Just 3 per cent of publishers believe agencies are fully maximising the value and partnership potential of their sell-side relationships, according to new research from industry consultancy WeGrow.
The Publisher Pulse Survey, conducted in August–September 2025, gathered responses from 435 media professionals across 13 major Australian publishers including Seven Network, Nine Network, Network Ten, SBS, ARN, SCA, Nova, News Corp, oOh!media, JCDecaux, QMS, Val Morgan and MiQ.
The study collected more than 3,500 comments, uncovering clear divides in agency behaviour and strategy. While some agencies were praised for transparency and collaboration, others were criticised for poor responsiveness and a lack of structured feedback.
Silence emerges as the biggest friction point
Communication was identified as the single most important success factor, with 52 per cent of respondents listing “the ability to provide feedback” – both positive and negative – as a top-three characteristic of strong agency partners.
One publisher summed up the frustration: “If the client is still deciding, tell the media owner instead of silence. If the client has gone a different route or with a different provider, tell the media owners instead of silence.”
More than 10 per cent of all written comments referenced accessibility and responsiveness as ongoing challenges, and one Victorian general sales manager said they valued an agency simply because they “don’t yell at you.”
‘A roadmap to improvement’
Wendy Gower, founder of WeGrow, said the survey offered a rare view into how agencies are perceived by their publisher partners.
“Our Agency Pulse survey found that so many agencies are now time poor, they require media salespeople to show up prepared, curious, and with responses tailored and on point,” Gower said. “Through the work I do, and the surveys conducted, I now have a really unique lens on the success markers of agency and publisher relationships – that are all structurally unstable.”
Gower added that agencies which prioritise feedback, responsiveness and collaboration would see a competitive advantage: ““Through the work I do, and the surveys conducted, I now have a really unique lens on the success markers of agency and publisher relationships – that are all structurally unstable.”
Publishers as advocates — and critics
Publishers can also act as informal advocates or detractors for clients in new business pitches, the report noted — meaning stronger agency relationships could directly influence future commercial wins.
Mark Fairhurst, chief revenue officer, oOh!media, said the study provided an important opportunity for reflection. “Partnerships are built through positive shared experience, and great partnerships deliver great work,” he said. “Taking time to pause, reflect and share feedback on what’s really working and what isn’t makes good business sense.”
Nikki Rooke, national sales director, Total Television at Nine, called the study “an invaluable temperature check on how media owners are feeling about their interactions with agencies and the areas that could be improved to drive greater collaboration.”
The 2025 Publisher Pulse follows WeGrow’s Agency Pulse survey released in November 2024, which captured agencies’ views of their publisher relationships.
Top image: Wendy Gower, founder of WeGrow