IOAA strives to reinforce compliance norms with revised draft SOP

In the continuing effort to streamline the credit system in the outdoor industry, and particularly in view of the re-imposition of Service Tax and the fact that transactions are getting delayed with high credit periods, the Indian Outdoor Advertising Association (IOAA) recently came up with a revised draft SOP that has been circulated among the members for a review.

The SOP (v3.2) -- applicable to transactions between Outdoor Media Owners, Marketers, Concessionaires; Specialist & Other Advertising Agencies; and Advertisers - has in addition to provisions such as those related to issuance of CCF/PO, has provided for a "Site Confirmation for Campaign” which a Media Owner/Concessionaire can raise and email to an Agency/Direct Advertiser in cases where there are no CCF or PO but the site has been blocked through an email or mobile phone message. IOAA has maintained in its draft SOP that if such SCC is not challenged within 3 days or a CCF/PO has not been released following the SCC, then the SCC may be the basis of raising bill for the campaign.

The IOAA has also circulated a note on cancellation of campaign or site booking. Before the start of a campaign or post receipt of a CCF/email blocking a site, a campaign can be cancelled or a site unblocked with a 5-day notice or pro-rata compensation for a 10/15/20/25 day campaign, 30-90 day campaign, or over 91 day campaign. Cancellation of a site will call for a 5-day notice or 50% compensation. Reducing a campaign period will also call for a 5-day notice.

Once a campaign is rolled out, a 15-day notice will have to be given for cancelling a campaign, dropping sites or reducing the campaign period.

The IOAA note states that extension of any campaign is to be treated as fresh booking and the displays "will be taken up on first-come-first-served basis” in the case of 10-20 day campaigns, whereas a 15-day notice may be given for extension of campaigns of duration of up to 90 days, and 30-day notice for campaigns with duration of more than 91 days. "All short cancellation notices to be compensated on pro rata basis,” the note states.

The Association is also encouraging advertising agencies to seek the body's accreditation so that they can avail of key support services. "Accreditation shall mean the provisional or the full Accreditation, as the case may be, of an Outdoor Advertising Agency with IOAA which would entitle the Outdoor Advertising Agency to avail the benefits of accreditation as applicable to them from the members of IOAA, which primarily shall be credit period for conduct of business with any member of IOAA,” the body has stated in its note circulated within the industry.

The IOAA will hold a meeting with the members and agencies on November 28 to discuss the new draft SOP and accreditation provisions.

The industry body has also added more information to its Credit Control website. All information is provided at http://www.ioaa.co.in/credit-control-council/