This CUA gives you access to planning, booking and buying services for your advertising needs. Two contracted advertising agencies will work with you to craft media plans according to your target audiences’ media consumption patterns, then negotiate, buy and book the media placements required, as well as despatch them, monitor them and report on them post-campaign.
This CUA has three categories:
- Category A: Media Booking and Buying (campaign and non-campaign) (mandatory). Category A of this CUA is mandatory state-wide for State agencies, except in the following circumstances:
- for buying media placement overseas, the customer must first consider using CUA contractors, but is able to use a contractor outside of the CUA for overseas buying; and
- for buying media placement on social media and paid search as part of a campaign, the customer has the option to buy these directly from social media channels or search engines or use the CUA contractors (not via non-CUA contractors).
- Category B: Media Strategy and Channel Planning (non-mandatory)
- Category C: Additional Advertising Services (non-mandatory).
Under Category B and C, you may:
- Purchase under the applicable CUA from a CUA contractor; or
- Exercise your discretion to purchase outside the CUA, and purchase in accordance with Western Australian Procurement Rules and Buy Local policy.
Before you buy, also check that your purchase falls within your organisation's procurement policies.
In accordance with Western Australian Procurement Rules, you can buy outside of this CUA and directly source from an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) or Aboriginal Business.
Applicable General Conditions of Contract
The General Conditions of Contract (August 2017) apply to this arrangement.
Category A: Media Booking and Buying
Show moreCategory A1: Recruitment, Public Notice and Tender advertising - Media Booking and Buying
This is a core service of the CUA, delivered by Initiative Media Australia Pty Ltd (Initiative).
This is what you can expect from Initiative:
- Initiative operates a secure online booking system for Recruitment, Public Notice and Tender Advertising. This system is called OBS.
- OBS is a fully automated online booking, approval and placement system, which generates costings, proofs and reporting.
It allows you to upload your copy, choose a template, then a designer will create the ad.
Initiative charges a percentage-based CUA fee for the placement of Recruitment, Public Notice and Tender ads and a head-hour rate for the building of ads. See the the What will it cost? section for pricing.
You now have the option to create our own custom template for a one-off head-hour fee. Once this is set up, you can build your own ads within OBS without having to pay design studio fees going forward. - User manuals and training are available – contact Initiative for any assistance.
Category A2: Media Booking and Buying – Campaign
This is a core service of the CUA, with campaign services delivered by both Carat Australia Media Services Pty Ltd (Carat) and Initiative Media Australia Pty Ltd (Initiative).
This is what you can expect your contractor of choice to deliver (refer to the Definitions section):
A. Booking and buying of traditional and digital media
Your contractor will purchase media on your behalf and will negotiate discounts and value added benefits beyond the government rates, at the time of booking.
Remember to seek approval from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) before asking your contractor to book your campaign. Your contractor will only book DPC-approved campaigns.
At the time of booking, the contractor will pay the net media costs on your behalf. At the end of the month, the contractor will invoice you for net media costs, CUA fee(s) and other charges where applicable, associated with your booking.
Booking and buying media is included in the CUA fee.
B. Optimisation
Your contractor will review and optimise relevant advertising in all media on an ongoing basis while the advertising is in market. This includes tracking (live), monitoring, analysing, advising and implementing changes.
Your contractor must ask for your approval before making any changes, unless you have authorised them at the start of your campaign.
Your contactor must give you access to relevant third party verification tools and reports to assist with optimisation while your advertising is in the market.
Optimisation is included in the CUA fee.
C: Media Performance Reports
Your contractor will provide ongoing, interim and post-campaign Media Performance Reports, to measure campaign effectiveness against set objectives.
Speak to your contractor about the timing and content of the ongoing, interim and post-campaign Media Performance Reports, to measure campaign effectiveness against set objectives Performance Reports. These reports should identify issues that need immediate resolution or recommend improvements for future campaigns as well as analysis of metrics related to the media schedule and strategic advice where applicable.
The post-campaign Media Performance Report must include analysis and strategic advice on the performance of all media booked.
For clarity, Carat has provided some tables to define Media Metrics and how the Media Performance Reports provided within their CUA fee are compiled and presented (refer to the Supporting information section
Media Performance Reports are included in the CUA fee.
D. Verification of advertising
Your contractor will monitor and verify the appearance and placement of the correct advertising in all media. This verification of advertising is based on information provided by the media with whom you have purchased your placements.
Verification of advertising is included in the CUA fee by both contractors.
Spot monitoring, in contrast, sees an independent party (e.g. Nielsen) verify the appearance of ads. Carat has included spot monitoring in their CUA fee, whereas Initiative charges this as an additional service (see the What will it cost section for details).
This work helps you to substantiate payments made to third party media suppliers. In the event of incorrect or non-appearance of any advertising, the contractor will inform you and negotiate compensation with the relevant media.
E. Digital media
CUA fees for the booking and buying of digital media vary depending on how the media is bought:
- Digital direct buying: Placement of ads on websites or any other digital medium direct from the media outlet/provider. This includes social media buying.
- Programmatic digital buying: Use of technology to automate and optimise the ad buying process in real time.
- Paid Search: The process of advertising within a search engine or a partner site to gain website traffic.
When using paid search as part of a campaign you have the option to book directly using search engines or the CUA contractors.
The booking and buying of digital media is included in the CUA fee, however, fees vary depending on how the media is bought (see the What will it cost section for details).
F. Social media
The booking and buying of social media is classed as digital direct media and therefore attracts a percentage-based CUA fee (digital direct buying).
When placing social media as part of a campaign you have the option to buy directly from social media channels or use the CUA contractors. Non-CUA contractors are not permitted to book or buy social media on your behalf.
