Marketron Launches Media Connect to Enrich Media Company and Advertiser Relationships and Increase Client Touch Points

HAILEY, Idaho, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Marketron, the leading provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry, today announced the launch of Media Connect, a new Mediascape Service that improves media companies' relationships with their advertisers. Media Connect provides media companies a secure web portal that represents their unique brands and personalities for their advertisers to manage their accounts online, view invoices and make electronic payments, participate in a points-based loyalty program that encourages them to pay earlier, review creative media, view spot schedules, obtain insider information on station promotions and much more. This solution significantly increases customer touch points and reduces days sales outstanding (DSO) and collections resulting in greater profitability for media organizations. Media Connect is available for all media company platforms including radio, television, cable, print, digital and more.

"We've received an overwhelming demand for solutions that engage media companies with their clients and Marketron fills this need with Media Connect," said Steve Minisini, CEO of Marketron. "We're committed to delivering innovative services like Media Connect to help our customers drive top-line revenue, improve efficiencies and increase profitability. Today, local direct and agency business comprises as much as 89% of our customers' revenue. Being able to provide our customers with a solution that makes it easier and more convenient for their advertisers to do business while increasing touch points and reducing days sales outstanding is invaluable to them."  

The service is currently being piloted by a major media company across all of their markets and stations. In its first few months of deployment, the service has increased communication with customers, saved account executives and advertisers valuable time and paperwork, significantly lowered days sales outstanding and fostered greater customer loyalty. The company now considers the service paramount to the success of their long term relationships with their advertisers.  

The new Media Connect service runs on the Mediascape Platform and provides a wealth of benefits to help increase advertiser loyalty including:

• Complete account management applications –Integrates directly with traffic and billing system to give customers access to accurate and up-to-the-minute account information. Information such as invoices, scheduled spot times, creative copy and all station contact information is a click away. Media Connect also allows advertisers to view and pay invoices, review campaign schedules, listen to or view their ads and create a library to manage and use for future campaigns.
• Comprehensive marketing database for creating your own insider club –Gives advertisers the inside edge by promoting and providing essential communication about station events, workshops that will help advertisers to grow their business, upcoming sales campaigns and surveys. Provide immediate email access to account executives and other key station personnel resulting in better customer service and increased revenue.
• Unique customizable loyalty program– Rewards customers for paying invoices online. Set the point allocation to encourage early payment of invoices and create unique experiential rewards that don't add to the cost of sale. For example, radio stations can offer incentives such as backstage passes, meet-and-greets with artists, lunch with favorite on-air personalities and mobile campaigns with no limit to what can be offered or created.
• Secure online payment portal – Allows customers to pay by credit card, PayPal or electronic funds transfer (EFT) directly to their financial institution with Marketron's PCI compliant service or continue to use their existing online payment provider.
• Individually branded station websites – Configured for each individual station, allowing stations to show their personality and communicate directly with their advertising customers.

To learn more about Media Connect, please visit http://www.marketron.com/media-connect.php.

About Marketron

Marketron is the leading provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry. The Marketron Mediascape Platform, Traffic and Suite of Services drive innovation to create new growth opportunities that produce the maximum value for our clients and facilitate their evolution into digital. Relied on by more than 7,000 media organizations, Marketron solutions are the most widely-used media solutions in the world, managing an estimated $15 billion dollars of annual advertising revenue. Marketron is an affiliate of The Wicks Group of Companies, LLC of New York, which specializes in communications, information and media businesses.

PR Contact
Nicole Matthews
Horn Group for Marketron
646-202-9773
[email protected]

SOURCE Marketron