WideOrbit said it has updated its WO Network ad sales and commercial operations platform, adding enhanced direct response automation and improved precision in calculating CPMs and accounting for delivered impressions. 

WO Network 2023 also improves on its Electronic Material Instructions module, enabling users to modify dates, times days of the week prior to import. The new module also generates warning to users regarding materials that may have exclusions or rejected statuses when they’re imported.

The changes are designed to help networks generate new revenue, reduce costs and improve efficiency, WideOrbit said.

“WO Network 2023 simplifies network ad sales and commercial operations with new features and enhancements that deliver revenue growth, cost savings, and improved efficiency to our cable and broadcast network customers,” says Susie Hedrick, WideOrbit president and managing director, Traffic Systems. “We are excited to introduce these latest improvements to WO Network, furthering our commitment to continuous innovation and investment in our core products.” 

Other improvements to WO Network 23 include Advanced Log Rules that allow Placer to move units that are in violation of user-defined Log Rules; Spot Distribution enhancements allowing users to easily redistribute units to a different day of week (displace only) using the Spot Distribution tab; a new Ad-ID filter added to Material Instructions to help users easily identify correct Ad-IDs.

WideOrbit, part of the Lumaine Group, said WO Network 2023 is available for general release to clients that want to upgrade.

WideOrbit said it has updated its WO Traffic platform, adding features that increase efficiencies and maximize revenue for broadcast stations.

The new version of the software, WO Traffic v23.0, manages ad inventory, streamlines material approvals and enables stations to put single orders into a group. It also helps stations identify and deal with political inventory.

“We have received some great features from WideOrbit upgrades in the past but the benefits of WO Traffic v23.0 are some of the best we’ve seen,” Pam Friesen, traffic manager at Griffin Media, said. “Our manual effort for displaced spots alone has been cut by half the time. Traffic and Sales are both very excited to work with the new features.”

WideOrbit said the newest release of WO Traffic introduces significant improvements to the user experience, streamlining workflows to improve efficiency and productivity. 

Also Read: WideOrbit Launches ZingX Buy-Side Local TV Ad Platform

The new software can generate detailed reports that enable users to work with many formats at once and offers a zoom option to increase the application size, including fonts and grids. It also supports validation rules at the spot level.

Clients can also view lift impressions for ads not replaced on a stream when using WO Traffic’s Addressable Ad Replacement and employ Digital Orders enhancements. There are also new Placer conflict and override tools for managing the oversell of bookends; an optional process at log finalization for creating up to seven days of automation-ready playlist files for use in the event of an emergency; and an Electronic Material Instructions Trial tool that allows users without a license to “test drive” the module by creating their own simple Electronic Material Instructions records and importing them. 

“WideOrbit is committed to continuous innovation and investment in our core products,” WideOrbit president and managing director, Traffic Systems, Susie Hedrick said. “Each of the enhancements introduced in WO Traffic v23.0 work together to deliver benefits such as improved workflow efficiency and ease of use, helping our customers accomplish more in less time.”

Yangaroo announced an integration of its asset management and delivery platform with WideOrbit’s ad sales and commercial operations system that creates a seamless end-to-end automated exchange of commercial traffic instructions.

The companies said the integration will effectively eliminate errors and save time for advertisers and broadcasters.

"The API integration between Yangaroo and WideOrbit delivers instant benefits to all advertisers and broadcasters using our platforms,” Yangaroo CEO Grant Schuetrumpf said. “The smooth and immediate exchange of data between the platforms represents a substantial enhancement for all stakeholders involved in managing real-time responses and confirmations when advertisers submit traffic instructions to broadcasters across the USA."

With the integration, advertisers key in buy and traffic data using Yangaroo. The advertiser then receives immediate feedback that the instructions have been received and processed correctly by a broadcaster that uses WO Traffic, driving efficiency and accuracy for advertisers and their traffic departments.

“Our partnership with Yangaroo underscores WideOrbit’s dedication to delivering comprehensive tools that better connect TV broadcasters and advertisers, ultimately simplifying day-to-day tasks,” Susie Hedrick, president and managing director of traffic systems at WideOrbit, said. “By seamlessly transferring traffic instructions to WO Traffic through Yangaroo, we offer advertisers more advanced and automated workflows. This partnership aligns with WideOrbit’s Wider-World approach, which aims to provide media companies with broader capabilities, deeper insights, and stronger connections.”

WideOrbit said it named Toni Coonce as chief revenue officer, a new position at the advertising management software company.

Coonce will also continue as executive VP of sales at WideOrbit, which was acquired last year by Constellation Software’s Lumine Group.

“Toni’s strong leadership skills, hard work and dedication make a huge, positive impact on WideOrbit,” WideOrbit founder and CEO Eric Mathewson said. “Those attributes, combined with her consistent ability to forge strong relationships with clients, make her promotion to chief revenue officer both well-earned and well deserved.” 

