Digital ad production brings the need for tracking systems

At a time when most newspapers are making the transition from handling physical display ads to all digital files -- and the rest have either made the transition or are about to -- the management of ad production raises the questions of streamlined workflow and increased productivity.

Newspapers are now able to eliminate multiple versions of ads and graphics while tracking production priorities, job status and location, workload balancing and even system organization.

Most display ad databases store the order entry information in a server, while the display ads themselves are then produced on separate individual desktop computers, also known as database clients. Once the client and server are connected to each other by a local area network, the ad elements -- which include everything from the advertiser's name, address and phone number to individual graphic files -- are entered into the database. Some ad tracking systems are often used from the order entry stage all the way through to the composition phase, including proofing and pagination.

Most newspaper ad departments utilize the same ads day after day -- they are commonly called "pick-ups." The digital transmission of display ads eliminates the need for multiple copies of shared art or logos. For example, if a retailer needs to update a logo, only one copy needs to be adjusted. The database locates and updates the art that is slated to be reused.

"Groups of newspapers now see this as a necessity," said Jon Dickinson, president of CNI Corp. of Massachusetts. "We have customers who use our Display Ad Tracker system to automate a display ad tracking process to reduce their costs. In one particular case, one of our clients had eight people doing pick-up ads. Now, the system does that for them automatically."

Most retailers and ad agencies who digitally transmit their display ads are seeking to increase their productivity, reduce costs and heighten productivity.

"Our ad tracking system manages all customer support ads so if a customer wants to know the status of an ad, they can just check into one database and find out if it has been received, reviewed, put in a pagination system or if it needs corrections," Dickinson said. "It is a very important business for newspapers because if an ad management system does not go well, it may upset an advertiser and may mean millions of dollars for the newspaper."

Digital ad tracking database systems have built-in archives for future sorting by keywords, category, advertiser and publication dates. Remote users may view the data, have access to on-line spec ads and customer layouts. As a result, ad information may be transmitted to the production facility several hours before a sales representative could deliver the ad copy in person. As proofs are edited, digital transmission allows for the composition of new ad copy.

From sales call onward
"Instead of laying out copy for approval and faxing it, we can transmit the ads digitally and have the ad turned around within 24 hours," said Miki Bucher, AdQuest classified production manager for PowerAdz of Rensselaer, N.Y. "Every display ad is loaded into a classified category and is put in front of the reader. As many times as we can get a display ad in front of a reader, it is very effective. The key to a successful display ad is bringing buyers and sellers or employers and employees together, whatever the case may be."

The digital transmission of ads allows the management of a particular ad from the original sales call through production and billing, while focusing on the ability to handle repeat business.

Ad tracking systems are useful for accounting, customer service and sales representatives. From reviews of account activity to follow-up sales calls and receivables balances, the systems may flag a particular account that has exceeded a specific credit limit or schedule new run dates for an existing ad. Some ads may even be removed from future scheduled copies while one-time rate charges for a new ad or multiple production charges may be incurred.

Display ad tracking has increased in popularity over the years as on-line advertisers continue to grow.

"Digital ad transmission is very popular for large publications because when an ad is being built, you may have the text, logo and art but no database," said Corbin Morse, a sales and marketing representative for Advanced Publishing Technology of Burbank, Calif. "Managing any part of an ad without a database is a nightmare, especially when doing a large quantity of ads. We have developed a program to help manage ads, which creates an ad and all the parts associated with the ad. The information is then stored in a database and archived. It can be saved on a server with all parts of the ad archived on a CD or DVD. Ad Master has everything on its database so it saves space on the server and it works on both Windows and Mac operating systems."

In the on-line world, some companies may wish to find out which banner ads are generating the most leads or otherwise influencing purchases.

The New York Times encourages the digital transmission of ads, citing improved reproduction, faster delivery and lower production costs.

"We are only about 40 percent digital now but we hope to be like the Los Angeles Times soon, which is 100 percent digital and only accepts electronic PDF files," said Tom Mulligan, advertising production representative for the New York paper. "If a customer does not know how to digitally transmit an ad to us, we will e-mail the customer the formats for us to receive electronic files. We use the Associated Press' AdSEND service, which accepts PDF files only. We have really come a long way over the past few years. Before, we had to cut, scan and wax the ads but today, all color ads are sent electronically. Technology is really taking over."

Monitoring progress
Digital ad production virtually eliminates production-related errors because the customer can create its own ads error-free and transmit them to the production department for pre-flight checking, font management and status and deadline controls.

