- Are rating goals met in each daypart?
- Are variations vs. goals a result of buyer agility in response to changing market conditions or did the buyer just pay more than was budgeted to get to goals?
- What ratings currency was used and why?
a. Commercial ratings
b. DVR: “Live Plus What”
i. Have DVR ‘viewers’ been discounted for zapping?
ii. Why not live only?
- How does the pricing of the buy compare to industry averages and historical (e.g., year ago) buys?
a. Are comparisons done separately for broadcast and cable? They should be.
b. Are comparison done for each daypart? They should be.
c. Do comparisons take into account differences in the message length mix (i.e., per cent of ratings in :30’s vs. :15’s)? They should.
- Programming
a. What proportion of ratings are in high-rated shows? Average-rated? Low-rated?
b. What proportion of ratings are in proven returning shows vs. new programs?
c. Are recommended programs complementary to the target’s lifestyle and the ad message?
d. Were engagement metrics used to prioritize program selection?
- Platform extensions
a. Are there digital and/or emerging media extensions of the buys?
b. Is there research built into the buys to track performance beyond simple audience measurement?