Coonce joined WideOrbit in 2006 as a TV account executive, She was named director of TV sales in 2016 and became executive VP in 2021. 

Before WideOrbit, Coonce was with Marketron.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to collaborate across teams and verticals within WideOrbit,” Coonce said. “My focus will remain on sales, on growing revenue and, most importantly, on nurturing the client relationships that are at the heart of everything we do.” ■

WideOrbit, an ad tech platform that works with local stations, said it launched ZingX, a buy-side platform agencies and advertisers can use to access TV inventory.

“With over 20 years’ experience as the leader in premium broadcast technology and the largest sell-side processor of premium advertising, WideOrbit is excited to bring that expertise to the buy side with ZingX,” WideOrbit founder and CEO Eric Mathewson said. “Optimized for the buyer, ZingX leverages WO Marketplace, our sell-side platform broadcasters already use, making it easy for buyers to access the reach, effectiveness, and brand safety of premium local TV advertising.”

ZingX automates the ad-buying process, enabling users to build a campaign by defining a budget, price goals, audiences, target markets and dayparts. Users can also preview allocated impressions and budgets and adjust them if needed.

The new platform is aimed at ad agencies and demand-side platforms that specialize in digital advertising but are being asked by their clients to expand into TV, Brian Thoman, senior VP of software engineering, told Broadcasting+Cable.

“The traditional method of buying isn't going away,” Thoman said. The buying done via ZingX will be “incremental at first, at least at the start. It's the digital brands, the digital agencies, the DSPs buying TV where they haven't been buying TV. They may buy cable networks or local cable, but they haven't broken into local broadcast. Those are the targets.”

WideOrbit has had ZingX in beta before the launch.

"Our two-year partnership with WideOrbit has made broadcast TV extraordinarily simple for our clients to buy, putting large audiences and scalability at their fingertips," said Michelle Ricciuti, director, media strategy at Bliss Point Media, part of Tinuiti. "The addition of broadcast TV complements our branded performance approach with patented tech to build brand value, acquire customers, and boost digital conversions."

Also: WideOrbit, Comscore Team Up To Expand Automated TV Buying

ZingX could only automate local broadcast buying so much because few local stations are automated end to end.

“There’s a trafficking system in the middle, so our platform presents the buy-side offers to the sell side and they can review that in our WO Marketplace SSP, review that against the business they have currently on their books and make a decision whether to accept or reject that offer,” Thoman said.

An optimizer built into ZingX is designed to predict that acceptance and what the price should be, he said.

“After that point, getting the order into the traffic system is WideOrbit’s bread and butter. We’ve had our other platforms doing that for decades,” Thoman said.

Despite the human element still being a part of the equation, media buys through ZingX can still be executed quickly, often in the same week. If an order is made on Monday, the spot could be on the air by Wednesday, Thoman said. There’s more of a crunch for an order made on Thursday because of how weekend ad logs are compiled.

Bottom line, ZingX is a step in the right direction, Thoman said. “It needs to be easier to buy TV,“ he said. “It’s cumbersome, it’s challenging and there are always going to be hand-held deals for very premium inventory. But I think the balance of the business is going to start to move to automated platforms, especially because digital is so accessible and easy to buy. The broadcast and linear channels are going to have to move in that direction.” ■

Comscore and WideOrbit said they have expanded their relationship to further automate TV buying and selling.

WideOrbit will be adding TV information from Comscore to transact and target TV campaigns on an automated basis across markets and demographics.

WideOrbit's platform enables the automated buying and selling of TV advertising inventory from 1,700 local TV stations in 201 markets.

The 65 agencies, brands and DSPNs that use WideOrbit’s sell-side platform, WO Marketplace, will be able to plan and execute automated buys based on Comscore TV data.

Also: Disney Working With Samba TV, Comscore, Nielsen on Measurement

“The growing demand for automated buying and selling of linear TV highlights the critical importance of offering advertisers timely, relevant data to target audiences across markets and demographics,” said Eric Mathewson, WideOrbit founder and CEO. “Our partnership with Comscore allows us to provide the data advertisers need for effective targeting, combined with the ease of execution, waste reduction, brand safety, and rate transparency they’ve come to expect from WideOrbit marketplace transactions.”

Comscore and WideOrbit have been working together for the local stations they serve for 15 years. WideOrbit recently integrated Comscore’s QuickScore product into its WO Media Sales platform.

Also: WideOrbit, Mediaocean Team to Automate Local Ad Sales

“The industry has been asking for better automation of TV buying and selling to harness the power of broadcast TV, which remains one of the most effective ways to reach large numbers of consumers,” said Bill Livek, CEO and executive vice chair, Comscore. “We are proud to deepen our longstanding partnership with WideOrbit to help advertisers more efficiently reach audiences across specific markets and demographics.” ■

Comscore said it reached an agreement to integrate its Quick Score ratings product into WideOrbit’s media sales advertising platform.

