The Kubas/MacDonald Classified Strategies Survey -- another invitation

It's been more than 10 days since we promoted the Kubas/MacDonald Classified Strategies Survey on this blog. So far it's received a lot of attention from newspaper executives around North America, but we're always looking for more information to make this one of the most well-rounded surveys ever about the state of the industry and where it's headed.

Please consider visiting www.kubas.com/insideclassified to read the survey questions and answer them; it can easily be completed within the first part of your lunch hour, and the benefits will be huge: you will receive an executive summary of the results when they have been tabulated by Kubas.

Your expertise about your newspapers' classified advertising multiplied by hundreds of newspaper executives throughout the world equals a wealth of information for you to share with your colleagues within your department and beyond. Please consider taking the survey today.

Suggestion For September 30, 2008

September is Shameless Promotion Month according to Chase's Calendar of Events 2008. It is a time for people and businesses shamelessly and outrageously promote themselves and their products.

How much do you and your colleagues promote the newspaper classifieds in print and online? How much do you promote them in another medium? This is the time to promote all your wonderful products and services to your community -- not just your readers. Find a way to market yourself on billboards, TV and radio; hold a huge community event where people can gather, enjoy some food and get a free copy of the newspaper; scour the Yellow Pages & Craigslist and other sources for those businesses who don't know how great you are and make an effort to contact them during this month -- be shameless. Be outrageous. Be controversial. Be top of mind. No one else is going to do this for you, right?

Suggestion For September 28 & 29

In the United States, the week of September 28-October 4, 2008, is the last week that each state allows citizens to register for the November general elections. After this week, different deadlines pass in different states.

Why not encourage your readers of voting age to register — or confirm their registration — by creating a portal on your Web site where they can access information like registration deadlines, places to register and much more? Perhaps your newspaper building could serve as a registration location, pending government requirements.

On September 29, 1899, the Veteran of Foreign Wars was established. Salute this organization with an online portal where veterans of the armed forces can be honored, or perhaps with a tabloid publication.

Suggestions For September 26 & 27

September 26, 2008, is Love Note Day. Align your online customer-self-service technology so visitors can choose from a variety of templates to create a short love note, then give them the ability to send that love note via e-mail to their loved ones.

Offer a special prize — some visitors will win a small box of chocolates (or tickets to an event, or flowers, or whatever comes to mind) after sending the e-Love Note. Have your colleagues track the number of e-Love Notes sent, then select every 52nd or 111th — or whatever random number works best — as a winner. You might even offer an option for Love Notes senders to link to the businesses offering the prizes, so they can buy something special for their loved ones, rather than leaving it up to chance.

September 27 is filled with many options for revenue-generating ideas: Ancestor Appreciation Day, Family Health And Fitness Day — USA, National Public Lands Day, R.E.A.D. In America Day, World Tourism Day. Feel free to explore options in those areas, but I'd like to suggest National Hunting And Fishing Day as a date upon which to generate revenue.

Whether for sport or sustenance, millions of people take part in hunting and fishing. For those who do it for the sport, consider giving them a forum where they can share photos of their kill with others who enjoy the sport. This can be an online gallery or a private party page in your newspaper. And hunters and fishermen of all ages will appreciate a directory of businesses who cater to their needs. No doubt there are more than a few in your own community that would love to show their support in print or online.

Fresh Idea

Last month, we featured an ad from Amanda Massey, sales executive at Cox Ohio Publishing Recruitment Solutions. When she talked with me about that ad, she also included another spec ad that was created for consideration but ultimately was rejected, as she explains below. While we often feature spec ads that became print ads, sometimes it's important to remember that some of the ads that didn't catch the eye of one advertiser may knock the socks off another.

"We had a tagline of 'Opportunities are in Bloom.' Spring flowers with actual people, yes people, morphing out of them lined the bottom of the border. I thought it was the coolest thing since A/C but they didn’t agree and laughed at my expense for a few days. So, know the first try won’t always perfect! You may not always be on the same page but, with a little communication, you’ll get them exactly what they’re after!"

The ad, designed by Leslie Brooks, is below. Please let me know if you adapt this ad for your market.

Want to reach kids? Target their mothers.

