New Website Gives Advertisers and Agencies Competitive Edge

Dec. 2, 2009 - PRLog -- Ventura, CA – For company marketers and agencies who want to know where and when the competition is running print ads, help is on the way and the cost is reasonable.

FlatFeeMedia.com was recently launched to give the most complete picture possible of magazine advertising by one’s competitors. A standard report includes a month-by-month table of where the competition lurks, including specific magazine titles, number of ad pages, and markets for the entire previous year plus currently for this year. In addition, it shows one’s own company’s activity for a side-by-side comparison. Custom reports are also available that include actual ad tear sheets, and in which magazine issues they ran.

“It’s crucial for companies to know where and when their competitors are blowing their horn,” said Mark Waterhouse, Flat Fee Media’s co-founder. “Oftentimes, the other guy is the only one seen in a market or book you wouldn’t expect. That gives your competition a huge voice in an area you may have ignored or didn’t even know existed.”

Not every magazine is tracked. But with over 1,600 B2B and 800 consumer-oriented magazines, the database is the most comprehensive in existence, with which Flat Fee Media has a proprietary arrangement. Magazines are continually added as more publishers request the tracking service. FlatFeeMedia.com enables users to see which magazines and markets are currently being tracked.

Although Flat Fee Media offers other services, its Competitor Advertising service is arguably the most valuable. “It is possible to find another source for this information,” said Waterhouse. “But you will likely pay at least 5 times what Flat Fee Media charges. This is great news not only for advertisers, but for agencies. They can purchase the information at a low cost and resell it to their clients for a still-reasonable price.”

Users purchase a desired package (up to five competitors, up to 10, etc.) and then access an on-line form to fill in applicable information about their company and specific competitors. Flat Fee Media researches the information and provides the report, usually within 48 hours.

With ad budgets down from previous years, companies need to optimize their spending where it counts. “B2B books are still the number one source of information for products and services for businesses,” said Waterhouse, “and without knowing what the competition is doing, you’re ultimately giving up sales and market share. Importantly, our reports also show where your competition is absent, letting you exploit the void. Flat Fee Media can help companies pinpoint their ad placements and knock their competitors out of the box.”

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Launched in 2009, California-based Flat Fee Media employs experts in the field of print media, and has a proprietary arrangement to use the most comprehensive ad-tracking database in existence. Services include Competitor Advertising, Ad Pages Sold per Magazine, and Magazine Rate Negotiation. For more information, visit www.flatfeemedia.com or call 877/894-4635 and ask for Mark Waterhouse.