Quick Score delivers local television ratings within three days. Previously, it took two weeks for stations to get audience data from Comscore.

Also Read: Comscore Incorporates YouTube, YouTube TV Into Campaign Ratings

“In today’s increasingly complex media landscape, timely measurement insights are critical to helping local broadcasters efficiently build proposals and orders, as well as to demonstrate in-flight campaign performance,” WideOrbit founder and CEO Eric Mathewson said. “WideOrbit’s integration with Comscore’s Quick Score provides local broadcasters data essential to maximizing revenue and proof of performance versus other advertising alternatives.”

WideOrbit’s WO Media Sales gives TV sales teams a suite of tools to build proposals leveraging real-time account information, inventory, audience research, and delivery metrics. Now with Quick Score, WO Media Sales provides measurement insights in a much timelier fashion.

Also Read: Comscore Posts $18.5 Million Net Loss for Second Quarter

“We are excited to begin providing WideOrbit with our fast, precise and reliable local market measurement,” Comscore CEO Bill Livek said. “The media industry is at an inflection point regarding television currencies. WideOrbit’s leadership in integrating Comscore allows our local broadcast clients to better serve their advertisers through in-flight deal fulfillment.”

WideOrbit said it released the latest version of its WO Traffic software, the ad sales and commercial operations platform used by about 90% of local TV stations.

WO Traffic v 21.0 introduces an Electronic Material Instructions module. The module integrates with material instructions providers including ECN, PremiumMedia 360, ITN Networks and SpotGenie, and simplifies the exchange of new and revised instructions, helping broadcasters reduce errors and costly makegoods, while increasing staff productivity, WideOrbit said.

“WideOrbit has always been committed to continuous innovation and investment in our core products and we’re proud to continue that tradition,” said Will Offeman, WideOrbit chief product officer. “Our 21.0 release of WO Traffic includes the Electronic Material Instructions module, a significant step forward in automation for what was previously a highly manual process, and just one of several new features designed to help our broadcast TV and radio customers maximize revenue, reduce costs, and improve efficiency.”

WO Traffic v21.0 also introduces an easier, more intuitive log editing; a new, customizable Inventory Analysis Report and improved New Orders navigation.

WideOrbit and PremiumMedia360 said they have integrated their systems, enabling media buyers to send material instructions electronically to TV stations, ensuring that the right commercials run, even when last-minute changes are made.

Material instructions carry the details about which ad creative to run and when to run it. They have traditionally been conveyed back-and-forth via emailed PDFs, spreadsheets and other files, a process that has resulted in errors, the companies said.

The new automated electronic system streamlines the process at a time when advertisers are looking to target more specific audiences, run commercials on streaming OTT platforms and make dynamic, on-the-fly creative changes. 

“As ad trafficking becomes more complex by the day, media sellers need to instantly access and act on Electronic Material Instructions, right from within the systems they already use to do their jobs,” said Eric Mathewson, WideOrbit founder and CEO. “Our integration with PremiumMedia360 provides local broadcasters and national networks crucial access to the material instructions data they need, improving efficiency while eliminating errors.”

WideOrbit has integrated WO Traffic and WO Network with PremiumMedia360. PremiumMedia360’s system ingests and transposes electronic material instructions directly from agency systems into the Electronic Material Instructions module for WO Traffic or WO Network.

Station users can access all trafficking information and deliver return confirmation directly from within the WideOrbit user interface and agencies have the same capabilities on their end through PremiumMedia360’s existing integrations with agency-side systems, including Mediaocean’s Spectra.

“Aligning over which ad creatives to run is amongst the most basic fundamentals of the ad business, and yet ironically it is historically one of the most difficult to get right,” added Cordie DePascale, chief strategy officer, PremiumMedia360. “Our partnership with WideOrbit helps provide the clear trafficking alignment that agencies and stations need, at a critical inflection point in the evolution of ad operations.”

And the Oscar for programmatic buying goes to ad agency DigitasLBi, which for the first time used software to purchase ads in the Academy Awards broadcast.

Acting on behalf of a client that asked not to be identified publicly, DigitasLBi bought local TV spots in nine markets through the programmatic partnership between media software companies TubeMogul and WideOrbit.

The Oscar buy follows a Super Bowl ad bought programmatically by Mondelez for its Oreos and Ritz brands in the Erie, Pa., market, and illustrates that programmatic buying is steadily spreading from the digital realm to the TV universe.

Programmatic buying automates the sales process and uses big data to identify advertising inventory that closely matches a marketer’s target audience.

“We wanted to really get in the marketplace with programmatic television,” says Scott Marsden, senior VP media at DigitasLBi. “Obviously we know that there is going to be more and more availability of inventory there and we want to develop the expertise as quickly and possible.”

Read more at B&C.