School Family Media surveyed 1,200 mothers involved with Parent-Teacher Organizations and Parent-Teacher Associations about kid- and parent-targeted advertising in schools. According to the survey results, 73% of respondents said parent-targeted advertising is more acceptable than advertising targeted at kids. Eighteen percent said both are acceptable, 6% said neither is acceptable and 3% said kid-targeted advertising is more acceptable than parent-targeted advertising.

Among kid-related advertising, advertising on book covers was deemed acceptable by only 33% of respondents. Reward programs were deemed acceptable by 85% of respondents, though; programs specifically named in the survey include a Pizza Hut promotion in which students received pizza coupons in exchange for reading books, and Topps of the Class, in which students receive trading cards as a reward for good grades.

The online survey has a plus/minus 3% margin of error.

Industry Movement

Al Autry has succeeded Stephen Bernard as senior vice president of advertising at the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee. Autry had previously served at The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., as its senior vice president of advertising.

Stephen Bernard is McClatchy’s vice president/advertising. He had previously been the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee’s senior vice president of advertising.

Dave Boden, the former vice president of marketing and advertising at the Cumberland (Md.) Times-News, is the publisher of the Mineral Daily News-Tribune in Keyser, W.Va.

Slone Cansier, who had been the advertising manager at the Murray (Ky.) Ledger and Times, is the publisher of the News-Democrat & Leader in Russellville, Ky.

Kent Johnson is the vice president of local retail and classified advertising for Orange County Register Communications in Santa Ana, Calif. He had previously served as advertising sales director at the Times-Media in St. Cloud, Minn.

Paul Smurl has been named vice president of advertising at The New York (N.Y.) Times. He had previously been executive director of strategy and planning at the newspaper.

Alex Villoch has returned to the Miami (Fla.) Herald as its senior vice president of advertising. She had been named president and CEO of the Zoological Society of Florida.

Zillow rollout of features begins

Zillow has begun rolling out features to its more than 280 newspaper partners. One such feature is an add-on offered to agents and home sellers who purchase a local newspaper ad; they will have the ability to buy a Zillow "featured" listing.

Beginning with the Philadelphia (Pa.) Inquirer, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, San Francisco (Calif.) Chronicle and San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, several newspapers each week will introduce this listing capability.

Suggestions for September 24 & 25

September 24 has been named National Women's Health & Fitness Day (www.fitnessday.com). There will be thousands of women taking part in more than 700 local events throughout the United States.

Perhaps you and your colleagues at the newspaper can sponsor an already-established event or create an entirely new one for residents in your community. The Web site above lists activities that some local events focus on; perhaps it would be a good resource to begin your search for finding activities and events to play in your own community.

September 25 is the anniversary of the publication of the first American newspaper in 1690, Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick in Boston. Alas, there was only one edition printed because authorities considered it offensive and ordered it to be suppressed.

I don't really have a revenue-generating idea for this anniversary; more than anything I wanted to let you know that newspapers have been facing battles for 318 years in the United States, and no doubt much longer in other countries. But each time, the industry has adapted and remained vital to its local readers and communities. Be strong, believe in what you do, adapt and try new things. Newspapers and their multimedia reach will stay relevant as long as there are leaders in the industry who make strong choices.

Report from Great Britain: Internet advertising will overtake TV advertising in 2008

According to an Enders Analysis forecast, more than 19% of the total ad spend in Great Britain will be done on the Internet, making it the #1 advertising medium in the nation, overtaking television. The forecast suggested Internet advertising would reach 3.56 billion pounds; TV advertising was forecast to be 3.39 billion.

Along with paid search, online video advertising is contributing to the shift to online advertising.

Online classified advertising is expected to slow after growing 54% in 2007; a lack of property and recruitment listings was cited as the reason for the slowdown.

Suggestion For September 23, 2008

September is National Coupon Month. Create a space on your Web site where visitors can download and print coupons from area retailers for free. With click-through statistics tracked on your Web site, you can keep your advertisers apprised of who has downloaded coupons from the site; they'll be given even greater data about the strength of newspapers' multimedia capabilities. Also, why not set up a digital message to push these coupons to users of hand-held mobile devices?

Suggestions For September 21 & 22

September 21-27, 2008, has been designated National Keep Kids Creative Week. The purpose of the week is to encourage children to be imaginative and offer them time for creative play.

