The Hidden Fees No One Mentions in Media Plans
A veteran’s guide to spotting the markup before it bites your budget
In 40 years of agency life, one rule has never changed: if you don’t know how your money moves, someone else is profiting from your blind spot.
For small advertisers, “media transparency” can feel like a buzzword reserved for global brands with auditors and procurement teams. But the questions that keep the big players honest are the same ones small businesses should be asking — just simpler, sharper, and more human.
Stop Chasing Views – Start Earning Attention
Everyone wants attention. But few know what to do with it.
We measure “time in view,” “active view,” “attention score,” and “viewability rate” — but the real question is: Did anyone actually care?
The next evolution in media strategy isn’t about winning the scroll. It’s about earning sustained, meaningful attention — and translating that focus into brand lift and performance.
Whirr provides a practical playbook for making attention metrics matter.
AI Agents Are Learning to Buy Ads. Here’s the Code They’ll Speak
AI Agents Are Learning to Buy Ads — The Advertising Context Protocol (AdCP) could rewrite the rules of modern ad creative, media and production.
The advertising industry loves its acronyms. CPMs, RTBs, DSPs, APIs — and now, AdCP. But this one’s different.
The Advertising Context Protocol isn’t just another integration spec. It’s a new language for how platforms, partners, and — increasingly — AI agents will talk to each other about media.
If that sounds abstract, picture it like this: instead of every ad platform having its own dialect, AdCP teaches them a shared vocabulary. The goal? A world where a single AI agent could plan, buy, and optimize ads across ecosystems without needing custom code for each.
💡 What AdCP Actually Is
Launched in October 2025 by a coalition including PubMatic, Scope3, and Yahoo, AdCP is an open-standard protocol — think of it as a universal translator for ad-tech systems.
It defines how platforms describe inventory, audiences, budgets, and performance in a machine-readable, consistent way.
That consistency is what allows AI agents (like the ones emerging across marketing workflows) to execute tasks like:
Creating cross-platform campaigns
Adjusting bids or targeting dynamically
Comparing CPMs across networks
Measuring performance — all in real time
AdCP makes advertising automation scalable.
The Attention Era, Decoded: What Marketers Need to Do Now
For years, impressions and clicks defined digital success. But those metrics don’t measure what matters most: attention.
With the IAB and MRC, two governing bodies driving digital advertising standards, pushing new attention guidelines into the spotlight, brands can no longer afford to ignore the shift. This isn’t a passing buzzword—it’s the beginning of an attention economy where quality, not just quantity, wins.
Post-Cookie Pragmatism: Six Moves for Smarter Media
🥠 Post-Cookie Pragmatism: Six Moves for Smarter Media
The headlines have been noisy: third-party cookies “dying,” “delayed,” “resurrected.” But here’s the truth: cookies aren’t dead—lazy targeting is. Chrome’s shifting policies have forced every brand, big or small, to rethink how they connect with audiences. The winners won’t be the ones waiting for clarity. The winners will be the ones leaning into pragmatic moves right now.
Need a playbook for what to do right now? Whirr’s got your back!
Why Agility Beats Size in Today’s Media Landscape
Why Agility Beats Size in Today’s Media Landscape
Small teams often feel outgunned in media. Big brands have bigger budgets, more people, and seemingly endless reach. But agility and smarts can outfly size. Being “lean but loud” is about making every move count — small teams can still punch above their weight when strategy leads the way.
Demystifying Media Buying: What to Look for in a Media Partner
Media buying doesn’t have to be a mystery.
For many small businesses, the world of media buying feels like navigating a maze blindfolded. Buzzwords, acronyms, opaque budgets—it’s no wonder decision-makers sometimes feel more confused after meeting with a media agency than before.
At Whirr Media, we believe in frictionless flight, not foggy promises. So let’s break it down and empower you to choose the right media partner with confidence.