An offer they can't refuse

The Goal

The objective of the News Observer, located in Raleigh, N.C. (170,000; 210,000) was to increase Friday, Saturday and Sunday volumes by offering non-subscribers the weekend package for the price of the Sunday paper at the newsstand. The 13-week offer was promoted with single-copy inserts that were placed into papers in the primary market for four consecutive Sundays (55,000 inserts).

The Story

“The primary focus for this promotion was the fact that you could receive three papers for the price of one delivered to your home. This ‘three-for-one’ was the tagline of all pieces and was the only option offered. It was especially relevant for single-copy buyers because they were purchasing the Sunday product and could see the benefits immediately,” said Direct Sales and Marketing Coordinator Wendy Reeves.

“Our zoning process for single-copy insertion limits our ability to target the market. Without being able to choose our markets, we are limited to a ‘blanket’ strategy for this sales channel. This results in a less-targeted campaign,” said Reeves. So the offer better be good!

“We have gone to a four-up printing process for single-copy inserts. This cuts the size of the piece, but allows for more pieces at the same cost,” said Reeves.

This single-copy insert generated 463 new starts at a 1.1 percent return. Due to the success of the single-copy insert a direct mail campaign with the same offer was mailed.

The Moral of the Story

People want to get a bargain. Give them one and reap the retention rewards by immediately converting once-a-week customers to three-day-a-week customers at no charge. Why would they say no?

Focus like a laser

The Goal

The objective of the News and Observer, located in Raleigh, N.C. (170,000; 210,000) was to target single-copy purchasers in the market with a seven-day offer and a weekend offer, using highly creative and demographically targeted inserts as the advertising medium.

The Story

The theme of the single-copy insert recognized the fast-paced world of the young professional and how the paper would benefit that lifestyle.  It used a fitness theme to grab the 20-to-30-year-olds' attention and borrowed the supplements facts box from a vitamin label to promote the paper’s content.

The High Performance Plan proved to be a success, especially with professional women between the ages of 20 and 30, who comprised 65 percent of respondents. With a 1 percent response, it eclipsed all other full-rate subscription inserts for the year.

The Moral of the Story

Focus a laser on your target market and its special interests. Don't try to appeal to all customers in the same way.