Electronic contracts for Advertising Agencies
Some of the broadcasters are currently sending electronic confirmed contracts to a few of the agencies. These confirmed contracts are the original bookings in the broadcasters' traffic systems once the proposal has been approved by the agency. This means that within 48 hours of the proposal approval, the agency will receive into their traffic system the actual booking of that media buy directly from the broadcaster's traffic system. Therefore, the agency and the station will have the same picture of the booking at the same time. They will be 'in sync'.
To make sure the broadcaster's contract is unambiguously linked to the right media buy within the agency's system, the electronic contract from the broadcaster will contain the agency's estimate/campaign code, client code and product code. In addition, the electronic contract will also contain the spot serial numbers (a unique ID for each spot in the contract) so that when traffic instructions, post-logs, pre-empts and makegoods are sent electronically the station and agency systems will know exactly which spot is being referenced.
At any time, the agency can request the broadcaster to send revised contracts so that the agency can maintain a 'picture' of the media buy. These revised contracts will contain the spots in the original confirmed contract as well as the spots that have changed. It will be a complete picture of the booking that the agency can request at any time.
The broadcasters will not send the contracts electronically unless requested by the agency. This will avoid potential confusion and problems at the agency that may occur if the contract schedules arrive before the agency's traffic system is ready to process them.
We see the coordination of this process between agency and broadcaster as simply a few steps to follow:
- During the approval process of the broadcaster's proposal, the agency must give the broadcaster their estimate/campaign code, the agency's advertiser/client code and the product code for that proposal.
- Once the agency has given final approval for the proposal, the broadcaster will send an electronic confirmed contract from their traffic system. This electronic contract will contain the agency's codes so that the agency's traffic system will be able to link the contract to the correct media buy.
- By the request of the agencies, the broadcasters have committed to sending an electronic confirmed contract within 48 hours of receiving the final approval to the proposal.
- At any time during the life of the media buy, the agency can request the broadcaster to send the current revised contract electronically. Again, the agency must give the broadcaster their estimate/campaign code, client code and product code prior to the revised contract being sent. This is to insure that the correct codes are always in the electronic contract transaction. The revised contract will contain both spots that have changed and those that have not.
Even if the original confirmed contract was not sent electronically, the agency can request the revised contracts at any time. This means that the agency does not have to wait for the next new booking to be able to start receiving electronic contracts. The agency can ask for even the current contracts within the broadcaster's traffic system (as long as the agency gives the broadcaster the estimate/campaign code, client code and product code).
The key to a successful exchange of electronic contracts is the communication between agency and broadcaster. The agency takes the ěleadî by requesting the contracts and giving their codes to include in the file. The broadcaster must fulfill this request quickly to be meaningful to the agency.
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