A great display advertising agency should make your budget predictable, your results measurable, and your risk manageable. This guide cuts through vague service pages with transparent pricing, realistic benchmarks, cookieless strategy, brand safety standards, and a procurement-ready checklist so you can choose and manage a partner with confidence.
Overview
If you’re evaluating a display advertising agency, you need decision-grade details. You must know what’s included, how much it costs, how to plan your budget, what performance to expect, and how the agency will protect your brand while proving real lift. This guide delivers exactly that with fee models, benchmark ranges, cookieless playbooks (Topics API, PPID, Consent Mode v2), tech stack transparency (DSPs, PMPs, SPO), and an RFP checklist and SLA terms you can take to procurement.
By the end, you’ll know how to forecast spend and ROI by industry. You’ll know what questions to ask a programmatic display agency. You’ll also know when to use programmatic vs the Google Display Network (GDN) vs social display. Finally, you’ll learn how to lock down contract terms so you retain account and pixel ownership.
What a display advertising agency actually does
The right partner goes beyond “running ads” to own strategy, execution, and governance across channels. That means building the audience strategy, managing programmatic media buying and GDN, producing and refreshing creative, implementing measurement, and ensuring brand safety and compliance. All of this should come with transparent reporting and weekly optimization plans.
A mature agency also helps you decide what to insource, what to outsource, and how to combine both. For many brands, a hybrid model—agency for trading and testing; internal team for creative production and CRM—delivers the best mix of speed, cost, and control.
Core deliverables and accountability
A high-performing engagement is crystal clear about who owns what and how success is measured. Your agency should define the plan, run the buys, and be accountable for outcomes—not just tasks.
- Strategy and planning: Audience definition, channel mix (programmatic DSPs, GDN, social display), flighting, and budget by funnel stage.
- Media buying and optimization: Programmatic media buying (open exchange, PMPs), GDN, retargeting, frequency and bid strategies, creative rotation, and weekly tests.
- Creative operations: Size/spec coverage, message frameworks by audience, dynamic creative optimization (DCO), and refresh cadence.
- Analytics and measurement: Pixel and enhanced conversions, offline conversion imports, incrementality tests, and MMM/MTA interpretation.
- QA and governance: Brand safety, IVT controls, viewability and attention standards, privacy compliance (GDPR/CCPA), and data retention policies.
This clarity prevents scope creep. It ensures the right signals feed optimization and gives you a simple way to evaluate quarterly performance against agreed targets.
Operating models: in-house, agency, and hybrid
Choosing an operating model is a trade-off across control, speed, cost, and capability building. In-house maximizes control but requires experienced traders and tech contracts. Pure agency is faster to value but can obscure know-how if reporting is thin.
Hybrid models—where the agency trades and leads testing while your team owns creative, CRM, and budget guardrails—often strike the best balance. They also support eventual insourcing if that’s a strategic goal.
If you’re early-stage or running sub-$50k/month, start agency-led with clear SLAs and monthly “teach-backs.” As spend nears $250k+/month, consider hybridizing. This helps internalize learnings and reduce long-term dependency.
Pricing and fee models you should expect
Budget uncertainty is the biggest barrier to hiring. A reputable display advertising agency will share fees, minimums, and inclusions up front—and show math. Expect transparent management fees and optional flat retainers at higher spend. You should also get clarity on add-ons like creative production or data clean room analysis.
For most SMB–mid-market brands, agency cost is typically a percentage of media spend with minimums. At enterprise levels, blended or flat fees with performance components are common when data pipelines and scope are stable.
Common fee structures and when they fit
Select a model that aligns incentives and preserves predictability. Look for line-item clarity on what “management” actually includes.
- Percentage of spend (10–20%): Best for $10k–$150k/month budgets; simple and scales with media. Ensure it covers planning, buying, weekly optimization, reporting, pixel management, and brand safety controls.
- Tiered/blended percentage (e.g., 18% on first $50k, 12% on next $200k): Suited to $150k–$500k/month; protects efficiency at scale while funding senior oversight.
- Flat retainer ($8k–$40k+/month): Works when budgets are very large or variable month-to-month and scope is stable (e.g., ongoing PMPs, DCO, incrementality testing).
- Performance component (bonus on validated CPA/ROAS or lift): Consider only when measurement is robust (offline conversion imports, incrementality tests) and both parties agree on readout rules.
