Think back to your early sales days (even if you didn’t have early sales experience this should resonate) and remember when that “so and so” advertiser didn’t buy what you thought was a slam dunk, can’t miss campaign?! What could that knucklehead have been thinking?? Doesn’t she know newspaper is far better than [TV, radio, outdoor… fill in the blank] anything else being contemplated? I simply cannot believe HE didn’t buy!?!

We occasionally feel the same way. It’s hard to believe when a prospect (or, even existing customer, ugh) invests in research from a source other than Belden. Tell me it ain’t so! Sometimes it’s, a syndicated product, perhaps budget was an issue, there are times a prospect has a great, enviable relationship with another newspaper partner, and, yes, there are times corporate headquarters suggests tighter expense management, and research and/or training are the first to be eliminated from any budget.

Do not expect a report on the conferences - Presstime, E&P and others will do a far better job - but, rather, what we saw, heard, thought important, liked and encountered in the hallways and meeting rooms of D.C.

Disclaimer: In most cases there is no attribution to many excellent ideas and/or quotes - our apologies to the authors - we hope you understand...our fingers and note taking couldn't keep up. Don't expect to find any particular order or chronology to these observations. No priority either. And, an opinion or two might slip in to these pages...

...should parents of youth carriers get any discount off their subscription as a thank you? An interesting notion. But is that happening?

...The "compact" newspaper phenomenon will appear several times in this newsletter, but what about niche products or special sections formatted as magazines for more reader functionality?

...GREAT COMMENT - "...way too much of our content reflects the sensibilities of our journalists and not the sensibilities of our readers."

...Ivan Fallon of the Independent Newspapers in London (amongst the most competitive newspaper markets in the world) made the decision to publish in a tab format (in addition too, not instead of!) and 7 years of circulation declines were erased within a year. Approximately 80,000 additional distribution, while the largest competitor followed, yet only held steady. The first mover advantage really worked here.

Advertiser's saw the move as "innovative and good for their message".

...One Publisher commented, "...we talked about and wish we had converted our afternoon product to a tab instead of killing it". There's a thought.

...there seems to be a growing trend to move towards a paid model for newspaper web sites. (Belief: not a good idea...at least not yet. Maximize display revenues 1st and most sites still have a ways to go on this front.)

...(this IS interesting!!) Everyone at one particular paper calls 3 readers to ask for feedback. Yes, there is a "script" with 5 questions to guide the conversation. Overall findings are aggregated, but there's plenty of opportunity for unfettered feedback - talk about CREATING A FOCUS ON READERSHIP.

...in addition to Red Eye, The Tribune Company in Chicago has developed a stand-alone High School product that distributes 425,000 products daily.

(Opinion: Now We're Talking! This is where the reading habit is being "lost" or remains undeveloped. As much innovation and creativity as is possible should be devoted to cultivating this audience.)

...If you want to see a web site that embraces college reading and lifestyle differences, check out Lawrence.com, from the good folks who publish the Lawrence Journal World in Kansas. Their bundled on and off line sale is called a "fiber/cyber" combo.

...just released is the Teen study done for the NAA by North Castle Partners. Take a close look at the Teenguager report. The toughest first - there are obstacles to teen readership (if you stopped to think about it, you could probably name more than half. Think things like "jumps" and "little news about me".)

The good news - Teens Want News. If delivered in a way which helps them create a Social Connection and advances their view of themselves within peer groups, teens will read!

...by publishing directories for the local Chambers of Commerce, the Torrance Daily Breeze is not only supporting the local organizations, they have added to their databases contact information (and a LOT of subsequent subscriptions) and 9,000 leads.

...as if our major retail clients weren't facing enough challenges, the web creates a host of new ones. One of the ways they are promoting their wares is via newspaper advertising disintermediation - you can now find this on some sites - "no paper; no problem" - and there's a digital copy of the insert which appears in your Sunday pages. Users can click, get directions and even coupons or buy right there.

...how many times have you heard "locallocallocal" when it comes to what readers want? The Readership Institute has suggested pictures of those like me is part of the solution. Well, how about having photographers (many) taking pictures at a broad scope of events and then posting them on the newspaper web site for purchase? Concerts. Rallies. Sporting events of all ages and types. And, guess what, each of these purchases MUST leave information to add to your database for future acquisition and retention efforts.

...There were other examples of ways the Internet is being used as a way of distributing information to tough to reach demographics, yet the best way to sum these up was to think about how to "exchange functionality for information"?

...Anecdote - there was a session on department store advertising running concurrently with one on the Internet and registration. While walking with a Publisher of a major metropolitan daily, he remarked, "Department store advertising is the past; I'm going to listen to the future" as he walked in to the Internet session.

As you might expect, there was plenty of interest related to the preliminary findings from the latest wave of research from the Readership Institute on Young and Ethnic Readers. A quick summary of some on target and very interesting results:

THREE COMMANDMENTS

1. Get in to their (whichever segment) heads!
   ~Go beyond just content.
2. Simply tweaking the paper will not advance readership growth. There must be REAL innovation.
3. A multi-year, tied to rewards, strategic plan must be developed which the entire organization embraces.

Look at it this way - just about every reader (and even some non readers) within the Boomer generation and older, calls their home town daily "my" paper. That's how strong the relationship is!

That tie begins to unravel with the younger generations. That should be our goal - to create products and tools and content (which, by the way INCLUDES advertising) so that younger, African- American, Hispanic, Asian and any audience segment we under penetrate uses us Possessively. We need to become "THEIR" paper.

...one panelist described the Hispanic market as, "...the most dynamic opportunity in media!" That isn't completely hyperbolic.

...another said, "...audience voice matters. Minorities are searching for a voice and identity." That pretty well sums it up. The question becomes, are we going to provide either?

Does that give you a sense of the overall DC "frame of mind". Most were upbeat. Heard of one major metro up 9% for the 1st quarter and April was already good. But, please, don't think for one second the challenges facing newspapers related to growing readership aren't DAUNTING. There remains a window of opportunity - only a few years - to get us moving along the proper path, and if that doesn't happen, a tipping point, spiral, cliff, whatever you want to call it, looms large!

To paraphrase a relatively recent presidential inaugural address "...those things within the industry that aren't quite right, CAN be fixed by those who know what is right!"

We're finally beginning to see consistent, positive signs, so lets make them more and more frequent across every segment of our audience. And, recognize audience IS an incredibly valuable asset we must nurture and grow relentlessly.