An Integrated App Designed for Online Media Planning and Buying

CM909 Professional Project Mi Zhao M.S. in Advertising

Medi-Eva

INTRODUCTION

Introduction
Mobile apps market is a huge place to go. It is not easy to make an app stand out in a clutter of
more than 800,000 mobile apps, unless this app is professional, convenient, precisely targeted and userfriendly.

Ad and media people are expecting more professional mobile apps and features to help them study media and solve their

problems, even though they have got some apps for Radio, OOH, print, etc. To develop an app to facilitate the process of media buying and planning is an opportunity.

Introduction

This professional project will focus on designing an integrated mobile app

Medi-Eva.

This app will be exclusively for online media and advertising professionals.

Why a media app?

BACKGROUND

Why a media app?

First, a cool and practical media app is for media and advertising people to solve their problems.
Advertising and media people are living in multi-tasks. Especially media planners and buyers, who are required to be proficient at calculating, negotiating, and also mastering a lot of media formulas, matrixes and jargons. An integrated, one-stop platform combined with a calculator, formulas, flowcharts, an estimator, media news and other widgets will help them work much faster and more conveniently.

Why a media app?

Then, mobile apps are POPULAR! widely used and easy-to-take-away.
How many apps? 800,000 appsstatistics from the Apple App Store and Google Play How many mobile app users? In 2012, 1.2 billion worldwide By 2017, mobile app users will reach to 4.4 billion worldwide. How do they distribute? (See the chart on the right)
Users of mobile apps worldwide by region

Latin America 10% Middle East&Africa 13% Asia Pacific 32%

North America 17%

Europe 28%

Source: Portio Research, 2013

Why a media app?

How to stand out of such a clutter? An app must be

professional, convenient, precisely targeted and user-friendly.

The most popular category downloaded is game (17 percent), and the most used apps are social media apps (Facebook) and widgets (Google Maps and Youtube). However, the category productivity and tools is not downloaded and used highly frequently (less than 4 percent). Here is an opportunity. A professional tool might be less likely buried in the clutter.

Why a media app?

Additionally, mobile apps for media solutions are rarely done so far.
There are few apps specifically for online media and advertising.

Those existing applications, platforms and softwares for media planning and buying such as Rajar (radio), WEB ACCESS by MEDIATOOLS (print), Matrix Media (OOH) and Telmar AD Giraffe (generally for all media types) still have limitations of interface design, calculation and integration.
Based on previous apps design, this app could be reinvented and improved.

So, why not:

Take a chance Make a contribution
Designing a more integrated and much simpler mobile app?

Experiencing reports

EXISTING APPS

Existing Apps
RAJAR
(Radio)
(Full media)

Telmar AD Giraffe

MEDIATOOLS WEB ACCESS by Work Horse (Print and Negotiation)

Matrix Media
(OOH)

Media Planning and Buying Calculator by SRDS

Apps Experiencing Report

RAJAR
RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) is measuring radio audiences in the UK. This app has been integrated with general information about RAJAR, the Survey they conduct, the quarterly results from related stations.
RAJAR homepage is updated with a short piece of new trend report each time when it is open.

Features
Homepage is updated everyday with a short piece of new trend report. The Station Information is categorized by A-Z order. Databases and reports are frequently renewed.

Weaknesses
Cannot make a plan The reports and databases cannot be downloaded directly. They only can be read in PDF. A problem of definition adaption. Cannot get full image when the screen is vertical. This problem only can be fixed when the screen is horizontal. No graph but only tables. (Not straightforward)

Information is categorized by A-Z order.

Incomplete definition adaption.

Apps Experiencing Report

Telmar AD Giraffe
AD Giraffe geared by Telmar, is a full media app for creating and comparing reach, frequency and impact of alternate media schedules. In addition, it allows you to generate media schedules optimized to most cost-effectively meet specified campaign objectives. Support 25 media vehicle types.

Features
Clean, simple and fast-to-learn Both cross-media and single media Optimize media plans by setting reach, frequency and expenditure goals Export and email AD Giraffe reports. The process of learning how to use AD Giraffe is also a process of studying media planning.

Deliver reports with tables and graphics for individual and mixed media plans.

Weaknesses
No calculator No media professional dictionary (although it announced that you can use this app as a student or a media professional) Users have to subscribe and pay to get access to data and related resources. Not free in App Store. It costs 6.99

Optimize feature

Apps Experiencing Report

MEDIATOOLS WEB ACCESS by Work Horse
MEDIATOOLS WEB ACCESS is a portable mobile support that integrates seamlessly with desktop application. It supports customization, plans entering, as well as reports and plans management features (as the same as the desktop edition). Designed to complement rather than replace our desktop version.

Features
Simplified, flexible and customizable. Flowchart, Views, and Authorizations are reviewed and download easily. Make currency convert possible on the app. Alert of deadlines, schedules, or other information. Shortcut links make it easy to find recently opened items. Branding options are available.

Apps Experiencing Report

Matrix Media
This web-based application allows to access and review an entire proposal or campaign from a single web link regardless of campaign size or intricacies. Mainly for Out-of-Home media. Our Out-of-Home Media Planner allows our clients to better manage their proposals and campaigns. Instead of multiple documents with varying formats, we provide a cohesive and organized package accessed by a single web link.

Apps Experiencing Report

Media Planning and Buying Calculator by SRDS
This is a web application more than a mobile app, which can only be conducted on the webpage. It is supported by SRDS, with a really simple and clean interface. http://www.srds.com/frontMatte r/sup_serv/calculator/

Features
With calculator all the time Definitions of media standards along with formulas, how to use them and calculators.

