The masthead of The Age newspaper today is again, unfortunately, partially covered by a post-it note type ad. This advertisement for Skinny Cow and Woolworths is more important to Fairfax than promoting their exclusive investigation about Patriots & Traitors.
The newspaper has invested in fresh and original content and then takes money to cover the promotion of this on page one.
Sometime in the future, marketing experts will look at this type of behaviour and its role in the newspaper brand.
Related – I am told that The Sydney Morning Herald today has a folded corner as part of a promotion and that this is confusing shoppers – they are looking for an undamaged copy.
Personally I can’t see the problem with these sticky notes. I do however see a negative impact when whole wrap arounds obscure all or most of the front page.
Times have changed though and the “rivers of gold” advertising is long gone. They have to maximise revenue from what they have left. As has been said it’s just a shame newsagents don’t have any levers to maximise their return and combat rising costs.
How funny was it watching customers go further down the pile looking for a paper. Actually had one customer say out loud ” gee these papers have been poorly handled”. Wish the bigwigs at SMH were listening
Just to be clear to newsagents who do not handle the SMH, the cover had a picture of a folded corner, not an actual folded corner.
But it was enough to annoy quite a few customers, who are mostly asleep when they trot in on Sat am to get a paper LOL
This is why I DARE NOT change the
positioning of the standard daily fare of newspapers in the store – bedlam would reign!
Not to mention the masthead letters were out of place. Probably paid some graphic artist heaps for that stroke of genious, unfortunately it only succeeded in confusing the customers
saturdays SMH cover was an insult to newsagencts again. the y are heavily promoting the iPad app which will over time reduce or customer traffic. and we have to sell it for them…
Not sure if anyone notice this but if you scanned yesterdays Sydney Morning Herald it scanned up with Thursday barcode
I removed the wraparound from every copy of the SMH ( luckily I am a small newsagency ). If they do it again I think my customers will get told that the SMH did not arrive.
Another iPad wrap-around ad on today’s Age.