Inclusions to expect: strategy, trafficking, weekly optimization, standard creative swaps, dashboards, brand safety stack, and quarterly testing plans.
Common add-ons: net-new creative production, complex DCO builds, MMM/MTA projects, international localization, and advanced data engineering.
Worked examples by monthly media spend
Seeing the math avoids surprises. Use these ranges as directional, then negotiate inclusions and SLAs.
- $10k/month media: At 15% management, agency fee ≈ $1,500. If the minimum retainer is $2,500, expect $2,500 all-in management plus media. Typical inclusions: planning, GDN/programmatic setup, 2–3 creative swaps, basic dashboard. Time-to-signal: 2–4 weeks for CTR/CPC stability; 6–8 weeks for CPA trends.
- $50k/month media: Blended 14% on first $50k yields ≈ $7,000 fee. Add $1–2k/month if running PMPs and full verification. Expect weekly test-and-learn, cross-channel remarketing, and incrementality test scoping. Time-to-signal: 4–6 weeks for stable CPA; 8–12 weeks for validated lift.
- $250k+/month media: Tiered 12% on first $200k and 8% thereafter: fee ≈ $26k. Many brands shift to flat retainer ($25–40k) covering multi-DSP execution, PMPs, SPO, DCO, and quarterly geo-tests. Expect robust SLAs and senior trading support. Time-to-signal: continuous, with monthly test readouts and quarterly strategy resets.
Bottom line: A display advertising agency often costs $2,500–$40,000+/month in fees depending on media volume and scope. For programmatic display specifically, management fees commonly land between 10% and 20% of media, tapering at higher spend.
How to plan your media budget by industry and company size
Budgets should be anchored to business math. Use CAC/ROAS targets, sales cycle length, and average order value (AOV). Plan spend in tiers so you can sequence tests, achieve statistically useful data, and scale what works. Calibrate expectations by vertical—B2B SaaS behaves differently from ecommerce.
A practical approach is to set a quarterly learning agenda tied to a spend tier. Then pre-commit to scaling winners and cutting underperformers. This avoids “pilot purgatory” and gives finance a controllable path to growth.
Spend tiers and allocation frameworks
Match tier to your stage and market. Within each tier, split budgets by funnel stage to balance reach, consideration, and conversion.
- Starter ($10k–$30k/month): 60% prospecting (programmatic or GDN), 30% remarketing, 10% brand/awareness (high-viewability PMPs). Focus on message-market fit and landing page fixes.
- Scale ($30k–$150k/month): 55% prospecting, 25% remarketing, 20% brand/upper funnel (high-quality video/native). Add DCO, PMPs, and ongoing creative testing.
- Enterprise ($150k–$500k+/month): 50% prospecting, 20% remarketing, 30% brand/upper funnel across multi-DSP, curated deals, and international. Fund quarterly incrementality tests and MMM/MTA enhancements.
As performance stabilizes, reweight toward prospecting if CAC and payback improve. Shift toward remarketing if funnel volume is your constraint.
Industry considerations that move budgets
Vertical dynamics drive allocation and patience. Factor these into your plan.
- AOV and margin: Higher AOV (e.g., luxury retail) or high LTV (e.g., SaaS) supports more prospecting and longer payback windows.
- Purchase frequency: Subscriptions and replenishment categories benefit from heavier remarketing and DCO to sustain LTV.
- Sales cycle and intent: B2B SaaS with 60–120 day cycles needs content offers and CRM integration; allocate more to upper/mid-funnel and lead quality controls.
- Seasonality: Retail Q4, travel Q1/Q2, and education cycles impact CPMs and conversion rates; front-load testing ahead of peak.
Tie budgets to business milestones—catalog launches, product drops, events—so creative and inventory strategy move in lockstep.
Display benchmarks by vertical and how to interpret them
Benchmarks help you forecast and spot outliers, but they’re ranges, not guarantees. Use them to set initial targets, then pivot based on your actual audience mix, creative, placements, and landing pages. Industry revenue and format mix shift over time. For context, the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report highlights continued growth in digital ad spend and the significant share of display and video within that spend.
Below are directional ranges for common verticals across open-exchange programmatic and GDN. High-quality PMPs and premium video will price higher but often deliver better attention and downstream performance.
