The Media Credit Co-ordinators to stage national road

"The purpose of the road shows is to create an awareness of the essential task the MCC is fulfilling in the advertising industry to the benefit of advertising agencies and media owners alike," says Mandy Kayser, Executive Director of the MCC.

The first road show is scheduled for March 17 in Cape Town. It will be held in the Mount Nelson Hotel. The next road show will take place in Durban on March 24 and on April 7 it will end in Johannesburg.

The MCC, an entirely voluntary association, is a Section 21 company that provides a centralised credit facility to advertising agencies and centralized securities to media owners. In practice advertising agencies obtain accreditation from the MCC based on compliance with determined criteria and the MCC then recommends that media owners grant credit to such agencies.

The system keeps the wheels of the industry turning, while the MCC acts as a watchdog to protect the interests of media owners and the advertising agencies. The MCC is also geared to settle disputes should any of the parties want to lay a complaint.

MCC accreditation is an endorsement of a company's trading intentions and ability and is regarded as a status symbol within the media industry. Agencies are afforded industry wide credit facilities as well as an opportunity to make media credit work for them - effectively a pre-approved successful business relationship.

Media owners obtain centralised security, monitoring and a form of insurance that the accredited agency is trustworthy

"We are acting on behalf of both parties to engender trust, mutual respect and peace of mind to everybody. The interests of no single party supercede the interests of the other party in this relationship," Ms Kayser said.

"It is this interdependence between agencies and media owners that we would like to emphasise during the road shows. It is also a wonderful opportunity for agency and media representatives to rub shoulders and to interact with each other.

"Furthermore, it provides the MCC with an opportunity to demonstrate that its role is not merely that of a watchdog, but that it should be regarded as a friendly facilitator that has only the best interests of all parties at heart."