Lubbock (TX) gains $155k in revenue with new entertainment guide
The Challenge
Local entertainment products have always been difficult to launch and maintain in markets both big and small. The Avalanche-Journal management team participated in a planning session led by The Blinder Group to uncover ways they could change their existing entertainment section into an exciting product for readers and advertisers. The result was a freestanding, weekly multimedia entertainment guide and corresponding Web site.
Program Overview
Content for both the print and online version was solicited on an ongoing basis from a number of area resources such as civic organizations, entertainment venues and sporting teams. No less than one local entertainment feature article was generated weekly by the newspaper's editorial staff. Features were also pulled from wire services and online content providers to give the product more global appeal.
The freestanding "tab" section appeared Friday in the newspaper with additional copies available at local area entertainment venues and on campus locations at Texas Tech University. The online section contained the same content that could be found in print. Additional features and content items are being developed including an employment section (openings for restaurants, clubs, etc.) and E-AT (Electronic--Around Town). E-AT is a weekly e-mail entertainment listing service for those who sign up at the Web site.
Sales Strategy
All advertisements placed in the print version of the product also appeared on the Web site, linked from text links which appeared on each page of the site. All advertisements were sold as a bundled concept, with the print and Web components only being offered together. Pricing to advertisers incorporated a 25% premium above and beyond the normal print rates. That increase was attributed to the Web department for the online component provided.
Results
Here's an entertainment product that worked. The multimedia product brought in more than $155k in sales--with 80% coming from new business.
See this program live at: http://www.lubbockmusic.com
Contact Information
The Avalanche-Journal is a 58,593 daily newspaper located in Lubbock, Texas.
For more information about the sales strategy of this program, contact:
Carol McWhorter, Director of Advertising
(806) 762-8844
cmcwhorter@lubbockonline.comFor technical information, contact:
Bob Barth, Director of Online
(806) 766-8740
bbarth@lubbockonline.comLead Consultant for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder
(917) 865-4827
mike@blindergroup.com
The Blinder Group
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