Understanding and Selling With the Media Audit

1. Understanding and Selling With the Media Audit Certified Audit of Circulations Standard in Excellence since 1956

2. Dear Publisher: Welcome to CAC! Thank you for taking this important step toward providing circulation data to ensure your advertisers that their dollars are well spent. No advertiser should waste precious resources on a publication that doesn’t deliver. The audit sends a clear massage – you offer accurate and accountable circulation for your ad dollars. As a member-focused organization, our only purpose is to provide quality data and advertiser access that will contribute to your success. We appreciate the opportunity and look forward to many more years of continued service. Evelina Sodt Marketing Director (800) 346-1357 Ext. 124

3. CAC Board of Directors The Board of Directors is drawn from CAC’s primary member groups: publishers, advertisers, agencies and media associations. Each board member plays a critical role in maintaining the high standards and sound practices, upon which this organization was founded. CAC Directors are leaders in their fields and serve for the benefit of media accountability. Marsha Lawrence, Novus Media Dave Gusse, ACG Media Barry Schiro, CBA Industries, Inc Robert Uccello, CVS Pharmacies Kathy Heatly, StarcomMediavest Matt Gunderson, Kohl’s Department Stores Gregg Bogich,Valassis Nancy Lane, Local Media Association Bob Brown, Swift Communications Janice Lucente, Allstate Insurance Mike Gugliotto, Pioneer Newspapers Steve Pope,Huckle Media Laurie DePaola, Fred Meyer Stores Shawn Riegsecker, Centro

4. Promoting Your Audit Reach is the primary print advertising objective within a specific demographic. It is essential that you train your sales staff to use your audit as third-party verification of you circulation claims. Use it to its fullest potential on local, regional and national levels. Include the CAC Audit Report in each media kit. Specify “CAC audited” every time your circulation is displayed (in trade publications, website, press releases, business cards…) Use the CAC logo on your rate card, website, media kits and business cards. Develop sales literature and ads that promote your audited status, geographic parameter and demographic statistics. Investing in readership, usage, awareness and spending habits would further support your claims and enhance your visibility in the media space. (Contact CAC for additional information.) Develop advertising bill inserts promoting your audited status. Rotate with inserts that use one key demographic or survey result per month. Mail announcements and press releases about your audit to major advertisers. We can help you with circulation PR. Provide a list of advertisers and contact information. We’ll send your advertisers a copy of your audit report. (973) 785-3000, Ext.124

5. A Brief History of Auditing At the turn of the century, newspapers – the mass medium of the time – were growing rapidly in numbers and total circulation. This growth was fueled by entrepreneurial publishers and advertisers anxious to reach American consumers. Specific circumstances that created the demand for media accountability included unwillingness to reveal true circulation information, rising advertising rates, and the increasing complexity of the buy. The emergence of national advertisers led to the formation of AAAA and, in 1914, the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). Certified Audit of Circulations was created in 1956 to level the field for free community publications, which were not eligible to join ABC. Since that time, CAC has grown and serves a diverse membership that includes paid and free publications, magazines, TMC products, Yellow Page directories and shoppers. In 2012, CAC became a subsidiary of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). At the same time, ABC rebranded to became the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). The new name came in response to the changing industry landscape, partnership opportunities and expanded leadership forum.

6. Understanding Your Audit Report The presence of a CAC audit is a marketing statement: Using the Audit Report Your audit report is designed to support your circulation claims. It is an independent, third-party source, providing objective information about your readers – their size, reach and ZIP code data. Discuss circulation and demographics in your sales presentation. Distribution methods Your CAC report presents a complete picture of your circulation. The audit report identifies: …… Addendums Point to the ZIP information and the map available on your audit report. Use market statistics from sites like such as www.naa.org, www.suburban-news.org, www.census.gov, www.usdatamart.com, www.esri.com, www.nielsen.com, www.melissadata.com, www.adage.com, www.readership.org, etc. Translate them in real terms emphasizing value to advertisers. Compare market trends and buying power with the findings on your audit report.

7. The CAC Audit Report The CAC Audit Report heading contains publication’s name, date established, address, contact information, frequency of distribution and a brief description. The circulation data includes: A. Paid E-editions* 1. Home Delivery 2. Mail Subscribers *Where applicable 3. Single Copy Sales 4. Employee Copies 5. Newspapers in Education Total paid circulation B. Paid (at less than 50%) 1. Home Delivery 2. Singe Copy Sales 3. Newspapers in Education 4. Event Sales 5. Bulk Total Other Paid C. Unpaid circulation 1. Home Delivery 2. Mail subscribers 3. Carrier residential bulk 4. Carrier non-residential bulk 5. Samples Total unpaid circulation D. Total distribution (sum of A, B and C) Each audit report contains Zip code distribution breakdown and a map. Free, carrier-delivered publications receive delivery and readership study. The CAC Publisher’s Statement contains circulation data, updated semi-annually in March and September of each year. Total Audience audit reports include readership and digital data placed in boxes on the bottom of the front page.

