Slot Structure

What is a Slot Structure?

The Slot Structure is used to define how a digital network will be set up for sale. Each Player in Ad Manager is assigned to a Slot Structure, and based on the setup of the Slot Structure, it will identify all the advertising opportunities the company has to sell.

To create a new Slot Structure, go to the Players folder in the Tree View and click All Slot Structures. Go to the File menu and click New, Slot Structure, or right click in the Detail View and click New.

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When creating a Slot Structure, define the Name to give this Slot Structure so it can be assigned to Players as appropriate.

Selecting the Channel and Frame to Control

The Channel identifies the Scala Content Manager channel that this particular Slot Structure uses. To select a Content Manager channel, click the ellipses (), select the desired channel and click OK.

Once you have selected your channel, you can choose which Frame you wish to create your advertising opportunities for. Click the New button in the Frame window to see a list of all Frames that have been marked as Controlled by Ad Manager. If you do not see the frame you wish to set up on the list, check your Channel definition in Scala Content Manager and make sure the Frame has been marked as Controlled by Ad Manager.

Setting up Day parts

After you have selected the Frame you wish to set up, you can create any Day parts you wish to set up. Note that you should create the smallest time frames that you will sell - these can be aggregated into larger blocks of time for sale later in this process.

If you do not wish to have any Day Parts, you can leave the default Day part of "All Day". This represents a full 24 hour period. Double click on the Day part and enter the maximum Loop length you wish to have - this can be entered as the number of seconds, or as minutes:seconds. You can also set the Default playlist for when nothing is scheduled, then click OK.

If you wish to set up Day parts, go to the Day parts window, and double click the "All Day" Day part.

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Change the name of the "All Day" Day part to become one of the time frames you wish to set up. Enter the maximum Loop length you wish to have - this can be entered as the number of seconds, or as minutes:seconds.

Double click the Times displayed (for the All Day Day part, this will be 12:00:00 AM - 12:00:00 PM). Enter the new start time and end time in the format hour:minutes:seconds. Times may be entered in 12 or 24 hour clock format, or they can be suffixed with an A (AM) or a P(PM). Click OK.

You can also specify a Default playlist for this Day part. This will only play if nothing is scheduled to play at the affected players. To add a Default playlist, click the ellipsis () to see a list of Scala Content Manager playlists. Select the desired playlist and click OK.

If you are selling another part of the day with the same Loop length, and this new time frame will ALWAYS be sold with the one you have entered, you can add the additional Time(s) as appropriate. If the Loop length is different for the time fame you wish to enter next, or if the time frame may or may not be sold with this time frame, you will need to enter a new Day part.

To add a new Day part, click New button (). Follow the steps above to create the Day part.

Setting up Triggers

Ad Manager also allows you to manage the sale of advertising in situations where an action onsite will start an advertising playlist. An example of this would be clicking a button or lifting the handle at a gas/petrol station.

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To add a new Trigger, click New button (). Enter the name of the trigger you wish to set up. Enter the maximum Loop length you wish to have - this can be entered as the number of seconds, or as minutes:seconds. You also need to enter the expected number of times you expect this Trigger playlist to play for the day (an average number of plays per Player), as this will affect predicted Frequency numbers.

You can also specify a Default playlist for this Trigger. This will only play if nothing is scheduled to play at the affected players. To add a Default playlist, click the ellipsis () to see a list of Scala Content Manager playlists. Select the desired playlist and click OK.

You can also choose to randomize the playlist by clicking the Auto-shuffle checkbox.

Setting up Slots

The Slot is the end product of all the work done on the Slot Structure. This is where you define each advertising opportunity for Players with this Slot Structure.

To add a Slot, click the New button ()

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You can enter the Name of the Slot that is for sale. This name will appear on reports to the client, so it should be descriptive enough to make sense about what they are buying.

You can select the Frame that you are creating the Slot for, as well as the Kind of Slot you are creating - a Day Part slot or a Trigger slot.

If you are creating a Day Part Slot, you can select all of the Day Parts that build the Slot you are Selling. If you are, for example, creating an "All Day" slot in a scenario where there are multiple smaller Day Parts, each of these Day Parts would be selected. If you have only one Day Part (the "All Day" Day Part), then you would select that Day Part. Once you have selected all the Day parts that make up this Slot, click OK. Repeat the process for each Day Part that your company sells.

If you are creating a Trigger Slot, you can select all of the Triggers that build the Slot you are Selling. Once you have selected all the Triggers that make up this Slot, click OK. Repeat the process for each Trigger that your company sells.

Assigning a Slot Structure to Players

To assign a Slot Structure to a Player, go to a list of Players. Highlight the Players you wish to assign this Slot Structure to, right click and select "Assign Slot Structure". Enter the date that this Slot Structure will take effect at these Players, and select the desired Slot structure. Click OK.

Note that if you have any scheduling at Players on an old Slot Structure past this Starting on date, you will need to modify the campaigns as they will not play.

Changing a Slot Structure

If you wish to change a Slot Structure, best practice dictates creating a new one.