According to the entry in Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, "Their busy, task-oriented schedules in home and school give children little room for creative play. Set aside time this week to celebrate the inventive minds of kids. Encourage a child to make up a story, draw, even look for animal in cloud shapes — let their imaginations soar."

This may be the perfect chance for you and your newspaper colleagues to put together a children's creativity fair, bringing together several activities during which kids can use their imaginations. Some possible businesses and organizations that can take part include:

• community theaters
• art museums
• dance studios
• music studios
• cooking schools
• photography studios
• writing groups

Children are not supposed to be miniature adults, with everything they do centering around final results, and winning or losing. They need time to play, pretend and be creative. Your newspaper can be the community leader that helps to promote this.

There are several celebrations and historical events for September 22, 2008, including American Business Women's Day, the first day of Autumn, Dear Diary Day, Elephant Appreciation Day and the creation of the ice cream cone. It is also the day the establishment of the office of the U.S. Postmaster General, back in 1789.

Honor the United States Postal Service on September 22 by creating a themed page, with the organization's history as well as information about your local post office. And encourage businesses and civic organizations of all kinds to sponsor the page; you may even wish to donate revenue from the page to the USPS' charities.

Suggestions For September 20, 2008

September 20 is Wife Appreciation Day, during which husbands show how much they appreciate and love their wives. It is suggested that on this day that husbands "communicate the difference your wife makes into your life."

Why not bring together retailers from all sectors of business in your community to create a Wife Expo, where husbands and wives can find fun ways to celebrate their commitment to one another? You'll be bringing people to retailers and encouraging couples to spend time together on Saturday, September 20.

Suggestions For September 19, 2008

Bring some levity to your property on September 19, 2008, by celebrating "International Talk Like A Pirate Day." Encourage your inside sales professionals to dress like pirates, talk like pirates and celebrate like pirates during the day. There are also opportunities for pirate-related contests:

• Create a treasure map contest — for each particular metric achieved during the day, the office gets closer to a terrific reward. You can track upsells, callbacks, phone call characteristics, whatever works best for your department.
  
• Walk the plank contest — use monitoring to determine how many checklist points your reps incorporate into their calls. The more they incorporate, the farther along they go on the "plank." If they incorporate enough checklist points, they leave the plank to dive into the sea of money — an instantly awarded prize.

Visit www.talklikeapirate.com to learn more about the day.

September 19 is also National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette requests Wal-Mart remove links

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette officials confirmed that links to its Web site have been removed from the Wal-Mart classified advertising site after they made the request to the retailer. Wal-Mart said it will honor all such requests from other advertising suppliers.

Internet advertising in Canada forecast: "blistering"

Rita Trichur of The Toronto Star reported that Internet advertising in Canada will grow "at a blistering pace" into a $3.4 billion (U.S.) industry. Trichur cited PricewaterhouseCoopers' most recent Global Entertainment Media Outlook, which suggested Internet-based advertising in Canada will experience 21.1% annual compound growth rate through 2012.

Trichur reports newspapers are expected to see a "marked shift" as readers move from print to online.

"Total newspaper advertising is forecast to rise to $3 billion in 2012 from $2.7 billion in 2007, the study says, adding that digital advertising will probably fuel much of that gain," Trichur writes.

PricewaterhouseCoopers suggests, however, that the demographic of 50+ year olds will use the media to which they've become accustomed. Because older generations will balance the Internet generations, the company suggests traditional media will remain "significant."

Suggestion For September 18, 2008

The Air Force became a separate military service on September 18, 1947. Honor those who have served in this branch of the military in the past and the present by creating a publication that includes interviews with members of the Air Force who live in your community. You can also memorialize those who died during their service. Remind sponsors that the purpose of this publication -- whether it's a page or a separate special section -- is to honor those who served their country; they'll understand that their logos should be small, tasteful and used only for branding.

MacDonald & Kubas Consultants partner on survey.

We're partnering with Kubas Consultants of Toronto on an online survey about classifieds and strategies. Visit www.kubas.com/insideclassified to answer the questions.

You'll receive an executive summary of the report once it has been created.

