Print in a multimedia strategy

[Erik Grimm]

How do you account for an investment in a newspaper campaign? How do you point out it's contribution in a multimedia campaign. Do you have experience with the strengths of newspapers in a multimedia setting. How did you do this evaluation? Let's hear your experience.

Working for the central marketing organisation of newspapers we have experience of accounting for newspaper campaigns. From the Adverting Research Foundation we know the metrics used could be circulation, media-, page or adverting reach or sales leads. But how do you adapt this old theory to a modern multimedia campaign?

[Kelly Gomez]

When done correctly- targeted by area and audience newspaper is still a very effective form of media. Remind your client of the demographic that a newspaper brings- higher educated, higher income, more disposable income, etc. Just as in all other forms of media newspaper has niche markets as well- zones, specialty pieces, local forms, etc. Newspapers on a large scale are on the decline due to readership moving to the on-line format except at the weeklies and local levels. When people want reliable local news that is still where they turn first, at least in the US market.

[Michel Eek]

I agree, since online has not been able yet to open up the market of local news. This has been the case here in the Netherlands as well.
Kelly Gomez said:

When people want reliable local news that is still where they turn first, at least in the US market.

[Harry Wilson]

Here in the Uk National Press advertising I believe is a strong base to support any other media. If you are running an online media campaign wether you are selling a brand or product, or even launching a new web site, a newspaper campaign is a great way to either point consumers to your new web site or support an online product campaign. In the past I have used press advertising on its own to promote a single brand and in conjunction with poster advertising to great success.
I have also had clients in the past being concerned regarding the clutter in press advertising, this is where the buying skills came into place. Basically I insisted that all my ads (25x4) were solus on the page and if the newspapers could not guarantee this then they didn't carry the campaign (and we didn't pay a premium for this either).
So press can be a lead medium or support many other media opportuniies, of course taking into account the target market, creative execution and budget available.

[Wietse Sluimer]

Like any other marketing tool newspaper ads or advertorials may or may not contribute to your campaign goals. It really depends on the goals you set to achieve.
If you plan to launch a new brand into the world, a newspaper ad will contribute to the brand awareness. But if you plan to sell a product to a specific group of customers, the costs per sold product are probably too high.

I have some experience with a newspaper campaign in combination with a great website. We used some local and some national newspapers in search for new collegues. In these ads we pointed the candidates to our website which is specifically built for this campaign. Newspaper ads worked great.

The use of newspaper ads should not be a goal. Perhaps the ad space in your newspaper website or e-mail will help you to account for new business revenue.

[Michel Eek]

Here you go, Highly qualified people mostly work somewhere and are probably better reachable with a national newspaper then with a jobsite IMHO. They do not look for another job and are not likely to visit a jobsite, but surely read a newspaper. Especially the one in the weekends.

Wietse Sluimer said:

I have some experience with a newspaper campaign in combination with a great website. We used some local and some national newspapers in search for new collegues. In these ads we pointed the candidates to our website which is specifically built for this campaign. Newspaper ads worked great.
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