Archive for the ‘Advertising and Journalism’ Category

Posted on November 2, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Strategy for News Sites: The Rest is Still Unwritten

I was driving the other day when my 13 year old said, “Mom, what is black and white and red all over?  A newspaper!”  My initial thought was …well not anymore…
It is refreshing to read an uproar on blogs, and healthy as well.
So, journalists, you got your butt whooped by innovative marketing that disrupted your industry [...]

Posted on October 29, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Tough love for Newspapers: Will They Embrace Change?

The infrastructure of a business model is evaluated one niche market, one customer segment at a time.  It’s hard work.  It takes quantifiable research.  It takes experience to know when to proceed with the analysis and when to cut bait. 
But the first requirement is objectivity.
This may be a little tough for passionate, dedicated intelligent journalists [...]

Posted on October 22, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Is Green Advertising Overload Blocking Successful Value Propositions?

People are busy, consumers are fatigued with too much advertising and really don’t get how their vacuum is now, “Green!” No doubt, high caliber advertising can deliver valuable information creatively, but the past economic prosperity has created advertising overload.  
Overload becomes lack of action and lack of action creates more advertising attempting to justify a premium price for [...]

Posted on October 19, 2009 - by Janet Smith

New Business Models for Newspapers: Let the old one R.I.P.

Unfortunately, there are many intelligent, experienced, passionate professionals who are casualties of newspapers, many who recognize that the existing business model has been outdated for over a decade.  The old infrastructures’ revenue model is dying and should be; it is time to pay final respects, and allow the old model to rest in peace.  For [...]

Posted on October 6, 2009 - by Janet Smith

‘Sell News Online’: Three Words that Do Not Go Together

Remember the scene in Blazing Saddles when the sheriff installed a toll booth in the middle of the prairie, and all the bad guys lined up on horseback to pitch a dime in the turnstile rather than ride around the gate?  Classic 1974 Mel Brooks; revisited with a twist of 2009 irony.
After the U.C. Berkeley Media [...]

Posted on September 25, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Advertisers Are Customers, How Newspapers can Win Our Business

Dear Newspapers:
We know you need us and ironically we would like to work with you.  No, I’m not a big box store like Macy’s or even Toyota or BofA.  I’m not representing restaurants, hotels, convention centers or classified advertisers.  I’m the voice of millions of small businesses in Every City, USA that needs you to [...]

Posted on September 24, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Advertising Fatigue: When E=mc squared Generates Negative Energy

 
Do ads fail because of the wrong medium, product, price or timing?
One of the above…all of the above or …. none of the above…?
Our greatest gift is our attention and our greatest commodity is our time; we are just plain busy; we have a lot to do.  What if the mass of advertisers vying for [...]

Posted on August 30, 2009 - by Janet Smith

Earn my Trust and I will Give you my Loyalty

 The following addresses today’s attributes of consumers making buying decisions online:

Buzz can be bought –> trust issues are rampant
A person’s attention is their gift –> time is our most precious commodity
The internet is a 24×7 price check –> online searches are online finds
Vet, parse, get to the point! –> deliver quality quickly
Build relationships with helpful [...]