8. The Audit Process Among the strengths of your audit report is the process followed to document your circulation – and that of every CAC audited publication. Types of Documentation Reviewed: Press logs of printing invoices and cancelled checks (to determine whether or not the number printed is adequate to meet circulation claims) Draw records (How many copies are being delivered, in what areas and by how many carriers?) Payroll records and cancelled checks (Who is delivering the publication and does this match the draw records. Are they being paid?) Distributor invoices and draw records (for those publications that hire an outside distributor) Return records (Is the publication recording returns? What percentage is being returned?) Postal receipts and cancelled checks (for any mailed copies) Physical rack location verification (of bulk distribution)

9. Advertisers’ Interpretation the Audit Report Type of Report There are two types of reports issued by CAC: the Audit Report and Publisher’s Statement. The key difference is the source of information. The Audit Report is annual and based on findings of CAC field auditors during an on-site review of original records. The Publisher’s Statement is based on semi-annually updated information filed by the publisher. Period of the Audit Is it current? Does it reflect 12 months or shorter period of time? If shorter, why? Date Established Is this a new publication or an established vehicle in this community? Type of Publication, Frequency and Day of Distribution Is this a paid daily, a weekly community newspaper, a shopper? Does their delivery schedule support our advertising plan? Do they deliver on the days we need?

10. Advertisers’ Interpretation the Audit Report(continued) Total Circulation Do they have the total numbers we need in the market? Does their circulation deliver? Can I get the Zip code and demographic data of these potential customers? What is the percentage of bulk vs. carrier/mail? In a paid publication, what is the breakdown between singe copy and home delivery? What percentage of the circulation falls into categories like school subscriptions, mail and bulk? Net Press Run What percentage of the net press run is actually distributed? What is the return rate? Are an adequate number of copies printed to support the circulation claimed? Circulation Averages by Quarter Has this publication experienced any sharp increases or decreases in circulation over the last 3-5 years? Are they trending up or down? Publisher’s Policy How does the publication define itself? Is this format and mission consistent with the audience we want to reach?

11. Advertisers’ Interpretation the Report(continued) Additional Data What are the seasonal trends, facts about bulk distribution (reported on page one), targeted promotions or editions, and special methods to stimulate subscription sales or enhanced distribution? Single Issue Breakdown The single issue breakdown provides valuable information to the media planner, particularly when an specific Zip code, market area or demographic group is being targeted. The CAC Audit Report provides county, city/town and Zip code detail and identifies the major categories of circulation within each of those areas. In addition, estimated household counts are included – also by Zip code – which is used to calculate the percentage of coverage the publisher can offer in each area. Planned areas of partial coverage can be identified and explained through footnoting. Map of Defined Primary Market This map provides a useful visual aid for media buyers – many of whom will not be familiar with the area under consideration.

12. Do Your Research Auditing and market research are integral parts of advertising sales influence. They provide re-assurance for the advertising community and statistically support advertising benefit claims, allowing you to approach you clients with objective, information specific to your market. The purpose of your Audit Report is to support data. Many print media executives feel that the presence of the audit itself will bring national advertisers. the real value of independent research comes with the intervention of your sales staff. Whether your publication needs certified circulation numbers, marketing research or competitive intelligence, CAC gathers and provides objective information to be used and analyzed in moving your business to the top. Present your information in an easy to follow format and train your sales force to use it.

13. Total Audience – Representing of Your Footprint in the Market PlaceAs traditional newspaper companies scramble to re-brand themselves as media companies, the need for proper audience representation is becoming more pressing than ever. Today, providing the number of your total print readers per copy, online readers and web site interaction metrics is no longer a luxury. It’s a must. CAC’s Total Audience Program is a comprehensive approach to the evolving media space including your print, online and web audit figures.The obvious first step is to include all of your papers in one consolidated report. The media planning budgets today include niche publications, targeted demographics and alternative media. If you have publications that currently do not appear on your Audit Report, please give us a call. In addition to individual reporting, we can include all of your products in one Consolidated Audit Report.Reliable audience research and audited traffic metrics are essential to the media planning process. Media buyers need the assurance of reach and the publishers, in turn, need the audit to attract and maintain advertising revenue. Supporting your claims and proving the value of your company as a relevant and viable advertising medium is essential in today’s fragmented media space.