Suggestion for September 17, 2008

September 17, 2008, marks the 221st anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. The day kicks off Constitution Week, which runs through September 23, and is also recognized as Pledge Across America day, the day on which the nation is urged to say a united Pledge of Allegiance at 2 p.m. EST (8 a.m. Hawaiian).

Automotive dealers are among the first to line up for patriotic initiatives and may be interested in sponsoring pages educating readers on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights or even the words to the Pledge of Allegiance. What other patriotic advertisers do you have in your market who might be interested in promoting the anniversary of a major moment in the history of the United States?

Suggestion for September 16, 2008

Today, General Motors marks its 100th years in existence. Begun as a holding company for Buick, the manufacturer now holds a number of brands, including Chevrolet, GMC, Pontiac, Saturn, Cadillac, Opel, Saab, Vauxhall, Holden, Daewoo, Hummer (for now - see this story) and of course Buick. Work with your GM dealers to find ways to celebrate the company's long history as well as each dealer's history in the market. How have they seen GM products change over the years as dealers? Consider using timelines or "blast from the past" themes in addition to dealer stories of their time in the market to add a local, nostalgic flavor to the brand and bring traffic to your dealers' lots that they may badly need in a tough economy.

Suggestion for September 15, 2008

September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs until October 15. The 30 day period includes a number of major events for countries in Latin and South America. These include the independence days of:

Belize (September 21)
Costa Rica (September 15)
El Salvador (September 15)
Guatemala (September 15)
Honduras (September 15)
Mexico (September 16)
Nicaragua (September 15)

With the Hispanic population increasing regularly in the United States, most markets should be able to support special pages, sections or even live events to celebrate Hispanic heritage. Carefully study the demographic in your market to determine how best to celebrate Hispanic heritage during this period.

Suggestion for September 14, 2008

September 14 marks the beginning of Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs from September 14 - 20. It is held annually in the third week of September.

How can you show your community's appreciation for these educators who ensure that students have no hiccups in their continuing quest for education? Talk with area schools and businesses to find ways to commemorate the efforts of these individuals who allow our public education systems to run seamlessly through unforeseen circumstances.

Suggestion For September 13, 2008

In autumn, football fans gather hours before a game — college and professional, alike — to celebrate their team's season (or complain about it) and eat and drink. Huge campers, grills, ice chests, lawn chairs and more have become commonplace on paved parking lots during this time of year. People take their tailgating very seriously.

This month, why not publish a business-building page so these fans can get the best idea of where to go to buy their new grill, ice chest or trailer? Let them know the best places to find the drinks and food they love. They'll also be interested in buying anything decked out in their favorite team's colors or decorated with their team's mascot. A tailgating market page may be just what your readers are looking for this September. And October. And November. Which would suggest that a package deal might be in the works for those businesses that want to appear in each weekly edition of the page.

For an example of what a such a tailgating page might look like, look at page 8 of the upcoming issue of Inside Call Center. It will arrive at your office in about 10 days.

Suggestion For September 12, 2008

At least two car shows take place on September 14, 2008: the Bennington Car Show held in Pownal, Vt., and the On The Waterfront Swap Meet And Car Show in St. Ignace, Mich. These shows focus on what newspapers promote best: the local scene. Car shows excite people because they bring in classic, vintage, sporty and all-other-kinds-of-adjective vehicles that their friends and neighbors drive. For a lot of people, looking at a nicely restored — or well kept — vehicle is nothing short of heaven. Auto shows that highlight the latest models from all the major manufacturers are nice, but nothing beats seeing cars that people drive every day.

Create an event in your own market where people can show off their vehicles — cars, trucks, tractors, motorcycles, whatever — in front of others who will be very appreciative. Contests can be held for vehicles in different categories, there can be music and food and fun activities all day long, and your automotive dealerships may want to pitch in and sponsor part of the event.

You can also put a twist to this idea by creating an "ugly vehicle" show. We covered a couple of these in a previous issue of Inside Automotive and both were fun events for the newspapers that sponsored them.

New Member of the MacDonald Family

No, we don't mean our interns. As some of you may recall, we reported back on November 1 that Olivia Sarault announced her pregnancy with this shirt:


This morning, we got news that she's off to the hospital for Baby Sarault's arrival. Please join us in wishing her the best, and we'll keep you updated right here on the blog as we get more information!

