A blog on issues affecting Australia's newsagents, media and small business generally. More ...

Day: April 22, 2014

NANA CEO removed from role

Chaing Lim has been removed from his role following a decision by the NANA Board today. Here is the announcement:

The Board of NANA has elected to remove the NANA CEO (effective 22 April 2014)  – in the interests of NANA and its members.The issues surrounding the dismissal are sensitive and by virtue of the Constitution of NANA, which binds the Board and its Members will remain confidential.The Board is currently evaluating the future direction of NANA and will release information in the coming days and weeks ahead.

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Newsagent representation

What newsagents should expect from their newsagency marketing group

Continuing my week-long series on newsagency marketing groups, today I’ll outline what I think newsagents should expect from a newsagency marketing / franchise group.

  1. Opportunities to make more money – through supplier discounts, special buying opportunities, exclusive buying opportunities, buying tours, marketing and ranging advice and guidance on new product categories.
  2. Help in business management – through access to good lease advice, employer / employee relations advice, accounting advice and insurance advice.
  3. Guidance in business planning – through access to newsagency, retail, media and other local and international trends and insights, deep mining of individual and other business data as well as access to planning professionals.
  4. Networking opportunities – where you can talk business with your peers and share ideas and insights from local store experiences.
  5. Marketing and advertising assistance, tools and advice – from support for major seasons, opportunities for out-of-shop promotion and advertising, advice on social media engagement as well as platforms through which you can share ideas with colleagues.
  6. Transparency – confidence that deals are genuine, advice is not conflicted and results shared are real and can be verified.
  7. A helping hand – people you can turn to for advice and support on anything, as you would family.

Newsagents considering joining a marketing group should think about what they want from the engagement before they start looking.

While marketing groups will claim they deliver some or all of these benefits, only those in a group and experiencing what it is delivering today can comment on that group and its performance today.

Footnote: Regulars here would know I am a shareholder in and Director of newsXpress. Prior to that I was a member of Nextra and a shareholder in my later years with them following a capital raising. Prior to that my newsagency was a member of Newspower.

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newsagency marketing

Peppa Pig Easter hit

peppaholsPeppa Pig branded plush, cards, stationery packs and other lines have been a hit through Easter. Our front of store placement attracted new traffic as well as extending the basket of some regular shoppers.

Peppa Pig has been the single most successful brand for us this Easter.

The Peppa Pig brand continues to be strong for us. So far in 2014, revenue from the brand is up significantly on 2013. While we are fortunate to be in a centre where parents and grandparents shop with and for kids, our supp==ccess is due to us grabbing it with in-your-face displays.

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newsagency marketing

Coke fridges as entertainment

cokeCoke vending machines that only sell Coke are a relic of an era long past. The latest generation Coke vending machines offer entertainment and opportunities for fun with the core goal of getting you engaged with their brand.

Coke knows that engagement = sales.

The Coke corporate website has examples of tremendously innovative Coke vending machines. I mention this today because many newsagents sell Coke. For us to make the most of the opportunity we need to stay connected with the broader campaign supporting the brand.

As I mentioned in January last year, the worldwide Coke happiness campaign is extraordinarily successful and enjoyable.

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retail