Ensure You Received What You Paid for By Checking Television Rating Points
When it comes to television advertising, dealer groups such as the local FDAF, LMG and LMDA almost always receive the commercials from the manufacturer and then placement of the advertisements is done by the manufacturer’s media-buying agency.
Simple enough. However, do the dealer groups and its members know whether they got the target ratings points they paid to get? More simply put, do they know whether they got what they paid for?
Target ratings points are a projected measurement of how many people watch television programming. When a media-buying agency buys television time, the stations contractually agree to deliver a certain number of points for the purchased time slots. More points come with a higher price.
Media-Buying Agency Should Assist You
After your commercials have aired, have the media-buying agency confirm whether actual viewers equated to your purchase. (The agency does this by conducting an advertising audit to check whether you received the target rating points you purchased.) If they did not, the agency should be able to negotiate appropriate rebates or adjustments from the television stations, which could include additional time for your commercials.
Individual dealers should have an advertising audit done as well. Additionally, if a dealer wants to be more proactive in buying media, it should consider outsourcing to a marketing partner that can serve as an extension of their team.
There are plenty tricks of the trade, if you will, that are needed to successfully negotiate pricing, plan the strategy and receive the time that will get placement on shows that deliver the desired audience to receive the advertising messages.
The bottom line: If you paid for it, you should receive it. Performing an
advertising audit will cost little or nothing and
it may yield tremendous benefits.
To schedule an evaluation of your strategic plan, contact Design Solutions Integrated Marketing, a subsidiary of James & Co. Design Solutions is a full-service ad agency.
Call Jodi Holmgren, Marketing Strategist at (801) 622-1212. www.designsolutionsllc.com.