Association of National Advertisers Chairman Tony Pace, who is the former CMO of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, sent a letter to all ANA members today to underscore the group’s belief that the harsh and negative response by the agency community to its transparency report released earlier this week was unwarranted.

Pace insisted that the report is objective and revealing in its assessment of ongoing media-buying activity.

Among other things, agency holding companies said that the ANA’s decision to issue findings based on anonymous sources stripped it of any credibility. Pace’s response: “Granting anonymity and confidentiality to sources is a standard investigative practice for assessing business conditions that K2 found essential in this case. There was palpable fear of reprisals and other repercussions across the media buying landscape among many who considered whether to participate.”

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