Sandusky (OH) Register Re-Invents a Tourism Product to Gain New Entertainment Based Revenue
The Opportunity
Sandusky, Ohio, is well known for tourism with the famous Cedar Point amusement facility attracting millions of tourists each summer to this small market on the Lake Erie coast. The dominant newspaper in the area, The Sandusky (OH) Register, had for years attempted to capitalize on tourism-based revenue through deployment of varying print and online offerings using the “Fun Coast” brand. Over the years, more and more competition entered this space with varying Web sites and guide books being produced and marketed by many tourist based organizations, making it more difficult for the local newspaper to position itself in the local advertising community as a source to advertise to the many tourists who come to the market. With many advertising competitors focusing on the tourist-based dollars, it was also realized that no one was serving the local resident’s entertainment needs. Even though the Sandusky area becomes a “Tourist Mecca” for a few months each year, no one media company was offering the local resident year round information on local and regional happenings, especially in the two larger cities just 90 minutes away, such as Toledo to the east; and, Cleveland to the west.
With this in mind, a major change in the focus of the old “Fun Coast” print/ online products was made to shift them away as a source for tourists and become a resource for local consumers. This change in focus would attract more year round revenue from local and regional entertainment based businesses.
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New Product Offerings
With the assistance of Mike Blinder of The Blinder Group, meetings took place with the sales, marketing and editorial management of the Sandusky (OH) Register, to change their existing FunCoast.com Web site from a tourism-based platform to an ongoing online destination offering local/ regional entertainment information. Since the Web site already had superior functionality within its design, offering robust local directories and dynamic calendars, the change was more content than functionality. Plus, new interactive elements were added to the Web site such as a “Spotted” section allowing readers to post photos from area events and a band/musician listing was that provided biographical information, photos and sound clips of musicians performing in the northern Ohio region.
The new print product was developed in a “tabular” format that would be distributed weekly within the newspaper as well as free in many local area venues and businesses. The new weekly offering had weekly articles provided by the editorial department along with event information and other items of local interest.
New Sales Deployment Methodology
The newspaper decided to develop a new “modular” pricing structure allowing advertisers to purchase ads based on pre-determined sizes, as opposed to “column inch” contracts. Prints ads were also reproduced in Web format and available to be viewed online from text-based links within the Web product. All advertisers received their weekly print ad in both the print and online products, with advertisers who agreed to longer commitments being rewarded with larger graphic ads online.
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 over the world. 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.
During Mike Blinder’s initial visit to the newspaper to assist in program planning, basic sales team training was performed as well offering the sales reps a motivational, fun and faced paced, basic sales training program with topics that included:
- Prospecting New Multimedia Business
- The Methods of Selling Multimedia
- The Basics of the Internet and How the Medium Works
- The Benefits of Bringing Interactive Products to Market
- How to Effectively Offer Web Based Products to Your Advertisers
- Methods for Using the Web to Garner More Market Share
During the meeting, the sales staff was also informed of The Blinder Group’s pending return visit, in which “4-legged” sales training/closing calls were to be performed. Salespeople were urged and encouraged to set up a large amount of appointments, with qualified “decision-makers” of area businesses, so that they could experience “first hand” how to sell a multimedia product to their advertisers with The Blinder Group’s assistance. The Blinder Group also created multi-page sales support brochures for each salesperson to use in order to present the program to advertisers. The support materials outlined the Web site audience demographics as well as the features and benefits of the program.
Then, a Blinder Group associate returned to the market to conduct “4-legged,” sales training/closing calls on advertisers, with the ad reps of the newspaper. These calls helped train the sales force through example, on how easy it is to present online products to their advertisers.
Results
So far, hundreds of thousands of new print and online revenue has been generated as a direct result of the program. "The training went very well with many of the reps becoming enthusiastic about selling multimedia to their advertisers,” said Doug Phares, Publisher of the Sandusky (OH) Register. “We are happy with the progress of FunCoast so far, and look forward to continue to grow it in the months to come.”
Contact Information
Doug Phares, Publisher Sandusky Register
(419) 626-0681
dougphares@sanduskyregister.com
Lead Consultant for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder, President
(917) 865-4827
mike@BlinderGroup.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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