Negotiation and buying
A media rate card is an opening offer, not the final price. What you pay depends on volume, booking date, flexibility on placement, the combination of titles or stations, and on who asks and how. Negotiation is not just about discount, though: positions, delivery guarantees, cancellation terms and what happens if the campaign under-delivers matter just as much.
What we deliver
- Requests to media owners and sales houses based on the approved plan
- Negotiation of price, positions, guarantees and cancellation terms
- Offer comparison in units that can actually be compared
- Orders, bookings and coordination of artwork delivery
- Ongoing monitoring and re-planning while the campaign runs
Compare cost per contact, not cost per space
Two offers can only be compared in a unit that says what it costs to reach one person in the target audience. In TV that is cost per rating point (CPP); in print and out-of-home, cost per thousand contacts (CPT). Cheaper space with lower reach in the target audience often ends up more expensive.
So every offer is recalculated to the same audience and the same units. Only then is it clear which discount is real and which just compensates for a weaker audience.
Terms matter as much as price
A discount is worth little if the campaign cannot be moved, the spot lands mid-break or the billboard stands behind a tree. So break position, placement in the issue, choice of faces, cancellation deadlines and compensation for under-delivery are negotiated too.
These terms go into the order, not an email. When the evaluation shows a gap, it is clear what the client is entitled to.
Negotiated terms belong to the client
Whatever is negotiated — a discount, bonus space, a better position, gentler cancellation terms — passes to the client. The plan is built around where the campaign reaches its audience best, not around which media owner is easiest to deal with this month.
At the end, the client sees the achieved prices and terms and can compare them with the rate card. It is the simplest way to show what the negotiation delivered.
Frequently asked
- Why not buy media directly?
- Direct buying is possible, but a media owner offers its own space, not a comparison with its competitors, and terms depend on the volume you spend with it. An agency buys across media, converts offers into comparable units, watches positions and checks what actually aired. For a single small insertion, buying direct may be enough; across a multi-media campaign the difference usually shows.
- What does buying media through you cost?
- For a concrete proposal, use the inquiry form — we reply within one working day and the first consultation is free.
Related services
Media strategy and planning
Splitting the budget across TV, radio, print and out-of-home by target audience and campaign goal — before anything is bought.
Read more →03Campaign evaluation
Comparing what was bought with what actually aired, printed and went up — and claiming compensation where delivery fell short.
Read more →13Billboards and large format
Billboards, bigboards, citylights and other outdoor faces — chosen by location and visibility, not by count.
Read more →