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At the Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2025, Meenakshi Menon, Founder of GenSxty Tribe Pvt Ltd, shared candid insights into the world of media audits in a conversation with Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO of Madison Media & OOH.
"What an amazing opportunity to spill the beans and tell all the stories," Menon began, setting the tone for the discussion. Before diving into her "confessions," she took a moment to introduce GenS Life, an app designed to build a community for individuals aged 60 and above. "All these tech bros walk around with t-shirts with their logos. So, I said, you know what? I'm going to be a tech nani. And as a tech nani, I've got my logo on my sari. We do things differently."
Seamlessly drawing a parallel to the advertising industry, she remarked, "You've just been scammed. You got a taste of what happens with agencies when they sell proprietary media." Reflecting on her career, Menon stated, "As an auditor, for many years, we fought against proprietary media because it's selling you something that you may or may not need." She acknowledged her role in establishing media audits in the country but admitted, "Ever since I sold the practice to Deloitte, I have not been part of the media business. But if you have stuff to throw at me, please do—I’m here to answer questions."
Sakhuja asked if, after 17 years in media auditing, she felt her mission was accomplished or if she had merely opened a Pandora's box. "In the 17 years that I was there, I was able to get advertisers to understand that they needed an independent perspective when it came to media," Menon replied. "Was I able to clean up the stables? Of course not. But I think I had some success. Media audits, which faced huge pushback initially, became fairly understood and accepted. So to that extent, yes, I think it was a successful 17 years."
The discussion shifted to the controversial practice of media auditors using reverse auctions. "Is it a fair practice or an extortionist one?" Sakhuja asked.
"It's complete extortion. There’s no two ways about it," Menon responded bluntly. She highlighted the complexities in media dealings, recalling an instance where an agency sought her validation for media inflation claims to justify a prior commitment. "I was categorical that I’m not going to do that. Agencies want business, clients exploit deals, and media owners drop their pants at a moment’s notice. So who do you blame? You can't blame the auditor."
Sakhuja pointed out that price benchmarking tools used by auditors often contain outdated or limited data, questioning if large agency groups with substantial market share provide better insights. Menon countered, "There are certain media owners who favor certain agencies because they get a lot of support. Others don’t. So even within an agency, you often don’t understand what’s happening in the market. The myth that bigger agencies always get the lowest rates is just that—a myth."
She elaborated on the flawed practice of using pitch rates for benchmarking, stating, "Pitch rates were nothing but kite flying by agencies. In many cases, they didn’t actually have those rates. Once they got the business, they would go back to the media owner and pressure them into compliance." Menon emphasized that at Spatial Access, pitch rates were never included in benchmark pools. "Media owners knew how we operated. They would pick up the phone and tell me, 'Look, you're being quoted as providing this benchmark,' when in reality, we were not. Often, you never knew what was the truth and what was the imagined story."
As the discussion continued, Vikram Sakhuja pressed Meenakshi Menon on the ethical challenges within the industry. He pointed out the practice of auditors pushing agencies to lower their prices in a bid to secure business. "In desperation, they keep going down. But when the lowest price wins and they can't deliver, is there accountability?" he asked.
Menon was clear in her response. "At Spatial Access, every pitch we did emphasized planning and strategy over buying rates. You've been part of those pitches, Vikram. We looked at how data and consumer insight were used. Buying is important, but you can buy a kilo of nails when you need screws," she remarked, highlighting the flawed priorities in the industry.
She acknowledged the murky dealings between agencies, clients, and media owners. "I've even had pitch consultants asking for a commission on the total business from the agency," she revealed.
Sakhuja then brought up a critical issue—conflicts of interest among auditors. "Some auditors are tied to certain agencies. I've seen them use pricing from one pitch to influence another competitor. Isn't that a conflict of interest?"
"Of course, it is," Menon admitted. "But every industry has unethical players. Whether it's the police, government, audit firms, or agencies, there will always be bad actors. The question is, who takes a stand against it?" She stressed the need for collective responsibility, stating, "The ISA needs to be educated. Agencies need to come together. And auditors must reject unethical practices."
Sakhuja then proposed a solution: a report card system for auditors, with post-pitch evaluations scored by the ISA. "Would you welcome a move like that?" he asked.
"Absolutely. Transparency is critical," Menon responded. "If auditors believe in transparency, they shouldn’t hesitate to support this." As the conversation wrapped up, Sakhuja asked Menon how she would clean up the industry if she had the chance. She laid out three key steps: "First, I'm willing to offer my time and ability to anyone who wants to use it. Second, we need to build a culture of ethics and integrity across agencies. Too much skullduggery is happening— free trips, hospitality, and under-the-table deals. We must call these out."
And finally, she had a blunt message for the industry: "We need to grow a spine. The entire advertising business, not just media, needs to stand up. Creative agencies are struggling just as much. It’s time for change."
To download the full Pitch Madison Advertising Report 2025, click here:
https://e4mevents.com/pitch-madison-advertising-report-2025/download-report#downloadReport
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