The Perfect Signature and Inventory

What is the perfect signature? Hint: It Isn’t John Hancock’s. The perfect signature contains 16 pages. “Why is this important to know?” You ask…

INVENTORY CONTROL. Inventory control is the single most important control element in the program book business. It is even more important than advertising sales. If one is able to control the inventory of pages allocated for content and ad sales to 16 page signatures, one holds the key to a successful program book. The 16 page signature insures that printing costs will be minimized and (providing that ad sales are successful) there will be a positive revenue stream.

On the sales side, the key is to maximize the “ad page” inventory WITHOUT GOING OVER OR UNDER ON 16 PAGE INCREMENTS. This can be easier said than done. We have found ourselves in situations where we actually have had to REFUSE an ad!!! Why? The cost of printing and additional signature out weighed the rate in which the ad would be sold.

On the content side for program notes, sponsorship levels, trade ads, the same holds true for maximization of page inventory WITHOUT GOING OVER. Going under does not really matter on the content side since we are not able to associate a content page with a dollar value. AHHHH, but one can associate a value amount for trade ads.

Let’s spend a little time on trade ads and advertisers and talk about rates for advertising.

Since one can associate a dollar value for advertising as well as trade advertising (i.e. the value of the trade), one can determine a rate for the advertisers and trade accounts. Developing a “rate card” can be an exercise in mind bending formulas and calculations. (We have been there, done that.) The trick is to balance ALL COSTS associated with the program book and bounce it to the number of pages allocated to INVENTORY FOR AD SALES ONLY. Where an organization may have more trade ads than typical, we recommend developing a separate “rate card” used for trade ads. This special rate card for trades would not necessarily be same rate card that is used for the advertisers. The suggestion, would be that “rates” associated with trade would be inflated advertiser rates. Remember these trade ads come out of the content page inventory and the trick is to maximize the inventory.

Here is an example. Let’s say our advertiser rate card is as follows:

Full Page Ad: $1200
Half Page Ad: $600
Quarter Page Ad: $500

The trade rate card might look like this:

Full Page Ad: $2000
Half Page Ad: $1100
Quarter Page Ad: $800

Using a “trade rate card” will not only give better control on inventory of pages, but will also give control on the consistency of value for trade advertisers."HOW TO PUBLISH A PLAYBILL" "FREE PROGRAM BOOKS" "FREE PLAYBILL" "HOW TO SELL PLAYBILL ADVERTISING"