In conversations and conferences and interactions over the past few months, it seems as if the BIGGEST challenge our newspaper industry faces is prioritizing opportunities in a way that will yield the most return. Not necessarily an easy thing to do when so much seems so promising.

Consider:

• The fascinating "Shadow Newspaper" experience conducted by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. By redesigning the front page of the paper to enhance experiential elements with the younger reader in mind, Anders Gyllenhaal and his team created a look, which was preferred by over a two-to- one margin. How to integrate those findings - and the team which accomplished them - with a traditional newsroom designing a new look to be unveiled in the fall will be difficult, but an exciting key to their future.

[Note: any product that creates richer experiences is going to cut across ALL audience segments, not just the young!]

[Note redux: a more interesting, engaging, relevant and compelling paper DOES not compromise any of the principles newspapers strive to uphold; rather, it advances them!]

• The very interesting and promising Yellow Advantage program Morris Newspapers is deploying across their organization. Converting yellow pages dollars in to our pages has been an opportunity for ages, yet this seems to really work.

• Speaking of databases. Several newspapers are developing consumer and advertising tools to segment, prioritize, realign and appropriately allocate resources to better serve both. From our point of view, the possible missing link is to be sure these databases are connected to the newsroom!
• One of those databases is the registration information many are collecting via their web sites. This will become increasingly important. Not only because of financial consequences, but because understanding web activity, the connection to print and niche products and how all interact and reach audiences will pave the way to a robust future.

[Note: unless you are prepared to provide value, which connects to the registration data you capture, don't do so YET. Conduct pop - up surveys to learn more about your web site visitor!]

• Perhaps most exciting are the embryonic steps a few are taking to harness the internet to create more emotionally connected, informed and loyal audiences. That's the most important word you've read - EMOTION. It will either be our undoing or salvation. Engagement, involvement, loyalty, connection, emotion - no matter how you say it, much of our focus needs to be learning how to strengthen the ties we have...to make sure we are the most relevant news, information and advertising resource in the future.
• Part of the increased emphasis on our reader and advertiser relationship will be to better manage all interactive touch points. Not just between the evolving newspaper, but also between the different audiences any newspaper serves. We'll want to be a facilitator or conduit fueling that interactivity. It is refreshing to see a few are headed in that direction! Either in proposals we've responded to or in actual engagements, papers are trying to better grasp things like - was the private party placement experience delightful and did the item sell? How long did it take? Was the vacation start/stop internet interface functional or frustrating? How did (or didn't) the sales rep influence the advertising decision and how could that be improved? Was the interview conducted professionally, with complete sensitivity to the source feelings?

Bottom line? Getting to the point where ALL customers LIKE doing business with us and want to do so again!!?

So, which is it? Design, databases, internet, niche products, registration, customer service? The unfortunate reality is that it is all these and more. In some cases, market characteristics will add to the list. How to grapple with all, without the benefit of added resources (in most cases) will be trying to say the least. Two things must happen:

1. More than just multiple internal "task forces" or Management Committees will have to get behind the prioritized strategic initiatives. Each will take an enterprise wide understanding and commitment. There will have to be alignment amongst moving parts that have not historically meshed in the past. And, sooner or later (and this will take time) there must be buy in (complete, utter conviction) across the enterprise that each initiative will provide eventual across-the-company benefits.
2. Organizations will have to STOP doing things they are presently doing. Conceptually very simple, but culturally enormously difficult, and our reality! Things like high churn telemarketing starts... sending out inadequately trained sales forces...product design based upon our needs rather than customer needs...hiring practices that don't recruit the best and brightest from ANY field...not recognizing that everything and everyone within our organizations impacts the image and relationship our audiences have with us and, we'll have to stop tolerating uncommitted collegues in any department