CanWest newspapers garner close to one million dollars, in new online revenue, sold by the traditional newspaper reps, in just 90 days!
The Challenge
In September of 2004, the local revenue generation for the newspaper Web sites of CanWest, Canada's largest media company became the direct responsibility of the local newspapers' ad team. For 2005, online goals were established for each traditional newspaper sales force with the local advertising managers having to achieve those "numbers" while also making their own existing revenue projections for their various traditional print products. With all this transition taking place, CanWest Interactive, offered the newspaper sales management in each of their top 10 markets, the services of The Blinder Group to assist in strategic planning and sales staff training, so these goals could be met.
Program Overview
Mike Blinder of the Blinder Group visited each of the CanWest "top 10" newspaper markets to conduct strategic planning and initial sales team training. Discussions took place to focus the initial sales deployment on the newly launched local "Shopping" pages of the newspaper Web sites. Each newspaper was able to use technology offered by their chosen vendor, Travidia to display their traditional newspaper ads online. Online readers were offered the ability to search ads by advertiser, product category or "keyword." They could also ask to be alerted by e-mail when a new ad, with a product they were interested in, was placed within the newspaper as well. Special sections and newspaper "inserts" could also be deployed online, through this new technology. It was determined during strategic planning that the local ad reps would be able to offer their local advertisers inclusion in the "Shopping" page for a nominal "up-sell" as well as offer a select number of their advertisers an associated online advertising campaign that would be displayed on other pages of the newspaper Web site as well. This new sales program targeted existing print advertisers, with an offering that would allow them to increase the effectiveness of their traditional advertising, with an online component in either an in-story or banner ad position. Advertisers were offered the ability to purchase these highly visible graphic links rotating on the pages of the Newspapers' Web site that would then link to the advertiser's current Newspapers ad within the "Shopping" pages of the Web site. All advertisers who participated in the program were to receive a guaranteed number of impressions for their ads that rotated (with other participating advertisers) on the selected pages of the Newspapers' Web site. For each campaign offered the advertiser was charged a specific monthly fee for a 12-month commitment. The actual message of the online ad would be created from the content of the advertiser's current newspaper ad. Training would be conducted for each of the newspaper's design staff, so they could become effective at creating the online ads. To take the program "to market" effectively, advertisers would have to be educated to the many benefits of the program that include the ability to have their print message reach more potential customers through the expanded Web audience; as well as, increasing the "frequency" of exposure of their ad message, by having that message appear several thousand times a month, online. The advertiser would "reach" an "active" online shopper who would browse and search the ads within the "Shopping" pages; as well as impact the "passive" shopper from the rotating online banner campaign.
Sales Strategy
One of the key elements in ensuring sales success of this initiative is garnering advertiser approval of meeting attendance as well as the validity of the concept in general. Some of these advertisers are wary of trying new ideas. One of the most effective means of accomplishing attendance and acceptance is to introduce the advertiser to an industry respected "outside" consultant who has had success with similar programs, with similar businesses, in similar markets, all across North America. That is why many media companies contract with the Blinder Group to perform "4-legged" sales training closing calls with traditional ad reps, to assist in the launch of programs like the one defined in this document. The Blinder Group supplied a proven "appointment- setting script" to the newspaper's sales team as an effective "tool" in assisting in getting potential advertisers to agree to attend a meeting with such an "outside" expert. The Blinder Group created multi-page sales support brochures for each salesperson to use in their individual markets. The support materials outlined the Web site audience demographics as well as the features and benefits of the program. After the initial staff training, Blinder Group associates returned to each market to conduct "4-legged," sales training/closing calls on advertisers, with the ad reps of the newspapers.
Results
Close to one million dollars of new online revenue was generated as direct result of the program. "The Blinder Group excelled at their mission of helping our traditional ad reps see the benefit of selling online to their customers," said Al White, Managing Director, Sales, CanWest Interactive Inc. "We deployed Mike and the team in all 10 of CanWest's largest markets. From the motivational workshops, the crafting of the sales materials, to the "4-legged" sales training calls with the reps, their work was outstanding in getting the sales people psyched about the Web. More importantly, we generated close to one million in new online business in just 90 days. We recommend them highly, and plan to use them again"
CanWest is Canada's largest newspaper publisher with ownership of the National Post, 10 major metro dailies and 27 smaller daily, weekly and community papers in smaller communities throughout British Columbia. The larger "dailies" include: National Post, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, Windsor Star, Regina Leader-Post Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province and the Victoria Times-Colonist. The Company's diversified media holdings include: Global Television, a coast-to-coast Canadian broadcasting; CanWest Entertainment, a leading film and TV production and distribution operation; a growing Interactive media business; a stable of eight specialty channels that offer niche programming, including Prime TV; and a significant international television and radio broadcasting presence in New Zealand, Australia, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Contact Information
For more local information on the local sales strategy of this program, contact:
Al White, Managing Director, Sales, CanWest Interactive Inc.
(403) 235-7547, awhite@canwest.com
Ron Clark, Senior Vice-President, Advertising, CanWest Media Sales - Newspaper Div.
(416) 593-2020, rclark@canwestsales.ca
Lead consultants for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder, President
(727) 847-2464, mike@blindergroup.com
Barbara Wickman, Senior Associate
(619) 203-6266, bwickman@earnware.com
The Blinder Group
Tampa Offices: 6139 Fjord Way
New Port Richey, FL 34652 USA
(727) 847-2464 ~ (727) 847-5959 (fax)
profit@blindergroup.com
SPEAKING PROGRAMS, seminars and workshops
CONSULTING/TRAINING: Strategic Planning ~ Basic Sales Training
Multimedia Sales Training ~ Assisted 4-Legged Closing Calls
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