The moderating of social media (i.e. managing and responding to comments, adding and removing content etc.) attracts an hourly rate (Social Media Moderation is defined in the Supporting information section).
Social media planning and strategy relates to the agreed and specialised strategy development and strategic planning relating to social media engagement strategies and attracts an hourly rate (see the What will it cost section for details).
G. Adserving
Adserving is defined as the delivery and tracking of an advertisement through a server. This technology is normally operated by a third party and is independent of the website where the ad is being displayed.
Adserving is provided for under the CUA, but each contractor has its own pricing model. Carat charges a percentage on the net media cost and Initiative charges this on a cost per thousand impressions (CPM) model.
You can choose for additional brand safety features as part of adserving, e.g. Integral Ad Science (IAS) – refer to the Price Schedule for details.
H. Sponsored content
Your contractor can negotiate sponsorships/partnerships with media outlets on your behalf, or you may enter into direct negotiations with third party media suppliers yourself. You or your nominated contractor may also pitch your campaign to multiple media outlets for this purpose based on the best value for money outcome for meeting the campaign objectives.
In either case, all media buying must be made through the CUA. In such cases, the CUA booking fee remunerates the contractor for planning/booking the media schedule, coordinating the partnership production, content creation and/or editorial and reporting on appearance.
Partnership/Sponsorship agreements received from the media shall transparently itemise media, production and other marketing costs, together with a comparison of market rates, CUA rates and agreed partnership costs of all media and value-adds within the successful proposal.
All non-media related services to the sponsorship/partnership must appear separately below the media schedule, after all CUA fees and the total cost of the media schedule.
Category B: Media Strategy and Channel Planning
Show moreThe media strategy and channel planning category (Category B) is non-mandatory. Therefore, you can choose to either engage a CUA contractor, or a non-CUA supplier for:
- the design of media strategy and plans that include detailed consumer, category, channel and competitive insights along with a recommended channel strategy and report/s.
- channel plans that detail timings/flightings, channels, media weightings and sizes / lengths with budget allocations.
Strategy plans/block channel plans prepared by non-CUA suppliers are to be handed over to either Carat or Initiative to be progressed further. Your CUA contractor of choice will negotiate with the media and develop the block channel plan into a costed implementation plan, against an hourly rate.
There are a number of reasons why a handover needs to happen at this particular point:
- Negotiating, buying and booking media is part of the mandatory Category A of this contract.
- Only the CUA contractors have access to government media rate cards. These rates are negotiated between the contractors and the media on an annual basis and are confidential in nature.
- Following on from negotiating, buying and booking media placements for your campaigns, CUA contractors will manage, report on, and optimise your campaigns once in market. Ultimately, they will provide a post-campaign report.
If a non-CUA supplier were to negotiate, buy or book your campaign, confidential rate information and potentially other IP would be at risk of being shared across the industry.
There should be no CUA fee charged on top of the Media Strategy and Channel Planning fees.
Refer to the What will it cost section for details on pricing.
Choosing who to use for media strategy/channel planning (Category B)
CUA contractors
When using the CUA for media strategy/channel planning services, you can pick and buy from CUA contractors without calling for quotes. Hourly rates are available from the What will it cost section. However, before starting any work, make sure you have agreed to pricing, estimated hours at CUA rates, deliverables, risks and other relevant items. Services should not start until this has been done.
Carat and Initiative are contractually required to provide the following under Category B of the CUA:
- timely advice about media channels, deadlines, media specification circulations / readership / site visitor statistics / distribution areas and other media demographics
- detailed cost estimates and media schedules, where requested
- evidence based recommendations to customers on budget allocations and media selection to ensure cost-efficient and highly effective advertising outcomes
- effective, innovative, integrated media solutions in response to media briefs
- working proactively with customers to understand annual activities in order to develop strategies and forward plans to maximise efficiencies
- participating or leading media sponsorships/partnerships negotiations for specific campaigns
- fostering continuous improvement through identifying and applying findings from past campaigns
- liaising and working productively with creative advertising agencies engaged by the customer to participate in overarching communications strategy development when required, and ensure effective integration of creative and media strategies.
Once complete and approved by you, the media strategy/channel plan as prepared by Carat or Initiative will progress to negotiation, buying, booking, optimisation; and ultimately to post-campaign reporting.
Non-CUA suppliers
When using a non-CUA supplier, Western Australian Procurement Rules apply. As part of the procurement of each individual engagement, requirements such as the above need to be communicated by you; and committed to by the supplier.
A non-CUA supplier can prepare a media strategy and (block) channel plan, however they can only give a cost estimate/budget allocation.
Once the non-CUA supplier has handed a general media strategy and channel plan to your CUA contractor of choice, Carat or Initiative will provide you with a detailed, costed media plan and will proceed to implement the booking and buying process.
Before starting any work, contractors must provide you with a detailed quotation that includes pricing, estimated hours at CUA hourly rates, deliverables, risks and any other agreed items. They should not provide services until you have agreed to their quote.
Category C: Additional Advertising Services
Show moreAdditional Advertising Services are non-mandatory on this CUA.
They are charged on a head-hour basis and include:
- Trafficking/dispatch: Process of uploading advertisements in the ad-server so that when an advertisement request is made to the ad-server, the correct advertisement is returned and displayed based on the advertisement’s targeting information in the advertisement tag.
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.
- Social media planning and strategy: agreed and specialised strategy development and strategic planning relating to social media engagement strategies.
- Social media moderation: replying to and if necessary removing content from a customer’s owned and controlled social media platform(s) or site(s).
- Research and insights: Standard media measurements are provided within the Media Booking and Buying CUA Fee. For significant campaigns you may require advanced post-campaign research and analysis of the effectiveness of your advertising strategies.
