Driving new revenue, Winter Haven (FL) gets auto dealers to increase their advertising efforts
The Opportunity
Auto dealers have become one of the most "Web-savvy" businesses that newspapers deal with on a regular basis. Their inventory is usually online, they use online banner ads to enhance their marketing messages and they often have regular e-mail contact with their clients and prospects. In Winter Haven, Florida, the News Chief, with the help of The Blinder Group, decided to create a program that would meet the needs of this high-tech advertising category and take their print advertising to a whole new level.
Program Overview
This high-tech advertiser needed a high-tech program that would help take their marketing to new levels. With the help of The Blinder Group, the staff of the News Chief created a program titled PolkAutoFinder.com. This program included both a print and online component and would allow automotive advertisers to get more mileage from their print advertising.
The newspaper created an online vertical that allowed users to search an online inventory for cars of different prices, makes and models. The site was branded as the premiere location for all things automotive in the Polk County area and included both new and used cars.
In addition to the online vertical, the New Chief created a print product called PolkAutoFinder.com's Pick of the Lot. Every week, advertisers could showcase one or more cars in the Pick of the Lot feature. Each page of the product contained 24 full color advertising boxes--each representing a different vehicle. The ad boxes contained photos as well as additional product information and listed the dealership where the auto could be found.
The Pick of the Lot feature was part of the online PolkAutoFinder.com. Users could click on the specific auto they saw from the print edition and be linked directly to the auto dealer's online inventory.
Sales Strategy
The Blinder Group assisted the staff of the News Chief with creating a multimedia sales sheet that would show the advertiser the look and feel of the online product and how it would work with the print version of the Pick of the Lot feature. They also shared the online inventory capabilities with each auto dealer.
Advertising packages were bundled to include both the print and online programs. Advertisers that purchased one of the print advertising "boxes" automatically were part of the online product--having their ad linked to a larger pop up version of the print ad and then linked directly to their online inventory. Prices were based on how much inventory the auto dealer had online--the more inventory, the better rate per package.
The Blinder Group assisted the staff with presenting this exciting package to advertisers. With the help of the one-page sales sheet, the staff was able to give this "Web-savvy" advertising category something new that would enhance their current advertising efforts.
Results
The program drove $56,180 in new revenue in just three days of assisted selling with The Blinder Group. The program was just what the auto dealers were looking for--giving them a way to get their current inventory to an active online audience.
"It was an amazing ride, " said David Kiessling, Online Director. "The Blinder Group helped us develop a program that made our high-tech auto dealers sit up and take notice. The Blinder Group helped my sales team learn how to walk into an auto dealer and feel confident about the multimedia program they had to present. We couldn't ask for anything better than that!"
Contact Information
The News-Chief is a 10,100 daily newspaper located in Winter Haven, Florida
For more information about this program, contact:
David Kiessling, Online Director
(863) 294-6115 ex 3022
davisk@newschief.com
Senior Vice President 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
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