Major Metro Daily Newspaper Rate Compliance

IMPROVE RATE CARD COMPLIANCE in the advertising department; ensure consistent and accurate rating and billing practices; and increase both revenues and customer satisfaction

Project Focus

• Daily Metro Newspaper Ad Sales, Sales Management, Finance / Billing, and Programming
• Enhance advertising revenue per line sold through better control of rates and discounts
• Develop new rate-request process to ensure approval, programming and notification of new rates to affected departments prior to offering rates to customers
• Identify uses of non-rate card and non-programmed rates to eliminate use of open-rating categories, and identify staff training and rate programming needs
• Decrease revenue misallocations

Client Gains: Financial and Operating Benefits

• 60% reduction in use of unapproved rates
• Increased revenues due to elimination of unauthorized special rating
• Identified and added all non-programmed rates to the system, eliminating the need for open and flat rating
• Achieved 100% approval of rates by finance and programming prior to offering to customers

Key Changes that Supported Client Goals

• Developed six-session program and trained 52 advertising staff and management in current rate structures, ad order requirements, and new authorization processes
• Implemented new rate authorization process to ensure profitability and programmability of rates prior to approval and customer offering
• Developed standards and process for timely turnaround of all authorizations
• Defined and implemented policies to deter the use of non-rate card and non-authorized rates
• Implemented daily “rate exception” reporting process to identify use of unauthorized rates by advertising staff

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