GroupM, the UK’s largest media agency, has signed up to the new publisher advertising transaction system, PATS.
Built to simplify and improve transactions between the six leading UK national newspaper groups and media agencies, PATS now has three large agency groups signed up.
The system, which will be rolled out across all media agencies in Q3 2015, enables both agencies and publishers to deliver audiences across brands regardless of platform.
GroupM agencies Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom and Maxus, as well as Dentsu Aegis’ network, including Carat and Vizeum, will adopt PATS as a new way of doing business.
“PATS is a progressive initiative to create efficiencies and make it easier to do business with multi-platform media owners,” said Nick Theakstone, UK CEO, GroupM.
“That has to be a good thing. I welcome it with enthusiasm on behalf of GroupM and our agencies.”
Other media owners are also set to use the new transaction system with conversations currently taking place with some of the UK’s largest magazine groups and regional publishers.
The system will be compatible with all agency platforms including Adazzle, Mediaocean Prisma and proprietary agency software.
Rosemary Gorman, group ad director at Mail Newspapers, added: “The enhanced automation PATS provides will allow us to improve efficiencies across our business, alongside our agency partners.
“The testing is progressing extremely well and we’re looking forward to a wider roll out in the second half of the year.”
