This Frequently Asked Questions document is designed to answer common questions that might arise as you go live on the vPPO and Marketron Integration.
PRODUCTION ORDERS
Annual or Quarterly Contracts
When an annual or quarterly contract is entered in Marketron, the corresponding draft in vPPO will automatically use:
- The earliest start date and latest end date from the contract for each spot length.
If those are not the dates you want for production, you can adjust them in vPPO.
Example:
You enter a Q4 contract in Marketron to run October, November, and December. However, you only need to submit production for October right now.
- Update the Draft Production Order in vPPO to show October dates.
- Complete the PO as usual.
When you’re ready to submit production for November, simply:
- Copy the October PO or add a spot to the existing PO by using the plus sign.
- Update the dates to November.
- Make any other needed production changes.
Important:
Once a PO is created from a quarterly Marketron order, it will not import again from Marketron. This means you will not receive new draft orders for November or December, you must copy the original PO and adjust the dates yourself.
Two Advertisers – Trade & Cash: How to Handle
In Marketron, it’s not unusual for the same advertiser or client to exist twice — once for their cash orders and once for their trade orders. This happens because the system tracks them separately for reporting and billing purposes.
For example, you might see:
- Annabelle’s Pet Store
- Annabelle’s Pet Store – TRADE
If the client places orders for both versions of the advertiser in Marketron but you only need one production order in vPPO, you don’t have to use both Draft PO’S. Instead, delete one of the Marketron draft PO’s and use the other to submit the production work.
Can I Have More Than One Marketron Contract Listed?
Yes. You can enter more than one contract number on a vPPO Production Order.
When a draft Marketron PO is created, it automatically pulls in the contract number associated with that order. However, there are times when a seller might want to use a single production order to handle production for multiple Marketron orders. In that case, they can simply add the extra contract number(s) in the Contract field in vPPO, separated by commas.
Adding extra contract numbers in vPPO does not affect anything on the Marketron side. When traffic submits the media type and requests the cart, their process remains the same. The additional contract number is simply a “note” for traffic as they complete an instruction plan for the order.
Can I Still Copy Old Spots Instead of Using the New Marketron Draft?
Yes. You can still copy an older PO instead of using a new draft that appears in your Marketron Draft folder.
This can be especially helpful when you want to keep all of the additional details from a production order that was manually entered after the draft was originally created. Copying that PO allows you to reuse those details without having to re-enter that information again.
If you choose to copy an old PO instead of using the new Marketron draft spot, it’s a good practice to delete the unused draft. This keeps your Marketron Draft folder clean and easy to manage, making it quicker to find the PO’s you do need.
How are the start and end dates calculated on a multi line Marketron order?
vPPO determines the start and end dates by grouping lines in your Marketron order by spot length and then:
- Takes the earliest start date for that spot length
- Takes the latest end date for that spot length
Example:
If your Marketron order has:
- Line 1 – Jan 4 – Jan 17, :60 AMD
- Line 2 – Jan 8 – Jan 31, :60 PMD
- Line 3 – Jan 8 – Jan 30, :30 AMD
- Line 4 – Jan 7 – Jan 17, :30 MID
In vPPO, the dates on the draft PO would appear as:
- :60 → Jan 4 – Jan 31
- :30 → Jan 7 – Jan 30
This method ensures that all spots of the same length share a single date range that reflects their earliest start and latest end dates.
What happens if I extend an order in Marketron?
Any extensions added in Marketron must be manually entered into vPPO using your current process for handling extensions. We suggest using the Extend Dates button.
When will an order entered in Marketron appear in vPPO?
Advertisers and Marketron drafts sync every 15 minutes. For urgent needs, traffic or a designated market user can trigger an immediate sync from Marketron.
(Client names also update every 15 minutes.)
What happens when I revise an order in Marketron after it’s already in vPPO?
Revisions behave differently depending on whether the PO is still a draft or has already been submitted. Here are the most common scenarios:
Scenario 1 – Adding new spot while the PO is still a draft
- Action: Draft PO in vPPO already has a :30, and you add a :60 to the Marketron order.
- Result: The :60 is added to the same draft PO in vPPO.
Scenario 2 – Changing dates while the PO is still a draft
- Action: Dates are changed in Marketron for a :15 that is still a draft PO in vPPO.
- Result: No update occurs in vPPO; dates remain the same.
Scenario 3 – Changing dates after the PO has been submitted
- Action: Dates are changed in Marketron for a :30 that has already been submitted.
- Result: No update occurs in vPPO; dates remain the same. You will use the vPPO revision process to update the date information on the PO.
