Several recent events have reinforced Belden thinking and seem appropriate year-end observations. However, as these words make their way from laptop to In The Know template to email and web, just about all seem to be of a recurring nature. See if you agree...

The introduction of TWO free morning daily products in Dallas (Quick and AM Journal Express) has been fascinating. As a local news and information consumer, I love it... as a newspaper researcher, it's even more intriguing.

Both will undoubtedly be better as a result of the head-to-head competition, and consumers in Dallas will benefit. So will advertisers.

From the business standpoint, the list of questions searching for answers is lengthy: Can the market support both? Does the Belo effort (Quick) cannibalize itself from an advertising standpoint? Single copy standpoint? Both? Is it worth it? Will the combination increase readership and will the targeted audience grow in to mainstream daily readers over time? Will it really appeal to young readers? What value is the distribution force for such a product? (note – several hundred, mostly college age kids are handing out both products, but racks are also strategically located in targeted areas) Either newspaper can deploy their distribution team in a way designed to serve advertisers – around a store, with a particular ad emphasized, wearing a bib promoting a customer or even saying something referring to an advertiser. This creates an additional dynamic and revenue opportunity via the relationship, but how much?

That's just the start...

Here's the ONE very important point I really love about the Quick launch within two weeks of learning of the upcoming AM Journal Express debut:

THE DECISION WAS MADE!

No lengthy debate or hand wringing or task force to study or focus groups or anything that hadn't already been done. The trigger was pulled and the product launched. That's good for the Morning News and if others are in a similar frame of mind, it'll be good for the industry.

Not too long ago I was reading an article that concluded with two wonderful comments:

• Enlightened trial and error outperforms the planning of flawless intellects every time.
• Under almost all conditions, fast learners are going to outperform even the most brilliant planners.

Aren't those wonderful?! (Get out of those meeting AND DO IT!)

Mort Seaman, Chairman of Rooms To Go, addressed the Southern Newspaper Publisher's Association and shared some fascinating observations. With the goal of being the "GAP of the furniture business" this company has stormed on to the scene and is the fastest growing furniture retailer in history. With the acquisition of Wickes they are already a $2 billion dollar business. Several insights followed by damning criticism:

• Rooms to Go spends a month training each new hire and then, each is required to pay back this "investment" with future earnings!
• The biggest value the internet has had for Rooms To Go has been each room setting is NAMED on their web site, so when the customer visits the store he or she can simply say, "I want to see/buy the Yorktown Khaki living room combination." In many cases, going straight to the paperwork for purchase and delivery.
• This has made Mondays a very big shopping day, since that's often when the order is placed.

Mort's candid criticisms fall w-a-y in to the "heard before" category. The first is simply craziness – in his 40 years in the furniture business, he's seen 3 Ad Directors. THREE.

Now, I'm certain that'll change, but not seeing a TWO billion dollar newspaper buyer – it boggles the imagination.

And, he also suggested what is really needed is, "Innovation in newspaper advertising." How about that notion?

Since Rooms To Go doesn't use price advertising, one of the strengths of newspapering isn't being capitalized upon. Our industry has advanced the idea we can be a wonderful branding medium, and that may very well be true. Yet, it won't if we aren't a bit more creative! Boring advertising will never go hand-in-hand with a successful branding campaign.

Look at the wonderfully clever magazine advertising coming out of Crispin Porter for the Mini Cooper. Cut outs and fold ups with striking colors to catch the consumer eye and brand the product. I sure remember them.

And, my recent favorite is Maker's Mark. In a recent magazine they glued two plastic coasters to a page for customers to take out and use. While not a bourbon drinker, I certainly pulled both out and will use around the office.

There's NO reason newspapers couldn't do something equally as clever. As a matter of fact, both would work BETTER in an insert environment since the consumer wouldn't have to cut out the page. This would require something different – pricing, how actually inserted (Pouch? In separate section so it stands alone?) and the sale would have to be coordinated to meet the distribution requirements of the advertiser, but COULD be done. Couldn't it?

All this gets back to one of the very REAL and valuable and underutilized assets our industry has – people! The talented advertising sales force, but also the reporters and photographers who interact and collect the local news and information which every Belden study suggests is EXACTLY what our readers want, need to do a better job of meeting the needs of our constituents.

We're heading in that direction on the business side of many enterprises, but this possibility as it relates to editorial departments hasn't really been looked at. Belden would contend it is human interaction mightily contributing to our brand and we often forget that both the business and news side of our operations deal with our customers every day. Both should be increasing our value and charged with improving brand loyalty.