The photo shows the offer yesterday at the Parkade parking lot in the centre of Melbourne yesterday late in the afternoon. There was a stand for the Herald Sun offering a copy of the newspaper included in the (exorbitant – $62 for three hours) parking price. This premium newspaper is located next to mX, the smaller and fluffier free newspaper from News Ltd.
No one is watching over the stand so I could easily drop by on my way to work and pick up a Herald Sun rather than purchasing a copy.
Unfortunately, I think this type of newspaper deal, where the paper is bundled with the purchase of other products or services, will become more common. It is what I would do if I were a publisher, anything to get my titles into more hands.
I do wonder what advertisers think. I certainly don’t value or respect something I get for free as much as I value something I have paid for.
According to one of our customers, who usually buys two to three papers from us most days, our local airport has massive stacks of Gold Coast Bulletins free for anyone who wants one. Of course, if he is working at the airport on any given day, he won’t buy one. Who would?He says that the people who risk fines by actually going to the airport in their cars, jumping out and running in to get their free paper. The funny thing is, he reckons he observes more drivers of ‘prestige’ cars doing this than not. Hmm Like the delivery customers who routinely miss paying their bills every second month, who then pull up in their BMW SUVs. That’s why they can drive their BMW SUVs.
Thankfully, we’re not the closest agent to the airport, but we obviously do lose sales because of it. But it would do wonders for GCB’s circulation figures, and that’s what’s important, isn’t it?
And the publishers get so wounded and defensive and start spouting ‘contract’ at us when we question any of their missives?
My heart bleeds buckets.