- Ecommerce/Retail: CPM $2–$8; CPC $0.50–$1.50; CTR 0.35–0.8%; CPA $15–$75; prospecting ROAS 1.5–3.5x; remarketing ROAS 4–12x.
- B2B SaaS: CPM $4–$12; CPC $2–$8; CTR 0.15–0.4%; Cost per lead (CPL) $80–$350; opportunity rate 10–30% of MQLs; payback windows 90–180 days.
- Financial Services/Insurance: CPM $5–$15; CPC $1–$4; CTR 0.2–0.5%; CPA (lead) $60–$250; stringent brand safety often raises CPMs.
- Healthcare (consumer): CPM $3–$10; CPC $0.75–$3; CTR 0.2–0.6%; CPA $40–$200; compliance constraints limit targeting but improve quality.
- Travel: CPM $3–$9; CPC $0.60–$2; CTR 0.3–0.7%; CPA $25–$120; strong seasonality and deal-based creative lift CTR.
- Education: CPM $2–$8; CPC $0.80–$3; CTR 0.2–0.5%; CPL $50–$250; longer nurturing cycles favor content-led retargeting.
Set your initial goals near the midpoint of these ranges. Then adjust for creative quality and landing page conversion. Strong DCO and tight message match can double CTR. A slow or mismatched landing page can inflate CPA even if media metrics look fine.
Methodology and sources
These ranges synthesize platform insights (programmatic DSPs and GDN), agency experience across SMB–enterprise budgets, and recent public datasets. They should be triangulated with your historical performance and market mix.
Use at least 4–8 weeks of data for stable directional reads. Segment by funnel stage (prospecting vs remarketing), device, and inventory quality (open exchange vs PMP) before drawing conclusions.
Where available, layer in macro trends from sources like the IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report to contextualize format pricing and demand shifts. Always note sample sizes, seasonality, and creative rotations when comparing.
How to read CTR, CPA, and ROAS without getting misled
CTR is a creative and placement diagnostic, not a business outcome. CPA and ROAS tie to revenue and payback. A high CTR with weak conversion can signal curiosity without intent or a mismatch in landing experience.
Conversely, a lower CTR from premium placements can drive stronger downstream metrics due to higher attention and brand fit. Avoid selection bias: remarketing naturally beats prospecting on ROAS, so compare like-for-like. Watch frequency and recency to manage fatigue and avoid suppressed conversion.
Build a scorecard by audience and creative. Optimize for incremental outcomes, not vanity metrics.
Your cookieless display strategy playbook
Third‑party cookies are fading. Your plan must lean on consented first‑party data, high-quality contextual signals, and privacy-preserving APIs. A modern display advertising agency should help you deploy Topics API, PPID, and Consent Mode v2 so measurement and reach don’t collapse as identifiers change.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox and consent tools matter here. The Privacy Sandbox Topics API provides interest signals at the browser level. Google Consent Mode helps preserve conversion modeling when users decline consent in regulated regions.
First-party data and consented audiences
Your CRM and site visitors are your most durable assets. Capture consented emails and phone numbers with clear value exchange. Hash identifiers for secure matching and maintain granular consent logs.
Build lookalikes and modeled prospecting from high-quality seed segments (e.g., repeat purchasers, sales-qualified leads). This expands reach without cookies. Maintain a clear data minimization policy—only collect what you’ll activate—and document where data flows (platforms, vendors).
Contextual and interest signals without third‑party cookies
Contextual targeting and interest signals provide scalable reach with brand safety. Use contextual classifiers that map to your taxonomy (product lines, use cases) and test multiple tiers of topical relevance.
Where supported, integrate Topics API segments into your DSP or GDN campaigns. This supplements contextual with privacy-preserving interest signals. Pair contextual with creative message match to lift CTR and lower CPCs.
PPID and durable identifiers
Publisher-provided IDs (PPID) and first‑party identifiers enable frequency management and personalization within a publisher’s ecosystem while honoring privacy. Use PPID to deduplicate reach across devices on the same property and to support server-side frequency caps and DCO.
Apply strict guardrails. Do not attempt to re-identify users. Honor consent states and limit data retention to agreed timeframes.
