its loyalties.

Instead of resolving this ambiguity, the ecosystem adapted around it. The result was the slow emergence of a grey zone where commissions, incentives, and value delivery became harder to define and harder still to audit.