Why Advertisers Are Missing Millions in Media Value

Simon Lawson, former Managing Director of PHD Australia, has launched Chilon Media Governance, an independent media advisory firm aimed at helping advertisers identify and recover lost value in their media investments.

Lawson announced the launch after more than 20 years inside global agency groups including Omnicom and Publicis.

Ascent Framework Delivers Findings in Five Business Days

Chilon is built around Lawson's proprietary Ascent framework, which examines 22 distinct value drivers across the media ecosystem. These include contracts, trading models, technology costs, and commercial arrangements.

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The framework is designed to deliver findings within five business days, positioning Chilon as a fast-turnaround option for marketers and procurement leads who need independent assessments without long-term commitments.

"Having spent decades inside the system, I've seen where value is created, and where it's lost," Lawson said in a statement announcing the firm.

"Many advertisers are focused on agency fees and media pricing, but the bigger opportunity is in governance, making sure the investment is transparent, accountable and working as intended," he added.

Beyond governance reviews, Chilon will also offer fractional heads of media services and media governance workshops.

Principal Media Model in Focus

A central area of Chilon's advisory work is the principal media model, an arrangement where agencies purchase media inventory and resell it to clients. This structure can create potential conflicts of interest around transparency and objectivity.

"Principal media changes the nature of the relationship," Lawson said. "It can deliver value, but it comes with trade-offs around transparency and objectivity that many organizations don't fully understand."

The Association of National Advertisers has previously recommended that advertisers seek independent expert advice outside their agencies on this issue, lending institutional support to the type of service Chilon offers.

A Broader Shift Away from Holding Company Structures

Lawson's move reflects a documented pattern across Asia-Pacific. Former senior executives from holding company networks have been launching independent consultancies since at least 2010, spanning markets including Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore.

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More recently, Sharon Koh, formerly Head of Marketing at Scoot, launched The Brand Imprint in Singapore in early 2025. Graham White, former COO at WPP AUNZ's opr, also recently launched Pratar, a communications advisory for technology brands.

Data on senior independent talent demand shows that 69% of independent talent requests in 2025 targeted VP-level and above, with 30% coming directly from C-suite executives. Interim executive demand has grown 310% since 2020.

Research also shows that independent agencies retain clients 26% longer on average compared to holding company agencies, according to industry benchmarks cited by Digiday.

Chilon's Services and Market Positioning

Chilon's service model includes three core offerings: media governance reviews using the Ascent framework, fractional heads of media for ongoing advisory support, and media governance workshops for internal marketing teams.

The five-business-day delivery model is specifically designed for marketers and procurement leads who need rapid, independent verification of media investment value.

No specific client engagements have been publicly announced since the firm's launch.