Newspaper Advertising
Newspapers are one of the oldest and most established forms
of media still being used today. Since the first newspaper
was published over 200 years ago advertisers have used this
particular medium to bring their brands closer to people’s
lives. A large part of marketing
any product is brand association. By advertising your product
or service with a respected daily newspaper your sales message
will be strengthened and endorsed to the consumer.
If a newspaper advertising campaign
is to be a successful venture then there are many considerations
which should be taken into account beforehand. Over the last
few years there have been many new publications launched and
many which have seen their readership decline, especially
since the birth of the internet and the increase in the amount
of local radio stations. At The Media Cube, we have a vast
amount of expertise and experience where newspaper advertising
is concerned and we can deliver newspaper marketing
strategies which yield the maximum results achievable through
careful planning at the initial stages and our awareness of
the type of reader that certain publications attract. We also
take your newspaper advertising
budget into account as we firmly believe that there is no
sense in wasting time and money on advertising in large publications
that will not be read by the majority of your target audience.
National Newspapers
If you are looking for exposure across the country, then national
press is the best option and these can vary in content and
format. The first stage is to establish your core target market
as ever title offers a slightly different demographic profile.
National press is split into three main categories:
The Qualities/Broadsheets – This includes titles such
as The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and The Independent.
The term ‘broadsheet’ refers to the large format
the papers used to be printed in, however with the trend over
the last couple of years to a tabloid size this term is becoming
less valid.
The Mid Markets – This is made up of The Daily Mail
and The Daily Express. As the name suggests these are aimed
at the middle ground within the UK. However although both
titles have a similar demographic profile they differ considerably
in their editorial approach as well as the number of readers
they have.
The Tabloids/Red Tops – This includes The Sun, The
Daily Mirror and The Daily Star, as well as the Daily Record
in Scotland. The ‘red top’ tag comes from the
papers traditional red style mastheads and as a group they
are aimed at the mass market.
The national press marketplace has come under increasing
pressure over many years as the demands of consumers have
changed and newspapers must fight harder to maintain their
readership figures. This fight has seen many papers lose significant
numbers of readers without, surprisingly, a corresponding
fall in prices.
However finding the right paper or combination of papers
is not the only decision to make, choosing the right size
of advert within the paper as well as position within the
paper and the number of times the advert should run are also
crucial. With the relative high cost of insertions it’s
not a simple of case of buying a full or half page in a paper
a couple of times.
Research has shown there is a diminishing return when it
comes to the level of responses compared to the size of advert
and our expertise in planning and buying is where we can help
you get the best fit for all the possible combinations and
still fall within your budget.
The rapid growth of the Internet has also meant that newspaper
groups have had to expand their medium with online platforms
in order to meet the demands of their consumers. In today’s
world news travels fast and the traditional paper format has
had to adapt in order to ensure they can keep up with these
changes. Thus there are an ever-increasing number of spin
off titles and mediums to choose from which can offer alternate
opportunities to reach that titles audience but at potentially
lower costs. Again, we can help you determine what makes for
a shrewd opportunity and what is simply a waste of money.
Regional Newspapers
If your product or service doesn’t need national coverage,
or your budgets won’t stretch that far yet, then a more
geographically focused regional press campaign can be the
solution.
In many ways regional newspapers have seen the same problems
with readership as national press, however there are many
more exceptions to this rule. Many titles have seen their
readership grow as new, younger audiences, are being reached
through the internet and alongside an expanding range of publications
it has helped them buck the trend.
Unlike national press that is split by their demographic
profiles, regional and local newspapers are focused on geographic
areas. They are an important part of daily life to these areas,
as they communicate to residents a more in-depth focus on
their community and provide a trusted forum for local issues,
concerns and campaigns. This again offers advertisers the
chance to bring their sales message home to their local marketplace
in a trusted environment.
With there being such a vast range of local titles to choose
from, planning a campaign in this medium can be even more
complicated, with one area often being serviced by several
titles. Again our experience here can help you determine the
best combination of titles and sizes to choose from so as
to maximise the return for your budget. It’s not just
a case of using the biggest title in each area, as this will
also be the most expensive and can use up a budget all too
quickly. A careful balance of all options is the best way
to extend the life of your campaign and ensure readers get
to hear about you.
We understand the importance of linking good media planning
with strong negotiation and exciting newspaper creative to
produce the best results.
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