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.