ViewPoint
Volume 4 | Number 11 | November 2008

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5 Things I've Learned from the Internet

by Jennifer Armor

Free, Free, Free
Nobody will pay for information anymore because it's available for free from so many other sources. Accept it as the new media reality. Build your business using that understanding. You can't count on subscriber and single copy revenue to meet your budget.

Measurement is King
New media promises more detailed knowledge of demographics and consumer behavior, but the metrics are still evolving. In order to compete, print has to provide the same level of detail moving forward. Return on investment is more important than ever. The better your reach into the advertiser's target market—and the better you can prove it—the more confident they will be in what you have to offer.

You Can't Win the Speed Game
The Internet will always beat you. Provide something that speed can't—in-depth coverage, expert opinion, a large network of sources, how the story impacts your community, and trust. People still trust print media (including the websites of print media) over the Internet, but that advantage is eroding.

Find a Voice
Blogs, newsletters, and user-posted comments all have a specific voice. People respond to this—whether they agree or disagree with the voice doesn't matter. Impartial, balanced coverage has been the bedrock of good journalism and always should be. However, you need to find ways to tap into this trend using more than op/ed pages.

You're Not the Only Game in Town
Accept that print is just a stop along the way to providing information, not the final destination. Most web pages help people find what they want on the rest of the site or the web. They provide links to outside content. Print needs to move away from telling people what they should know to helping them find what they want to know.

This isn't a complete list, but it's a place to begin the conversation. Print media can't be what new media is, but it can learn from its successes and failures. The experts have touted "thinking outside of the box" for print media. Dave Brubek, legendary jazz pianist, said, "There's a way of playing safe, there's a way of using tricks and there's the way I like to play which is dangerously where you're going to take a chance on making mistakes in order to create something you haven't created before."

Syncronex Provides Single Copy Management

As pressure increases on newspapers to cut expenses, publishers are looking for new ways to save. Syncronex, a technology firm based in Bellevue, Washington, offers field-service products that use handheld devices and the Internet to help manage single copy distribution.

Syncronex's Single Copy Edition, a system that allows delivery agents to electronically enter location level draw and return information using either a Palm or Windows CE based handheld, provides publishers real-time data from the field. Information is synchronized back to the circulation system and accessible via handheld or web browser to help manage delivery, improve accountability, and make better distribution decisions.

In addition to improved field management, Single Copy Edition reduces staff time by eliminating manual data entry and allowing direct integration with back-end circulation systems. The application suite also contains reports that help with sales analysis and audit tracking.

According to JoAnn Gottschalk, Syncronex's Marketing Manager, "Our solution facilitates more than the collection of distribution data. While automation of manual processes is an obvious cost savings to our clients, the Single Copy Edition also provides newspapers the added value of tracking multiple publications, capturing signatures for proof of delivery, invoicing, and sales forecasting."

Providing accurate data is vital to the audit process and circulation management. Issue summaries along with accurate drop and return totals and adjustments make the audit process more efficient. In addition, precise route lists and driver lists are essential to passing any field surveys.

To learn more about Syncronex products, email sales@syncronex.com or visit www.syncronex.com.

Events Calendar

ABM and B to B Media Business's Streaming Video 360:
Unlock Your Revenue and Profit Potential with Streaming Video
January 3, 2009
New York, NY
www.americanbusinessmedia.com

Western Publisher's Association 2009 Maggie Awards Entries
January 6, 2009 (deadline for entries)
www.wpa-online.org

Magazine Marketing/Writing Proposals For Today's Integrated Sales
December 11, 2008
New York, NY
www.magazine.org

Kidsville News Annual Conference
January 15 – 17, 2009
Orlando, FL
www.kidsvillenews.com

MPA-IMAG TFIG: End of 2008 Wrap Up with Nina Link
December 19, 2008
New York, NY
www.magazine.org

CRMA Winter Publisher's Round Table
January 8 – 10, 2009
Phoenix, AZ
www.citymag.org

INMA Summit on Audience Development
January 21 – 23, 2009
Scottsdale, AZ
www.inma.org

If you have an event that you would like to announce, please send your information
to e-newsletter@verifiedaudit.com.

