Real estate product helps generate more than $90k in sales for Corpus Christi
The Challenge
Real estate books. Newcomer publications. Visitor's guides. What would happen if a newspaper combined the elements of each of those publications into one multimedia product? During a planning session led by The Blinder Group, the team at the Caller-Times did just that. It was decided that the scope of the publication could be segmented to a larger base of potential advertisers if it was positioned as a local resource and relocation based area moving guide called, "Living Here."
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Program Overview
Content for the print edition included information about the various communities along with lists of schools, churches, recreational facilities, utilities, local government and other useful information. The Caller-Times Web department developed a corresponding Web site that featured the same content as the print publication. In addition, the Web team took the existing online "real estate" platform and incorporated it into the online "Living Here" edition. Not only could users search homes from the MLS database of homes, but they could learn pertinent information about the areas they were investigating.
This entire initiative (print and online) was designed to assist ALL home owners as a way to learn more about the area in which they live (or plan to live). It was able to position itself among the real estate community and other associated businesses as an essential marketing tool in attracting local and global home buyers.
Sales Strategy
In order to help facilitate sales and acceptance of this program with advertisers, the Caller-Times sales management team built an alliance with local organizations and civic and community leaders. The program was promoted as the newspaper's initiative to help strengthen the local economic base by promoting the benefits of the local communities. Letters of endorsement from these groups and leaders were used as part of the sales materials.
The Blinder Group returned to market several weeks prior to the publication date to assist the sales team with introducing this product to advertisers. Each business who purchased a display ad in the print publication was also listed for one entire year as a "Partner Business" within a business category online. The categories rotated throughout all the pages of the site. In addition to listing the advertiser's information, the listing was linked to a pop up version of the display ad online. Senior sponsorship positions were also sold that included additional promotion online and in print for those advertisers.
Results
This community resource product generated more than $90k for the team of the Caller-Times--90% of that was new business. The newspaper doubled their regular rates for some of the premium positions.
See this program live at: http://www.CoastalBendHomes.com
Contact Information
The Caller-Times is a 64,780 daily newspaper located in Corpus Christi, Texas.
For more information about the sales strategy of this program, contact:
Mark Richmond, Advertising Director
(361) 886-366-1513
RichmondM@caller.comFor technical information, contact:
Harold Ong,New Media Mgr
(361) 886-4390
OngH@caller.comLead Consultant for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder
(917) 865-4827
mike@blindergroup.com
The Blinder Group
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New Port Richey, FL 34652 USA
(727) 847-2464 ~ (727) 847-5959 (fax)
profit@blindergroup.com
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