- Online booking system: Initiative’s design studio can create your press ads for you utilising your pre-existing templates and this service is charged at Initiatives hourly rates. This additional service applies for Recruitment, Public Notice and Tender advertising services.
Before starting any work, contractors must provide you with a detailed quotation that includes pricing, estimated hours at CUA hourly rates, deliverables, risks and any other agreed items. They should not provide services until you have agreed to their quote.
There should be no CUA fee charged on top of the Additional Advertising Services fees.
Refer to the What will it cost? section for details on pricing.
Out of scope activity
Show moreThe following services are excluded from the proposed CUA. These can be sourced by Customers through individual contract arrangements:
- Creative Services: including development of advertising ideas; creative concepts based on strategic directions; design and asset production services; studio and web studio; digital and print production supervision; art direction, retouching and finished art; social media content and review.
- Print Management Services: procurement and management of printed products such as forms, brochures newsletters, posters, variable data, reports, banners and other specialty items or marketing materials.
- Marketing Communication Services: strategy and brand management including architecture, identity and positioning; marketing opportunities based on consumer trends.
- Market Research: services to conduct quantitative and/or qualitative research, market intelligence as well as professional strategic advice to assist in business planning and the design of integrated advertising, promotions and communications services.
- Procurement of advertising space on government-owned assets by Public Authorities, although Government Advertising and Communications Policies and Guideline still require DPC review and approval of these activities prior to producing and material or commencing to advertise.
Buying rules
Show moreBuying direct
This CUA is a Pick and Buy arrangement, allowing customers to purchase services directly with the contractor. Multiple quotes are not required.
Customers can reserve the right to choose either of the CUA contractors, and can change contractors at any time during the term. Customers can also appoint one or more contractors at any one time on any category of the CUA.
The CUA is mandatory for all Public Authorities state-wide for buying media within Australia except in the following circumstances:
- for buying media placement overseas, the customer must first consider using CUA contractors, but is able to use a contractor outside of the CUA for overseas buying; and
- for buying media placement on social media and paid search as part of a campaign, or with SEEK for non-campaign. The customer has the option to use the CUA contractors (not non-CUA contractors) or buy these services directly from - SEEK, social media channels or search engines.
Other policy requirements
Show moreState agencies should be aware of the following requirements under Western Australian Procurement Rules as they apply to purchases from this CUA. The below table is a summary of the requirements, and State agencies are encouraged to review the WA Procurement Rules.
Procurement planning
| Requirement | WA Procurement Rules |
|---|---|
| Buyers must prepare a procurement plan and submit it to the State Tenders Review Committee. | No, when purchasing from this CUA. |
| Buyers must involve Finance | No, buyers do not need to involve Finance when purchasing from this CUA. |
| Buyers must obtain approval from an authorised officer of Finance to purchase through an alternative arrangement to this CUA. |
Yes, for all values and delivery locations where the purchase of goods and / or services under the CUA are mandatory (WA Procurement Rule C2.2). Please note that State agencies are not required to request advice or approval from Finance, regardless of value, to purchase from an ADE or an Aboriginal Business (WA Procurement Rule C2.2). |
Request development and contract formation
| Requirement | WA Procurement Rules |
|---|---|
| Buyers must prepare an evaluation report. | No, when purchasing from this CUA. |
| Buyers must submit an evaluation report to the State Tender Review Committee | No, when purchasing from this CUA. |
| Buyers must publish details of their contract on Tenders WA. | No, when purchasing from this CUA (WA Procurement Rule D8.1(3)). |
| Buyers must record the contract on the agency’s contract register, as instructed within the buying agency’s financial management manual. | Yes, for all contracts valued at $50,000 or more (WA Procurement Rule F5), unless alternative arrangements have been approved under WA Procurement Rule F5(6). |
Contract management
| Requirement | WA Procurement Rules |
|---|---|
| Buyers must prepare a contract management plan | Contract management or project management plans must be developed for all contracts with a total estimated value of $5 million and above (WA Procurement Rule E1(1)), unless exempted under WA Procurement Rule E1(2). |
| Buyers must publish details of contract variations on Tenders WA. | No, when purchasing from this CUA. |
| Buyers must seek advice from Finance on variations. | No, State agencies do not need to seek advice from Finance on variations. |
Intellectual property rights
For this CUA, the intellectual property rights in the new material will be owned by the State unless you agree otherwise in your order/customer contract.
Exemption from using this CUA
Procurement Frameworks are responsible for processing and approving all requests from State agencies seeking exemption from using a mandatory CUA. Requests for an exemption are considered on a case-by-case basis, and a requesting agency must be able to demonstrate that a business need cannot be adequately met by the relevant CUA.
Exemption requests should be directed to the Assistant Director Procurement Frameworks through an email to the contract manager in the first instance. Requests for exemption must be in writing via email, and must provide sufficient explanation and background to enable the request to be considered. The requesting officer should be the Accountable Authority or delegate of the agency.
For guidelines on what to include in an exemption request, please refer to the Common Use Arrangements Procurement Practice Guideline
Sustainability
Show moreAs part of the tender process, contractors on this arrangement have provided details of, and have been evaluated on, their corporate social and environmental responsibility, and the initiatives they have in place to support this.
Initiative Perth
Initiative Perth prides itself on its involvement with the local community and actively seeks opportunities to better the lives of Western Australians and mankind globally.
Since 2013, Initiative has been the official media agency partner of Perth’s Telethon. Staff volunteer their time, rotating shifts over 48 hours running the social media activity, ensuring constant on-the-spot management, aiding in driving donations and doing what they can to assist in this iconic Perth event.
A third of Initiative are also regular Blood and Plasma donors, with their donations saving more than 70 lives each year.
