Control Mechanism for selection of Advertising media

[Chotirat Punpokha (Financial&Accounting Brewery)]

Deal all,         I have a very tough problem to resolve. I am working for one of the brewery as Internal Auditor. Now, I am approaching the review of sales and marketing expenses and facing with the request from Senior Brand Manager to think about control mechanism to reduce or get rid of or protect the conspiracy between Brand Staff and Media. The situation is assumed as follow:   One of the Brand Staff may be a friend or close relationship with the owner of a brand-new magazine which is just issued to the market. Brand Staff may have deals with that brand-new magazine to launch ads on the magazine with the special price. Normal Package for place ads on Magazine: the first 4 times, the price will be discounted for 30% off. The last 2 times, the ads will be placed free of charge. Contract signed between company and that magazine: the first 5 times, the price will be discounted for 30% off. The last times, the ads will be placed free of charge.   Remarks: Package that brand-new magazine proposes for each customer or agency is various and non-standard.   The different of those above deals is money paid to the pocket of the Brand staff without any doubt from the company. Normally, our company use advertising agency to find media to place ads. Assuming that the above happened when the company assign agency to find a brand new magazine to place ads and the information is leaked from one of Brand Team and he make deal with the owner of that brand-new magazine to cheat money from the company.   Please help me to think about control mechanism to protect the above case.   Thanks.