Advertising Policy
Introduction
This Advertising Policy describes the guidelines Nation Publications Limited (NPL) Sales Department uses in accepting, displaying and removing advertising in The Nation, Weekend Nation, Nation on Sunday, NPL social medial platforms, digital platforms and on Nation Online website. In this policy, “Advertising” includes the use of advertising space, sponsorship messages, promotions, and other contextual messages.
Editorial Independence
NPL recognizes and maintains a distinct separation between advertising and editorial content. NPL has complete editorial independence in creating information, text, graphics, images, tools and other materials (“content”) in all its publications and on the website. NPL does not allow advertisers or sponsors to influence editorial decisions in the creation or presentation of content, or to make any changes to its content.
NPL’s Promise to Advertisers
- NPL will meet your sales needs in a spirit of cooperation and professional commitment that reflects high standards of marketing partnership, that will help build your brand through our products.
- NPL shall respond to all sales enquires on the same working day. Late afternoon calls shall be returned no later than the next morning.
- NPL shall serve you with sales professionals who are committed to form business partnership with you; to meet your needs for creativity and marketing expertise in dealing with all your advertising needs and to be your advocate in matters pertaining to your use of the newspapers and all NPL products.
- NPL will honour any applicable writtensales rate quote for the period quoted.
- NPL will deliver accurate and readable invoices for all credit accounts clients. Should your bill be inaccurate, NPL will rectify the anomaly with (5) working days.
- NPL shall publish your adverts as ordered when ordered within the set deadlines. If prior to a run date we fail to communicate any scheduling or placement problems with a previously scheduled advert, and the insertion is not run as ordered due to newspaper error, either a discount will be offered or in serious cases, the advert will be run in the next available issue be it print or digital without charge.
- NPL will notify you of any and all rates’ changes in a timely fashion. All contract advertisers will be given at least 30 days’ notice in the newspaper, digital platforms and /or an email.
- NPL will give you clear and consistent credit terms as soon as a credit application is approved.
When Getting/Giving an Advert
- Client must provide written instructions through an email or hard copy and this should be provided to the sales executive assigned to serve you.
- NPL will issue a cash sale for all cash transactions.
- Client should issue a purchase order or approved documentation for all credit transactions.
- Client should ensure all booking instructions are in writing and accompanied by the right documentation as stipulated by NPL, depending on the criteria a client fits into. These include payment details, LPO, commitment letter and payment agreement forms for short term credit where a client gives valid reasons beyond reasonable doubt.
- NPL will acknowledge all payments through an NPL cash sale or receipt depending on nature of transaction.
- Clients will only withdraw or cancel an advert in writing within the set deadlines of adverts.
After publication
- NPL sales reps will check adverts booked in the paper and raise an alarm to/with the clients of any problem.
Complaint handling
- Complaints from clients will only be entertained within 24 hours from the date of publishing the advert.
- For cash adverts, where a client has complained and a discount on the paid advert has been agreed on, the client will be refunded the difference or the difference can be carried forward to the next booking within 30 days.
- For credit adverts, where a client complains and a discount has been agreed on, a credit note will be issued against the invoice.
- Where a published advert has not been published as ordered and NPL confirms the anomaly, then NPL will rectify this error within 48 hours. Where a re-run has been agreed on, a totally new advert can’t be booked to replace the initial booking.
For Advertisers/Agencies
- Instructions regarding contracts, insertion orders and cancellations must be made in writing.
- NPL reserves the right to refuse any advertisement at any time that does not meet publishing standards.
- Frequency rates are based upon a supplied written contract for multiple insertions during a single publishing year. To qualify for multiple-insertion discounts, all insertions during the publication year must appear on one contract. Advertisers billed at contract rate who fail to fulfil such contract will be billed at the rate corresponding to the actual number of insertions.
- When space is contracted and no copy instructions are received by closing date and/or time, the copy in a previous issue will be repeated.
- Any advertising copy that might be mistaken as an article, commentary, or other non-advertising material must be clearly marked “advertisement” or “advertorial.”
- For all advertisers with an account they will be invoiced for advertising space and related charges during the month of issuance. Accounts are payable 30 days net. Adverts will not be run for advertisers with accounts over 120 days.
- Advertisers and advertising agencies assume liability for all content (text, representation and illustrations) of advertising and for any claims against the publisher arising from such advertising.
- The publisher will not be held responsible for reproduction quality if ad material fails to conform to publisher’s mechanical requirements, or if ad material is not received by the copy-due date.
- The publisher’s liability for any error will not exceed the price paid for the space.
- Where a client is paying via EFT, the client should indicate details of service/proforma number/invoice number that they are paying for and provide ‘Proof of Payment’.
Publication Advertising Specifications
- Clients will provide high-quality files and should be clearly marked with the name of the publication, issue date, name of advertiser, and any other identifiers pertain to the advert. Files may be sent via e-mail or provided on storage gadget such as flash, hard drive or memory card.