Tech stack transparency: DSPs, PMPs, and supply-path optimization
Your media quality and fees depend on the pipes. Ask your programmatic display agency which DSPs they use and why. Ask how they vet PMPs and how they execute supply-path optimization (SPO) to reduce hops and hidden take rates.
Look for explicit certifications or verification partnerships that show rigor. Require a quarterly “tech posture” review so you understand what’s changing and why.
DSP selection criteria and when to multi-home
Choose a primary DSP based on inventory breadth, data/identity partners, automation and bidding controls, measurement integrations, and contractual flexibility. Multi-homing (running more than one DSP) makes sense when you need:
- Unique inventory or data (e.g., retail media networks or CTV supply not available elsewhere).
- Redundancy and cost pressure in auctions (one DSP’s SPO may beat another’s on certain publishers).
- Specialized features like advanced DCO or native/video formats.
Ensure your team can operationalize multiple platforms. Complexity only pays off if you actively test and consolidate learnings.
Deals/PMPs and SPO best practices
Private marketplaces (PMPs) give you curated inventory, negotiated pricing, and better brand controls. Structure deals around your audience and creative needs (e.g., high-viewability news PMPs for awareness; niche B2B PMPs for account lists). Benchmark them against open exchange CPMs and performance.
For SPO, prefer direct or authorized paths. Monitor ads.txt and sellers.json alignment, and consolidate spend to efficient exchanges and SSPs.
Negotiate value beyond CPM—viewability guarantees, attention metrics, added formats, and makegoods for under-delivery. Review deal performance quarterly and prune underperformers.
Brand safety, viewability, and ad fraud prevention
Risk management is non-negotiable. Set standards for invalid traffic (IVT) filtering, viewability, and attention—and verify them with independent partners. Use industry frameworks such as IAB Tech Lab ads.txt and sellers.json to ensure authorized supply. Prioritize partners with TAG Certified Against Fraud status.
A widely accepted standard from the Media Rating Council (MRC) defines a display impression as viewable when at least 50% of pixels are in view for 1 continuous second. Set your floor at or above this threshold. Then optimize for attention, not just viewability.
Controls and verification stack
Protect your budget and brand with layered controls before and after the bid.
- Pre-bid: Category and keyword exclusions, brand suitability tiers, IVT filters, viewability/attention pre-bid segments, and inclusion lists.
- Post-bid: Third-party verification (e.g., IAS, DoubleVerify, MOAT), continuous domain/app audits, and placement-level pruning.
- Supply integrity: Enforce ads.txt/sellers.json checks, prioritize direct paths, and block resellers with poor transparency.
- Governance: Quarterly safety audits, incident response plans, and documented escalation paths.
These controls reduce fraud, improve on-target reach, and give your legal and procurement teams confidence.
Attention and quality metrics beyond viewability
Viewability is table stakes. Attention correlates better with outcomes. Track exposure time (e.g., average seconds in view), interaction (hovers, scroll depth, audio on), and downstream proxies (page depth, assisted conversions).
Use these to prioritize creatives and placements that deliver quality attention even if CPMs are higher. They often yield better CPA and ROAS. Build a simple quality index that blends viewability, exposure time, and verified human traffic to guide bid modifiers and deal selection.
Attribution and incrementality testing that proves lift
Attribution tells you where conversions happen. Incrementality tells you what would have happened without the ads. Mature display programs run recurring lift tests—geo holdouts, PSA tests, or matched-market designs. They use MMM or hybrid models to guide budget at the portfolio level.
Plan one test per quarter with clear hypotheses, sample sizes, and readout dates. Fund tests as part of your media plan so they don’t get de-prioritized.
Geo holdouts, PSA tests, and matched-market designs
Pick a design that fits your footprint and data quality.
- Geo holdouts: Withhold spend in comparable DMAs and measure deltas in conversions or revenue. Works well for ecommerce and multi-location brands; needs enough markets and stable baselines.
- PSA (public service announcement) tests: Serve non-commercial creative to the control group to measure displacement versus no ad; useful when you can’t fully suppress delivery.
- Matched-market: Pair similar markets using pre-test performance; treat one, control the other. Suitable for national brands with heterogeneous regions.
For each, define minimum detectable effect, power, and duration (often 4–8 weeks). Pre-register the readout rules to avoid p-hacking.