In June 2019, Initiative launched a major environmental campaign - called Citizen Reef - which calls for the world’s largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef, to be granted citizenship in Australia, launched on Wednesday. In doing so, the climate change damaged reef would be awarded the same rights and protections as any other Australian citizen, including freedom from torture, the highest standard of health and most importantly, the right to life.
Initiative has been awarded two of the top honours at the 2019 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Awards, celebrating LGBTI Inclusion. AWEI is a rigorous, evidence-based benchmarking program that annually assesses workplaces on the progress and impact of their LGBTI inclusion initiatives. Initiative was awarded Gold in the Small Employer (less than 200 people) category and was also named Small Employer of the Year. Initiative Australia has launched its LGBTI inclusion program across the global network positively impacting vulnerable people across the world.
In 2018 Initiative launched the first ever global festival of mentoring in partnership with AIME (Australia Indigenous Mentoring Experience) and have continued this journey by developing and submitting our ‘reflect’ action plan to Reconciliation Australia.
Initiative is the only media agency in Australia to receive gold recognition as a mental health skilled workplace and the only media agency to be recognised by Work180 as a gender endorsed employer.
Carat WA
Carat’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program called Future Proof 2020, is its environmental, community, supply chain and responsible marketing roadmap. It involves every member of the Carat team.
In 2017, Carat Australia donated more than $1.6 million back to the community and secured more than $10 million in media space on a pro bono basis for its not-for-profit client partners. Carat WA contributed more than $40,000 in financial donations and pro bono work in 2017 and the team delivered 520 volunteering hours in contracted office time.
Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN)’s environmental ambition is to minimise its carbon footprint. Key initiatives include reduced electricity consumption, reduced business travel reduced paper consumption. Its target is to lower the per person impact in each of these areas by 40% by 2020.
DAN globally has committed to monthly CSR reporting.
Who supplies what?
Show moreThe matrix below lists contractors on the CUA and the services they have been contracted to provide.
| Contractor | Category A - Non-campaign | Category A - Campaign | Category B - Strategy | Category C - Additional services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carat Australia Media Services Pty Ltd | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Initiative Media Australia Pty Ltd | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
What will it cost?
Show moreRecruitment, Public Notice and Tender advertising services
Category A1: Media Booking and Buying (mandatory)
This is a core service of the CUA, delivered by Initiative Media Australia Pty Ltd (Initiative). The CUA fee as a percentage of the Net Media Cost is shown in the table below and is based on the method of purchase.
CUA Fee (%) of the Net Media Cost based on the method of purchasing:
| Media Booking and Buying | Traditional Buying | Direct Digital Buying | Programmatic Digital Buying | Paid Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recruitment, Public Notice and Tender Notice | 3.07% | 4.13% | Refer to campaign pricing | Refer to campaign pricing |
* For Paid Search, you have the option to buy these directly search engines or use the CUA contractors (not via non-CUA contractors).
As of 15 May 2023, Initiative charges an upload fee for digital non-campaign advertisements charged in minutes of the current head hour rate of $95.03 as follows:
- Standard SEEK adverts @ 10mins = $15.84 upload fee
- Other standard portals, overseas and bespoke online portals on application quoted prior to booking costed as per the above formula.
Artwork
You can build your own ads in pre-existing templates within the online booking system, which means you will only be charged the CUA fee on the net media costs.
If you do not wish to use the self-build feature or need a new template, Initiative’s design studio is available as an optional service. Hourly rates will apply. Refer to the Additional Advertising Services pricing for further details.
For any work Initiative needs to do for you beyond this (e.g. if you need a design outside of a standard template, more rounds of approval, or if you email or phone your requirements through instead of using the Online Booking System), hourly rates will apply. Refer to the Additional Advertising Services pricing for further details.
Initiative charges part-hours in one-minute brackets.
Should you require adserving, programmatic digital buying or paid search as part of your advertising activity, please refer to the campaign services price schedule below.
A 0.75% merchant fee credit-card payment is applicable. This charge is in addition to Initiative’s rates and charged by the bank.
Campaign services
Category A: Media Booking and Buying (mandatory)
This is a core service of the CUA, delivered by Initiative Media Australia Pty Ltd (Initiative) and by Carat Australian Media Services Pty Ltd. The CUA fee as a percentage of the Net Media Cost is shown in the table below and is based on the method of purchase.
CUA Fee (%) of the Net Media Cost based on the method of purchasing:
| Media Booking and Buying | Traditional Buying | Direct Digital Buying | Programmatic Digital Buying | Paid Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carat | 2.89% | 2.89% | 18% | 16% 18%* |
| Initiative | 3.07% | 4.13% | 16% | 8.62% |
*Advanced paid search management platform, Doubleclick Search, attracts a 2% surcharge.
Adserving - Carat
CUA Fee (%) of the Net Media Cost
| Adserving | Third party ad serving, tracking and reporting | IAS monitoring (optional) | IAS firewall brand safety (optional) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUA Fee (%) of the Net Media Cost | 4.5% | 1% | 2% |
Adserving - Initiative
Initiative’s adserving charge consists of a combined CPM. It covers:
- Initiative’s operational cost of adserving
- Doubleclick net costs (without mark-up)
- Integral Ad Science net costs (without mark-up) (optional)
The below table shows the cost per thousand impressions (CPM) that covers Initiative’s adserving operations team:
| Initiative operational cost | CPM AUD $ (GST Excl) |
|---|---|
| Impression tracking | $0.03 |
| Click tracking (CPC) | $0.02 |
| All other formats | $0.25 |
Speak to Initiative for DoubleClick and Integral Ad Science pricing.
Category B: Media Strategy and Channel Planning (non-mandatory)
| Description | Carat hourly rate AUD $ (GST Excl) | Initiative hourly rate AUD $ (GST Excl) |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Media Strategy Planner | $150.00 | $152.55 |
| Junior / Channel Planner | $80.00 | $82.25 |
Carat charges part-hours worked in 15-minute brackets.
