Prepress
MediaBank Introduces First Integrated Digital Media Management System
Wednesday 05. March 2008 - Ninety-day Implementation, No Downtime and Efficient Switch-Over for Starcom MediaVest Group
As more advertisers increase digital media spend, new solutions for mapping, transacting, analyzing and measuring new and emerging media types are necessary to achieve media buying success. To meet this need, Chicago-based MediaBank has introduced a fully-integrated technology platform that enables media buyers to manage both media billing and media tracking across all advertising channels — analog, Web-based and digital media — utilizing a single platform, MediaBank O|X.
Earlier this year, Publicis Groupe’s Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), one of the largest marketing and media services companies in the United States, helped drive this paradigm-shift by being the first major agency to transition to MediaBank O|X from the technology they had used previously. With MediaBank O|X, SMG has installed an open platform that accepts multiple data feeds, including the proprietary SMG systems.
“As a result of the dramatic shift in the marketplace towards digital media, our complete, end-to-end planning, buying, and billing solution incorporates new and emerging media models that will differentiate forward-thinking media buying agencies from the rest of the pack,” said Brad Keywell, Chief Executive Officer of MediaBank. “Every major agency has their own unique processes, and we are the ideal partner because of our ability to expand and customize our O|X platform to meet the needs of each client.”
Last year, MediaBank’s acquisitions of Datatech, a 25-year provider of media buying management systems specializing in analog media, and Blackfoot, a multi-media analytics software provider, formed the foundation for MediaBank O|X. By creating the most extensive digital media buying system, and integrating it with all analog media, finance, production, and other workflow elements, MediaBank created technology for the future of media buying.
“Spend in the digital media space is currently doubling year over year,” added Keywell. “To address this tremendous growth, MediaBank O|X manages all media types — digital and analog — on one database with a common operational, financial and analytics engine.”
MediaBank’s applications, which are also being used by dozens of other media buying agencies in addition to SMG, provide interconnectivity and interoperability for information management among media segments, and O|X is the only system that supplies minute-by-minute updates to accurately track digital media activities.
Key features include:
— Digital buying system — first multimedia buying platform to support a
separate and unique digital workflow, including planning, vendor RFPs,
integrated traffic and in-system performance analysis
— Modern database architecture allows for scalability and flexibility,
unlimited client/product codes, single client code to support large
clients and product types, and more
— User-friendly vendor, market and publication schema — eliminates the
need for individual numeric code per market/publication, reducing error
and increasing efficiency
— Flexible client billing — provides multiple formulas with effective
dates, auto-adjusting commission rate changes, flexible formats
— Simplified vendor payment — automated feeds from a wide variety of
sources
— Customizable and modern user interface — workspace and dashboards
unique to users’ tasks and workflow with streamlined processes across
both analog and digital media
— Flexible, open database — client has flexibility to extract and upload
data
— Analytics platform allows for cross-media analysis across both analog
and digital media
— Significant infrastructure and application flexibility allows users to
run any report or process at any time of day
— Integrated Direct Response module seamlessly connects national, local,
print and interactive media with both short-form and long-form DR
monitoring and telemarketer data streams — allows for flexible
sourcing the reporting, as well as automated data transfer (and no
uploads/downloads between disparate systems)
— Exceptionally customizable for agency and client requirements
“Hundreds of people contributed to the creation of this enhanced version of the MediaBank O|X platform,” said Nick Pahade, who served as project leader and was formerly a member of the Publicis Groupe Media Board of Directors. “MediaBank’s more than 100 software developers worked with 500 SMG employees, all of whom put in extra time and effort to provide for an efficient transition to the new system. It was a Herculean effort that is going to provide tremendous advantages to our clients and will set a new standard of media management for the industry.”
MediaBank will be demonstrating O|X at this week’s AAAA “Digital Changes Everything” Media Conference at Booths 119-121.