14. Opportunities Coupon Site Presents Excellent Opportunity for Reader Engagement and Newspaper Revenue Taking new products and services to market could be a costly proposition. Branding, awareness and identity are difficult to create in any environment, let alone during the most severe recession our country has experienced since World War II. Yet, this very environment is solely responsible for the rise of the bargain hunter. Coupled with an established national trend aided by companies like Groupon and Living Social, extreme couponing is here to stay. This opens up a robust market for local and hyper local advertisers. The top two questions any marketing campaign must address are ‘why use the service’ and ‘why choose our company’. The difficult pitch – the value of daily deals -- has been addressed. The only piece of the puzzle remaining is how to showcase the value of your newspaper audience as a viable advertising medium. There are two obvious ways that can help you polish your sales pitch. For one you need to identify your reach and penetration. The second one is to present independent, third-party research proving that your audience shops locally, uses coupon deals and is influenced by a good bargain. Here are some important statistics: According to INMA, • Coupon usage for household items like groceries is up 24% since 2006. Shoppers find coupons primarily in the Sunday newspaper inserts (49%). (Scarborough Research) • Digital coupon users represent 12% of the U.S.’ 175 million Internet users. (ComScore Media) • General Mills calls digital coupons “a significant percentage of our spending. We get great results; it’s the perfect, self-targeting medium, and they’re available 24/7.” • In the first half of 2009, nearly 10 million digital coupons were redeemed, a 25% increase over the amount redeemed during the same period in 2008. (Inmar, a coupon processing company) • Since its release in April 2011, Coupon Sherpa, a smartphone coupon app, has been downloaded more than 65,000 times. While these answer the question, “why market coupons”, the question: “why use your newspaper” remains unanswered. Since the web world’s highly fragmented maze of segmentation is one of the toughest objections to overcome, we would highly recommend a study that would help you highlight the strengths of our product, such as a survey created to provide third-party influence for your specific market.

15. NSA Media, Sears, Best Buy Company and other major print advertisers recommend the following tactics to build your national advertising base: • Listen to your customers. • Define who your readers are and why they are important to the advertiser…don’t just sell numbers. • Develop case studies/success stories to present to advertisers. • Offer more distribution flexibility. • Offer negotiation flexibility and a can-do attitude. • Reduce forced buy requirements. • Simplify your rate card. • Offer one rate for local and national advertisers. • Introduce frequency programs and dollar volume discounts. • Train your account executives on distribution capabilities, audit reports, rate cards, etc. • Increase availability of research information. • Distribute to homes. • Use carriers where possible - it costs less than mail. Advertisers’ Recommendations

16. AAAA Founded in 1917, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A’s) is the national association representing the advertising agency business in the United States. Its membership produces approximately 75 percent of the total advertising volume placed by agencies nationwide. The AAAA is not a club. It is a management-oriented association that offers its members the broadest possible services, expertise and information regarding the advertising agency business. The average AAAA agency has been a member for more than 20 years. Source – AAAA’s Website To obtain AAAA’s roster, contact the AAAA at: 405 Lexington Avenue, 18th Floor New York, NY 10174-1801 (212) 682-2500 www.AAAA.org/insider/roster

17. Comparative Media_________________

18. The highly segmented proliferation of the internet has not unseated print, television and radio as relevant advertising mediums. Each of these major forms of mass media are measured and sold using very specific methods. They all have their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your own medium – as well as your primary competitors’ – can be very beneficial for anyone responsible for the promotion or sale of media space and time. 50 million people in the United States choose to read a paper each day. The Media Audit

19. Radio and Arbitron The oldest radio station in the US began broadcasting in January 1909. In 1912, the international agreement mandating call letters was passed; legislation requiring licenses for commercial radio stations was enacted in 1921. The first radio station and broadcast was in Paterson, NJ. The first FM radio broadcast was made from Alpine, NJ, by Maj. Thomas Armstrong. Radio’s first commercial was broadcast from New York in 1922. The Queensboro Corporation spent ten minutes on the airwaves promoting their “new apartment homes” in Jackson Heights. The first retail advertiser was Gimbel Brothers (also in New York). They were followed by Gillette. A toothpaste company was turned away because the station felt listeners would find the subject of dental hygiene distasteful.

20. Arbitron uses a personal, seven day diary to measure radio audiences in about 260 markets in the United States. Ninety-four of those markets are measured year-round. These diaries are used top produce more that 680 market reports called “books”. Arbitron customers include radio stations, advertisers, advertising agencies, media buying services, and other vendors. Each Arbitron rating book offers three basic audience measurements: Persons estimates: the estimated number of people listening Rating: the percent of listeners in the universe of the measured survey population Share: the percent of one station’s total estimated listening audience during a particular time period Each book covers ratio listening during a 12-week survey period given for a particular survey area, gender and age and time period (daypart). Measuring the Airwaves

21. Radio competes differently with print than with television. Radio and television are received media; print is perceived. The difference? • Perceived media requires time to be understood. That translates into time, thought invested and the ability of the advertiser to share more information. • Received media are instantaneous. This makes the message easier and quicker to communicate. However, it can be forgotten just as easily. • Received media are intrusive. Advertising is typically seen as annoyance – not a sought after commodity. • Perceived media offers an audience that is seeking information, seeking advertising. That translates into a more receptive audience. • Many of you promote the fact that your audience consists of people who are looking for products and services, ready to make a purchase. You are right! Radio vs. Print

22. Broadcast and Nielsen The A.C. Nielsen Company was founded in 1923 by a 26-year old engineer, Arthur C. Nielsen, Sr. The company began by testing products for manufacturing clients. In 1936, Nielsen entered the world of broadcast rating when he introduced his Audimeter – an early predecessor to the People Meter now in approximately 5,000 American homes. By 1950, the Golden Age of Television began and Nielsen was there to measure it.