Initiative charges part-hours worked in one-minute brackets.
Category C: Additional Advertising Services (non-mandatory)
| Description | Carat hourly rate AUD $ (GST Excl) | Initiative hourly rate AUD $ (GST Excl) |
|---|---|---|
| Trafficking/Despatch | $100.00 | $112.16 |
| Search Engine Optimisation | $135.00 | $228.83 |
| Social Media Planning and Strategy | $135.00 | $186.94 |
| Social Media Moderation | $135.00 | $91.53 |
| Research and Insights | $95.00 | $203.40 |
Carat charges part-hours worked in 15-minute brackets.
Initiative charges part-hours worked in one-minute brackets.
Spot monitoring
Carat includes verification of advertising and third party spot monitoring in their CUA fee.
Initiative includes the verification of advertising, its appearance and performance of media in their CUA fee, but charges separately for additional third party spot monitoring, if required.
These spot monitoring charges see an independent party (e.g. Nielsen) verify the appearance of ads across all channels and enables Initiative to provide more comprehensive spot reporting, including television placement optimisation. Should you wish to opt into these additional services with Initiative you will be charged per spot:
| Description | Initiative hourly rate AUD $ (GST Excl) |
|---|---|
| Spot Monitoring: Metro Television | $1.00 per spot |
| Spot Monitoring: Regional Television | $0.80 per spot |
| Spot Monitoring: Subscription Television | $1.00 per spot |
| Spot Monitoring: Radio | $0.60 per spot |
| Press and Magazine Tearsheet | $1.00 per insertion |
Online booking system
Initiative’s design studio can create your press ads for you utilising your pre-existing templates and this service is charged at Initiatives hourly rates. This additional service applies for Recruitment, Public Notice and Tender advertising services.
If you do not use the self-build option or have the need for a new template creation (Advertising Templates Digitalisation), Initiative’s design studio is available as an optional service. The hourly rates below also apply if you email or phone your requirements through instead of using the Online Booking System.
| Additional Services - Online Booking System (Media Booking and Buying) | Initiative hourly rate AUD $ (GST Excl) |
|---|---|
| Build and Book | $95.03 |
| Complete Artwork | $116.96 |
| Advertising templates digitalisation | $109.64 |
| Lineage | $119.96 |
Initiative charges part-hours worked in one-minute brackets.
Credit card payment
A 0.75% merchant fee credit-card payment is applicable. This charge is in addition to Initiative’s rates and charged by the bank.
Initiative provide a secure online portal for credit card payments: link access
Payment by Purchasing Card
The government purchasing card offers a quick and convenient method of payment allowing goods and services to be efficiently purchased.
Always remember to inform the contractor that you will be paying by government purchasing card, at the time of ordering the product or service, and ensure they clearly understand that they must send the tax invoice directly to you, the cardholder.
Making the most of this contract
Show moreSponsored content
Your contractor can negotiate sponsorships/partnerships with media outlets on your behalf, or you may enter into direct negotiations with third party media suppliers yourself. You or your nominated contractor may also pitch your campaign to multiple media outlets for this purpose based on the best value for money outcome for meeting the campaign objectives.
In either case, all media buying must be made through the CUA. In such cases, the CUA booking fee remunerates the contractor for planning/booking the media schedule, coordinating the partnership production, content creation and/or editorial and reporting on appearance.
Partnership/Sponsorship agreements received from the media shall transparently itemise media, production and other marketing costs, together with a comparison of market rates, CUA rates and agreed partnership costs of all media and value-adds within the successful proposal.
All non-media related services to the sponsorship/partnership must appear separately below the media schedule, after all CUA fees and the total cost of the media schedule.
Pitching for media booking and buying
Under the Media Booking and Buying for Advertising Services Common Use Arrangement (CUA) you can Pick and Buy from contractors without having to call for quotes. From a CUA perspective, there is no requirement for contractors to pitch for your media booking and buying business.
The contractors went through a competitive process at time of tender in 2018 and were selected based on criteria around organisational competency and value for money.
CUA fees for both contractors are available from WA.gov.au. Both contractors have access to the same (confidential) media rate cards for government.
In some instances, there may be a case for pitching, particularly if you wish for Carat or Initiative to develop your media strategy and your campaign is:
- of a sizeable budget
- controversial
- high profile; or
- part of a bigger campaign or series or campaigns.
In these cases, you may wish to canvas both agencies to see who is best placed to run your campaign. As part of their pitch, contractors can display how well they understand your business and what innovations/points of difference they can offer you. Contractors may also be able to give you an overview of their approach to media buying and an estimate of the head hours they will require to complete your brief.
Best practice requires you to give sound and substantial feedback to the contractors after you have made your decision.
If pitching is unavoidable, please observe confidentiality and be mindful of IP contained in pitches. Please discourage your creative and planning agencies from asking the contractors to pitch for media booking and buying, as in essence you are asking contractors to share their IP with organisations that they are in competition with outside of the CUA.
Training
Both contractors have extensive training programs to roll out over the course of the contract.
Topics covered include systems training, media activations, briefing, market landscape and trends workshops, basics of digital media and new media.
Register your interest to receive invitations to training sessions here.
How do I buy?
Show moreStep by step buying process
This CUA is a Pick and Buy arrangement, allowing customers to purchase services directly with the contractor. Multiple quotes are not required.
Choose the services that best meet your needs. Use the What will it cost? section to compare prices before deciding on which contractor to buy from.
Visit the Department of Premier and Cabinet website for advertising guidelines, policies and approval forms.
