Marketers can barter stuff for ads

Have an extra fax machine sitting in a closet? How about excess inventory taking up valuable space? If you could trade those old things in on advertising, would you? KSL Media, a New York media operation, is betting you - or some of your counterparts - will. They've opened an auction-type system which allows businesses to trade off their excess in exchange for media buys.

by Kristina Knight

The system works like this: a business contacts eWorld Asset Trading (KSL's platform) to register and list their excess products or services. eWorld Asset Trading then buys the excess and offers a financial trade credit using good recovery/book value or the full wholesale value of the items. Once the goods are sold to another entity, eWorld forwards shipping instructions to the marketer who ships the items directly.

The barter system is nothing new, but has primarily been used for television or radio buys. This process is different because marketers aren't bartering directly with a competitor or media outlet; the so-called middle-man handles the bartering of products.

What, exactly, is tradeable?

"Tradeable assets are corporate assets and liabilities that are no longer of value to a company because they are unused, distressed and/or undervalued," is written on the company website. "Examples include: excess or obsolete inventory, computers and telecommunications equipment, off-lease assets, equipment and office lease residual, unwanted/vacant real estate, aged receivables, bankruptcy claims, production capacity and unused financial trade credits."