23. What are they measuring and how? Nielsen TV ratings provide an estimate of the audience for just about every program that can be seen on TV. They do not provide “qualitative measurements (how much a program was liked). Their stated goal is to answer the questions, “Who is watching TV?” and “What are they watching?” Nielsen maintains a sample size of between 4,000 – 5,000 families nationwide. Using the most recent US Census data, the country is broken down into 6,000 small geographic areas. Sample housing units are selected at random, for a total of 6,000. Because some are unoccupied, the sample size is reduced to the target range. Occupants of these units are approached and, if they consent, become official Nielsen families for a period of two years. Approximately 200 families leave the program each month so the sample is constantly changing.

24. Broadcast vs. Print Criticism of the broadcast diary system: People tend to watch TV individually now – increasing the burden of tracking and recording viewing. Channel surfing is rampant! TIVO, Netflix, Google TV, Apple TV, etc. – It cuts out ads all together! Do people keep an honest record? When diaries are checked against meters, many times they do not agree. Return rates are very low for both Radio and Broadcast. They can actually run as low as 50% – from cooperating viewers/listeners. The sweep periods encourage station hype. During the average sweep period, 800,000 diaries are returned. Data from these diaries provide the bulk of the statistics on which local advertising are set. Criticism of the print audit: Advertisers appreciate the security of the print audit – they know that an independent auditor has validated the number of papers distributed. But who? How much time do they spend with each publication? How many men? Women? What age ranges? What income levels? Broadcast media often does a more effective job of painting a picture of viewers that print media.

25. Does Newspaper Advertising Beat Social Media?Patricio Robles, July 2010Newspapers? Dying? Social media? Rising. That's the conventional wisdom, at least, and marketers seem to be buying into it. While spending on social media marketing is still relatively small, it's increasing rapidly. At the same time, anyone selling newspaper ads has probably given some thought to a new profession. But is the conventional wisdom wrong, either wholly or partially? Should marketers be less upbeat about social media marketing, and more upbeat about what newspapers can offer? At least one consultant thinks so.Digital strategist Paul Williams argues that there's a lot to like about newspaper advertising, and a lot to dislike about social media marketing. His argument is based on five points:Print is targeted. Different newspapers deliver different but well-defined audiences, allowing for targeting. Targeting a message via social media can be much more difficult depending on the platform.Major newspapers have a lot of credibility. "The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post have been around for ages" after all.Print's reach is well-established. "I can count on the fact that the newspaper is delivered to the tens (or hundreds) of thousands that have asked for it," Williams writes.Print ads are clearly ads. As Williams puts it, when you see an ad in the newspaper, "you know the game" -- somebody is trying to sell something to you. Contrast that with social media, where direct sales pitches are often frowned upon.Print is actually faster. A print ad purchase delivers an immediate audience. Social media, on the other hand, demands time for those who wish to build up a meaningful following.All of these are good points, and one might even agree with Williams' assessment that "Social media is our gold rush. With the zillions of tweets, Diggs, blog posts, and Facebook updates all panning for attention I’ve only heard of a few who have ‘struck it rich’ as a result.” That, however, doesn't necessarily mean that comparing social media platforms like Twitter to newspapers is the worthwhile thing to do. While the allocation of an advertising budget is for all practical purposes a zero sum game, anyone looking to market a business should also remember that different tools are required for different jobs. Depending on your goals, social media marketing may have a lot to offer. But newspaper advertising might have a lot to offer too. On this front, Williams' most important comment in my opinion is this: ‘Newspapers are ancient. The same stuff our great, great grandparents read. We didn’t invent them, so we aren’t in love with them anymore.”Marketers love shiny new toys, but they shouldn't ignore old school platforms either. Power tools may have pizazz, but sometimes a good old fashioned hammer or screwdriver gets the job done more efficiently. When it comes time to deciding which tools to use, marketers need to remember that getting the job done is the goal; the tools are simply a means to an end, no matter how much we love them or don't love them.

26. Online Advertising

27. Brief Overview of Online AdvertisingWhen HotWired decided to make money from their website in 1994, they set in motion events that would change the landscape of advertising: the creation of banner ads. AT&T was the first to invest in HotWiredto display an experiment they created -- a 468 x 60 banner that came to life on October 25 , 1994.

