It's a Trap: Guaranteed Performance

Pay-for-performance models are not inherently bad. In fact, they can offer significant benefits—if implemented correctly and transparently.

Sadly, that is an enormous “if.”

It's a self-perpetuating cycle where the more numbers look good on paper, the less inclined we are to probe and challenge.

The appeal of "guaranteed performance," especially when it comes from a trusted partner like an ad agency, can often be misleading. It's crucial to dig deeper and understand the underlying tricks of the trade.

Details are a Pesky Thing

Saving money is irresistible, especially in an environment where every marketer is under pressure to "do more with less." These guaranteed performance offers are cunningly designed to prey on this urgency. They play to marketers' desires to cut costs and improve ROI, knowing full well that these are some of the KPIs against which marketers themselves are measured.

This creates some of the many conflicts of interest we’ve previously discussed.