Newspaper Advertising can Still Reach Readers

Newspapers are losing readers to the Internet, mobile phones, and other New Media. This is not exactly a breaking development. Many newspaper publishers have either shut down, gone Web-only, or have had to make other severe adjustments to business models in order to survive.

The problem is, as readers gravitate away, so do the advertisers that seek to reach those readers and subsequently subsidize the production costs of that newspaper.

Read this blog at any length, and you’ll see I offer a lot of commentary that is backed up by Buffalo News articles. I happen to like our hometown newspaper. It’s one of the few good things Buffalo’s got going for it. The reporting and special-interest features are well balanced, the op-eds are often entertaining, the layout and graphics are top notch. And no, I don’t get it all for free by staring at my computer screen all day…broadsheet and ink still serve me better.

So last week I went out to grab my Saturday morning paper and discovered some advertising that was sure to catch readers’ attention better than any old print ad. My paper came rolled up in a plastic bag with bright graphics depicting General Mills’ Fiber One line of cereals, granola bars, and baked goods that come pumped up with cheap fiber additives (cynicism added for emphasis). While an attention grabber in itself, the bag had some goodies in it too. There was a chocolate granola bar and a sample-size box of cereal along with some coupons depicting deliciously photographed baked goods. The ad’s tagline read “Cardboard No. Delicious Yes.™”

Normally my paper—if it even comes bagged—is wrapped in plain plastic. Putting some advertising on that bag is a sure way for advertisers to get noticed, and giving away free samples? Even better yet. This has to work better than printing a standard ad measured in column inches within the paper itself. Costly? I’m sure it is.  And of course it only reaches home-delivery subscribers.  But with a tangible product that appeals to multiple senses, this advertising package could prove a worthy ROI.

As for my take on the products themselves? The chocolate granola bar wasn’t half bad. The Honey Clusters cereal was better than standard fiber-twigs cereal. Neither was very filling, even if loads of fiber is supposed to make you feel full. Ok, so it was better than cardboard, but I was one consumer who isn’t planning to take advantage of “valuable coupons inside.” Nice try, though; it got my attention.

ONE QUICK ASIDE

I also like to get my morning news and talk from WBEN 930AM. In commercials they often rip on Buffalo News, asking “Why pay to read yesterday’s news in print?” Seems like whenever I turn on WBEN, they’re either commentating on Buffalo News’ headlines for the day or I’m forced to listen to crappy commercials for c-pap machines and other nonsense. At least with my printed news I can skim over the ads…just a thought.

The real treat inside this bag was the Saturday edition...