• by Dana Blankenhorn , March 24, 2003

The new version of the Mediaspace newspaper buying system, due out next Monday, will offer more support for traditional ad placements, including complex programs requiring different ad sizes in different papers.

President Scot Kerr said "what we're starting to do is close the loop on the order part of the transaction. With this release graphics people can upload ad material, and actually connect those ads to the insertion orders that are processed to the newspaper."

Traffic departments will even be able to customize uploads with different coupon codes and phone numbers for different markets.

Mediaspace, in Norwalk, Conn., initially supported the purchase of stand-by ads, but since 1999 it has focused more on "sporadic" campaigns, new product launches and public relation operations that may need to be purchased in many markets at once, but don't go out in a regular schedule.

This means that where it once supported mainly individual buyers, it is now offering more support to agencies, especially small, regional agencies.

The service has two parts. Planners get tools with which they can estimate the cost of a campaign, and adjust their buy based on real market data before placement.

"Click a button and get all the newspapers with Sunday and daily circulation, and penetration. When we demonstrate that to agencies, they oooh and ah. It's a simple way of looking at the plan. They can replace our logo with theirs and take it to clients.

"Once you make a plan you can instantly get an estimate, and adjust. Once you submit the plan for a quote we go ahead," said Kerr.

Later an agency's traffic department can upload the ads, in the Adobe PDF format, and have them delivered for insertion. Mediaspace maintains each paper's requirements so traffic departments know they're meeting specifications.

In between the services provided by computers, a staff of experienced buyers work the phones with the papers, aiming to deliver on the estimates and win the best possible price. "Part of the challenge in the space is the technology gets ahead of the people. We try to stay in sync people wants," said Kerr.

Mediaspace makes its money on commissions from the newspapers, and sometimes on payments made by agencies.

Kerr said Mediaspace deals with 1,000 newspapers each year, and continues to grow at 50% per year. As the service for agencies becomes more robust, Kerr hopes to win more business from firms that place ads on regular schedules.

"We're not the only ones who can place multi-market newspaper," he concluded. "There are other rep firms and networks. But what's unique is we don't have any restrictions.

"While we behave like a rep firm we're not limited to a group of newspapers, or an ad category. We're willing to get involved from the absolute head-end of planning, even strategic planning, to fulfillment and closing the transaction."