The stark plight of print media advertising was underscored this past week with the google/chart/709/google-s-ad-revenue-since-2004/">report that in the first half of 2012, Google`s advertising revenue alone ($20.8 billon) eclipsed the total combined newspaper and magazine advertising revenues in the U.S. ($19.2 billion). More ominous for print however, was the trend showing a steady decline in advertising revenues since 2006, while Google`s ad revenues increased each year.

AdsML, whose first release appeared in 2005, evolved from three proposed industry specifications designed to speed and smooth the sometimes chaotic process of purchasing advertising space and delivering the materials -- e.g., the electronic images for printing the ads -- to the publication. (Disclosure: I worked on one of those predecessors, SpaceXML, in the 1990s.). The AdsML documents now cover the entire e-business cycle from campaign concept to billing, as well as the electronic delivery of advertising materials to the publisher.

While AdsML claims to be applicable across all advertising media, including broadcast and outdoor advertising, its print media pedigree is quite evident. The specification defines its core structures as newspaper and magazine advertising, print media inserts -- e.g. Sunday advertising supplements and special bound-in magazine pages -- and digital publishing environments such as those supported by print media. AdsML also defines, as one its objectives, the processing and syndicating of classified advertising, a large and critical revenue source for newspapers and magazines, both in print and online.

Opening moves, then transactions

The overall AdsML workflow begins with the opening moves by the advertiser and the publisher. The advertiser or its ad agency unveils what AdsML calls a campaign brief that outlines the advertiser`s marketing needs, while the publisher posts its advertising prices, called a rate card, and technical specifications. Posted advertising prices, as in many industrial pricing schemes, are often subject to later negotiations.

From this point on in the process, the AdsML workflow becomes more transactional, with information flowing between the parties. AdsML specifies a planning process that covers price quotations and advertising reservations -- a step preceding the final sale -- as well as technical production planning. When the sale of advertising space is final, AdsML provides a booking process covering new orders, as well as changes and cancellations similar to purchase orders in other industries.

AdsML specifies a workflow for physical development of the advertising materials, covering content production, transmission of those materials to the publisher, and materials management transactions. The critical publishing process then follows, which covers placement and publication of the ads, and proof of their publication, often required before authorizing payment. The AdsML publishing process includes as well the rotation of individual messages among editions or issues when requested by the advertiser, and performance monitoring, such as accuracy of placement -- e.g., if the advertiser bought the inside front cover of a magazine, did the ad appear there? -- and quality of production.

In addition, the workflow specified by AdsML covers the payment process, including invoices, statements, and payment notifications. The delivery of money from one bank account to another is, of course, done through financial transactions outside AdsML.

While the key players in the development and execution of an advertising campaign are the advertiser, ad agency, and publisher, many other actors, often with other companies, are also involved, which AdsML specifies in its processes. These actors include creative teams of artists and writers, media buyers (representing the ad agencies), advertising sales representatives (representing the publishers), digital media production specialists, and printing plants. As a result, transactions are often complex and need constant end-to-end coordination, a task that AdsML says is made more manageable by its specifications.