Newspaper marketing

Here is how we are promoting the News Corp. Marvel offer at the front of the newsagency on the lease line. While the display is nt as big at the publisher would like, it is in the very best position for eyeballs, the the front of the shop and next to a stunning display of Marvel licenced products, most of which you cannot see in the photo.

While I like the promotion, News Corp. needs to re-visit newsagent compensation as what we make does not cover the actual costs involved and the sales kick is not sufficiently long-term to provide a good return on our investment.

Looking at this more broadly, the company’s approach to sharing reasonable details of the promotion early denied many newsagents enough time to get in other products to leverage the border opportunity. I consider their approach selfish and not what we should see from a supplier that says they support our channel and want newsagents to have a string future.

I love that News Corp. in Victoria is promoting the AFL Footy Powers Game Cards on TV. We are leveraging this in the newsagency with this display placed with newspapers – as the photo shows. The visual link between the TVC and in-store collateral is excellent. While the promotion is not confined to our channel, we are best placed to serve customers with this.

Most people purchasing the herald Sun in the newsagency on Saturday did not know about the free Shopkins cards as part of the News Corp. Top Trumps promotion. We asked and most times the response was what? or huh?. We had a few people come in to collect the cards but not many.

There was no discernible for the retail business from this promotion that I could see. There should be though as that is the goal of these promotions.

At the main newspaper stand.

On the floor. We have two of these.

The TV commercial from News Corp’s Herald Sun promoting the Dr Seuss book series lists three supermarkets by brand yet lists newsagents as, well, newsagents. The folks at News ought to respect brands newsagents trade under more than this. Their failure to list the brands demonstrates a preference for the supermarket brands in my view.

Here is a photo from the TVC – listing the supermarkets.

Newsagents were given three days notice about a promotion by APN’s. The email promoting promotion of a complex Scratch and Win competition was sent at the close of business Wednesday.

Sending an email late on Wednesday results in a lower readership.

When will they learn that promotions need to be simple. The process they are imposing on newsagents is cumbersome and time consuming.

Newsagents were not given an opportunity to opt out. With barely two days notice APN promoted the participating newsagents 0 without any other communication with those newsagents.

Promotions like this, that do little to drive sustained revenue growth, are a tax on the limited time resources of newsagents.

It is also frustrating that the prize pushes people to fuel outlets and not back to newsagencies.

Overall, this appears to a poorly considered and poorly executed promotion with little regard for newsagents and the time required of them to execute.

Newspaper publishers need to be smarter if they want to run promotions that genuinely serve the needs of their products and retail newsagents.

Newsagents in South Australia were sent this letter by from News Corp’s Adelaide Advertiser yesterday. It is a thank you for support for promotional activity.

While the letter is good and, I am sure, appreciated by newsagents, there is more to consider here beyond the commission made from selling promotional products. remember, these promotions are designed to serve sales of newspapers.

From the Advertiser and all outposts of News Corp. I would like to see data provided by News on the benefit to newsagents beyond the sale of promotional items. Here is my question: Did the promotional items generate sustained new sales of the supported newspapers or is it only revenue from the promotional products on which newsagents can count?

This question is important given the paltry margin on promotional items offered in most states. The case put by all publishers in such situations is the real profit is from a sales boost beyond the promotion. So, it would be good to see this data – what over the counter sales boost did the promotions generate?

I do note that in South Australia, newsagents receive the best commission for promotional products. Kudos to the local news Corp. office for this.

Here is an ad promoting The Morning Bulletin digital pitch to the Rockhampton region. Like with the Daily Mercury pitch I wrote about yesterday, if you take the deal at the 50% off price you get free access to News Corp. content.

The folks at The Morning Bulletin must have realised that there would be concerns about the dilution of local voices to cause them to run with a headline of LOCAL STORIES MEAN A GREAT DEAL TO YOU. With the majority of the content on offer through the deal not local, the headline could be seen as misleading.

While I am all for publishers monetising content, I am concerned for the impact of moves like this on local voices. People in regional communities need to decide how much they are prepared to spend on local content. That is the key driver of moves like this.

Here is the flyer:

Where does this end? Given the different stories they publish, could Fairfax offer free digital access to News Corp. content in return for a discounted long-term subscription?

I’m opening this thread for a newsagent concerned about the collateral received from News Corp. for promoting the Disney story books. They say the one blow up character and two posters are not enough for what appears to be a big promotion.

My advice if you’re concerned about the collateral received is to contact News.

If you comment here and want more collateral, include your store details so News Corp. people reading this can contact you.

This is the first time I have noticed the blow up collateral. It’s a good idea but challenging to display if you don’t fill it with helium as some are finding.

South Australian newsagents are not being supplied enough volume of the Mr Men books to satisfy demand generated by promotion in The Advertiser  and through TV and other advertising.

The circulation manager at News in Adelaide wrote to newsagents saying that they, newsagents, should direct customers to News and the company will endeavour to assist. Note the line written by someone who has not spent enough time serving customers at a newsagency counter:

I must stress that you should make no commitment to the customer that they will definitely be supplied their order.

News is heavily promoting the Mr Men books in its newspapers and on national TV. It would / should have known the success the campaign could achieve and should have ensured sufficient supply in South Australia. Thankfully, I am not experiencing short supply in Victoria.