Note: This page describes the new Digital Line Item flow. For the previous flow, see Screen Availability (Obsolete).
When selecting screens to book a campaign (see Create a Digital Line Item), availability is crucial information to have.
The key pieces of screen availability are:
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Goal Achievability |
The Goal chip, on the right, indicates the percentage of your goal that can be achieved according to the
For more details, see Goal Achievability Chip. |
| Availability Column |
Within the limits of the flight duration details you entered, the Availability column indicates the availability for campaign creation: For more details, see Availability Column. |
| Occupancy Column |
The Occupancy column indicates the percentage of time that the The Occupancy column highlights screens or screen groups with potential scheduling conflicts due to blocking day parts, signifying partial or complete unavailability. To assist in identifying screens with potential delivery risks, users have the option to sort them based on their Occupancy, facilitating more informed decision-making during proposal creation. For example, an Occupancy of 80% indicates that the screen is open for bookings for 20% of the time, while the remaining 80% might be reserved due to factors like blocking day parts or pre-existing bookings. For more details, see Occupancy Column. |
Let's see how they work.
Goal Achievability Chip
Guaranteed Campaigns
The Goal chip, on the right, indicates the percentage of your goal that can be achieved according to the
| Goal | Color Description |
|---|---|
|
Green – The |
|
Amber – The |
|
Red – The |
The way to calculate the percentage differs between Fixed and Flexible campaign types:
- Fixed campaign types (Frequency, Fixed SOV, Takeover):
- The system calculates the average availability.
- Example: If you request 1 Play per Loop for 2 screens, and one screen has 100% availability while the second has 80% availability, the system shows that the goal is 90% achievable.
- Flexible campaign types (Impressions, Plays, Avg SOV):
- The goal reachability is expressed as a percentage of the goal.
- Example: If you request 1 million impressions and the maximum available is 800,000, then the system shows that the goal is 80% achievable.
- The system can display 100% even if one of the selected screens is completely full, since the system is only looking at whether the overall goal can be achieved.
Availability Column
Guaranteed Campaigns
Within the limits of the flight duration details you entered, the Availability column indicates the availability for campaign creation:
- Available (Green): The
- Partial (Blue): The
- Unavailable (Amber): The
The Availability column shows icons next to the availability state that identify factors affecting a
Hover over an icon to view a tool tip that explains the underlying reason(s). A single
- Blocking Schedule
– An inactivity event is scheduled during the selected time period. - Other Warnings
– The
The warning icons are also displayed on the Screens tile of the Summary bar when any of the selected
See Screens.
Understanding occupancy is critical when booking campaigns.
Occupancy Column
Guaranteed Campaigns
Understanding the occupancy is essential for making informed decisions when booking advertising campaigns, as it provides insights into how efficiently the
The Occupancy column indicates the percentage of time that the
The Occupancy column highlights screens or screen groups with potential scheduling conflicts due to blocking day parts, signifying partial or complete unavailability. To assist in identifying screens with potential delivery risks, users have the option to sort them based on their Occupancy, facilitating more informed decision-making during proposal creation.
For example, an Occupancy of 80% indicates that the screen is open for bookings for 20% of the time, while the remaining 80% might be reserved due to factors like blocking day parts or pre-existing bookings.
Tip: The system calculates the time used by a dynamically paced campaign in our Content and Network Management solution by using the campaign's maximum saturation, not the dynamically adjusted value. This approach provides a pessimistic but safe view of the campaign's inventory pressure. For this reason, when using the Guaranteed Campaigns module, it's recommended to avoid dynamically paced campaigns in favor of the Play Goal Type of Buy.
Tip: See How is the Occupancy Calculated? for more details on how the Guaranteed Campaigns module calculates that value.
Fixed Slot Duration
If a screen has a fixed slot duration value, that value is considered in the availability calculation. For example, if the specified slot duration is 20 seconds, but the screen has a fixed slot duration of 10 seconds, the availability check is based on the 10-second fixed slot duration. For more information, see Screens and Fixed Slot Duration.
Takeover
When you book a Takeover, the Occupancy column displays the occupancy of the screens before the takeover. This allows you to make informed decisions and book the Takeover on screens with a lower occupancy. For example, if you want to book a Takeover on 50 bus shelter screens and you know the occupancy of all bus shelter screens, you can select the 50 screens with the lowest occupancy. By doing this, you fulfill the Takeover campaign and minimize the impact on existing campaigns.
Blocking Day Parts (Temporary Out-of-Charge Screens)
Blocking Day Parts
Guaranteed Campaigns
In our Content and Network Management solution, day parts are defined as specific time blocks within a screen or screen group, each having its own playback characteristics (frame layout, hours of operation, etc.). For more information, see Day Parts in the Content and Network Management documentation.
Blocking day parts are used to specify when a screen is temporarily unavailable for advertising. This unavailability can arise from various reasons such as:
- Roadworks
- Accidental damage
- Planned maintenance
- Screen blackouts
- Uncommissioned screens
Impact on Availability
The presence of a blocking day part can be visualized in the Guaranteed Campaigns module.
- When the blocking day part's duration exceeds the line item's time frame, then the system displays the screen as unavailable.
- When the blocking day part is shorter than the line item's time frame, then the system displays the screen as either unavailable or partially available. This depends on whether existing bookings overlap with the requested time frame within the selected flight duration. A lock icon appears on the screen to indicate a conflict with the blocked time period.
While this might not pose a major issue for certain campaign types like goals-based ones (Average Share of Voice, Plays, Impressions, and Budget), it can be problematic for Frequency and Fixed Share of Voice campaigns. In such cases, some screens may underdeliver significantly compared to expectations.
Note: The warning icon serves as a warning that the screen has a blocked time period ("blocking day part"). However, the screen's availability is determined solely by existing bookings, not by the blocking day part. You must manually deselect the screen to avoid booking conflicts. Failure to do so may result in scheduling errors.
Avg Availability Column
Guaranteed Campaigns
The Avg Availability column displays the average number of integer ‘slots’ available for booking.
Here are some key points regarding the Avg Availability column:
- Calculation Based on Ad Length and Flight – The number of available slots is calculated based on the specified Ad Duration and Flight during the search process. This means that the duration of the advertisement and the flight dates play a significant role in determining the available slots on a screen.
- Consideration of Day Parts and Partial Availability – The calculation of available slots takes into account day parts (specific time blocks with defined playback characteristics) and partial availability. It considers when and how a screen can be used, factoring in various constraints and conditions.
- Rounded Down to Whole Numbers – The Avg Availability does not contain decimal values; it is always rounded down to the nearest whole integer. This ensures that the number of slots is a whole, discrete value.
Tip: For more in-depth details on how the Guaranteed Campaigns module calculates the Avg Availability value, refer to How is the Avg Availoability Calculated?. This information is essential for understanding how the system determines the available advertising slots on screens, helping you make informed decisions when booking advertisements.
The Create/Edit Digital Line Item and Create/Edit Static Line Item pages provide clear indicators that your current settings and screen or face selection cannot meet the desired goal.
- Look for the alert in the upper-right corner of the screen, which explicitly states the percentage of your goal that is actually reachable (for instance, 75% of your goal is attainable for each type of buy). For more information, see Goal Achievability Chip.
- Review the summary panel, which will present the maximum number of impressions or reach that the current configuration allows. For more information, see Summary Panel.
- For digital line items, a clear visual warning is present via the availability bar on the left side of the screen, which is also designed to alert you to an insufficient setup. The availability bar differs depending on the type of buy selected. For more information, see Step 4 – Choose Your Line Goal.
