Northcliffe Newspapers (UK) Team Up to Generate New Online Revenue with Dueling Sales Teams!
The Opportunity
Northcliffe Newspapers has some of the most respected and successful newspapers in the United Kingdom, each with a vibrant and robust Web site garnering a large audience for it’s associated print product. However, senior management wanted to make more money from the sites, as well as begin the process of integrating more convergent, multimedia sales models within their traditional ad departments. It was for this reason that Steve Anderson-Dixon, Group Advertisement Director, Northcliffe Newspapers in the United Kingdom, asked Mike Blinder to develop a training program to accomplish just that.
Program Overview
Mike spent four days visiting the northeastern cites of Grimsby and Hull. Two smaller markets separated by a wide river and a very paassionate rivalry as to who has the better soccer team. And who has the better local fish and chips offerings.
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During meetings with online and print management, it was decided that a simple sales program could be developed that would target existing print advertisers, with an offering that would allow them to increase the effectiveness of their traditional advertising, with an online component. Advertisers were offered the ability to purchase a highly visible graphic link rotating on the top of pages of both newspapers’ Web sites. This online ad would then link to a "pop up" “browser window” that would display the advertiser’s current Newspapers ad. It was determined that if such a program was “taken to market” effectively, advertisers would see many values that include the ability to have their print message reach of 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.
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 all pages of both newspapers’ Web site. Two separate “packages” were offered to advertisers. One was for a campaign that appeared only on the pages of the Grimsby Telegraph Web site (www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk). And, a similar campaign that appeared on the pages of the Hull Daily Record Web site (www.thisishull.co.uk). For each campaign offered the advertiser was charged a specific monthly fee for a 12-month commitment.
Sales Strategy
In order to create excitement among the traditional ad reps of both newspapers, a contest was created that pitted the sales teams of each newspaper against each other. Cash bonuses and incentives were offered, as well as a grand prize, which included the winning team being able to host the losing team for a bowling tournament. Posters were displayed in all the sales departments reminding the teams of the challenge. The Blinder Group deployed two trainers to make “4-legged,” sales training/closing calls on advertisers, with the ad reps of all the papers. One trainer worked with the Hull property, while the other traveled with the reps of the Grimsby newspaper.
Results
In one single week, over £96,000 ($173,000) of new online revenue was generated as direct result of the program. “The initiative was very successful for us,” stated Steve Anderson-Dixon, Group Advertisement Director, Northcliffe Newspapers. “Our traditional newspaper salespeople in Grimsby and Hull had a good experience with online sales. And, we now are planning to deploy Mike and his team to perform similar programs for more of our titles.”
For local information on online elements, contact:
Jenny Thompson, Ad Director, Grimsby (UK) Telegraph
+44 1472 372 021, jenny.thompson@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
Mark Price, Ad Director, Hull (UK) Daily Mail
+44 1482 315 322, m.price@hdmp.co.uk
Lead consultants for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder
(917) 865-4827, Mike@BlinderGroup.com
Barbara Wickman, Senior Associate
(619) 203-6266 barbara@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
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CONSULTING/TRAINING: Strategic Planning ~ Basic Sales Training
Multimedia Sales Training ~ Assisted 4-Legged Closing Calls
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