Media General Newspapers Team Up to Generate "6 Digit" New Online Revenue with Dueling Ad Directors!
The Opportunity
Media General has some of the most respected and successful newspapers in North Carolina, each with a vibrant and robust Web site garnering a large audience for its associated print product. However, management wanted to have more cost effective offerings for the local advertisers that could be "taken to market" by the traditional newspaper ad reps. Media General asked the Blinder Group to develop a training program to accomplish just that.
Program Overview
Mike Blinder of the Blinder Group spent three days visiting the Winston Sales Journal along with the smaller community newspapers that lie in several markets west of the city. 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 all pages of the 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 all the Newspapers' Web site. Two separate "packages" were offered to advertisers. One was for a campaign that appeared only on the pages of the Winston-Salem Journal Web site. The other offered was as campaign that appeared on the combined pages of all six Media General Carolina Community Newspaper Web sites. For each campaign offered the advertiser was charged a specific monthly fee for a 12-month commitment. Each advertiser had the option to purchase one or both packages.
Sales Strategy
In order to create excitement among the traditional ad reps at all of the Media General Carolina newspapers, a contest was created that pitted the sales teams of the combined community newspapers against the sales team of Winston Salem property. Cash bonuses and incentives were offered, as well as a grand prize, which included the winning team being able to watch and heckle the ad director of the losing team, as he washed and detailed the winning ad director's car. 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. The Blinder Group worked with the Winston-Salem property, while Senior Associate Barbara Wickman traveled among the six community newspapers.
Results
In one single week, over $100,000 of new online revenue was generated as direct result of the program. "The initiative was a success, thanks to the enthusiastic, motivated and dedicated Blinder Group team," stated Jamie Asquith, General Manager for the Media General North Carolina Web efforts. "The program began with Mike and our sales managers at each location holding a 'stakeholders' meeting' to craft an idea that would work in each of our markets. Next, our interactive media team worked on the back-end of things to ensure that the program we created would be flawless when launched. Finally, the newspaper sales teams worked together with the Blinder associates to sell 17 advertisers into the program in just five days. Mike and his team did an outstanding job!"
The Journal is a 87,000 weekly publication located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For more local information on the local sales strategy of this program, contact:
Bill Downey, Ad Director Winston-Salem (NC) Journal
336 727 7335
wdowney@wsjournal.com
The Media General Carolina Community newspapers are a combination of 6 award winning publications, all dominant in their respective communities. For more local information on the local sales strategy of this program, contact:
Dwaine Menscer, Director of Sales Media General North Carolina Community Newspapers
828 322 4510 x385
For local information on online elements, contact:
Jamie Asquith, GM Media General IMD North Carolina Group
336 727 4062
jasquith@journalnow.com
Lead consultant for The Blinder Group:
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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