Media Monitoring

Print

Newsclip monitors over 1 500 print publications nationally. As technology continues to change the way print media is monitored, we now process the priority publications within three hours of arrival at our head office in Constantia Kloof, Gauteng.

Newsclip’s Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth branches scan in local publications, which are then electronically transferred to our head office instantaneously. This has successfully brought our regional clients into the central processing system.

Documents are processed in full colour, and in the published size and format. While processing each article, measurements are automatically taken by the system, and a rate card value is calculated. This Advertising Value Equivalent, or AVE, is an internationally accepted unit of measure that assigns a rand-value to free editorial mention.

Keyword matching has also transformed the accuracy of media monitoring, and today we consider a missed article to be a rare occurrence – usually caused by a crease or blemish on the original article.The electronic format of our data constantly allows for new delivery opportunities to be implemented, and for existing ones to be enhanced. Gate5 is Newsclip’s password-protected web-based delivery service, providing clients with immediate access to our monitoring database.

Each week, Newsclip posts hard copy originals of requested print clips to its clients, which has consistently increased the number of covers purchased from publishers over the years. Data preservation and document management has afforded Newsclip the opportunity to gather a historical record of events by keyword. We also have a library of back issues, which contains selected national and regional media, which can be accessed for a period of 12 months.

 

Broadcast


Newsclip records radio, TV and satellite signals that fall within the reach of our head office in Constantia Kloof and our three coastal regional offices. The audio signals are then digitally processed. Programmes with high commercial content are selected across all stations for immediate processing.
 
Newsclip processes these priority programmes within ten minutes from airing to delivery. The duration of each insert is calculated during processing, and the digital sound clip attached to the completed synopsis is posted onto Newsclip’s Gate 5 internet-delivery site.
 
Programme schedules and rate cards are maintained for all radio and TV stations in our media database, Target Media. With this resource and the duration previously calculated, each synopsis can be valued immediately on completion. This information is also available on Gate 5.
 
Should programmes fall outside of our normal broadcast monitoring band, we are still able to find the clips almost immediately – which was near-to-impossible in the past. Operators simply enter the date, time and station of the programme to recall the digital clip for processing. This has significantly reduced the turn-around time and cost of broadcast media management.

 

Online


Newsclip has developed advanced automatic online web crawlers that target specific South African websites and capture any new content on a regular basis. This facilitates the process of finding client mentions. This is unique and indeed first-of-its-kind in South Africa, ensuring full customisability for each site, as relevant content is stripped at relevant times.

Articles that are relevant to your business are automatically allocated and sent to you via email or become visible on your Gate5 delivery system in an uncluttered text format. This minimises internet download speeds and increases the ease of reading.

Newsclip has developed a further online tool that translates the content obtained by the web crawler into monetary return on investment, in the form of AVE (Advertising Value Equivalent) – a unit of measure that assesses editorial content in terms of advertising value. This is calculated automatically, via a complex mathematical algorithm by the computer, and then attached to the article. The principle is based on cost-per-word.

Currently, our list of sites monitored includes those of mainstream publications and broadcast stations, as well as electronic newsrooms, industry information sites and popular blogs. The list of monitored websites is updated weekly and new websites are researched regularly to ensure clients recieve accurate and relevant information.

 

Delivery

Gate 5 - Newsclip's internet delivery system

Newsclip is a technology-driven monitoring company, offering state-of-the-art internet-based delivery methodology, and world acclaimed systems – all developed by South Africans, for the precise needs of South African companies. South Africa is so vast, that an electronic clip delivery system is essential.

Gate 5 is our password-protected web-based delivery service, providing clients with immediate access to the monitoring database. Uniquely, print clippings appear in full colour and in ‘as published’ size and format, and are offered in jpeg, pdf, and text format.

Most web pages are two dimensional, with additional pages only accessible on command. To simplify the delivery process of online clips, we electronically extract the headline and the first 250 characters of text to provide users with a choice with regards to the article they request first, and the format it is delivered in.

Broadcast alert synopses make the digital inserts accessible for immediate viewing.

As an information management tool, Gate 5’s database offers full keyword search, sorting and moving of articles. Gate 5 has thus completely changed the way that South African communicators think of media management.

Email Alerts:
An email is sent to clients, alerting them of any Gate 5 loading activity. The alert includes details of the publication, the date, and the first 250 characters of the content. Clients can then go to Gate 5 to view the data.

Batch Email:
Unlike email alerts that notify clients of the loading of each individual clip on the Gate 5 system, the batch email option instead groups all activity over a specified period of time, and sends a single email with a full transactional list. Links are provided to access the clips.

Post:
On a weekly basis, the original clippings are collated and bound into the famous 'red books' that have been a symbol of Newsclip's service excellence since 1983. Allocated clippings are physically cut from the original publications where possible, and neatly pasted onto detailed A4 backing sheets. Newsclip insists on supporting the publishers by purchasing as many covers as required.

Sub20

Sub 20 is a 'mini media monitoring' solution for clients who receive a low overall clip count or request very few clips per month.

It is effectively a subset of Gate 5, covering a wide range of print, broadcast and online media.

Sub20 is a cost-effective monitoring service, as clients pay a minimal monthly fee to activate the services, and again per individual clip received. No company or client is too small to benefit from this innovative technological platform.

Call Newsclip on 011 288 6600 or email marketing@newsclip.co.za for more information.

Backsearch

Newsclip has preserved a ‘library’ of print data, dating back to 1 January 2005, which clients can access through selecting keywords, date ranges and publication titles in its backsearch facility.There are a number of reasons why clients could require a backsearch:

· To track the sentiment of a particular media type towards a client – whether negative, positive or neutral;
· Locating the "original story" of a previous event, which may have since developed into a crisis or a positive   opportunity;
· Competitive / comparative analysis; and
· Historical tracking of media exposure. Newsclip's backsearch facility also includes broadcast data, in digital audio   and video format. By entering the station, date and time requested, a 'playback' is easily retrieved.

These searches are performed on request based on consultation with each client and a research process has been conducted to establish the unique parameters of each search.

Call the Newsclip call centre on 011 288 6600 or email marketing@newsclip.co.za for more information.

AdClip


Adverting is a key component of all media, whether print, broadcast or online. In this light, Newsclip created its Adclip service, to monitor all ads in all print publications received each day. These are immediately scanned into the Adclip system and posted online.

Adclip then compiles weekly reports containing information about where and when the ads were published, as well as their ‘Rand to clip’ value. The service is affordable, as clients pays per ad requested.

Newsclip and Adclip receive all South African publications each day, including the technology and trade press.

Clients can use Adclip as follows:

·         To determine whether ads were correctly placed as scheduled.

·         To find out whether franchisees advertise according to their clients’ requirements.

·         To track tender announcements and general notifications.

·         The Adclips report can be used as proof of advertising an event or campaign.

·         To determine the total R/c value of advertising per month.

·         To identify opposition in a particular field of business, in terms of how, where and what are they advertise.

·         To know when and where your products are advertised.

·         To immediately learn of new products in your field.

·         To clarify the price your opposition asks for the same product.

·         To keep track of your dealers’ advertising.

·         To determine how much your competitors spend on ads.

To summarise, clients can make use of Adclip to effectively sort through all local publications and ascertain accurate information regarding advertising pertaining to their business, management tools or strategic advantage. With Adclip, it is possible to clearly identify all other players in your field of business and determine your competitive edge.