MMM vs MTA and practical hybrid approaches
Marketing mix modeling (MMM) is top-down, needs 2–3 years of data, and guides strategic budget allocation across channels and regions. Multi-touch attribution (MTA) is user-level and tactical but increasingly constrained by privacy.
Most brands win with a hybrid. Use MMM for portfolio budgeting and recurring incrementality tests for channel and tactic calibration. Rely on platform-attributed metrics for in-flight optimization.
Set decision horizons. Use incrementality and platform signals for weekly moves. Use MMM quarterly or semiannually for big shifts. Maintain finance-aligned guardrails (CAC/ROAS) across all.
Creative strategy and landing page optimization for display
Creative and landing pages drive more variance than bid tweaks. Standardize sizes, rotate often, personalize where it matters, and ensure the click lands on a fast, relevant page. This is where many “average” programs become great without spending more.
Document a refresh cadence. Tie creative tests to hypotheses (value prop, offer, visual style) so learnings compound rather than reset each month.
Ad sizes, specs, and refresh cadence
Cover the most supported sizes and formats first, then expand into high-impact placements.
- Core display sizes: 300×250, 300×600, 728×90, 160×600, 320×50/100, 970×250. Add responsive display and native for incremental reach.
- File weights: Keep assets lightweight for faster load; follow platform spec caps and test HTML5 where supported.
- Refresh cadence: Rotate creative every 2–4 weeks at scale or sooner if frequency > 6 and CTR decays > 20%. Seasonal calendars warrant faster cycles.
Build a modular system—headlines, CTAs, product shots—so you can assemble variants quickly. Feed DCO with structured elements.
Frequency caps and DCO frameworks
Balance reach and fatigue. As a starting point, cap prospecting at 2–4 impressions/day and remarketing at 4–6/day. Then tune by attention and CPA.
Use DCO to tailor messages to audience segments (e.g., cart abandoners see urgency and price; category browsers see bestsellers). Allocate to top performers automatically.
Audit overlap. Ensure your programmatic display agency coordinates caps across DSP, GDN, and social display to avoid overexposure.
Landing page principles for display traffic
The click must pay off. Ensure message match with the ad, fast load (especially on mobile), and minimal friction to the next step.
For B2C, emphasize product clarity, social proof, and simple checkout paths. For B2B, align offers to intent (demo vs guide) and reduce form fields.
Use UTMs and on-page analytics to monitor engagement (bounce, scroll, CTA clicks). Feed those signals back into creative and audience optimization.
B2B vs B2C display strategy differences
B2B and B2C differ in decision makers, cycles, and offers. B2B needs account-based targeting, content-led nurturing, and CRM rigor. B2C thrives on merchandising, promo cadence, and dynamic creative.
Align KPIs accordingly. Use opportunities and pipeline quality for B2B. Use revenue, ROAS, and LTV for B2C.
B2B: intent, offers, and long-cycle nurturing
Start with clean ABM lists (target accounts, job functions) and layered contextual to reach buying committees. Lead with value—webinars, benchmark reports, ROI calculators—mapped to funnel stages.
Hand off to sales with disposition definitions (MQL, SQL). Enable feedback loops so media optimizes to opportunities, not just MQL volume. Use longer recency windows and lower frequency caps for expensive, considered purchases.
Build retargeting journeys across formats (display, native, video). Reinforce trust over time.
B2C: merchandising and promo cadence
Anchor your plan to seasonality and inventory. Feature bestsellers and high-margin items in dynamic feeds. Rotate promos weekly in peak periods.
Use creative variety (lifestyle, UGC, price-led) to fight fatigue. Align formats to placement (native for browsing contexts, rich media for launches).
Segment remarketing by behavior (viewed, added to cart, lapsed). Align urgency and offer depth to each segment’s intent.
Offline conversions, CRM integrations, and lead quality
To optimize for business outcomes, you must get revenue and lead quality back into your ad platforms. That means tight CRM integrations (Salesforce/HubSpot), offline conversion imports, and honest feedback loops from sales. Without these, CPAs will look good while pipeline quality lags.
For setup guidance, see Google Ads Help: Import offline conversions. Align your cadence and identifiers before launch.
CRM and ad platform connectivity
Instrument UTMs consistently and enable enhanced conversions. Pass click IDs (or gbraid/wbraid on iOS) so you can match downstream events back to ad interactions.
