News Corp. in South Australia has a new promotion, giving away a adult colouring book. The giveaway is okay except that the free book promotes a range a colouring books saying they can be found where all good books are sold. This pitch neglects to note the range can be found at good newsagencies. Given that newsagents are running the promotion for News it would have been told to see the channel mentioned in the promotion. A lost opportunity.
Not to forget that it is free, therefore comes at a cost to the newsagent as well as costing potential sales.
I know of at least 2 Newsagents who said they were “out of stock” almost as soon as they opened. Can’t say I blame them.
There is an amount of confusion over how many colouring books there are. Because Newscorp put it in Saturday and sundays paper customers were wanting a second book.
Consumers are now used to Newscorp giving away everything.
Not one who came into our shop was an existing customer and not one purchased anything and did not even venture further into the shop than the counter.
Was also informed today that the Newscorp booth in our mall selling subscriptions(they have been here for months now) are getting advertisers to give away too.
Newscorps actions are to undermine their existing retail sales outlets, so they can’t expect existing outlets to conform to their demands.
Peter , I believe Newscorp do not look apon us as “retailers” but rather “agents or subagents”
Therein lies the problem as they have no interest in us as retailers, there is little or no effort put into what will or won’t work in a newsagency and how to keep newsagents interested in newscorp promotions.
Pretty hard to provide prime space for a newscorp promotion when we receive such a low profit margin. They don’t get it
Partnership should be more thoughtful. That is not reflected in this promotion. Some parts of News are good at this and others not, which is frustrating.
Mark Richardson, I think you have hit the nail on the head. I have always considered us only as a retail outlet, but to them yes we are ONLY agents.
We should be getting 25% on their magazines too, instead of only 12.5%
Sorry Mark, but no parts of News Corp are interested in a Partnership with Newsagents. That is probably the worst comment I have heard in over 25years in the industry.