It seems most media strategists and buyers rely on media partners to suggest added value. (And believe it or not, we’ve seen plenty of media buys that actually pay for added value…which really isn’t added value at all. It’s added expense.)
Can you guess what media reps and vendors always offer as added value? That’s right: stuff nobody else wants. From their perspective, added value is an opportunity to unload excess inventory. Works great for the media vendor, but really does nothing for you.
As mentioned before, we always make added value part of our upfront negotiations and expectations. We direct the media to provide multiple value added offerings. (And there are many.) We invite suggestions and ideas. And we always negotiate. Always, because as we say later, there are no rate cards.
Creating this kind of structure means added value isn’t an afterthought. It’s a key part of the overall plan, and maximizes your efficiencies across the board. In fact, we are regularly able to negotiate 20% or more in added value…just by knowing how to ask for it.
More than once, we’ve doubled a client’s budget with added value planning and negotiation. In 2019 alone, we secured more than $1.8 million in value-added, guaranteed-to-run air time.
Sure, it requires an extra level of effort. But it also results in an extra level of efficiency. Simply put: that means you get more for your money.
Part 3 of our “Media Makeover” series, featuring five powerful strategies to improve your media buying effectiveness. See Part 1, Part 2, Part 4 and Part 5.