Your first step for undertaking an advertising campaign is to download the Application to Undertake Government campaigns to the Government Communications Unit (GCU) for review and approval and once completed send it via email to AdApproval@dpc.wa.gov.au
Once you receive the approval advice to undertake your campaign, you should be aware of the additional requirements:
- Seek exemption for any proposed press advertisement that will exceed 300 column centimetres per publication in any given week.
- Seek exemption for any proposed television or radio commercial that will exceed a 30 second duration.
- Submit all final advertising material, promotional material and media schedules to the GCU for final approval and inform the GCU of any changes in your nominated CUA media buyer before the campaign is launched or during its life.
- If your campaign costs will exceed the original line-item expenditures approved by the GCU or ICRC you are required to contact the GCU for further advice for how to seek approval to proceed on that basis.
- Ensure the WA Government Attribution is included with authorisation tagging.
- Meet all other requirements of the Government Advertising and Communications Policy and Guidelines.
After I buy
Show moreActive contract management pays off
Invoicing
Make sure to check invoices before they are processed for payment. Things to look out for:
- Level of detail: does the invoice show enough detail to understand what I am are paying for?
- Accuracy of the net media cost. Did you receive what you have been invoiced?
- Accuracy of planning fees and other charges for services delivered through the CUA – where applicable.
- Accuracy of fees and charges for services that relate to your campaign, but are not covered by the CUA. There should be no CUA fee applied to these and they should not form part of the media schedule. A standardised media schedule format will be agreed and implemented with contractors for this purpose.
- Accuracy of the CUA fee. Make sure the correct fee is applied to the correct portion of the invoice. Use the What will it cost? section to cross-check fees.
The hourly rates quoted for this CUA represent maximum prices. Contractors and customers can negotiate lower prices based on volume, value of a service and other circumstances.
Throughout the contract term, pricing can be reviewed by the contractor and the Contract Authority and reduced to reflect savings, either by improved technology, streamlined processes and or discounted pricing strategies.
Definitions
Show moreAd serving: The delivery (uploading) and tracking of an advertisement through a server. This technology is normally operated by a third party and is independent of the website where the ad is being displayed.
Advertiser: Refers to the CUA Customer.
Blacklist: Websites on which advertising is prohibited and for which the Contract Authority or Customer will not pay any costs.
Campaign: Advertising that is promotional in nature and generally runs over a sustained period to encourage behaviour change, educate or promote ongoing activities of Government.
CUA Fee: Percentage of the Net Media Cost paid to the CUA Contractors.
Conflict of Interest: Any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest including any situation, arrangement, understanding, association, or agreement which might jeopardise the ability of the Contractor or Personnel to represent the Customer’s best interests.
Digital Media: Buying media using digital technologies, mainly on the Internet, but also including display advertising and any other digital medium.
Direct Digital Buying: Purchasing Ad Placement on websites or any other digital medium direct from the media outlet/provider, to deliver messages to consumers.
Media Schedule: Program or plan developed from the Media Plan that typically contains specific details including the media channels used in an advertising campaign, insertion or broadcast dates, positions, net media costs and all applicable CUA Fees.
Net Media Cost: Total of advertising expenditure typically represented by 90% of the Gross Media Cost excluding GST.
Optimisation: Improvements to attain the most cost effective and highest achievable performance with regard to any given constraints. This may include adjustments of a Media Schedule in real time to ensure it maximises its effectiveness.
Paid Search: Paid Search or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of advertising within a search engine or a partner site to gain website traffic by paying either each time an ad is clicked (pay-per-click - PPC) or when an ad is displayed (cost-per-impression - CPM).
Programmatic Digital Buying: Use of technology to automate and optimise the ad buying process in real time.
Public Notice: One-off or short term clear, simple message or announcement. Types include: public transport notices, road closures, changes to government services, grants and awards programs, statutory/regulatory notices, schools enrolment notices.
Recruitment: Advertising for a specific or general job vacancy or employment opportunity; can be for one or more positions advertised at the same level, generally identical in nature.
Search Engine: A program that searches documents and databases for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents where the keywords (specified by the user) were found, especially on the World Wide Web.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Process of maximizing the number of visitors to a particular website by ensuring that the site appears high on the list of results returned by a search engine.
Social Media: Collective of online communications channels or networking websites dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration to increase brand exposure and broaden customer search.
Social Media Buying: The purchase of social media advertising on social platforms.
Social Media Planning and Strategy: Agreed and specialised strategy development and strategic planning relating to social media engagement strategies.
Social Media Moderation: replying to and, if necessary, removing content from any social media platform(s) or site(s).
Tender Notice: The promotion of open approaches to market, which may include: requests for tenders; requests for quote; requests for information; requests for proposal; requests for expressions of interest.
Traditional Media: Buying media using non-digital channels such as newspaper, radio, television, out of home, magazines and cinema.
Trafficking/Dispatch: Process of setting up advertisements in the ad-server so that when an advertisement request is made to the ad-server, the correct advertisement is returned and displayed based on advertisement’s targeting information in the advertisement tag.
Media performance reports
Both contractors offer media performance reports as part of the CUA fee.
Carat
When you book your campaign services with Carat, they will provide Media Performance Reports as part of the CUA Fee and include:
- Provide ongoing, interim and post-campaign Media Performance Reports, to measure campaign effectiveness against set objectives.
- Interim Media Performance reports are provided at mid-point of a campaign period.
- Media Performance Reports are provided at the conclusion of the campaign and delivered to the customer within an agreed time frame.
- The reports should identify issues that need immediate resolution or recommend improvements for future campaigns.
- The post-campaign Media Performance Report must include analysis and strategic advice on the performance of all media booked.
- The delivery of Media Performance Reports is included in the CUA fee.
- Value of media is calculated against Market Rates unless otherwise indicated.
- Standard media measurements are outlined on the following page by channel.
