Multimedia health program generates $300,000 in new revenue for Gannett's Honolulu (HI) Advertiser
The Challenge
The Honolulu (HI) Advertiser currently publishers a weekly section (in tabular format) offering local area information on health and wellness issues, called "Body & Mind". The section was performing not as hoped, garnering only a small amount of the advertising dollars newspaper management felt was available from area health related and medical business categories. In a planning session with The Blinder Group, a new multimedia sales initiative was developed to offer an effective marketing program to this business sector.
Program Overview
The Honolulu Advertiser expanded upon their existing health related "Body & Mind" section offering a new multimedia health related self improvement content area, where medical and wellness related advertisers were offered the opportunity to participate as an exclusive "expert" of a particular health/ wellness related category.
Each advertiser received a modular sized weekly newspaper ad placed on this new content area. Also on this page weekly information was featured about one of the advertisers' specific health related categories. The advertiser was offered the option to write this column or have the newspaper create the content for them. Each advertiser received this "advertorial" based story once each 13-weeks.
Mock-up of print product offering.
Mock-up of Web product offering.
Example of sales support flyer as developed for this deployment by The Blinder Group.
The newspaper also developed a new area on there web site which also featured the weekly content featured with the "Health & Beauty" section, as well as other available local and syndicated health related content. Each participating advertiser received a an online version of their weekly print advertising along with their "advertorial' based story as well.
The newspaper offered advertisers the option of two modular sized ads with discounts offered if an advertiser wished to combine two in order to have even a larger presence on the page. These "modular" rates represented a 35% increase over the usual rates charged for these sized ads in this section, due to the exclusivity being offered each advertiser, as well as the ongoing online component of the package. All ads print were produced in full color and with each advertiser committing to place ads for a full 52 weeks to be the exclusive expert within their category in both the print and online offerings.
Sales Support
The Blinder Group assisted the newspaper in developing easy to understand, compelling graphic sales support flyers, which depicted the Web component of the program. These simple to use printed pieces, are essential in helping the newspaper traditional ad representative to easily explain the features and benefits of the Web offerings in a highly effective manner.
Sales Strategy
One of the key elements in ensuring sales success of this initiative was garnering advertiser approval of meeting attendance as well as the validity of the concept in general. Some of these advertisers were new to marketing their business and felt 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 the newspaper sales people with a proven "appointment- setting script as an effective "tool" in assisting in getting potential advertisers to agree to attend a meeting to discuss this marketing program. During the actual sales call, the Blinder Group consultant queried the prospective advertiser to ensure the program was relevant for their marketing needs. The Blinder Group associate then presented the value propositions of the program in a compelling manner in order to increase the odds of advertiser acceptance.
Finally, if warranted the Blinder Group associate assisted in beginning a "closing" process which helped compel the advertiser to decide in favor of participating in the program.
Results
During four days of assisted sales calls the program generated $298,020 in new revenue for the newspaper with all 13 available advertiser positions sold. More importantly the traditional newspaper sales representatives who experienced the training calls with the Blinder Group associate, were able to grasp the benefits of brining multimedia solutions to their advertisers. "We had budgeted four days of assisted sales calls, but sold out in 2.5 days using category exclusivity to generate urgency in a market that normally takes longer to reach a buying decision," stated Jeff Green, SVP of Sales and Marketing. "More importantly our traditional newspaper sales representatives who experienced the training calls with the Blinder Group associate, were able to grasp the benefits of brining multimedia solutions to their advertisers. These new skills will transfer to similar sales programs planned for the future."
Contact Information
The Honolulu (HI) Advertiser is a Gannett newspaper with 342,000 daily readers.
For more information on the sales strategy of this product, contact: Jeffery Green, Senior Vice President, Advertising & Marketing
(808) 535-8208, jpgreen@honolulu.gannett.com
Stan Howard, Advertising Director
(808) 525-7443, showard@hinolulu.gannett.com
Sandra Gima, Online Sales Manager/ Territory Sales Manager
808-525-8080, sgima@honolulu.gannett.com
Darwin Rogers, Retail Sales Manager
(808) 525-7439
Lead consultant for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder
(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
inquire now ~ case studies ~ clients ~ who we are ~ home