- Clients should ensure to include and update all imported graphics and fonts within the final document.
- A customer-approved output is required.
- Ad copy provided is final unless updated instructions are provided by the deadline date.
- Clients will provide colour guide for all colour adverts.
- Colour separates, typesetting and artwork are the responsibility of the advertiser. If such services are necessary, they will be billed separately.
- NPL will not be liable to all artworks supplied by client.
Selection of Advertising
NPL, in its sole discretion, will determine the types of advertising displayed in their publications and digital platforms.
NPL will not accept advertising for any product or service that, in its opinion and sole discretion, is not in good taste, is dangerous or harmful, is not effective, contains false or misleading claims or is offensive to any individual or group of individuals based on age, colour, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or handicap.
NPL is not responsible for determining if a product or service is ineffective or makes false claims.
However, NPL will reject or remove the advertising if it knows or learns that a product or service does not meet its guidelines. NPL will not accept advertising related to illegal drugs, firearms, and insulting, obscene or pornographic products.
No advertising will be permitted if it may injure the good name or reputation of NPL.
NPL’s acceptance of advertising is not a recommendation, endorsement or guarantee of any product or service advertised in its publications or on the site for the company that manufactures, distributes or promotes a product or service. NPL is not responsible for the content or accuracy of third party advertisements.
In addition, NPL does not endorse or guarantee any content, material, products or services contained on or accessible through links to other Internet sites from NPL web site.
Advertising in NPL papers and digital platforms will be subject to the other policies adopted by NPL, including its Ethics and Privacy Policies, Editorial Policy as well as its Conditions of Service and all the cited documents are made available on request.
Requirements for Advertising
All Advertising will be clearly identifiable as such, and will be distinguishable from editorial content. Any Advertising that could be misconstrued as editorial content will be clearly labelled as an advertisement.
NPL retains the exclusive right to determine the placement and method of display of Advertising.
NPL reserves the right to decline any submitted Advertising or to discontinue at any time, and for any reason, the posting of any Advertising previously accepted. If NPL discontinues Advertising before the end of the contract term, it will notify the advertiser promptly of the action and will provide the advertiser with the reason for rejecting its Advertising.
NPL, in its sole discretion, will interpret and enforce this policy and all other issues relating to Advertising.
Change in Policy
NPL reserves the right to change this policy at any time by posting a revised Advertising Policy notice in its papers and on the digital platforms.
Compliance with Laws
It is the responsibility of the advertiser to comply with all applicable domestic and foreign laws and regulations. NPL will not monitor compliance of third party advertisers with such laws and regulations, but may promptly remove Advertising should NPL become aware of non-compliance or potential non-compliance with any of such laws or regulations or of these guidelines.
Deadlines
To ensure excellent print quality and timely delivery of the newspaper on the market, NPL has the below deadlines. Advert changes will be accommodated if the newspaper has not yet been printed. When the newspaper has already been printed it is impossible to accommodate changes. For instance, Weekend Nation is printed in phases; an advert booked on Tuesday is printed as soon as it is received. Hence it will be impossible to make changes. Any corrigendum costs will have to be borne by client.
Edition | Block | Action adverts |
Monday | Saturday 10am | Saturday 10am |
Tuesday | Monday 12 noon | Monday 10 noon |
Wednesday | Tuesday12 noon | Tuesday10 noon |
Thursday | Wednesday 12 noon | Wednesday 10 noon |
Friday | Thursday 12 noon | Thursday 10 noon |
Saturday | Thursday 4 pm | Thursday 12 noon |
Sunday | Friday 3pm | Friday 3pm |
Nation on Line and digital platforms | Within 24 hrs | Within 24 hrs |
NATION PUBLICATIONS BLOCK ADVERTISING DIMENSONS
SIZES | DIMENSIONS |
Center spread | H=33 cm w=52.5cm |
Full page | H=33 cm w=25.5cm |
Half page vertical | H=33 cm w=12.3cm |
Half page horizontal | H=16 cm w=25.5cm |
27X4 | H=24 cm w=16.4cm |
Quarter page | H=16 cm w=12.3cm |
5X6 strip | H=5cm w=25.5cm |
5X2 Earpiece | H=5cm w=8.2cm |
10×3 | H=10 cm w=12.3cm |
12X3 | H=12 cm w=12.3cm |
NATION PUBLICATIONS CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING DIMENSONS
SIZES | DIMENSIONS |
3×2 | H= 3 cm W=6cm |
6X2 | H=6cm w=6cm |
9X2 | H9cm w=6cm |
10×3 | H10 cm W=9.2 cm |
12X3 | H12cm w=9.2cm |
15X3 | H=15cm w=9.2cm |
10X8 | H=10cm w=25.3cm |