2:17 pm - Olivia just phoned in - the baby, Luke Charles, was born at 12:23. He is 20 inches long and weighs 7 lbs, 8 oz. Congratulations to Olivia, Drake and Ethan on their new family member!

Mobile Advertising

The subject of this month's Inside Online Editor's Note is the transition to mobile messaging and a challenge to address this transition creatively. One whitepaper that may be of use for those needing a grounding in mobile advertising is "Mobile Advertising ~ Because I'm Worth It" by Dr. Windsor Holden for Juniper Research. The whitepaper can be downloaded for free here. It is an excerpt from a larger analysis of what mobile advertising has to offer today and over the next few years.

Suggestion For September 11, 2008

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Another attack was avoided later that day.

Help your readers and citizens remember those who lost their lives on September 11. Many people were affected and the entire United States still has scars from that day. Heal, remember and honor on September 11 in whatever tribute you feel most fitting.

Suggestion For September 10, 2008

September 10 is Swap Ideas Day. According to Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, it is a day during which people are encouraged "to explore ways in which their ideas can be put to work for the benefit of humanity, and to encourage development of incentives that will encourage use of creative imagination."

How often do you and your colleagues actively solicit ideas from your sales reps, your vertical managers, you supervisors, your production department and others in your newspaper? How often do you actively solicit ideas from your customers — internal and external — about your products and processes? I imagine the answer is "Quite often," and while that's a fine accomplishment, do suggestions come only on spur-of-the-moment, light-bulb-appearing-over-the-head realizations?

On September 10, actively dig down into your customers' thoughts by inviting them to take time to brainstorm ideas to make improvements to your processes and products. Sit down with a group for 10 minutes and just throw out ideas — whatever comes from it, write it down. Discuss for a short while. And then take a five minute break. And after that break, brainstorm for 15 more minutes.

One of the speakers at this year's Society of Classified Advertising Managers of America conference in Dallas told attendees that the best ideas usually come after the first flood of ideas comes roaring out of the gate. After that initial rush, people's minds are still actively focused on the process of brainstorming, but having time to polish their thoughts — that break in-between — will make their next suggestions that much more focused. At least that's what I thought she was saying ... anyone from SCAMA want to clarify?

Regardless, sit down and talk with people on a regular basis to discuss ideas. Don't leave idea generation to "inspiration" or "light-bulb-appearing-over-the-head moments" — people need to use their muscles, including the ones that foster imagination — on a regular basis. Every week or month, find out three things that your papers does well and three things that can be improved. And move from there.

Suggestion For September 9, 2008

September 9 is Wonderful Weirdos Day. To highlight the day, plan a contest during which your sales reps can dress weirdly, act weirdly and celebrate weirdly. Getting a good laugh during the workday never hurt anyone, and perhaps morale can be boosted even higher. Consider the following:

• A Weird Wardrobe Contest. You can follow a theme (color, type of clothing) or do a free-for-all. The top entries win five free movie passes or something like that.
• A Weird Gift Exchange. The reps draw names and give White Elephant gifts to one another.
• A Weird Staff Luncheon.
• A Weird Sales Contest. Ask your reps what they want to sell and measure for the full day. Perhaps it's something as innocuous as full-color photos. Perhaps it's an eye-catcher for in-column ads.

Tap into the weirdness and creativity of your sales reps and other colleagues to make the workday fun on September 9. Laugh a little, applaud them a little and enjoy yourselves.

Suggestions For September 7 & 8, 2008

National Assisted Living Week runs September 7-13, 2008. It is sponsored by the National Center for Assisted Living, and its goal is to raise awareness about how assisted living plays a part in the lives of the elderly.

Why not publicize a different assisted living residence each day of the week in your classified section or, perhaps, your real estate pages during this week? Your older readers may be interested in learning about living options where they can downsize their belongings and live a simpler life. It may also make sense to create a direct mail piece with this information and send it to households that meet certain demographic criteria. If it's true that newspapers' readership is growing older, use it as leverage when telling these prospective advertisers how to best reach those people they wish to service.

