Santa Rosa (CA) generates $62,000 in new online revenue (from existing print advertisers) in just four days
The Challenge
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat has a site with 2.5 million page views. Just like most newspapers, they were looking for ways to generate more revenue off this traffic. During a planning session led by The Blinder Group, the staff of the Press Democrat decided to launch a program that would extend the reach and frequency of their current print advertisers by strategically placing their ads online--next to the high-traffic news stories. Now advertisers were able to reach both print and online newspaper readers and the Press Democrat was able to generate some serious online revenue.
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Program Overview
The Press Democrat created a banner position located just right of the headline of each editorial section. The banner rotated throughout all content areas--giving advertisers maximum online exposure and insuring each advertiser would receive a minimum of 35,000 impressions each month. Because of limited page impressions, this program was limited to just 20 advertisers.
Advertisers were able to place changeable text messages inside the banner position. The messages were linked to a pop up version of the advertiser's newspaper ad which could then be linked directly to the advertiser's Web site and/or e-mail address. The program, called WOW Ads, allowed advertisers to change the online text message each time their print ad changed. This gave advertisers the opportunity to expand the reach and frequency of their print ad by participating in one program.
Sales Strategy
Because of the limited inventory, this program was first offered to existing print advertisers. The sales staff was armed with a rate card and a sales sheet created by The Blinder Group. The sales sheet clearly showed the advertiser how the program would work online--including a visual sample of how the print ads would appear. A consultant from The Blinder Group accompanied the print sales staff on calls to close business.
Results
The Press Democrat launched a four-day sales blitz with The Blinder Group consultant and generated $62,400 in new revenue. All of this revenue was credited to the online department.
"The Blinder Group came in and exceeded all expectations. Not only did they help us to generate over $62,000, but they were vital in developing the program--leaving us with the necessary tools to continue selling even after they left our market," Joanne Davey, Advertising Director.
Contact Information
The Press Democrat is a 92,000 daily located in Santa Rosa, CA.
For more information about the sales strategy of this program, contact:
Joanne Davey, Advertising Director
(707) 526-8561
jdavey@pressdemocrat.com
Nancy Tomaro, Online Operations Manager
(707) 526-8507
nancy@pressdemocrat.com
Lead 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
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profit@blindergroup.com
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