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A Strategy Simulator for Newspapers: Overcoming “Silos” to Do Whole-Enterprise Planning. Gary Hirsch, Vincent Giuliano, Melody Winnig International System Dynamics Conference New York July 22, 2003. Challenges to Newspapers. Declining readership and advertising market share
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A Strategy Simulator for Newspapers: Overcoming “Silos” to Do Whole-Enterprise Planning Gary Hirsch, Vincent Giuliano, Melody Winnig International System Dynamics Conference New York July 22, 2003
Challenges to Newspapers • Declining readership and advertising market share • Downward spiral, cannibalism; consolidation had reached its limits • Mired in traditional management model--functional silos • Cautious exploration of online opportunities, but clash with print-dominated thinking
Purposes of Simulator • Help newspapers examine management issues from strategic, whole-organization perspective • capital investment and technology • staffing • marketing, pricing, promotion • content (editorial/advertising mix, special supplements) • Understanding dynamics of online business • totally unfamiliar to newspaper managers • learn through management gaming • difficult, because “game” was a moving target
Purposes of Simulator (Cont’d) • Explore transition to online • Investments required to build critical mass • Coordination with print operation (e.g., advertising sales, use of editorial content) • Begin thinking about strategy at the enterprise (media company) level
Development • El Universal of Caracas, Venezuela served as laboratory for development and testing • 150,000 daily print circulation • ambitious online activity • Miami Herald provided additional insights and evaluation • Belo chain, Arizona Central Group provided additional evaluation and feedback