• by Debbi Swanson , August 2, 2001

Five-year-old online media buying service Mediapassage is closing its broadcast operations while it retools that element of its business and expands its core service - print buying. Users were notified via email that the broadcast service was closing, but will be back after further R&D. This while the company introduced its new tagline, "We make work flow."

Linda Waldman, VP of Marketing says, "We believe the opportunity is there in broadcast, but our systems are more fully functional in print. We'll build up the broadcast side since the general opinion is the need for broadcast services is growing. We're hopeful it won't be too long."

While closing the broadcast side of its business, Mediapassage is introducing enhancements to its print buying systems. The improvements include eRFP and MediaStores; an increase in the sales force; and a completely redesigned web site. Waldman says the new systems -- eRFP, and MediaStores -- are both designed to make print advertising easier to buy, and to improve the relationship between newspapers and their customers.

"eRFP allows buyer and seller to communicate directly," she explains. "The system eliminates the waste of time. Buyer enters their criteria; seller responds within system. It's tight and fast." From that point on buyer and seller communicate back and forth either within the eRFP function, or the old-fashioned way - telephone or maybe fax -- until they arrive at a mutually agreed upon rate. The eRFP system is able to document the process and store it for future reference.

The MediaStores system provides private-branded advertising information and processing on the Internet. "This gives publications almost a proprietary website hosted by us but it looks like theirs," says Waldman. Using this system, advertisers can access a publication's media kit information, submit RFP's, process insertion orders, and traffic art. The advantage here is that although the newspaper controls MediaStore access and content, Mediapassage hosts the site, allowing papers to build an advertiser interface on the web without having to use their own resources. "This allows us to target markets and act like an extended sales force by posting the latest opportunities available."

In an optimistic move, MP has also increased its sales force to support the recent increase in print buying. Hired are two Account Executives, Kirk Tatnall and Jacqueline Maksian, in New York, a third AE, Sarah Dines, San Francisco, and Chrissy Gillis and Tracy Glass will share the newly created position of Account Director to act as "a liaison between regional sales directors and operations," says Waldman.

As for the company's focus now, she says, "Right now print is the stronger market. And it's been growing. Our clients are buying more print. There are lots of immediate opportunities there. The need with print is more obvious. All the back office stuff, tear sheet reconciliations, lack of standardization among papers, prep of ads, discrepancies, etc., make print far more painful and complicated than broadcast. We take away a lot of the pain. We do all the stuff that nobody else wants to do. And the back office absorbs a lot of time for media pros when they could be negotiating other deals, etc."

Demos of the new services will be live this week at www.mediapassage.com. And for the future, Waldman says, "Within a year, we'd want to branch out into other media. We're increasing our capabilities, new ways to service clients, and adding enhancements and products. We work closely with clients to meet their needs and find out where their pain is!" she jokes.