ONE copy costs less than a loaf of bread, a cup of coffee or a bus ticket. These everyday items are essential in their own way but do not inform, entertain or inspire. Do they provoke emotion, offer knowledge or improve lives?
By Brett Taylor, Editorial Coordinator, PANPA
Newspapers are complex: whether the staff is two or 200, the editorial, advertising and production functions must work together with intricate systems and equipment. If you compare that with a $3.50 coffee or $4 loaf, newspapers are value.
Do readers know this? And if they don’t, why haven’t we told them?
The Chronicle of Toowoomba did just that last Saturday, running a Page 12 article, modestly headlined “HOW THE CHRONICLE SAVES THE DAY!”
Editor Steve Etwell told readers why his newspaper is a good buy in hard times: “Every single day we supply in-depth material in both editorial and advertising columns that will save you MUCH more than the cost of the paper.”
He backed up this claim by pointing to four special advertiser deals in that edition.
“It’s an action-packed, bargain-stuffed package that offers hundreds of ways to save you time, energy and heaps of dollars…not bad for just $1.10 daily,” he wrote.
Etwell, who chaired a session at PANPA08, credits the idea for the piece to his group editor-in-chief, APN Australian Publishing’s Terry Quinn. Some of The Chronicle’s sister publications will be running similar articles.
The self-promotion strategy has contributed to The Chronicle adding an extra 410 subscribers, with a goal of 750 by year’s end, Mr Etwell said.
Traditionally, the news may have sold the newspaper. But these days, a reader can get similar stories from a variety of sources. “Newspapers are traditionally the worst self-promoters,” Etwell lamented this week. “We know we have a great product, but do our readers know?”
In the US state of Maine, a city’s daily paper is taking the value proposition a step further with a money-back guarantee.
Lewiston’s Sun Journal is running a daily box on its front page featuring ideas for pinching the pennies in tough times.
Readers can claim back some or all of the $97 six-month subscription fee if they don’t recoup that much in savings by following the everyday tips.
The paper hopes the offer will prevent it from being chopped from the tightening family budget.
Tags: sun journal, the chronicle
