Savannah (GA) generates $70k in revenue with regional entertainment and tourism product
The Challenge
Ascertainment of advertisers in the Savannah (GA) market conducted by The Blinder Group, revealed that local residents and visitors to the area commonly travel the one hour distance between Savannah, GA, and Hilton Head, SC, in order to perform a wide variety of entertainment, leisure and tourism activities. In addition, Savannah and Hilton Head are also major tourist destinations. During meetings with senior sales and marketing management of the Savannah Morning News, consensus was reached that a new regional entertainment, tourism and leisure-based Web product would be developed to support a regional sales effort.
Program Overview
The Morning News created a new freestanding print product that served a regional reader and advertiser base. The Best Read Guide had two regional editions--one serving the Savannah market and the other focusing on the Hilton Head area. Content included local and regional entertainment and tourism information. They also had a strong weekend entertainment package. The bundled program included a weekly insertion in the weekend section. To help facilitate reader access to the regional Web information, a singular Web address was created for ease of marketing.
Besides publishing the weekly content from the regional print products, the Web site offered additional content areas that included information on area parks, lodging, music, dining, golfing, area history and more.
Sales Strategy
The Blinder Group assisted the Morning Sun sales team with introducing this product to advertisers by creating a one-page sales sheet and participating in sales calls to close business.
All advertisers who purchased a print ad in the newspaper product and Best Read Guide received a compelling text message on all pages of the Web site that linked to a "pop-up" Web version of their advertisement. The new bundled products were offered to advertisers on a modular basis, with one single ad appearing in three products simultaneously (Newspaper, "Best Read Guide" and Web site). Advertisers purchased the ads based on a two month placement in a single area¹s "Best Read Guide" product (Savannah or Hilton Head) and eight weeks of placement in the associated newspaper¹s Friday entertainment pages ("Savannah Morning News Diversions" pages or "South Carolina Morning News Arts & Entertainment" pages). Advertisers also had the option of purchasing both newspapers and both "Best Read Guides" as a combined regional buy on a monthly basis.
A specific number of premium advertisers were targeted for full year sponsorships. These advertisers were solicited to participate in the program by region, thus offered premium pages in a single area¹s "Best Read Guide" along with ongoing weekly advertising in that area¹s newspaper. Each premium advertiser received added exposure in both print and online.
Results
The new regional product will generate more than $70,000 in revenue for The Savannah Morning News during the first year. Sixty percent of that revenue came from new business. The multimedia program allowed the newspaper to get on average, 30% over the open rate.
See this program live at: http://www.OurCoast.com
Contact Information
The Savannah Morning News is a 61,118 daily newspaper located in Savannah, Georgia.
For additional information about this program, contact:
Jeffrey L. Anderson, Advertising Manager-Classified and Interactive
(912) 652-0200
jeffa@savannahnow.comFor technical information, contact:
Matthew Bogan
(912) 652-0375
mbogan@savannahnow.comLead Consultant for The Blinder Group:
Mike Blinder
(727) 847-2464
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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