Scenario 4 – Changing dates after a spot is archived
- Action: A :60 is archived in vPPO, then dates are changed in Marketron.
- Result: No update occurs in vPPO; dates remain the same. You will use the vPPO revision process to update the date information on the PO.
Why doesn’t my draft production order have an end date?
Markets have the option to enable a setting for the draft production orders to not include an automatic end date. This gives sellers the flexibility to enter the end date themselves, based on when the order should end.
MEDIA & CARTS
Is there a concern with the number of cart digits i.e. we use 6.
There is no concern with the number of cart digits you use.
If I do the “Get Cart” but for some reason the data did not sync to Marketron can I do it again?
If a user clicks “Get Cart” but the media doesn’t appear in Marketron, you can contact vCreative support and we can request that Development reset the spot in the background.
Why isn't the Media Type & Get Cart button showing on a PO?
- The advertiser isn’t a Marketron client. During first-time advertiser sync between Marketron and vPPO, names may not match exactly (e.g., the PO in vPPO uses the original name instead of the Marketron name). Until the client records are merged in vPPO and the PO reflects the Marketron client name, the Media Type and Get Cart button won’t be available. You can use this document for the steps to merge clients in vPPO: Marketron Client Merge Process - vPPO
- Cart integration is disabled for the station. If a station, such as a streaming or digital channel, has the Ignore Cart Integration disabled, the Media Type & Get Cart button will not appear. Local Admins have the ability to see this data on the station or you can contact support for more information.
How does the cart padding work?
Within the integration setup, a padding to the carts can be added to allow 0’s to be added in front of the cart number returned from Marketron. This is especially helpful if Marketron cart numbers are 3 digits but 4 digits are needed in vPPO for your automation system..
This is set up in the Advanced Config area of the Marketron integration. Click Show Advanced Config, then enter the number of 0’s needed to be added to the cart number.
I have three Production Orders, but they all need to run the same copy. How do I handle this?
You will first start by using the Get Cart feature on just one of the Production Orders. Once the cart number is created in Marketron and flows back into vPPO, you’ll then take that same cart number and manually enter it on the other Production Orders.
I entered separate orders in Marketron for each station, but they use the same copy. What do I do with the multiple drafts in vPPO?
When you enter one order per station in Marketron, vPPO creates a separate draft for each order number. To make things easier, you don’t need to complete each draft individually. Instead, open one of the drafts, then add the other stations and their order numbers into it. Once you’ve built that combined PO, you can submit it and delete the other drafts—they’re no longer needed.
Example:
Let’s say Marketron created order #2001 for Station A, #2002 for Station B, and #2003 for Station C. In vPPO, you’ll see three draft POs. Open draft #2001, then add Stations B and C along with their order numbers. Once you submit that single, combined PO, you can delete draft #2002 and #2003.
I entered one multi-station order in Marketron, but each station needs different copy. How do I fix that in vPPO?
When you use the multi-station feature in Marketron, vPPO will give you one draft PO with one spot that has all the stations included. If each station requires different copy, you’ll need to split that spot into multiple spots. Use the + Add Spot feature to create additional spots—one for each station. Then, on the original spot, uncheck the stations that don’t belong so that each spot is tied to just one station. Finally, upload the correct copy to each station’s spot.
Example:
Your multi-station order includes Station A, B, and C. vPPO shows one draft PO with one spot covering all three stations. Click + Add Spot twice so you end up with three spots. Adjust them so Spot 1 is just Station A, Spot 2 is just Station B, and Spot 3 is just Station C. Now you can assign unique copy to each station’s spot.
How quickly do Media Types sync with Marketron, and when does the cart return?
That portion of the integration is instantaneous, the Media Type is sent to Marketron immediately and the cart is returned immediately upon completion of media in Marketron.
SETTINGS & ADVERTISERS
What happens if I change the name of a client in Marketron - will that change be reflective in vPPO?
Changes to an advertiser’s name will update every 15 minutes. It’s important to note that this is not retroactive for POs that were in vPPO prior to the name change in Marketron.
I’m not a seller—can I hide my Marketron Draft folder?
Yes. In My Account → Site Options enable Hide Marketron Draft Folder. This can be done regardless of your role.
Which roles in vPPO can see the Media Type & Get Cart button?
It’s ability based, not role-based. Any role can see it as long as the user has the Traffic ability enabled.
What roles in vPPO have the Marketron Draft folder access?
- Account Executive
- General Manager
- Traffic
- General Sales Manager
- Sales Assistant
- Production Manager
- Writer
- Digital Production Manager
What roles in vPPO can see other AE’s Marketron drafts?
- Traffic
- Production Manager
- Writer
- Sales Assistant