September 8 is Boss/Employee Exchange Day. Perhaps this could be the beginning of an initiative in which you and your supervisors spend the full day servicing your advertisers and your prospects, going on outside sales calls to real estate professionals, automotive dealerships and other classified-related businesses and organizations. You may also want to work on private party calls all day long, setting an example to your reps about how you'd like them to work with customers over the phone.

No doubt classified managers and vertical-specific managers do this on a regular basis, but how often do your reps have the opportunity to see what the workday is like from their boss' perspective? Show them what your workday looks like, invite them to meetings, have them read the paperwork that you have on your desk. They'll get a greater appreciation of what you do, plus it could be the beginning of training your reps to take on additional tasks and develop their career paths at the newspaper.

Windows Live Expo to shut down in July

Microsoft's Windows Live Expo, which launched in February 2006, will be shut down July 31. According to a post on the Web site expo.live.com, it is no longer possible to create a new account, post a new listing, extend a listing or upgrade a listing to a premium level. All listings on the site will remain until they expire.

Suggestion For September 6, 2008

National Childhood Injury Prevention Week runs September 1-7, 2008. During the course of this week, solicit your medical professional advertisers for tips that parents, teachers and other adults can implement to make the lives of children a little bit safer. Perhaps these tips are published in an ROP booklet, with each page consisting of the tip and a small signature ad. Or maybe you and your colleagues create a Kids Stay Safe wrap that includes these tips in an editorial format on one side and a signature page with ads on the other.

The tips could be autumn-related, but kids need to stay safe year-round; if your contacts offer advice for the winter, spring or summer, it will ad to the keepsake quality of the publication.

A Quick Overview of Stats from Borrell Associates

A May 2008 report from Borrell Associates shows an increase in overall local ad revenues. Here are some numbers:

• Local ad revenue online will grow by 50% from $8.7 billion in 2007 to $13.1 billion in 2008.
• Local online ad revenue for newspapers will likely increase from $3.1 billion in 2007 to $3.7 billion in 2008.
• Newspaper Web sites receive an average of 11.7% of local advertising revenue, or more than $2 billion.
• The top earner among the largest 200 newspapers captured over 78% of local spending in its market.
• In total, newspapers brought in 24.6% of overall ad spending in 2007, highest among media formats. In second place was Broadcast TV sites, which brought in 6.9%.
• According to Borrell, classified advertising — because of its high profit margins — is still perceived to be crucial to newspapers.

Suggestion For September 5, 2008

September is designated as International People Skills Month, while September 1-7, 2008, is International Enthusiasm Month. Consider acknowledging both of these by training your inside sales reps on methods to develop rapport with their clients and remain positive and upbeat for the duration of the business day. Some tips to consider, which come from multiple sources, include:

• Placing a mirror at the workstation so reps can see how they would look if the communication were face-to-face.
• Ending sentences and questions with a vocal tone that ends "up" rather than "down."
• Smiling while on the telephone.
• Matching the speed and volume of the other person's voice.
• Learning how to diffuse a caller's anger, while understanding that the anger isn't personal.

Would roleplay work well in these training sessions? No doubt. Would pairing a senior rep with a inexperienced rep so that both can learn from one another be helpful? Yes, as long as you or your supervisors ensure that no bad habits are learned this way. Could you bring in a trainer who works specifically on these issues? Of course.

Help your reps remember that enthusiasm is important on the job, and that people can tell when those they speak with on the telephone are not enthusiastic.

RE: Wal-Mart, Oodle Partner

I've seen a number of messages flying around on various forums about the Wal-Mart - Oodle partnership over the last two days, and I have to say that I seem to have missed something. While newsworthy that Wal-Mart feels there is money to be made in online classifieds as my colleague Roger Wendt noted, I don't foresee a huge threat from Wal-Mart at this time for several reasons. These include:

• Wal-Mart has been seen as the bane of the small, local businesses. How can that image be transformed overnight into the place to go for community shopping that happens to be hosted by a national store?
• Those who go to Wal-Mart are looking for affordable goods, which should in theory put them in line with classifieds. However, when was the last time you went to walmart.com before going to pick up a bathroom mat, some shampoo and the new Harry Potter DVD? You probably assumed they had them at a good price and showed up at the store. This is probably the case for 95% or more of all Wal-Mart trips I've ever made, even as a broke college student. I'd question how often Wal-Mart customers utilize the Web site when Amazon seems to offer a superior online shopping experience.
• Many of the people who frequent Wal-Mart and (maybe) walmart.com are looking to spend as little as possible on an item. Many of the people who frequent newspaper Web sites are looking for something specific in good condition. Which audience will provide better consumers for most classified advertisers?
• How many people will have to double check the asking price for items they are posting to be certain they're not being undercut by Wal-Mart prior to posting?