Snapshot of Media Plans & Budgets For 2009

At the recent "Masters of Marketing" Conference by the Association of National Advertisers, 1,200 client-side marketers, media and creative agencies, and others were polled via handheld devices about their marketing mix, budgets, plans, and tactics throughout the event. The results are shown below.

Adjustment to current marketing and media plans to account for the recent downturn in the financial markets:

• 33% say spending will be reduced
• 33% say spending will be constant / marketing mix will be reallocated
• 27% expect to spend more
• 8% will keep everything status quo

CEO view of marketing efforts with respect to growth:

• 56% think of brand building as an investment
• 21% think it's an unaccountable but necessary expense
• 15% are not sure
• 8% consider it an unnecessary expense

Preferred social media site for driving brand growth:

• 32% say none
• 20% say YouTube
• 18% say Facebook
• 12% like them all
• 10% say LinkedIn
• 6% MySpace
• 3% Twitter

Plans for marketing expense in 2009 vs. 2008:

• 26% plan to increase spending more than 10%
• 13% plan to increase spending less than 10%
• 28% will hold stable
• 14% will decrease spending less than 10%
• 19% will decrease spending more than 10%

The largest branding discipline offering opportunity for growth:

• 28% say social media integration
• 19% say grassroots, viral public relations
• 17% say traditional 30-second spots
• 16% say web advertising
• 7% say one-page advertisements in a newspaper/magazine
• 7% say direct marketing
• 5% say radio

Company's current measurement method of brand growth:

• 70% say sales and net income
• 15% use third-party brand equity valuations
• 9% think shareholder value
• 4% measure by household penetration
• 3% say company culture

Source: Association of National Advertisers, October 2008

© 2008 MediaPost Communications

Tips & Techniques:
Sell the Value of Verified Audited Circulation to Advertisers

Now that your audit is complete it's time to let advertisers know that your circulation has been validated by Verified. Here's what you should know to help you use your audit to its fullest potential.

Accuracy
Verified's audits provide independently verified circulation data that you can use to demonstrate to advertisers that you will deliver return on investment. Many advertisers won't advertise in publications that aren't audited.

Credibility
Unaudited publications can use any number necessary to sell advertising. If your main competition is not audited, circulation audits give you a good chance to hurt their credibility. If they are already audited, your audit report can show that your publication is better than what your competition is producing.

Simplicity
An audit report helps advertisers make informed buying decisions by providing information in a clear, organized, and standardized format. It allows for an "apples to apples" comparison between publications.

Geographic Data
Beyond circulation figures, audit reports provide a geographic profile of your readers. Audit reports provide a ZIP code analysis that tells advertisers exactly where your publication is going and who is reading it. Zip code data is the most sought-after information by media buyers.

Commitment to Excellence
An audit confirms that you are committed to the highest level of accuracy, accountability, and transparency. Circulation auditing is an extensive process that involves a rigorous review of printing, distribution, and readership data.

Verified regularly provides audit information to advertisers, agencies, and organizations, including Newspaper Services of America, USSPI, Sunflower Group, Target Corp., The Gale Group, Valassis Communications, SRDS, AAN (Association of Alternative Newsweeklies), AWN (Alternative Weekly Network), CARD, Casanova, King Group, Parenting Publications of America, and City Business Journals Network.

Make sure your audited status is incorporated into your media kit and sales material, printed in your publication, and included on your website. Use print or online reports whenever you can. And always feel free to call Verified at 415-461-6006 if you need training, would like house ads, or would like a list of advertisers and agencies in your region.

Please send comments and story ideas to e-newsletter@verifiedaudit.com or contact us at:

Verified Audit Circulation
900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 295
Larkspur, CA 94939-1758
415.461.6006
415.461.6007 fax