I often mock and laugh at what some advertising sales reps will do to cut their own throats.  Here is the story….

Once upon a time, an Ozean Media Account Executive was working on a media buy in the Jacksonville, FL area.  We were tasked with delivering a short term, one month buy that maximized reach.  The Account Executive called into Jacksonville Spotlight, did an avail request, asked for the person that “handles” our agency, didn’t get a call back.  It was time sensitive and he called again.  He was promptly helped by a nice  woman.   She provide information, but not in the way that was most useful to us.  When asked, she promptly re-did the work a day later.   From what I am told, she was helpful and great to work with.

Now, you must understand that this agency buys a certain way, and it is NOT the way that a lot of cable advertising reps have been taught to sell.  Also understand I was a sales manager for a cable system in Florida.  I know about cable ratings, programming, inventory levels, etc.  I also know the crap that cable ad reps attempt to sell clients directly - like “Mr. Client, with this 18 hour rotator, you will get hundreds of spots.” or “look at the price per spot”  or “Look at this “Package” it is a something that you really want combined with a bunch of stuff we can’t sell without packing it with the good stuff.” - etc. - EVERYTHING to avoid a discussion on CPP, CPM, or value.    But…I digress….

Then the trouble started.  The sales rep that “handles” my agency started emailing me (I haven’t heard from him in over a year) telling me that he handled my agency and if I ever needed anything that I should work through him.    The Ozean Account Executive said “I don’t know that guy, never met him, he didn’t call me back, and I want to work with the very nice person that is helping me.”  Sounded reasonable to me.

Then all hell broke loose.  Ozean’s Account Executive felt harassed by the person that handles our agency through repeat emails.  The person that was helpful was now caught in a dispute and her only sin was being helpful.

Then the sales manager called.  I “must” use the sales rep that “handled” my agency that I have never met and hadn’t talked to in over a year.  I told her that my account executive wanted to work with the person that was helping him.  ”That is not possible”  My sales rep became so angry with the sales rep’s behavior that he refused to work with the sales rep that “handled” our agency.

So, instead of working with the person that was being helpful, we now had to work with the sales manager.   Why Ozean’s Account Executive couldn’t work with the person that was helping them makes absolutely no damn sense, but fine, we paid for and placed the buy.   Drama over, everyone moves on.

Fast forward a month……

The client does not use our agency at this time.  The client called into Comcast Spotlight directly and was told by the sales rep that “handles” Ozean Media “Glad you called me directly, I will offer you 2-4 times the number of spots for the same price, because I don’t like Alex Patton or Ozean Media!  We will call it the Ozean Special!”

Smart move guy.

Our agency buys efficiently with a scalpel.  We buy with numbers - rating points, we know the difference between your CDMA and DMA, we know how to blend books, etc.  We focus on fixed programming on targeted networks to reach targeted demographics.

Broad Rotators are for suckers.  But hey, one can always hoodwink a customer, and one should be ashamed.

Let’s do the math with an easy example:

1 spot 4.0 GRPS $50 per spot

• Total cost $50
• Total Gross Rating Points:  4.0
• Cost per Rating Point:  $12.50
• “Cost per Spot” $50

10 spots .1 GRPs $5 per spot for broad rotators (8am - mid)

• Total cost $ 50
• Total Gross Rating Points:  1.0
• Cost Per Rating Point:  $50
• “Cost per Spot”  $5

The first option reaches four times the amount of people!  True the frequency is low, but remember the buy referenced in this post, it was a short term buy designed to maximize reach over frequency.

Also, here is the other dirty little secret - the rating on a broad rotator is an AVERAGE of all hours in the rotators.  Meaning some hours are LESS than the quoted rating points.  NOW - that would be fine, if you got an equal rotation of the spots through out the rotator.  You don’t.  If the station sells out the highest rated hours at a higher rate, then your spot get pre-empted OR regulated to the LOWER ratings.  Want to prove my point?  Ask them to guarantee an equal rotation through out the rotator - that same sales rep will dance all over the place.

In the past, this agency has done extensive audits and studies of broad rotators.  They are a sucker’s purchase.  They can deliver as much as HALF of their quoted GRPs.  So, in most cases you are overpaying on these rotators, overpaying on these “Cost Per Spot” schedules.  The exception - emerging networks - a nice term for network with little or no ratings.

When you are buying broad rotators, you are buying airtime the cable stations CAN’T SELL.  You are buying the left overs.  This is especially true on any cable network with any type of demand.   You are being charged a price that includes the ratings of programming hours that you have little or NO chance of falling into. (Example, buy a rotator in Jacksonville on ESPN on a Saturday airing a Gator football game.  Go ahead and be extreme - buy 3 spots per hour all day.  Now, tell me how many of your spots end up in the Gator Game. Want to place your bet on the over/under?)  You would know this if you audited your schedules like this media agency does.  But then again, who has time to audit media buys. But I digress again….

So, the bottom line is Jacksonville’s Comcast Spotlight is running a HELL OF A DEAL.  They will lower their price just because they don’t like this media agency.

You see, we think we should look out for the best interest of our client.  They hire us to be experts and understand the math behind the buy, the reach, the frequency, and not buy canned packages of junk.

We are not the media company’s pals, not their friends, and we call them out on their sales bull crap and don’t let them get away with it.  We make them work and NOT just collect orders.

HOWEVER, at a 50% decrease in the price - it is starting to approach a value point that we even find difficult to argue with.

You should call them immediately.  (Just remember to require an even rotation through those broad rotators.)

Tell them “Ozean Sent Me!”

Primary Sales Contact
5934 Richard St
Jacksonville FL , 32216
(904) 380-6422

However, if you are interested in ways to increase your media buy’s efficiency and you want an advocate on YOUR side that is not afraid to fight for you, then give us a call.