This is Part 4 in a series of articles on what is contained in the Co>Op Connect database. In What is Co>Op Connect – Part 1 we provided a high-level explanation of the data fields and what they mean in the “main” part of the database. This is the portion of the database you want to utilize to see the accrual percentage along with the percentage of reimbursement your advertiser receives. The most important part of this section is the guidelines that tell you what you need to create the ad (or include in the ad) to make it Co-op compliant.

In the Part 2 article, we discussed the Knowledge Base and all the training materials you will find. This section is essential for training new sales reps on Co-op. It is also a great area for a seasoned sales rep to view as there are “tips” on how easy it is to incorporate Co-op into the sales process. Two key pieces in this area are the downloadable Accrual Request Form and the 8 Steps to Selling.

In Part 3 we discussed the “What’s New” section and how you can locate New Plans added to the database and find out which brands were recently updated. Now on to Part 4…

Part 4 – Tracking your Accrual Funds and Claim Packages

If you are a database subscriber, either you or another subscriber at your company should have “Admin” rights. In the accrual section, one Admin person can enter all the accrual funds that your team has found by reaching out to the brands on behalf of your advertisers.

Once the ad is sold you can also enter your sales in the claims section. You can then generate a “Co-op Advertising Claim Form” to send to your advertiser (as a Cover sheet), along with all their other claim documentation (tear sheets, invoices, scripts, performance reports, etc.).

You can generate reports from both areas (accruals and claims) to show upper management how many sales you can attribute to co-op advertising dollars being available to your advertisers.

If you are a current subscriber and need assistance in setting up a new Admin person, or your current Admin person would like a “refresher”, please contact Alanda Hunt at [email protected]. She will be glad to set up a demo with a screen share to show you where/how to add this data. She would also be glad to do a walk-through on any other parts of the database that you may want to see again or understand in greater depth.

Comments are closed for this post.