Weaknesses
It is not an integrated application combining media planning with calculator. It is just a calculator Only can be conducted on the web. Not portable.

Objective Target Audience

MEDI-EVA

Objective
Design a mobile app about online media and advertising planning and buying Integrated but simple Interface user-friendly Everyday updated (Newsroom) Both working online/offline (except for
Newsroom) using .edu or company email)

Free download and subscription

Medi stands for media

(log in with

Eva stands for evaluation.

Target Audience
Roles
students who study in media and advertising Media planner, media buyers, AEs and clients doing small or independent business Other professionals whose jobs are related to media

Medi-Eva will be their:

A students study tool A mobile media dictionary A Calculator Portable and simplified industrial reports (Location-based)

Use Range

Study Analyze online media Compare the rates Understand the basic rules of media planning and buying

Design Principles Structures Functions and Features

DESIGN CONCEPT

Design Principles
Simple, clean and easy-to-control Assure the usability of navigation site design User-experience is the priority

Source: Boston Interactive, 2013

Site Structure
Three types of architecture will be applied.

Hub and Spoke: Homepage

Single page: second menu

Source: Boston Interactive, 2013

Pyramid: My Profile and other links

Logo & Interface

Logo

Content
Login Page Login Email Password Sign in/up Link of MediEva webpage Homepage Plan Dictionary Calculator Newsroom Everyday Update

Second Menus Details under Plan/Dictionar y/Calculator/ Newsroom

Shortcuts My Profile Calculator/D ictionary shortcuts Settings Search tool

Login Page
Sign up for a new account

Sign in with your registered email address and password.

Quick link of www.medieva.com

Homepage & Second Menus

Center button logo leads to Medi-Eva Everyday Update Trend Report.

Four rectangles. Each one goes to a second menu accordingly.

Quick link of www.medieva.com

Plan
My Plan: Users can create their own plans, save and draw a flowchart here. Ratecards: Users could download ratecards from website suppliers.

Reports: Users could find some reports about online media, if this app gets database support.

Download: All the downloaded documents are saved here.

Plan
Here prepared a flowchart template. Of course, users could create their own flowchart, and then, save and export as Excel Spreadsheets.

Calculator
In the Calculator, two types of calculator are designed: a regular one and a professional media one.
The regular one is for simple and regular calculation: +///.

Calculator
The media calculator can do regular calculation ( +///). Users are able to type in numbers in different columns and get the results directly. If you cannot remember the formula, just click Look for formula for help.
The results can be copied and pasted anytime anywhere.

Dictionary
Anytime, just look up to this Dictionary, and users will get the definition, purpose and formula of the words they want to know.

All the words are listed from A to Z.

To see the search history just check here.

Dictionary

Want to use this formula immediately? Just press the Calculator icon on the right corner, it will pop up to assist.

Dictionary Content
Medi-Eva Dictionary will provide with abundant online media content, which are highly possibly useful for digital media.
Professional items Digital media measurements Jargons

The list is following.

 Media Planning Process Target Group (Audience) Costs, hidden costs Calculations Share of Spend (SOS/SOI/SOE) Share of Voice (SOV) Share of Market (SOM) Impressions GRPs

CPP/CPT/CPR/CPL/CPA /CPH/CPE Ad Servers Ad Surveys Online Audience Panels Website Analysis Buzz Monitoring Platforms Reach Coverage Affinity (composition)
The list goes on

Everyday Updates
Medi-Eva Everyday Update is inspired by RAJARs trend report everyday. It will be updated with a small piece of online media trend.

Shortcuts

Users log-in account settings and information

Shortcuts of Calculator and Dictionary. Users could switch between one and another.

Set colors, font, size, etc.

Search tool Users could search inside the app by keywords.

LIMITATIONS & EXPECTATIONS

Limitations
Still looking for database support So far, Medi-Eva is still independent and personally designed. Comparing to AD Giraffe and MEDIATOOLS WEB ACCESS which are developed by big agencies, Medi-Eva is still looking for database support. UI design and computer science knowledge limits. Now this app is just a design concept instead of a real app due to the limitations mentioned above.

Expectations
Hopefully, during the rest of my masters degree period, it will be developed, tested, and published into reality. Make it better with the help from my professors, friends, colleagues in my internship company, and other media professionals.

Thank You!
Mi Zhao September 4th, 2013

RESOURCE & REFERENCE

Year 2013 Statistics of mobile apps market http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketingtools/latest-mobile-stats/e Media planning software http://www.arbitron.com/ad_agencies/softwa re_planning.htm Media Planning and Buying Software Revolution? http://www.advertisingperspectives.com/adbl og/media-technology/media-planning-andbuying-software-revolution/ Telmar Introduces AD Giraffe Mobile Application for Media Planning http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/22064 191/telmar-introduces-ad-giraffe-mobileapplication-for-media-planning App design materials resource http://www.appsucai.com/ How to make an app by Baidu Documents http://wenku.baidu.com/view/09d2af767fd53 60cba1adb7f.html

AD Giraffe Introduction https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/adgiraffe/id634586966?mt=8 http://www.telmar.com/support#S9 TRAFFIQ media calculator, digital media workflow platform https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id =com.traffiq.traffiq.mediacalcv3&hl=en RAJAR, mobile app for radio audience research http://www.rajar.co.uk/content.php?page=ab out_organisation Work Horse MEDIATOOLS http://workhorsesoftware.com/ Media Matrix Out-of-Home Media Planning Software http://www.matrixmediaservices.com/mediaplanning-software/