AIP is field-testing the first of its Newspaper-in-a-Box (NiB) tools to help improve advertising management in grassroots newspapers.

The beta version of AdBooker is being tested by Zoutpansberger in Limpopo, Grocotts Mail in the East Cape, and Kitsnuus in North Cape.

AdBooker, which was developed by AIP member Anton van Zyl, is designed to calculate ad-loading and sales targets, generate quotes (including discounts and tax), and then book the adverts onto production schedules via an integrated management system. The final version of AdBooker will also generate tax-compliant invoices for all booked adverts.

“The system is designed to automate a number of fairly complex back-office processes that usually take a lot of man-hours and skill. AdBooker streamlines the process, and prevents the most common calculation errors. It also helps managers monitor sales by reps, and production of the actual adverts by the design people,” says Van Zyl.

“The idea is to give smaller publishers free access to the same kinds of sophisticated tools that their bigger competitors use.”

Once field-testing is complete, AIP will find a development partner to help fund any necessary refinements and final production of the resource. This will include a series of ad-sales tip-sheets and templates.

Other NiB tools currently in development include PayMaster, DistriBooker, and a RatesCalculator.

PayMaster, developed by African Eye News Service in Mpumalanga, is designed to automate the calculation of commission-based salaries for ad reps and freelance journalists, as well as to create Labour Act-compliant employment contracts and workplace policies, and tax-compliant payslips.

DistriBooker is being jointly developed by Zoutpansberger and Lowveld Living to improve management of distribution systems, from planning circulation routes, to monitoring sales, returns and spoilage, calculating sales commissions, and generating tax-compliant invoices for retailers.

The prototype RatesCalculator, being developed by AIP itself, is designed to help publishers calculate their production and operational overheads, so that they can scientifically determine what their advertising sales rates would be.

The NiB project, which is being managed by veteran media strategist Ray Joseph, has to date been funded by the Netherlands Institute of Southern Africa (NiZA).