If at first you don't succeed, it's too late

The Goal

The objective of The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, located in Sarasota, Fla. (106,767; 131,816) was to create a program that got the newspaper into the hands of new movers ahead of the competition.

The Story

When a new mover calls Florida Power & Light to have electricity turned on, an offer is made to have home delivery of the Herald-Tribune started at the special rate of 50 percent off a seven-day subscription. There is also a step-down offer of weekend only at full price.

“Technology was truly our only hurdle and that was a small one. We had to acquire encryption software and learn how to use it. Also, because it is the most costly acquisition program we have, we needed a solid ROI to justify it to our publisher,” said Circulation Sales and Marketing Manager Jon Wiley, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

The success of the promotion was based on how many hook-ups there were in a given period of time compared to how many of those hook-ups said “Yes” to the newspaper offer. More than 40 percent of the Florida Power and Light customers have accepted the newspaper offer.

The Moral of the Story

Reaching new movers is not necessarily the key; it is reaching them first that is the key to success.