Why Does the Yellow Pages Industry Need Ad Tracking Software? Display ad production is a critical part of the directory production process. Because a high percentage of directory advertisements represent ads that
are being renewed, ad-tracking systems provide a tangible return on investment (ROI). By defining the factors that contribute to your ROI, you can begin to see the financial justification for an ad tracking
system, which is becoming a requirement, not a luxury. Ad Pickup: The "Find and copy" process Between 45% and 70% of all display ads are "pickup adds," or ads that are "picked up" from a previous issue. Performing
a pickup requires the following steps:1. A search for the old display ad and its associated artwork. 2. Copying the artwork into the new display ad.
Assuming the correct ad pickup number is supplied by the sales rep, your ad production staff will spend approximately 5% to 7% of their day locating the old ads and artwork for pickups. In an eight-hour day both these nonproductive steps consume, on average, 38 minutes each day, per ad production member. Over a one-year period, that translates to nearly 4 non-productive man
weeks per person. If you have 13 people performing these tasks, one man-year of effort is spent finding and
copying ads just for the pickup process. And that's assuming that the sales rep provided the correct
information and the pickup number from the previous edition. With our ad tracking system, AD-racadabra
, you can automate the pickup process and eliminate both wasted time and money.
Preparing Ad Files for Pagination Stopping to generate Encapsulated PostScript files (.EPS) for pagination also represents lost productivity. Don't waste any more time creating or searching
for your .EPS files. Although this may appear to be a very minor productivity issue, it takes time and can quickly escalates when someone forgets to send an .EPS file to the correct pagination folder.
With AD-racadabra,
.EPS ads are generated automatically and put right where you expect to find them. Furthermore, Ad-racadabra
reports insure .EPS files exist for the correct ads. If late changes occur, new .EPS files are automatically
created to replace the superseded files. AD-racadabra improves productivity and quality, which both contribute to your ROI. Managing Graphics Scanning operators occasionally make
mistakes that result in more wasted time and money. When artwork is inadvertently saved in the wrong folder, for example, or given the wrong name, valuable time is spent searching for the 'lost'
artwork. When working with generic clipart, the same issues often present themselves, along with the additional frustration of trying to share clipart among operators. AD-racadabra
completely eliminates all of these issues because artwork is attached directly to the ads. No lost artwork…no wasted time…more return on your investment. File Maintenance: Working with Finite File Space File
maintenance typically presents its own unique issues because file servers have a fixed amount of storage space for display ads and artwork. Ad-racadabra
manages the storage and retrieval of your artwork, eliminating the redundant storage of duplicate artwork, as only a database can. Ad-racadabra
also tracks archive criteria and assists with identifying which ad or artwork should be moved off the file server onto an off line media, such as CD ROM or tape. Measuring Productivity and Department Goal Setting When you
automate the process for display ad production you also have a means to measure the productivity of your staff. The answers to all your questions are at your fingertips using the Ad-racadabra
report generators. What is the ROI of an AD Tracking System like AD-racadabra?
The answer depends on the current efficiency and productivity levels of your current ad production operation. Based on the factors
we've outlined, publishers should appreciate a savings between 10% and 20%. But the savings and your ROI extend beyond the measurable. What value does your company place on improved directory quality
and increased production efficiency? Consider AD-racadabra a requirement, not a luxury. |