The tables below define media metrics and how these reports are compiled and presented.
Table 1: Media Performance Report metrics by channel
| Television | Cinema | Radio | Out of Home | Print/Magazines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Electronic Tearsheet |
| Number of spots booked versus delivered - via Nielsen media auditing | Number of screens | Duration | Proof of Posting | Total Paid V Total Value |
| TARPS booked versus delivered - via Nielsen media auditing | Booked Audience v Delivered Audience | Breakdown of stations | MOVE Reach and Frequency (where applicable) | Reach and frequency |
| Reach and frequency booked versus delivered | Reach and frequency | Number of spots booked versus delivered | ||
| Weekly reach and frequency build | Market Delivery Split for all attendance (Metro v Regional) | Reach and frequency | ||
| Position in Break | Film delivery breakdown | |||
| Prime/fringe ratios delivered | ||||
| Bonus activity value, by network | ||||
| Billboard inclusion, by network |
Reporting is provided in PDF or excel format - Electronic Tearsheets are available in PDF format only.
Table 2a: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Display - Brand
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Reach and Frequency |
Table 2b: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Display - Performance
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Conversions | |
| CPA |
Table 2c: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Video
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Completed views | |
| Completion Rate | |
| Cost per Completed View |
Table 2d: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Social
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Creative performance |
| Website Clicks | |
| CTR | |
| Social Page Likes | |
| Social Post Likes | |
| Post Comments | |
| Post Shares | |
| Video Views |
Table 2e: Media Performance Reports by KPIs - Search (Adwords)
| Reporting Metrics | Additional Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | Conversions | Performance by day, week, month |
| Impressions | CPA | Performance by creative |
| Clicks | ROAS | Performance by site |
| CTR | Conversion Rate | Media Cost |
| CPC | ||
| Impression Share | ||
| Average Position |
Reporting for all channels is provided in PDF format.
Initiative
When you book your campaign services with Initiative, they will provide Post Campaign Reporting as part of the CUA fee, including:
- The provision of interim and post-campaign Media Performance Reports, to measure campaign effectiveness against set objectives.
- Interim Media Performance reports are provided at mid-point of a campaign period.
- Final Post Campaign reports are provided at the conclusion of the campaign and provided to the customer within an agreed time frame.
- The reports should identify issues that need immediate resolution or recommend improvements for future campaigns.
- The post-campaign Post Campaign Report must include analysis and strategic advice on the performance of all media booked.
- The delivery of standard Post Campaign Reporting is included in the CUA fee.
- The value of media is calculated against Market Rates unless otherwise indicated.
Standard media measurements are provided within the Media Booking and Buying CUA Fee. For significant campaigns you may require advanced post-campaign research and analysis of the effectiveness of your advertising strategies, including weekly campaign tracking, supply of post reporting in excel format and the creation of bespoke dashboards. In these instances additional head hour costs are charged, via agreed Scope of Work schedules.
Standard media measurements are outlined on the following tables by channel.
The two tables below define Media Metrics and how these reports are compiled and presented.
Table 1: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by channel (traditional)
| Television | Cinema | Radio | Out of Home | Print/Magazines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler | Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler | Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler* | Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler | Total paid vs Total paid actual |
| Value of Bonus and Filler | Number of screens | Duration* | Proof of Posting | Reach & Frequency |
| Number of spots booked vs delivered via Nielsen media auditing | Booked audience vs delivered audience | Number of spots booked vs delivered* | MOVE Reach and Frequency (where applicable) | |
| Booked vs Actual TARPs via Nielsen media auditing | Reach and Frequency | Overall Reach and Frequency | ||
| Reach & Frequency Booked vs Delivered | Market Delivery Split - i.e. Metro vs Regional | |||
| Weekly Reach and Frequency build | Film breakdown report | |||
| Position in break | ||||
| Prime/Fringe Ratios delivered | ||||
| Billboard inclusion, by Network |
* - broken down by station
Reporting for all channels is provided in locked excel or PDF format.
Table 2a: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPIs (digital) - Display
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Reach and Frequency |
Table 2b: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Display - Performance
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Conversions | |
| CPA |
Table 2c: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Video
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Completed Views | |
| Completion Rate | |
| Cost per Completed View |
Table 2d: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Social
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Creative performance |
| Website Clicks | |
| CTR | |
| Social page likes | |
| Social post likes | |
| Post Comments | |
| Post Shares | |
| Video Views |
Table 2e: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Search (Adwords)
| Reporting Metrics | Additional Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | Conversions | Performance by day, week, month |
| Impressions | CPA | Performance by Creative |
| Clicks | ROAS | Performance by site |
| CTR | Conversion Rate | Media Cost |
| CPC | ||
| Impression share | ||
| Average Position |
Reporting for all channels is provided in locked excel or PDF format.
Media performance reports
Show moreBoth contractors offer media performance reports as part of the CUA fee.
Carat
When you book your campaign services with Carat, they will provide Media Performance Reports as part of the CUA Fee and include:
- Provide ongoing, interim and post-campaign Media Performance Reports, to measure campaign effectiveness against set objectives.
- Interim Media Performance reports are provided at mid-point of a campaign period.
- Media Performance Reports are provided at the conclusion of the campaign and delivered to the customer within an agreed time frame.
- The reports should identify issues that need immediate resolution or recommend improvements for future campaigns.
- The post-campaign Media Performance Report must include analysis and strategic advice on the performance of all media booked.
- The delivery of Media Performance Reports is included in the CUA fee.
- Value of media is calculated against Market Rates unless otherwise indicated.
- Standard media measurements are outlined on the following page by channel.
The tables below define media metrics and how these reports are compiled and presented.
