Part 7 of a multi-part series on “Going Behind the Media Curtain”
Here in the cj Media Department, we live and die by the data. Ok, that’s a little extreme, but it is very important to our process. As media buyers and analysts, we use data from many sources to make decisions and build your media buys. Some of those sources are nationally recognized, such as Nielsen and SQAD. Ratings and Cost Per Point (CPP) data give your buyer the groundwork to negotiate with stations. We know, based on that data, whether the rates are reasonable or ridiculous. Data allows your buyer to level the playing field and negotiate with stations using their language. But the most important data we use for decision-making lives in cjTrack, our proprietary tracking system.
cjTrack is the tracking software that houses all your call data and TV invoice data. A couple of months ago, Tinamarie told you how Client Services uses the data in that system to make spot decisions. The wealth of knowledge in cjTrack is priceless when it comes to planning your buys, too. By combining invoice information with call information, we know where your calls are coming from. By attributing calls to programs, we know what your clients are watching. When we know what programs they are calling from, we know where to buy more and where to stop or reduce spending.
Call Tracking–What’s the Big Deal?
Because we decide where and how to spend your ad dollars based on cjTrack data, accuracy is key. If call dates and times are inaccurate, the tracking reports will be inaccurate. While knowing the overall call volume is helpful and can give Client Services insight into your cost per call/case on a monthly basis, the information media buyers use is more granular. Drilling down to the exact date and time of a call lets your buyer know what programs are working for you. Accurate data equals accurate reports—which in turn lead to more efficient buys.
While ratings, CPP, and socioeconomic information can provide a nice, general benchmark to be aware of, the real important information comes from within. Call dates and times combined with spot dates and times show us where the sweet spots live in your media buys.
