Publisher Eco System for regional print advertising
For the rtv media group, we developed PECOS: a self-service online platform that allowed advertisers to book regional print campaigns themselves, while newspaper publishers could select advertising through a workflow in e-commerce style.
Self-service for regional advertising
The rtv media group wanted to make regional print advertising from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) easier and more efficient to place with a network of weekly newspapers.
Demand for smaller regional campaigns was clearly there, but the manual process made them economically unviable. Advertisers were acquired by phone, prices were compiled from rate cards, print formats were adapted for individual publishers, and invoicing was handled manually.
Rtv’s answer was a self-service approach that connected advertisers and publishers through a shared platform. The digital process was intended to make traditional customer acquisition more efficient. At the same time, the platform could reach businesses that were already familiar with self-service advertising on Google or Facebook, but were hard to reach through traditional sales channels.
All that was missing was the platform to make it work.
Self-service for advertisers and publishers
From workshop to product
Getting from an initial idea to a finished product is a long, iterative process. User requirements need to be understood and defined, different perspectives brought together, and potential solutions explored and tested.
Together with the stakeholders at rtv, we worked through this process in a series of on-site and remote workshops. We looked at the project from diverse angles, considered the needs of both advertisers and publishers, and made internal processes visible.
Based on the workshop findings, we developed personas representing typical user profiles and derived concrete usage scenarios from them. These scenarios formed the basis for the product design and the specification of the platform’s core functionality.
From there, we created a prototype that translated the user needs into a tangible interface, enabling us to explore the design and test key workflows hands-on. Step by step, the initial idea became a clearly defined product concept.
We also considered how the platform would fit into rtv’s existing IT landscape. Our aim was for established systems such as the InterRed editorial system and the Cover billing system with SAP integration to keep working as usual.
A self-service platform that connects two customer groups directly.
A marketplace for print advertising
For advertisers, the booking works like shopping in an online store
Set up the campaign: region, duration, format and budget
Upload the print file as a single PDF. The platform automatically checks whether it is print-ready and prepares it for the required formats.
Book the campaign online and then use the reporting to see where the ad is running and what reach it delivers.
Publishers can flexibly integrate suitable advertisements into their weekly papers and other print products:
Browse the available ads for their publication and select the ones that fit
Complete the selection in a familiar e-commerce flow with a shopping cart and checkout
Receive a print cost subsidy for every ad they published
Confirm publication by providing a proof copy
An idea that goes beyond print
The rtv media group has since ceased operations, taking PECOS with it. Meanwhile the traditional print market has continued to decline.
The idea behind the platform, however, remains highly relevant: self-service makes it possible to serve smaller advertising budgets efficiently—budgets for which traditional acquisition and manual processing quickly become uneconomical.
PECOS was developed for print advertising, but the underlying challenge is not limited to print. At its core, it is about efficiently connecting regional reach with regional demand. That is exactly what self-service platforms are designed to do.
Let’s talk!
How can we support you with self-service offerings in media sales, agency work, or SME marketing?