28. Measuring Online AudiencesBy Scott Bateman, Promise MediaThe three most important measures are unique visitors, visits and page views.A unique visitor is the unique IP address of a computer whose user is visiting your site.In the course of a month, let’s say a unique visitor comes to a site, views the home page and leaves.It would be measured as one unique visitor, visiting one time and viewing one page.Now let’s say that unique visitor comes back a second time during the same month, views only the home page and leaves again. The total measure for the month is one unique visitor, two visits and two page views.Page views are important because they help measure total advertising inventory. Let’s further say that your site has three ad positions on every page. In the example above, you now have one unique visitor, two visits, two page views and six ad impressions.For the sake of online advertising revenue, the more page views, the better. The visits measure tells you a great deal about frequency. Like newspapers and broadcast, the sales and marketing value of a Web site is about reach and frequency.Some local people have the site set as their browser home page to drive a high number of monthly visits. Visitors to your site from search engines may visit only one time, view one page and never come back again. They drive the frequency number back down. So optimizing a site for search engines may increase the unique visitors but drive down the frequency of visits.Tracking Unique VisitorsUnique visitors is the most important measurement of the three but also the most difficult one.A unique visitor can be an IP address of a computer at home. But the home may have one occupant or five, all of whom may use that computer. Likewise, a person can use one computer at work and another at home. She is only one person but two unique visitors because she is using two computers. To overcome these issues, the best current way to measure a local online audience is through qualitative surveys and site registration. Content Web sites are getting better at measuring audiences and looking at them in similar ways with similar terminology.We can hope eventually we will get as good at measuring our local audiences as accurately as circulation departments do with newspapers or Nielsen does with TV.

29. Online Media Buying 101 April 19, 2012 by Trinh NguyenWhat is media buying?Buying space on sites across the internet or on ad networks to place banner display ads to promote a product, service or business whether it be for direct response or branding purposes.Standard banner ad sizes for online media buyingBelow you will find samples of the most common banner sizes used in online media buying today:728×90 468×60 300×250 160×600CostThe cost of media buys varies depending on the property, size of the campaign, targeting, frequency of the ad, and placements of the ad slots.Most common ways to buy media:CPM – cost per thousand impressionsCPC- cost per clickFlat Rate- fixed amount during an agreed specific time frame (not as common as CPM or CPC)Best PracticesKnow your audienceThere are excellent free tools to help and guide you find sites to advertise on based on your target demographics.QuantcastCompete.comAlexaDoubleClick Ad PlannerBudgetNegotiate your buys- No one ever pays rate card price, ever!Understand your goalsDirect Response – type of marketing that generates an immediate consumer response that can be measured and attributed to an advertiser. The advertisement can be delivered through a wide variety of media channels such as the internet, tv, radio, mail, print, etc.Branding – CTR is essential for branding campaigns. If the goal of your campaign is to create awareness for your advertiser it is vital to optimize your campaign by the CTR. Based on DoubleClicks year in review benchmark report, the current norm is a .10 CTR.Media Buying OptimizationThe most important part of media buying is optimization by analyzing a campaign to help you maximize your campaign to its full potential to help increase its effectiveness and ROI. There are several levels you want to focus your optimization efforts: optimize on campaign level, on site level, on creative level, on targeting level (demographics and behavioral).

30. The Basics of Mobile AdvertisingA mobile ad, like an online ad, comes in several key arrangements -- graphic, text-based and content focused.Measuring the performance of mobile ads is similar to any online ad with emphasis on the following metrics:Click-through rate (CTR) — The average number of times your ad is clicked per hundred ad impressions (how often the ad is displayed).Cost per click (CPC) — how much you pay every time your ad is clicked. In most cases, the higher your click-through rate, the lower your cost per click.Conversion rate — how many people who click your ad complete the action you intend (usually completing a form on a landing page).Most mobile ads appear in apps or in mobile searches, including map searches. Mobile ads today are nearly identical to desktop online ads with the exception of the platform. But they are, in reality, worldwide webs apart.

31. Mobile vs. Desk Top Advertising DrawbacksThe limited viewing space smartphones and tablets afford drastically reduces the amount of text and graphics available for mobile ads. In addition to having less space to work with, mobile advertising platforms offer far fewer ad placements than their desktop counterparts. For example, the average website can easily host three or four ads per page:A banner ad at the topA skyscraper ad on the right sideA small box ad beneath the skyscraperText ads within the content AdvantagesMobile ads clearly have their limitations, but they do offer the unique advantages of portable access and location-based advertising. For example, as smartphone users approach a business, their ad could pop up. As a result, location-based advertising enables businesses to adapt to the way most consumers find products and services.

