Is Your Media Leaking? A No-Nonsense Audit That Actually Fixes Things
Most media audits promise clarity. Many deliver long decks, screenshots, and lists of “opportunities” that feel thorough but don’t materially change outcomes.
A useful audit does something simpler—and harder. It clearly defines what is being reviewed, why it matters, and what needs to change first to improve performance.
Below is Whirr’s five-part audit framework, designed to identify where performance quietly leaks and how to fix it in a way that compounds over time.
Measurement, Reporting & Insights
What is being audited
⚠️ The KPIs, reporting frameworks, and attribution approaches used to evaluate performance and guide decisions.
Why this matters
👉 As noted in our Advertising Consulting & Media Audits section on this site, when measurement doesn’t reflect business goals, teams optimize confidently in the wrong direction—often mistaking activity for progress.
Audit checks
🧐 Do current KPIs align with stated business goals such as growth, efficiency, CAC, or ROI? This is where a Measurement Framework, the topic of last week’s blog, can help.
🧐 Does reporting surface insights that lead to action, or simply summarize results?
🧐 Are attribution models used directionally to prioritize opportunities rather than claim false precision?
🧐 Is there clear agreement on what’s working, what isn’t, and why?
Desired outcome
✅ A measurement and reporting framework that clearly identifies performance drivers, gaps, and prioritized opportunities for improvement.
The Whirr POV
Measurement should clarify decisions, not complicate them.
Account Structure & Setup
What is being audited
⚠️ Campaign, account, and channel structures across platforms, including how spend and learning are organized. We cover this here on our website.
Why this matters
👉 Poor structure creates inefficiency, limits learning, and prevents performance from scaling—even when tactics are sound.
Audit checks
🧐 Does the current structure support efficient learning and long-term scalability?
🧐 Are accounts over-segmented based on legacy tactics rather than current user behavior?
🧐 Do structures reflect how users move from exposure to conversion?
🧐 Is complexity serving performance—or simply historical comfort?
Desired outcome
✅ A simplified, scalable account structure that supports performance today and growth tomorrow.
The Whirr POV
Structure should enable performance, not get in its way.
Channel Mix & Investment Strategy
What is being audited
⚠️ How budgets are allocated across channels, campaigns, and initiatives—and the logic behind those decisions.
Why this matters
👉 When investment strategy is inherited instead of intentional, high-performing areas cap out while inefficient spend quietly persists.
Audit checks
🧐 Is the channel mix aligned with business objectives and funnel priorities? Be sure tactics are in service to the Media Strategy.
🧐 Are budgets actively earned each cycle or passively rolled forward?
🧐 Do bid strategies and budget constraints reinforce—or conflict with—each other?
🧐 Where do marginal dollars actually perform best?
Desired outcome
✅ A clear, intentional investment strategy that directs spend toward the highest-impact opportunities.
The Whirr POV
Budget allocation is strategy in action—whether it’s treated that way or not.
Audience, Targeting & Signals
What is being audited
⚠️ Audience definitions, targeting strategies, and signal inputs used to guide platform optimization.
Why this matters
👉 As platforms evolve, outdated targeting logic quietly erodes performance by limiting learning and signal quality.
Audit checks
🧐 Are targeting strategies aligned with current platform capabilities and privacy realities?
🧐 Is signal quality prioritized over unnecessary precision?
🧐 Do audiences support full-funnel objectives—not just bottom-funnel efficiency? An Audience and Funnel Strategy is part of a comprehensive Media Strategy.
🧐 Are targeting choices helping platforms learn or restricting them?
Desired outcome
✅ A modern audience and signal strategy that supports efficient learning, reach, and conversion.
The Whirr POV
Strong signals outperform clever targeting every time.
Creative Alignment & Performance
What is being audited
⚠️ Creative strategy, messaging, and how creative performance is evaluated across channels.
Why this matters
👉 When creative isn’t aligned with strategy or measured systematically, teams rotate assets without improving results.
Audit checks
🧐 Is creative aligned with business goals, audience intent, and funnel stage?
🧐 Are creative insights tracked by theme and message rather than individual ads?
🧐 Is creative fatigue diagnosed with evidence or assumed?
🧐 Do winning ideas compound—or disappear in rotation?
Desired outcome
✅ A creative system that reinforces strategy, improves through learning, and drives measurable performance gains.
The Whirr POV
Creative works best when it’s treated as a system, not a slot to fill.
The Whirr Takeaway
A real media audit isn’t about documenting everything—it’s about prioritizing what matters most.
By examining measurement, structure, investment strategy, targeting, and creative through a consistent audit lens, teams can identify where performance leaks and fix the few issues that unlock momentum.
Healthy media systems improve with time. Fragile ones require constant intervention.