Aside from the fact that Wal-Mart is coming somewhat late to the game (but perhaps ahead of some newspapers, sadly) of online classifieds, there are a number of elements working against it given its corporate image as a company whose arrival portends the end of small businesses as we know them.

My analysis is that newspapers who are currently executing classifieds online reasonably well right now (not just cutting and pasting from your back-end system and leaving a long page of text ads separated by bars) should have a sufficient lead on WalMart.com and other national stores that may want a piece of the pie provided they continue to research how the market would like to access their classifieds and invest in making their own online classifieds a marketplace and a destination for area residents. Newspapers that can't or won't do that, though, may yet find that Mom & Pop shops aren't the only businesses with things to worry about from Wal-Mart's arrival in the market ...

Suggestion for September 4, 2008

Today is a Two For the Price of One (free!) Suggestion Day.

September 4, 2008, is Newspaper Carrier Day. It marks the anniversary of the hire of the first U.S. newsboy, 10-year-old Barney Flaherty. Do your newspaper carriers use the classified print or online product? If so, ask them to appear in a testimonial ad that supports the power of newspaper classifieds. Could they ask for testimonials from your subscribers? Consider that as a possible way to bring the true front-line of your organization into the marketing plans your products.

September 4 is also Animals Day in Curaçao. The country's Association for the Protection of Animals holds an animal show at which prizes are awarded for the best-kept animals.

You know that people love showing off their pets, whether they have four legs, two legs or no legs at all. Consider going beyond a traditional private party page in which people send in photos of their pets. Consider instead creating an event in which people can register their pets to be judged and seen in person by people of your community. As with Curaçao's Animals Day animal show, awards can be presented for all kinds of categories.

Wal-Mart, Oodle partner

Wal-Mart has entered the world of online classifieds, partnering with Oodle to create a beta classifieds site at walmart.com. Visit the beta site by going to www.walmart.com/classifieds or walmart.oodle.com.

Palatka Daily News reduces newsprint size

The Palatka (Ill.) Daily News has announced it will reduce its newsprint size from from 50" to 46". A message was sent to advertisers to inform them that ads will appear eight percent smaller than before, but the page size also decreased eight percent meaning ads will retain their visual impact. The message, from Publisher Rusty Starr, also said the smaller format would be easier for readers.

How do you increase garage sale ad sizes & schedules?

One of our good friends in Illinois has posed the question of how newspaper advertising departments are increasing the size of garage sale ads and the length of time in which they run?

He knows about newspapers partnering with local franchises like burger joints and pizza places and doughnut/donut stores, but is looking for something simpler to conceive and execute at his newspaper.

What has worked for you and your colleagues in the past and present? What hasn't worked? What pie-in-the-sky possibilities has no one tried, but would find interesting?

What about:

• Selling garge sale signs with codes on the bottom, with the code also being published at the bottom of the garage sale ad?
• Sending out a garage sale squad to a garage sale site during the day, and bringing coffee/donuts/napkins/music to the site ... but only for those garage sales that run ads in two days of the print product (or on the Web site)?
• Interviewing garage sale private party advertisers, and placing a direct quote about "The Most Interesting Item For Sale" in the ad?
• Requiring garage sale private party advertisers to list — via bullet points — at least three items for sale at the site? I don't much care for this option, as I dislike requirements.
• Publishing the full address of the garage sale at the top and the bottom of the ad?

But hey, I'm not the expert in newspaper classified advertising -- you are. Share your ideas by leaving a comment and let's see what we come up with.

Industry Movement

Sheri Crown of the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune has been named the newspaper’s online sales manager. She had previously been the newspaper’s retail sales manager.

Marvin Rone is classified manager at the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune. He had previously served as the automotive sales manager at the newspaper.

Clint Schroeder has been promoted at The Honolulu (Hawaii) Advertiser to the position of vice president of advertising. He had previously served as the newspaper’s retail advertising director.

