Agencies that want to be able to adjust ratings for shorter spot lengths, based on traditional spot lengths can use the Spot Length Equivalencing feature.
The purpose of Spot Length Equivalencing is based on the idea that different spot lengths should post the same audience figures that traditional spot lengths do. For example, a 30-second spot may post to 5 rating, but a 15-second spot airing during the same time period may only do half of that 5 rating. As such, the 15-second spot will need to be adjusted using the Spot Length Equivalencing feature.
More specifically, suppose that your agency specifies that a 15-second spot for TV should only achieve 65% percent of what a 30-second spot should achieve. In order to perform this task, you would specify a Spot Length Equivalency formula that includes the short spot length (15), a standard spot length to equivalize to (30), and an equivalizer factor (.65).
Keep in mind that the Spot Length Equivalencing feature is only used in the Post Buy Item Report. Any Spot Length Equivalency formulas that you specify will be automatically calculated on the Post Buy Item Report. However, if you also want to show these equivalizations in the Buy Module, you will have to manually enter them by selecting an Item Type - the Broadcast system does not automatically equivalize in the Buy Module.
When you click the Equivalizer button in either the Buying Unit Profile Definition detail window or the Buying Profile Definition detail window, you’ll see the Spot Length Equivalency window.
Spot Length Equivalency Window
Select a number from the drop down menu and click the Add icon to add rows.
Use the Item Type drop-down to select one of the item types that you created using the Item Type Definition option.
Key or Lookup a Spot Length value.
Key or Lookup a Spot Length Equivalency value.
Key % of Rating figure using the #.#### format.
Select the adjacent check box.
Click the Save icon.