Table 1: Media Performance Report metrics by channel
| Television | Cinema | Radio | Out of Home | Print/Magazines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Total Paid V Total Value of Paid, Bonus and Filler | Electronic Tearsheet |
| Number of spots booked versus delivered - via Nielsen media auditing | Number of screens | Duration | Proof of Posting | Total Paid V Total Value |
| TARPS booked versus delivered - via Nielsen media auditing | Booked Audience v Delivered Audience | Breakdown of stations | MOVE Reach and Frequency (where applicable) | Reach and frequency |
| Reach and frequency booked versus delivered | Reach and frequency | Number of spots booked versus delivered | ||
| Weekly reach and frequency build | Market Delivery Split for all attendance (Metro v Regional) | Reach and frequency | ||
| Position in Break | Film delivery breakdown | |||
| Prime/fringe ratios delivered | ||||
| Bonus activity value, by network | ||||
| Billboard inclusion, by network |
Reporting is provided in PDF or excel format - Electronic Tearsheets are available in PDF format only.
Table 2a: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Display - Brand
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Reach and Frequency |
Table 2b: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Display - Performance
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Conversions | |
| CPA |
Table 2c: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Video
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Completed views | |
| Completion Rate | |
| Cost per Completed View |
Table 2d: Media Performance Report metrics by KPIs - Social
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Creative performance |
| Website Clicks | |
| CTR | |
| Social Page Likes | |
| Social Post Likes | |
| Post Comments | |
| Post Shares | |
| Video Views |
Table 2e: Media Performance Reports by KPIs - Search (Adwords)
| Reporting Metrics | Additional Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | Conversions | Performance by day, week, month |
| Impressions | CPA | Performance by creative |
| Clicks | ROAS | Performance by site |
| CTR | Conversion Rate | Media Cost |
| CPC | ||
| Impression Share | ||
| Average Position |
Reporting for all channels is provided in PDF format.
Initiative
When you book your campaign services with Initiative, they will provide Post Campaign Reporting as part of the CUA fee, including:
- The provision of interim and post-campaign Media Performance Reports, to measure campaign effectiveness against set objectives.
- Interim Media Performance reports are provided at mid-point of a campaign period.
- Final Post Campaign reports are provided at the conclusion of the campaign and provided to the customer within an agreed time frame.
- The reports should identify issues that need immediate resolution or recommend improvements for future campaigns.
- The post-campaign Post Campaign Report must include analysis and strategic advice on the performance of all media booked.
- The delivery of standard Post Campaign Reporting is included in the CUA fee.
- The value of media is calculated against Market Rates unless otherwise indicated.
Standard media measurements are provided within the Media Booking and Buying CUA Fee. For significant campaigns you may require advanced post-campaign research and analysis of the effectiveness of your advertising strategies, including weekly campaign tracking, supply of post reporting in excel format and the creation of bespoke dashboards. In these instances additional head hour costs are charged, via agreed Scope of Work schedules.
Standard media measurements are outlined on the following tables by channel.
The two tables below define Media Metrics and how these reports are compiled and presented.
Table 1: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by channel (traditional)
| Television | Cinema | Radio | Out of Home | Print/Magazines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler | Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler | Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler* | Total paid vs Total paid actual, including Bonus and Filler | Total paid vs Total paid actual |
| Value of Bonus and Filler | Number of screens | Duration* | Proof of Posting | Reach & Frequency |
| Number of spots booked vs delivered via Nielsen media auditing | Booked audience vs delivered audience | Number of spots booked vs delivered* | MOVE Reach and Frequency (where applicable) | |
| Booked vs Actual TARPs via Nielsen media auditing | Reach and Frequency | Overall Reach and Frequency | ||
| Reach & Frequency Booked vs Delivered | Market Delivery Split - i.e. Metro vs Regional | |||
| Weekly Reach and Frequency build | Film breakdown report | |||
| Position in break | ||||
| Prime/Fringe Ratios delivered | ||||
| Billboard inclusion, by Network |
* - broken down by station
Reporting for all channels is provided in locked excel or PDF format.
Table 2a: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPIs (digital) - Display
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Reach and Frequency |
Table 2b: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Display - Performance
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Conversions | |
| CPA |
Table 2c: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Video
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Performance by site |
| Clicks | Creative performance |
| CTR | |
| Completed Views | |
| Completion Rate | |
| Cost per Completed View |
Table 2d: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Social
| Reporting Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Media Cost | Performance by week |
| Impressions | Creative performance |
| Website Clicks | |
| CTR | |
| Social page likes | |
| Social post likes | |
| Post Comments | |
| Post Shares | |
| Video Views |
Table 2e: Post Campaign Reporting - metrics by KPI (digital) - Search (Adwords)
| Reporting Metrics | Additional Metrics | Reporting Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
| Spend | Conversions | Performance by day, week, month |
| Impressions | CPA | Performance by Creative |
| Clicks | ROAS | Performance by site |
| CTR | Conversion Rate | Media Cost |
| CPC | ||
| Impression share | ||
| Average Position |
Reporting for all channels is provided in locked excel or PDF format.
Contractors
Carat Australia Media Services Pty Ltd
Show moreContact details
About us
Hours: 8:00am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday
Note: Carat provides a Carat Welcome Pack for WA Government clients, which supports agencies in understanding how to access the approach to planning and other processes and provides helpful FAQs.
Initiative Media Australia Services Pty Ltd
Show moreContact details
About us
Initiative provides INI-tiation an introduction to who we are and how we can help you navigate campaigns, this can be provided as a document, or presented via Teams or via face-to-face meeting.
Contacts:
Paige English (Campaign)
Judi Van Omme (Campaign & Non- Campaign)
Molly Trumble (Campaign)
Joana Poznanovic (Non-Campaign)
Connie Philips (Non-Campaign)
Hours
8:30am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday
