The advertising campaigns of the future

MediaTel, known for its cutting edge use of the internet, used a KTP project to develop a complex online media management system.

This new system allows for the quick and easy management of media and advertising campaigns over the internet. This complex development process proved to be well ahead of its time. Associate Sean Foo’s skills made him an invaluable member of the development team. MediaTel is currently looking into doing another KTP programme with London South Bank University. “We probably wouldn’t have been able to do the project without KTP. We would recommend KTP to any business out there,” said Nicola Mullett, Deputy Managing Director at MediaTel.

Founded in 1981, MediaTel was one of the first companies to supply specialist media information solely over the internet. MediaTel specialises in three major areas including data gathering, software development and now media campaign management. MediaTel’s hold over the market in early 2006 showed the company to be handling over 80% of all national radio revenue through J-ET, an electronic booking and accountability system for the Radio Advertising Bureau. J-ET is used by 21 of the top 25 media agencies and now other areas of media campaigning are following this trend.

In 2000, MediaTel took on a KTP programme in the hope of further evolving the company through the building of a full web-based trading system for press media. Sean Foo was one of two Associates placed at MediaTel to develop an online application known as 'Campaign Management Systems' (CMS), for the core business processes of the 'Media Planning and Buying Agencies'. As this was a completely new system for mediaTel, the entire software life cycle was completed in phases from analysis, to implementation and testing during the life of the KTP programme. "Media tell continued to benefit through the skills of the participants and the products created for MediaTel after completion of the initial KTP programme," Nicola commented.

KTP Associate Sean Foo was given a permanent job by Media Tel following the completion of the programme, and worked on a major project for the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. Sean was responsible for the running and upkeep of MediaTel Insight and the training of fellow MediaTel staff members in various packages. "The structure of the KTP programme made my job more than just an ordinary 9 to 5," said Sean.

During the programme Sean joined the Chartered Management Institute, of which he is still a member and completed an MSc. Sean left MediaTel in late 2005 to pursue a management position with Ace European Group, a software development company.

London South Bank University's Allen Long was able to work closely with the progressive technologies and gain firsthand knowledge and understanding of these new online software developments. This experience was later used in the construction of modules within a Strategic Electronic Marketing Masters Degree. "MediaTel is a very cutting edge company working with very cutting edge ideas. Out of this project with MediaTel, we were able to generate highly relevant case study material," Allen remarked.