Authorized Spend (Target)

Authorized Spend, managed through the Target function in Camphouse, ensures media budgets stay aligned with financial objectives. It provides a controlled framework for allocating resources, validating commitments, and monitoring pacing against approved budgets.

This article will cover:

What Authorized Spend is and why it matters
How to input the Authorized Spend
How to validate the Authorized Spend

⚠️ Not all users have access to the Target Section. The Target section is only available to users having access to all agencies (generally L'Oréal Users). If you are an agency user and need access to Target, contact your local key user so they can create a Service Request on Service Now.

If you don't know who you should reach out to, contact our support.

What is Authorized Spend?

Authorized Spend represents the validated budget envelope for all media activities. Once approved, it defines the total amount of investment allowed per signature and quarter, providing a clear reference point for agencies and marketing teams.

If you are inputting Authorized Spend: You will use it to declare the maximum allowed investment for your brand, per quarter.
If you are validating Authorized Spend: You will use it as the high-level control to ensure media activities align with strategic and financial objectives.

How it works

Media Forecast vs. Authorized Spend
- Marketing teams build their Media Forecast (detailed annual media plan).
- The system continuously checks that the planned spend stays within the Authorized Spend.
- If the planned spend exceeds the authorized amount, commitments and validations are blocked until either the planned spend or the Authorized Spend is adjusted.
Control mechanism
- No campaign can be validated until the Authorized Spend is approved.
- Once validated, the system actively monitors pacing between forecasted investments and the approved budget.
Granularity and thresholds
- Managed at the signature and quarter level (no further breakdown).
- A 2% tolerance is automatically applied to allow small deviations without triggering re-approvals.
Validation timeline
- Approvals occur at four main checkpoints: Annual Budget (October), SRI 03 (April), 05 (June), and 09 (October).
- Additional validations can be triggered if conditions change.
- The Media Forecast must be built before budget validation.

How to Input Authorized Spend

As a Marketing Director, you are responsible for entering the Authorized Spend in Camphouse. This process defines the budget envelope for your brands and initiates the approval workflow.

If you are inputting Authorized Spend: You’ll enter values by Signature and quarter, and send them for approval.
If you are validating Authorized Spend: This is the data you’ll later review and approve (see next section).

Steps to input Authorized Spend

Access the Target section
- Go to the left-hand menu and select Target.
- Expand the hierarchy: Zone → Organization → Division → Signature.
Enter values
- Enter amounts per quarter.
- Values automatically roll up to the annual total for each Signature.
Send for approval
- Select all quarters and the year total.
- Right-click and choose Send for Approval.
- Select the approvers: the system will narrow this list automatically.
- Add comments if needed and confirm.
Track approval status
- Approval stages appear line by line and contain 3 steps:
  - Approved one of three (usually validated by Controllers)
  - Approved two of three (usually validated by General Managers)
  - Approved three of three (usually validated by CFOs)
- Pending items show an hourglass.
Editing after approval
- If you edit an already approved Target, its status resets to Quarter Proposal.
- It must go through the full approval process again.

While this process is underway, your Planning Team can begin entering Media Plans, but no commitments can be made until the Authorized Spend is fully validated.

How to Validate Authorized Spend

The validation of Authorized Spend ensures strategic and financial alignment before campaigns move forward. As an approver (usually Controller, General Manager and CFO), your role is critical in completing the approval cycle.

If you are inputting Authorized Spend: You will submit requests for approval and track progress.
If you are validating Authorized Spend: You will review the inputs, approve or reject them, and ensure compliance with overall objectives.

Steps to validate Authorized Spend

Receive notification
- You’ll be alerted via Camphouse, in the notification center, and (optionally) email when a new Target is awaiting validation.
Review the request
- Open the notification to access the approval request
  or go to the target section and check pending approvals.
- Review the amounts entered by Signature and quarter.
Approve or reject
- To approve everything: select Mark all entries as approved.
- To reject: select Mark all entries as rejected.
- In both cases, you can add comments before submitting.
Submit your decision
- Approved entries move to the next step in the workflow (from one of three → two of three → three of three).
- Rejected entries are flagged with a stop sign, requiring updates from the Marketing Director before resubmission.
Confirm final approval
- Once the CFO signs off (Approved three of three), the Authorized Spend is validated and locked.
- Campaign commitments for Year +1 can then move forward.