Automate offline conversion uploads daily or weekly with lead statuses (qualified, disqualified, opportunity) and revenue when available. Map lifecycle stages to optimization goals. For example, optimize upper funnel to qualified leads, mid-funnel to opportunities, and lower funnel to revenue/ROAS when sample sizes support it.
Lead quality and sales feedback loops
Quality beats volume. Define qualification criteria with sales, standardize disposition reasons, and review them weekly with your agency.
Use negative signals (spam, student emails, wrong ICP) to refine targeting and creative. Feed positive signals (titles, industries, deal sizes) into lookalike modeling.
Close the loop by pausing sources that create low-quality spikes, even if CPA looks cheap. This discipline is where many remarketing agency engagements turn the corner on real ROI.
Programmatic vs GDN vs social display: when each wins
Each channel has distinct strengths. Programmatic offers broad inventory, PMPs, and advanced controls. GDN is efficient with strong Google integrations. Social display has rich formats and deterministic audiences.
The best plan mixes them based on your use case, measurement needs, and creative resources. Avoid channel silos—coordinate frequency, exclude overlaps, and centralize reporting so you compare apples to apples on CPA and incrementality.
Decision framework and example scenarios
Use this simple map to choose starting points and scale paths.
- Need scale prospecting with premium placements and brand safety controls? Start programmatic (multi-DSP if needed), layer PMPs, and enforce SPO; add GDN for cost-efficient reach.
- Niche B2B account targeting with CRM lists and contextual? Combine programmatic PMPs with ABM data partners; supplement GDN for retargeting and reach.
- Retargeting and dynamic catalog for ecommerce? GDN and social display excel for feeds and templates; add programmatic for premium remarketing and incremental reach.
- Creative-led launches and rich media? Programmatic high-impact units and social display video drive attention; use PMPs for quality and brand alignment.
Reallocate budget quarterly based on incrementality and attention-adjusted CPA, not just last-click ROAS.
RFP checklist, contract terms, and SLAs
A structured RFP and tight contract terms de-risk your choice and speed onboarding. Insist on transparency in pricing, staffing, tech, brand safety, and measurement. Codify SLAs for planning, optimization, and reporting.
For privacy language, reference the GDPR overview from the European Commission. Align data processing terms accordingly.
Your goal is twofold: select the right partner and ensure you retain account, data, and pixel ownership with clean exit rights.
RFP and scorecard essentials
Score vendors on the same criteria so internal and procurement stakeholders can compare consistently.
- Scope and staffing: Team structure, senior trader involvement, hours, timezone coverage, and backfill plans.
- Pricing and inclusions: Management fee model, minimums, what’s included (safety stack, reporting), and add-on rate card.
- Tech stack: DSPs used and why, PMPs approach, SPO policy, and verification partners; any certifications or TAG participation.
- Measurement: Incrementality testing plan, MMM/MTA experience, offline conversion setup, and readout templates.
- Brand safety: IVT controls, viewability and attention targets, use of ads.txt/sellers.json, and TAG status.
- Case methodology: Case studies with clear baselines, lift, and timeframes; references you can contact.
- SLAs and communication: Onboarding timeline, weekly optimization cadence, and monthly/quarterly business reviews.
Ask pointed questions like: “What percentage management fee do you charge for programmatic display by tier?” and “How long to first meaningful results?” Expect direct answers. Many agencies see stable CPA signals within 4–8 weeks depending on volume.
Contracts and SLAs you should require
Lock down ownership, access, and service standards before work begins.
- Ownership and access: You own ad accounts, DSP contracts (or have admin access), pixels, audiences, and data. Agencies receive user access only.
- Deliverables and timelines: Onboarding plan (2–4 weeks typical), tagging, initial strategy, creative spec plan, and first 90-day test roadmap.
- Reporting cadence: Weekly performance notes and optimization actions; monthly dashboards; quarterly strategy reviews with learnings and next bets.
- Brand safety and privacy: Document IVT and viewability thresholds, verification vendors, and incident response. Reference GDPR/CCPA compliance and data processing addenda.
- Exit and transition: 30-day termination clause, knowledge transfer, and no penalties for taking over accounts or pixels.
- Fees and changes: Transparent fee schedule, minimums, and change-order process for added scope.
These terms ensure your investment is protected. They also set up your program for compounding improvements—not just short-term wins.