Supplier Evaluation
Part of Media supplier evaluation
Checking delivery evidence before choosing a supplier
Ask for a comparable booking, delivery report and exception record to assess a media supplier's delivery claim.
Before choosing a supplier, ask how a comparable booking became recorded delivery. Match the commitment, dates, units and placement to the report, and ask how shortfalls were handled. A result slide alone cannot establish that the promised media ran.
Request a comparable example
Identify what the proposed buy requires you to test: a named publisher placement, guaranteed quantity, regional flight or managed programmatic campaign. Request an appropriately anonymised example showing the buying route, format, planned dates, booked unit and delivery definition. If client records cannot be shared, ask for a reporting template and a description of the exception process.
A large campaign in another format may show general operating experience, but it offers limited evidence for this placement. Ask whether the people who managed the example would work on your buy. Treat testimonials as context about the relationship, not proof of delivery volume.
Trace one line item
For a guaranteed placement, compare the accepted booking with a dated delivery extract for the same line item and period. Check whether the agreed unit was impressions, spots, plays or another event. Note any changed creative, targeting, dates or inventory before comparing totals.
| Record | What it can establish | Follow-up question |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted booking | Stated commitment | Were the terms later changed? |
| Dated delivery export | Reported activity under its counting rules | Does it cover the same placement and period? |
| Exception record | How a variance was handled | Was the remedy accepted and delivered? |
| Sample client report | What the buyer would receive | Which fields are omitted or aggregated? |
A monitoring feature is not past-delivery evidence. Google Ad Manager Help has a page titled ‘Forecasting of underdelivery’; that title alone does not establish whether a supplier used a forecasting feature or completed delivery.
Test the reporting limit
A screenshot can illustrate appearance but cannot establish delivery volume. A campaign total can establish reported volume without identifying a named placement. Ask for the report and its field definitions together.
For relevant Google Ads inventory, if a supplier proposes the ‘Where ads showed’ report, ask what placement detail it provides and how it checks billable delivery. Other platforms and direct publishers have their own reporting limits.
Choose based on the commitment offered, the supplier's credible method of checking it and the uncertainty left after the evidence review. If an essential claim cannot be supported, request a narrower offer or consider another supplier.
