20 Under 40 - 1998 Profile: Michael G. Kane

PRESSTIME

By Presstime Magazine

First Published: December 1998

 Michael G. Kane recently faced one of his biggest marketing challenges: Replace 10 local dailies with one, and educate readers and advertisers about the makeover.
"With most newspapers, any change generates lots of phone calls," says Kane, director of market development for The Journal News, Gannett Co.'s new name for its suburban New York City publications in Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties. "Imagine the response when you change everything. We've gotten a lot of calls, and this being New York, everyone has an opinion."
So far, so good, says Kane, who notes minimum circulation stops and strong single-copy sales since the Oct. 12 debut of the retooled paper's four regional editions.
"A good marketing plan will get the paper into as many hands as possible," he says. "Eventually, that takes a back seat to the product. The product has to hold them."
Kane, named Gannett's "Market-Development Executive of the Year" twice during the last four years, acknowledges that newspaper marketing evolves daily with emphasis on branding, database marketing, research and strategic planning. "We are doing things that I couldn't fathom three-to-five years ago," says Kane, who oversees a staff of 18 with responsibility for marketing communications, public relations, business development and the paper's World Wide Web site, www.nyjournalnews.com.
Kane, second vice president of NAA's Market Development & Promotion Federation, also helped develop the curriculum for the Federation's Marketing Leadership Academy, which grew from two sessions in 1997 to nine in 1998. They cover key marketing principles and focus on skills and ideas needed to build business.
"I can train people to run databases," Kane points out. "It's far tougher to teach leadership."

Education:1981, B.A., communications and journalism, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg; 1989-1992, attended graduate classes at Loyola College's Sellinger School of Business, Baltimore.
Career: 1982-88, assistant to the executive director, International Newspaper Marketing Association, Reston, Va.; 1988-92, marketing and promotion manager, marketing operations manager, circulation promotion manager, The Sun, Baltimore; 1992-93, marketing-services manager, The News Journal, Wilmington, Del; 1993-94, director of market development, Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) Journal; 1994-1998, vice president of market development, Gannett Suburban Newspapers, White Plains, N.Y.; 1998-present, vice president of market development, The Journal News, White Plains, N.Y.,
Personal:Age, 39. Born, Washington, D.C. Married, wife Bonnie, four children.
Diversions:Plays ice hockey, enjoys reading, writing, sports and coaching his children's basketball, hockey and football teams.
Connections:The Journal News, 1 Gannett Drive, White Plains, N.Y. 10604. E-mail, mkane@westches.gannett.com; phone, (914) 694-5353; fax, (914) 696-8152.