32. Advantages of Print Over Online MarketingPrint is Dead? Not so Fast.From Forbes, June 28, 2012Is print dead? This is a question that has been buzzing around the marketing world since the rapid surge of the Internet and social media. While many businesses have completely migrated their advertising efforts to the web because of its cost effectiveness, exposure potential and convenience, print still maintains its stance as a powerful and necessary component of an ad campaign. Let’s take a closer look at print media and some advantages it has over its digital counterparts.Tangibility – A print piece is a physical thing. Magazines and newspapers can stay in houses or offices for months or years, while Internet ads can disappear into cyber space instantaneously.Credibility – There is something about print that gives a sense of legitimacy. The saturation of popups and banner ads on the web can be overwhelming and the fear of spam and viruses is enough make people weary of clicking. There is no imminent danger in a print ad.Branding – Print ads are excellent for solidifying your brand identity. Your ads should have a consistent aesthetic in terms of fonts, colors and types of images to establish brand recognition.Target Marketing – Placing ads in publications such as specialty magazines can effectively reach niche audiences that may be more difficult to target online.More Engaging – Consumers are more engaged when reading printed material, unlike websites, which are often skimmed in as little as a 15 second visit. A study shows that people read digital screen text 20% – 30% slower than printed paper. (Alshaali & Varshney, 2005)Less Print Ads – With more and more businesses relying solely on the Internet for their advertising needs, the decline of print publication can actually be used as a marketing advantage. The publications are less crowded, allowing more room for your ad to shine, and possibly even cheaper prices for that ad space.QR Codes – Placing QR codes on printed pieces is an excellent way to bridge the gap between print and web. When scanned with a smartphone, the QR code will take you to a homepage or a special offer page that lives on the web.The best way to market your business is to utilize as many channels as possible to reach every corner of your target demographic; this should not exclude print. Although it is likely that most emphasis, in terms of advertising, will be executed online, there still exist those who revel in the glory of the printed page and it’s important to reach them. Finding the right balance between various media will ensure a steady revenue flow, an increase in sales and new customers.

33. Online Advertising AdvantagesRecently, online marketing seems to be dramatically cutting into the profits of printed media. Here is some of thinking behind it:PriceThe first reason is that advertisers can get access to global markets at a much lower price than they could if they were to use printed media advertising strategies. This means that online advertising has a competitive price advantage over print advertising. Its easy to place an advertisement on a website for all the world to see, but its not so easy to send out print media on a global scalecost effectively.Tracking MechanismsSecondly, online advertising can be tracked in a much easier fashion compared to print advertising. For instance, with an online advertisement, the advertiser can track which ads are converting into clicks and eventually sales. It can be very difficult to tell which print advertisement sent a customer into the company's store.Split-testing and FlexibilityAlso, if you can't directly track the effectiveness of an advertisement, you can't split -test. Split testing allows advertisers to run two different ads to determine which ads drive more revenue. This is a crucial part of online advertising and is much harder to do with print advertisements. An online advertisement can be changed in an instant, but print advertisements can't be changed once they are sent out.Declining CirculationThe third reason that online advertising seems to be dominating print advertisements is that physically published documents are starting to take a back seat to virtually published ones. How can a business justify advertising in a newspaper or magazine when they are constantly losing subscribers? Nobody wants to place an advertisement in a publication with declining circulation.

34. The Sales Process___________________

35. Key Elements of Print Ad Sales I. General Training Your sales training manual should contain the following topics: The power of positive attitude Objectives and expectations Characteristics of top salespeople and defining success Time management and priorities/Plan development Image/Professionalism/Etiquette II. The Selling Process Provide training on how to: Identify key prospects and get appointments Establish rapport and trustworthiness Ask questions to understand their clients’ needs Present ideas concisely and effectively Handle objections and pre-frame the order Know how to recognize buying signals and close III. The Sales Kit Each sales kit should answer the following questions: Why advertise? Why print media? Why community newspapers? Why your newspaper/how are you different? Client education (How to Create an Effective Print Ad) IV. Supporting Information All of your claims must be backed by an objective source. Your sales kit should contain: Audit Report, Publisher’s Statement, ZIP information Market Research (demographics and psychographics)

36. Advise your advertisers about the benefits of dominating at least one local medium. You know that their advertising messages are going to be much more effective at driving sales and traffic if they make a commitment to a schedule. Use your audit results to demonstrate how your publication is the perfect vehicle to dominate. Highlight the number of people receiving and reading your paper every week – and, that the audit confirms it. Overcome common objections such as, “I don’t read your paper”. Respond by asking the advertiser who is he trying to reach and use your audit to prove that local buyers read your publication. Use your Zip code breakdown, demographic mix and survey results to support your claims. Become familiar with the audits and ratings of all local competitive media. What are your strengths? Develop sell sheets contrasting your reach and readership compared to other local media. Educating yourself on local media and advertising principles will enhance your position as an expert and a respected source of advice and information. Sales Tactics

