Preempts and Makegoods: Money on the Move

by Lee Sparrow | January 14, 2016

hands holding stack of 100 bills shutterstock_480869“This ad is paid for by…”  Sound familiar?  Expect to be inundated with this message in 2016 as political ad dollars are expected to break record spending.  The influx of political ads can affect your media buy, but we have a solution.

What is a preempt and why does it affect you?

Preempted spots are TV spots that get “bumped” from the schedule when another advertiser decides to pay more money for that specified time slot. Buyers at cj like to take the proactive approach by placing annual buys for schedules in order to secure station inventory while it’s readily available.  While scheduling buys so far ahead can lock in inventory at a lower rate, this doesn’t make your firm immune from other advertisers paying a higher rate, potentially resulting in your spots getting preempted.  Since our job is to make your phones ring, preempted spots mean that a potential client missed out on seeing your important message.

So what do we do about it? Introducing: the makegood.

“Makegood” is exactly as it sounds: making a spot good.  The best course of action is to make that missed spot (or spots) good during another day or week where it will clear.  So, while the message was initially missed, we take measures to ensure it’s placed in a new home (as long as it has our prior approval, of course).

We have stringent policies here at the agency, and makegoods are no exception.  Every spot that’s preempted and made good requires prior approval from the agency to ensure that it’s placed in the correct time, on the correct day, and at the correct rate.  They can’t just move it anywhere, though.  Spots can only be moved 2 broadcast months ahead of the originally scheduled date.  This is a general agency policy, but can vary client to client based on preference and/or billing.

All reps have our Terms of Agreement in-hand, outlining all of our rules, so stations are held accountable for following these guidelines.  If not, an improperly moved spot will either result in a free spot or a credit with the station.  Point blank, we make the rules, and we expect the stations to follow them.

Why are makegoods even MORE important in 2016?

With 2016 projected to as being one of the biggest years in regards to political spending, your spots are at a higher risk of preemption with politicians paying premium rates for time slots.  That’s why our team at cj will work diligently in 2016 to make sure your message isn’t lost and will continue to ring loud and clear to those who need it.

“My name is Lee Sparrow, and I approve this message.”