DIARY - RANT

Agency booking confirmations. Don’t bother.

When you start out in this crazy world we call media sales, you’re told

that you must keep these sorry pieces of computer print and file them

somewhere.

Nobody I’ve ever worked with has come up with a valid reason for doing

this. It would make sense if they actually corresponded to any deal that

was ever agreed, but they don’t.

If you have done a sly last minuter with Mr X from XYZ Media, and have

booked it in ROP - ie buried at the back on a left hand page - you do

not expect the booking conf’ (as I rather dashingly call them) to say:

’Position: guaranteed front half, outside edge, solus on page, etc,

etc.’ But they do, they all do - never has any booking conf’ come

through saying: ’Position: wherever’s easy.’

If agencies think that saying, ’check the confirmation’ holds any sway,

they’re ’avin’ a larf! Ninety-nine per cent of all booking confirmations

are filed - in the bin. They’re dull, difficult to read and we couldn’t

really give a shit anyway as the money’s already in. Sort of.

Imagine how much could be saved by reducing booking confs by 95 per

cent: postage costs - down; computer costs - down;

idiot-staff-with-nothing-better-to-do costs - down.

Do us all a favour and send something interesting, like a picture of a

fluffy kitten.

Got something to rant about?

Call 0208-267 4702 or e-mail mark.tungate@haynet.com

This article was first published on Campaign