37. Ten Top Reasons to Advertise Newspaper Association of America (NNA) 1. Advertising establishes contact: Before exposure to advertising only 1 in 5 buyers is aware of a company and/or its products. 6 out of 10 suppliers claim that maintaining or increasing awareness is a marketing objective. Buyers are always more aware of the most aggressively marketed products. 2. Advertising builds preference: Consumers believe that buying a familiar brand usually guarantees approval (81% according to Simmons Research) while buying unfamiliar products is risky (82% according to Simmons Research). Brand preference is directly impacted by the advertising investment. 3. Advertising educates and develops prospects: Consumers prefer to learn more about products through advertising. Advertising becomes the knowledgeable sales person missing from many stores today. Advertising turns wants into needs. Advertising helps educate and helps differentiate benefits from features. 4. Advertising reduces cost of sales: In a world with less knowledgeable sales persons, advertising reduces direct selling costs. Knowledgeable customers often know exactly what they want to buy reducing the time needed to sell them. It costs about one-fifth as much to retain and sell an existing customer as it does to sell a new one. 5. Advertising helps sell existing customers more products and services: One study found that 9 out of 10 buyers continue to look at a vendor’s ads after making the purchase. 88% of buyers cite top reasons for reading ads from vendors they have purchased from as to learn about new models and upgrades. Advertising reassures buyers that they have made a good decision. After purchase assessment is important to 43% of all buyers surveyed. 92% of buyers continue to read ads for a product after purchase is made increasing the odds that they will be happy with their purchase and buy from you again.

38. Ten Top Reasons to Advertise (continued) 6. Advertising helps close the sale: Advertising provides incentives for acting now. Point of sale ads, and as seen in ad signage are used as sales tools by advertisers to speed the closing process. Advertising keeps them sold. Advertising reinforces good decisions and creates the best prospects for future sales. 7. Advertising is an effective sales tool: 7 out of 10 salespeople surveyed said that they use ad reprints as a selling tool. 8. Advertising saves time for both you and your customers: Customers believe advertising saves then time and money in comparison shopping and therefore the customer who has been exposed to advertising is closer to making an informed decision saving you time and money as well. 9. Advertising keeps you top of mind: For most product categories, fewer than 4% buy a particular general merchandise in a given week. About half of this 4% buy an item within a week of decision to make a purchase. The purchase is typically unplanned. Once the decision to buy is made, the consumer relies heavily on advertising to help them decide where to buy. 10. Advertising works! Millions of manufacturers, retailers, service businesses, and individuals advertise every day. Over and over again. Because it works.

39. Educating Your Advertisers It is surprising how many advertisers do not really know how and why advertising works. They know they must promote their product and service, but the vaguely undisciplined process is disturbing to them. Even some high-ranking national media buyers share that unease and fall back on numbers to increase their security level. Advertisers often play it safe and believe that “no one ever got fired for buying the name they know.” That is your challenge. That is your goal. Demonstrate how your publication represents the best and the safest buy in your market. Can you deliver the buyers what they need? Prove it. You are an audited publication. Your circulation and readership have been documented and verified by a highly reputable not-for-profit auditing firm. Don’t let your strongest tool gather dust!

40. The Sales Presentation Through discussions with a major media buyers, the following element were identified as key components in developing and presenting a print publication: Know your audit report. Know your competitor’s audit. Bring samples of your publication. Paint a picture of your market. Show a map. Discuss your product. Discuss your circulation. Provide market research, Zip code information, a map and demographics. Know and present your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t ignore the competition. Point out any national ads or preprints you currently run. Discuss your advertising mix. Know your advertiser’s business (do your homework). Discuss how most in-store shopping takes place within a 7 mile radius of the shopper’s location. Present your information in a professional package (content matters most, but style does not hurt).

41. The Secret of Neuromarketing: Go for the PainBy: MP Mueller, The New York Times Six Rules for Small Business: Don't use the word "we" or start off your pitch with a corporate overview that lasts 10 minutes. Focus instead on how to relieve your customers' pain. Our brains are extremely self-centered, and we care most about our own survival. About 10,000 messages are sent to our brains daily, so get to the point. When you sell to the lower brain structure, you must say, 'This is your life with our product or service, this is your life without,'. Stay away from, "We are one of the leading providers." It's the marketing equivalent of sugar -- empty calories. Make your points visual. Remember the "See and Say" books from childhood? Don't just tell; show. We are visual people, and the eyes are directly connected to the reptilian brain. Stay concrete and make it tangible. The primal brain isn't able to understand complex language or metaphors. As much as we love word play, if it's too complicated, it doesn't get processed by the parts of us that make decisions. Creating ads with facial expressions is good. "Facial expressions help us decode what people's intentions are." Gain attention quickly in your advertising or marketing and make sure you have a strong close. The brain pays the most attention at the beginning and end of an event. It's important because the brain needs to recap and store. Use emotion. It creates disruption, a contrast with what we expect — surprise, laughter, fear, disgust, anger, it really doesn't matter. If there is emotion, we are more likely to remember the message. Nothing happens in the brain unless some chemical process has found a code to create memories. To create a memorable brand, therefore, you have to use emotional connectors in your advertising. Don't just give your audience the facts, tell them how it will make their lives better and solve their pain. A fascinating study that is featured in the Harvard Business Review states that many businesses are pushing customers away by bombarding them with messaging that is not relevant to how they make decisions. There has also been much discussion lately about the rewiring that is happening to our brains because of our constant interaction with computers and smartphones. This interaction is further reducing our attention spans, which is pushing overworked and overcommitted American consumers to make purchasing and other decisions more quickly. The upshot is that people want information but they want it baby style — pureed to its most basic and served simply.

