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10.1.11 Setting up Media Buying: Configuring Ad Specs & Ad Prices for Media Buying Product Setup

10.1.11 Setting up Media Buying: Configuring Ad Specs & Ad Prices for Media Buying Product Setup

Purpose: Defining Your Media Buying Offerings

Before you can plan Media Buying campaigns in ADvendio, you need to define the services or inventory you intend to buy externally. This is done using the Ad Spec object, which acts as your product catalog entry for these off-site, reach extension, or other media buying activities.

When users plan campaigns in Campaign Builder, they select these Ad Specs (along with their associated Ad Prices) to represent the items they intend to purchase.

Key Requirement: Use the 'Buying' Record Type

To ensure an Ad Spec is correctly identified for Media Buying processes and that the resulting Campaign Items are created with the appropriate 'Buying' record type in ADvendio, the Ad Spec must use the 'Buying' record type.

Updated Logic (ADvendio 2.177): If an Ad Spec uses the 'Buying' record type, any Campaign Item created using this Ad Spec (e.g., via Campaign Builder, Media Configuration) will automatically be assigned the 'CampaignItemBuying' record type, regardless of the Billing Category set on the associated Ad Price. This simplifies setup and supports various pricing models like CPM, Budget, or Flexible Pricing under the Media Buying framework.

  • Record Type Description: The intended use for the Ad Spec 'Buying' record type is: "Use this record type for Off-Site and Reach Extension Ad Specs, to be used with the ADvendio Media Buying module".

Steps to Create a Buying Ad Spec:

You can either create Ad Specs manually or use different tools like the Inventory Setup Assistant. For manual creation go through the following steps:

  1. Navigate to the Ad Specs tab.

  2. Click New.

  3. When prompted to select a record type, choose Buying.

  4. Click Next.

  5. Fill in the necessary details for your Ad Spec (e.g., Name, Description).

  6. Click Save.

Linking to Specific Platforms (Optional but Recommended)

While you can create generic Media Buying Ad Specs, linking them to a specific buying platform (like Facebook, DV360, Xandr) unlocks advanced capabilities, particularly the ability to set platform-specific targeting directly on the Campaign Item in Campaign Builder.

How to Link:

  1. Ensure you have an Ad Type record set up for the specific platform, and that this Ad Type is linked to the correct Connection record for that platform. (Link to 3.1.5 Ad Type documentation if available).

    image-20250502-165648.png

  2. On your Ad Spec record (using the 'Buying' record type), link the appropriate platform-specific Ad Type in the relevant lookup field.

    image-20250502-171701.png

By establishing this link (Ad Spec -> Ad Type -> Connection), ADvendio knows which platform the Ad Spec relates to and can display the relevant targeting options in Campaign Builder.

Defining Pricing Strategies

Pricing for your Media Buying Ad Specs is configured using the related Ad Price object. Remember, the choice of Billing Category no longer dictates the Campaign Item record type assignment when using a 'Buying' Ad Spec.

Steps to Create an Ad Price:

  1. Navigate to the Ad Prices tab and click New, or create one from the related list on your Ad Spec record.

  2. Link the Ad Price to your Buying Ad Spec.

  3. Select the appropriate Billing Category to define the pricing logic:

    • Standard Categories (CPM, CPC, etc.): Use these if you are selling the bought inventory based on standard units, even if you buy it differently. 3.1.4.4 Billing Categories.

    • Budget: Select this crucial category if you want the system to track the actual media spend retrieved from the buying platform against the planned budget on the Campaign Item. This is essential for accurate cost management and invoicing based on actuals. 6.1.1 Budget as a Billing Category

      image-20250502-175209.png

    • Flexible Pricing: Use this advanced option (typically combined with a base like CPM) if you need to calculate the final sales price based on the actual monthly media spend and delivered quantity, ensuring invoices reflect performance fluctuations while respecting a potential cap. 6.1.2 Flexible Pricing for Campaigns

  4. Enter the List Price (this acts as the planned budget amount when using the 'Budget' billing category, or the rate for standard categories).

  5. Fill in other relevant fields and click Save.

Use Cases Summarized

  • Generic Media Buying Ad Spec: Create an Ad Spec with the 'Buying' record type but without linking a specific Ad Type/Connection. This can represent general media buying services but won't allow platform-specific targeting on the Campaign Item. The resulting Campaign Item will still have the 'Buying' record type.

  • Platform-Specific Media Buying Ad Spec: Create an Ad Spec with the 'Buying' record type and link it via Ad Type to a specific Connection (e.g., Facebook). This enables users to set Facebook-specific targeting (audiences, placements) directly on the Campaign Item in Campaign Builder for streamlined planning. The resulting Campaign Item will have the 'Buying' record type.

Setting up your Media Buying Ad Specs correctly with the 'Buying' record type is the foundation for leveraging ADvendio's integrated media buying workflow.