Suggestion for September 3, 2008

September is College Savings Month. There are many ways people can save money for college costs, but if they don't know about those processes and procedures it's all for naught. From federally backed grants and savings plans to scholarships from a multitude of civic organizations and businesses, there are literally millions of dollars available for people planning to pay for college.

Help people in your community learn about them. If you've organized a first-time home buyers symposium in your market — bringing together experts on buying a home, financing a home, moving and more — you can use the same format to create a college savings symposium. Even if you are not in a large market with a vast array of financial professionals, your local high school guidance counselors should have quite a bit of information on the availability of scholarships and grants. If you are part of a larger market, invite those counselors to the one-day college savings symposium along with:

• Banking professionals
• Representatives from the student aid departments at institutions of higher learning
• Business owners who offer automatic savings plans
• Leaders of civic organizations that offer scholarships
• Librarians, who will know of resources that list other scholarship opportunities

Perhaps this event will be too targeted for your market, and therefore not pull in enough attendees. Why not make it part of a larger event, a college fair where people of all ages can learn about all facets of places that offer secondary education. And by that I mean colleges and universities, junior colleges, community colleges, trade schools, the military, specialized institutes that focus on design or cooking and more.

If an event isn't possible in your community, at least consider publishing a tab publication or creating a portal on your Web site where readers and site visitors can learn what's available to them. Monetize it if you wish with sponsors — schools, financial institutions, etc. — but do it because there's a real need for this information.

Blog Buzz

I just read an interesting critique of newspapers' transition to online classified advertising and a corresponding response that I thought may be of interest to those who follow this blog. Follow the first link below for the online classifieds critique and the second link for one person's take on both the essay and the attempts by newspapers to find their footing online. Once you have reviewed the pieces, I'd encourage you to comment here and start a conversation about the articles including personal thoughts and responses as well as how your newspaper has worked to transition its classified revenue online ...

Newspaper Classifieds: A franchise lost
Classifieds agonistes (a reply)

Suggestion for September 2, 2008

From September 1 through December 31, 2008, families are challenged to spend time together playing board games and adding their minutes to the running total at www.millionminute.com. The site includes press kits, interviews and special teacher and media information about the Million Minute Family Challenge.

Not only can newspapers promote the Million Minute Family Challenge in their editorial sections, they can also sponsor and promote community events that bring people together to play board games in a relaxed environment. As with any event, sponsors will be needed, but area restaurants, children's clothing stores, entertainment venues and others will surely be keen to take part. There can be food, prizes for high scores, running tallies on the number of minutes your community play board games and much more.

Suggestion for September 1, 2008

Monday, September 1, 2008 is Labor Day in Canada and the United States. Honor the working classes in your community the same way you might honor medical professionals or teachers. Publicize 10 or 15 well-known and well-respected businesses in your market, profiling what makes them exceptional and how they serve their customers, both internal and external. You can solicit suggestions for the profiles from your readers via your Web site and print product, focusing on different types of businesses whether your classify them by industry, the number of employees, geographic region or something else.

This can be a nice entry for your recruitment advertising reps into these businesses, as they talk about what they do well and how they are thriving in the economy. Additionally, your reps can ask for real-life experiences they've had with your newspaper, and perhaps gain some testimonial advertising for the future.

September 1 is also the beginning of National Payroll Week. Honor your payroll and H.R. professionals by taking them out to lunch at least once during the week of September 1-5, 2008.

Suggestion for August 31, 2008

On August 31, 1803, Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark set out on their journey across North America from Pittsburgh, Pa., to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition departed at 11 a.m. with a missive from President Thomas Jefferson to explore the Missouri River and beyond to the Pacific Northwest. The expedition uncovered a great deal of information about largely unexplored swathes of the American West in the wake of the Louisiana Purchase as a result of its three years of exploration. The group reached the Pacific Ocean December 3, 1805, and returned to St. Louis September 23, 1806.

For those on or near the route Lewis and Clark took through the West, advertisers might be interested in sponsoring an informational page on the expedition and its findings. For those looking for alternative advertising options, consider giving readers a similar missive to that given by Jefferson to encourage readers to explore area businesses and learn more about the local community.