42. How to Use Your Audit Report Once you have approached your potential advertiser and have engaged in a conversation, you will encounter one of six customer attitudes in their various forms: 1. Skeptical (I am not sure how effective your product is.) Refer to numbers and research. Be objective. Use charts, graphs, research, and your circulation audit report to offer proof. 2. Agrees (I like your product. I always look forward to receiving it.) This is deceptive because sales reps have a tendency to close too early. Use your circulation audit to support the agreement and re- enforce your customer’s beliefs. The timing of your closing is crucial. 3. Objects (I don’t like your product because …) Use your circulation audit to answer the objection. To stay on track, always keep in mind where the conversation is going. Circle back to ROI. 4. Indifferent (decoy objection or put off) (I appreciate your call, but I have no interest or I am not in the market.) The indifferent customer is difficult to work with because they are not giving you a real objection. Probe, probe, probe. Ask questions : “You must have a reason for saying that. Do you mind if I ask what it is?” If the objection is “I don’t have the money”, you may want to probe deeper. 5. Curious (Really? And you have a lot of repeat business? How about X?) Discuss the benefits of advertising in your publication (benefits = what’s in it for your customer?). Use examples and success stories. Then move Into features. 6. Satisfied (Sounds good. It makes sense. Do you offer a discount?) Close and take the order. Many reps cannot recognize final buying signals and talk their clients out of the sale. It is important to know when NOT to talk. Reviewing and perfecting your sales presentation is an ever- changing, continuous process and your circulation audit is the most valuable tool in your belt.

43. Local Advertising Issues All advertising is local. Using your audit to its full potential includes using it locally, as well as on regional and national level. The audit report is the most versatile and durable tool in your belt. building a strong sales foundation is that much easier when you have it. Do you have unaudited competition? Who do you compete with? Your audit can be an advantage in both of those situations. Do prospects sometimes question the readership of your publication? Have you heard objections like “I don’t read your paper”, or “Radio reaches more people”? Use the audit (and your knowledge of competitive audits) to overcome those and other objections. And don’t forget to publicize your audited status on your web site, and in all of your sales materials and publications.

44. Wonder what it’s really like to work with CAC? We could tell you. But we think it’s better to hear it straight from our members. • “CAC has certainly built an excellent track record over the years. We are delighted to work with CAC to provide our advertisers with accurate and timely audited circulation figures upon which they can make buying decisions with complete confidence.” • - Mark Laskowski, Media General • "Our transition to CAC has allowed for greater flexibility and sizable expense savings. All of this without sacrificing our audit integrity.“ • Michael Theriault , Sun Journal • “CAC is the growing and "coming" organization for newspapers. They are the company I would use or recommend these days.” • - Max Heath, Landmark Community Newspapers • “Because of CAC’s full disclosure reporting format where ‘if it is distributed it counts somewhere on the audit,’ the mentality in our circulation department has evolved from one of accounting and compliance to innovation and strategic partnering.”- David Ogle, Truth Publications“CAC audit is just as valid as ABC’s. CAC's audits, like ABC's, are based on tracking real dollars for real papers.” - DolphTillotson, Southern Newspaper Group • “Thanks for the great service.” • - Jim Russell, Foster’s Daily Democrat • “The CAC auditor did a fine job and was very easy to work with.” • Philip Rowell, Southern RI Newspapers • “CAC handled the audit very professionally.” • Steve Todd, Post Warrior Spirit • “The CAC auditor has always conducted our audit in a professional manner. He is courteous, experienced and knowledgeable, and we look forward to his visit each year.” • - Mike LeVere, Philadelphia Tribune To find out about CAC, call 973.785.3000 or email esodt@certifiedaudit.com

45. Please contact Evelina in Marketing at 973.785.3000, Ext.124

46. Great results from Contigo’s first CAC audit: • Over half of households who receive Contigo keep it until the next issue. • 67% of Contigo readers purchase products or services from its ads frequently or occasionally. • 67% of all household members read the classified advertising section. • 95% of the households in the defined circulation area (5 zones) are receiving Contigo on a regular basis. • 75% of all household members read a portion regularly or occasionally. • More than a third of all households receiving Contigo have 2 members reading the publication. Source: CAC, November (year) – Delivery and Readership Verification, La OpiniónContigo

47. The CAC logo can be used only if you have a current status with the organization and have completed your initial audit.If you have applied, but have not completed your initial audit, please call for a press release announcing your application for CAC membership.