For Advertising Sales Agents ·
What you'll accomplish
A retailer often doesn't know a manufacturer will help pay for their advertising, and finding out means digging through individual manufacturer program pages one at a time. Ask Perplexity to research a specific manufacturer's co-op program instead, and it hands you a starting point with sources to check, in one sitting instead of an hour of manual searching.
What you'll need
Co-op advertising programs generally cover an accrual percentage, which media types qualify, whether the manufacturer needs to pre-approve the ad before it runs, and a claim deadline. Perplexity can point you toward where a manufacturer publishes this information, but the manufacturer's own program document is the only source that actually states the current terms. Treat everything Perplexity gives you as a lead to verify, not as the terms themselves.
Exact text to copy and adapt:
Does [manufacturer name] offer a co-op advertising program for retailers? If so, what media types are typically eligible, and where can I find their official co-op program document or dealer portal?
What you should see: A written answer with inline citations or a list of sources you can click through, typically including the manufacturer's own site if a program exists.
Click through to the sources Perplexity cites, and look specifically for the manufacturer's own co-op program document, dealer portal, or marketing development funds page rather than a third-party summary. Only that original document carries the actual accrual percentage, eligible media list, pre-approval process, and claim deadline.
Verification step: Before you tell a client anything specific about a co-op program (an accrual percentage, an eligible media type, a deadline), confirm it directly with the client's distributor or manufacturer rep. Program terms change, vary by region or dealer tier, and a general web answer can be out of date or written for a different market. State no accrual percentage or specific term to the client as fact until the rep or the program document confirms it.
Present this to the client as "it looks like [manufacturer] may have co-op funds available, and I'd confirm the details with your rep before we build a schedule around it," rather than promising a specific dollar amount or percentage upfront.