New-Mover Programs

New-mover programs are essentially direct-mail campaigns with a twist. The twist is that new mover programs aim specifically at residents new to the area. A key to succeeding with new movers is securing an accurate list of people who have moved recently. Recently is the key. Many people will readjust their habits in their first few weeks in their new home. After those crucial first few weeks, the window of opportunity quickly closes. So while new-mover databases are available from a variety of sources, as you compare sources, the key questions to ask are not only cost, but also accuracy and relevance of the data.

In addition to purchasing lists of new-movers, count on your carriers to help you identify new movers on their routes. Creating incentives for new-movers among your carriers would be a worthwhile investment of incentive dollars. Carriers driving by houses each day will know when a real estate sign goes up and comes down as new people move in. Give that carrier some incentive to leave a door hanger or some other means of selling to that new mover. Better yet, offer a new mover sample of two weeks free. Allow your carriers to provide you with the leads, and you provide the carriers with the sample papers. Paying the carriers a handsome commission for these new-mover sales may be an effective strategy, even with adult carriers.

The direct-mail appeal to new-movers should promote the virtues of your paper in helping people make the many purchases that they need to make as a new home owner, taking advantage of discounts, coupons and advertised specials in the pages of the daily newspaper. And for people who are moving from out of town, the newspaper will be the best way for them to become “locals” as quickly as possible, making them more comfortable with their new hometown.

In addition to reaching home owners through the purchase of new-mover databases and intelligence from carriers, you can work with apartment managers to make sure people moving into apartments are given the opportunity to subscribe with the special offer. In some markets, newspapers have bundled a subscription in with the lease payment, making a sale to new apartment dwellers virtually automatically. In other cases, apartment managers are given an incentive to offer the newspaper, whether bundled or not with the lease. A close relationship with the apartment managers will give you the greatest access to people moving into an apartment complex. That’s why it is so important that you make sure that your door to door crew managers never do anything to undermine your relationships with apartment managers. Think of an apartment manager as a wholesaler representing your access to hundreds and hundreds of high turnover households who would welcome the opportunity to subscribe if you could only reach them to do so. The apartment manager is your gatekeeper so foster that relationship with care.

Many newspapers work closely with utility programs, meaning telephone, cable and power companies. These companies often have immediate data on new home ownership. Cable companies in particular can make good partners with new mover programs. That’s because they are in the same business as newspapers, without really competing directly. Newspapers and cable subscriptions are very complimentary purchases and can make a nice bundled package. Working in synergy with a cable company, you could offer the subscription bundled with cable service. For example, cable companies might sell a basic package, with HBO or other premium programming available along with a subscription to a newspaper. Here again the cable company is like a wholesaler representing your access to thousands upon thousands of new movers each year. Developing a strategic relationship with the cable company serves your interest in reaching the crucial new-mover market. Similar relationships can be developed with phone companies and power companies and other utilities, but the synergy between cable and newspapers is most noteworthy.