Advertising Rate Cards--Making a Deal You Can't Refuse?

Answer 1

There's an old saying that only a very small percentage of the population can read a bus or train schedule. With all of its arcane measurements and buzzwords, it's probably true that reading an advertising rate card is even more difficult for most people. Fortunately, with a short introduction, knowing how to read a rate card can not only be easy, but can often make the difference between purchasing advertising that will really help from only costing you a lot of money needlessly.

The advertising rate card is the most important piece of information available to you regarding your promotional purchase. Fortunately, it is also your key to creating a purchase that is both economical and effective. The information contained on the rate card will show you what geographic areas are reached by the media outlet, whether print or broadcast, as well as the price for the varieties of areas purchased.

Also contained in the advertising rate card are the technical requirements of the advertising to be purchased, editorial policies, and audience analysis.

An important component of an advertising rate card is the cost breakdown information. The rate card will show the cost of coverage, often called saturation, as well as the price breaks that are available if an advertiser runs an ad more often, called a frequency discount.

With an astute analysis of the information contained on your rate card, an advertiser can save significant amounts of money by working within the production requirements and by bargaining with the publication or broadcast outlet for the space or time.

Time or space without advertising is revenue lost to the outlet. Often, a publication or broadcast medium will bargain with an advertiser in order to get their business. By using the information contained in the advertising rate card, an advertiser can work effectively with an advertising representative to get the best deal possible, whether he or she chooses to work with the publication or station exclusively or elects to combine services of the outlet with outside sources for art and other elements.

Also remember that advertising rates change frequently, and each change renders the previous rate care obsolete. Make sure you are working with a current rate card. Make sure you have the latest information, and chances are good that you will be putting yourself in a good position for an optimal purchase.