FMO's Shouldn't Be Your Media Buyer

Being a financial professional it's wise to rely on your FMO, most of the time. If you advertise on TV and radio you are paying higher rates. The tale is an easy pitch, keep all your marketing under one umbrella. The reality is a niche buying agency has access to better deals.

Specialty media buying agencies deal in "long form" or "paid programming" by purchasing blocks of airtime in volume. The FMO simply does not have access to the buying resources of a company that specializes purely in buying blocks of airtime for a variety of different industries. There are individual markets and favored stations the buying agency may have 4 or 5 clients on air across many industries: Financial, Real Estate, Medical, Solar, Home Improvement, Faith Based, Legal, it goes on. The agency knows the best performing stations going back decades and the volume discount is tangible.

Once a heated conversation on the phone forced me to ask the chief marketing officer at one of the leading FMO's in Atlanta, "Do you think you receive as good a deal as me when I have 5 hours under contract each week?"

His reply is priceless. The man charmed himself into believing he is getting as good a deal because it is the "professional" thing to do at the station sales level. Wishful thinking at best.

The FMO already receives a cut on your deals. Why do they also need a commission on the airtime and you miss out on discounts?

As a high paying advertiser your business is dependent upon TV & Radio and the most expensive component is the airtime. Do yourself a favor, don't find a good 'agency'. Hire a good 'agent'.