"We are able to move 1.8 million files from the United States to Mexico and the United Kingdom with 792 clients in over 2000 newspapers," said Jim Farrell, director of the Associated Press' AdSEND. "Display ads can be sent in three priorities: one-hour, four-hour or 12-hour. Cost-wise, it is a tremendous savings for just $12 per transmission. It used to cost over $20 for films plus the cost of overnight delivery services. We recently added two new services, Ad Reservation and Ad Proofing. It has made our lives a lot easier by receiving ads in electronic format."

Digital ad management systems also help manage graphics, images or text associated with particular ads. Ad tracking software allows the user to monitor the progress throughout the production workflow.

"Digital transmission of ads is continuing to evolve on a weekly basis because there is something new each week," said Alvin Walker, design and support services director for Ohio's Wilmington News Journal and scheduled speaker on ad tracking at the NEXPO 2000 conference. "People are constantly finding new ways to get ads in. The challenge is, and will continue to be with so many individuals learning computers, that they want to gain control of their own ads, which presents the challenge to newspapers."

Sometimes newspapers may find difficulty in meeting the needs of every agency.

"Each newspaper has a different computer setup and they must be able to handle all the different files and platforms to send off," Walker added. "It is hard for a newspaper to be everything but they don't want to turn away the revenue so they must find some way to get it into their paper. Newspapers are now reallocating their positions from having design ad builders to digital ad operators. People's jobs are changing with technology."

On-line advertising allows advertisers to measure their investment in real time. From banner ad performance to lead generation and sales, advertisers are also able to analyze each element, including conception and delivery.

Because customers are able to track and manage the entire ad production process, the chances of incurring costs from losing ads, running an incorrect ad or not even running the ad are reduced drastically.

The overall production of a display ad includes the design construction of many components that need to be tracked and stored. Digital ad tracking systems generally assign a specific number to a particular ad, linking it to the overall system. This allows the ad the ability to share graphics that are often used for multiple-ad layouts. As some ads are linked together, the system is not required to store multiple copies of art for different ads.

Capturing

for on-line
"It is important for the newspaper publisher to capture display ads for print and on-line uses," said Adam Leff, senior vice president of business development and corporate communications for AdStar.com Inc. of Marina del Rey, Calif. "It is an increasingly important medium for them. When dealing with an advertiser, the newspaper must capture the PDF and other metadata for the ad. Digital transmission display ad tracking is one of the latest trends right now because it helps both the publisher and advertiser."

Because all the information is stored electronically for an ad to be run at a future date, the need to recreate graphics, images, text and logos is eliminated. An advertiser is now able to just call a newspaper, tell them to rerun an ad that was published last December and it can be quickly accessed through the company archives.

Some ad tracking systems even provide for multiple user access. Not only does it keep track of who is using which file but it can also determine which user made the most recent changes and the ad's current status. This feature affords newspapers the ability to share information among multiple users instead of having to locate the last person who worked on the ad or trying to determine the last computer the work was saved on when the changes were being made.

One of the most important features of digital ad tracking systems is the ability to generate various production reports. Standard reports often include outstanding ads that need to be completed and user group productivity reports. These tools are useful in determining the status of a particular ad in the production process.

Once an ad is called up to be edited by a particular user, others are not able to edit the information simultaneously as they would have read-only access to the file. When the ad is sent back to the system, the status of the ad is automatically updated.

Years ago, advertisers were required to submit copy to newspapers via "slicks" or "Veloxes." Today, the new digital ad tracking systems enable newspapers to automate their deadline process.

For example, the "proof out" deadline is the scheduled time the proof for a particular ad must be sent back to the advertiser. "Corrections in" is when any changes are due back to the newspaper before production while "release to page" is the last step in the final ad before it is released. This is now done through digital ad tracking systems, automatically alerting the user to any upcoming impending deadlines.

In addition, the Internet has been very helpful for users in transmitting and receiving digital ad information. Most ad tracking systems are Web-based applications, which allow receipt of ads from electronic delivery systems like ACI AdDirect and AP AdSEND and converts them automatically into a PDF file.

When publishing an ad, these systems are able to verify that the fonts used by a particular advertiser are compatible with the newspaper's printer. The publisher also confirms high-resolution graphics and the location of a particular ad on the final layout page.

The editorial archive feature is one of the most useful, allowing the newspaper to transfer metadata fields into a system. Once an ad is archived, it is readily retrievable with just a few quick clicks, enabling content to be provided to a particular web site immediately or to be access for research information for the newsroom.

-- Kellie K. Speed

From THE COLE PAPERS, May 2000, Copyright © 2000, All Rights Reserved.