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Brookline Post a newspaper for a small town in NH . Marketing Proposal Feb. 2006 LYNNE ABT BUS 580A. Executive Summary. Brookline, NH has been growing fast and has no dedicated town newspaper. History of newspapers in Brookline. Hollis Times/Brookline Reporter 1888-1916
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Brookline Posta newspaper for a small town in NH Marketing Proposal Feb. 2006 LYNNE ABT BUS 580A
Executive Summary • Brookline, NH has been growing fast and has no dedicated town newspaper
History of newspapers in Brookline • Hollis Times/Brookline Reporter 1888-1916 • Was amazing in it’s coverage of state, national and international news. • Was printed weekly with many photos • Contains some of the first reporting of local history . Publisher- Hildreth • Brookline News 1953-1962 printed at 11 Milford st publisher: H.Burgess • Brookline News-Brookliner 1962-1998 Publisher Marsha Farwell • Brookliner - Townsend Messenger 1998-2001 Publisher. Debbie T.
Hollis Times • Gov Lynch • Sue Hildreth
Executive Summary • Biweekly newspaper for print and web • Website - the town has a lot of computer people • Not many merchants but there are many small service businesses • Would be a small operation - can still think big with future and compete with a weekly, and even daily paper
SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths • Support of townspeople • One even willing to finance • Much local photographic help • Some writers • Familiar with community network • One person could do it • Done from home, saves overhead • If PDF available on web can save print costs if doing lower distribution
SWOT ANALYSIS Weakness • Relying on one person • Time vs. $$ for printing costs • Small number of advertisers • Inexperience • Distribution size if not mailed (500) • Interruptions while working at home • Won’t have money to pay for help
SWOT ANALYSIS Opportunities • No dedicated competition • Local businesses, town public officials, non-profit orgs need voice • Historical need for local paper • Gain a lot of skills • Could use bartering • Design opportunities web & print • Could be non profit consortium • Partner with High School paper
SWOT ANALYSIS Threats • Competitors that have merged have much larger distribution • Conflict of interest - webcommittee • Mailing costs & printing costs • If computer or printer fail - backup systems are costly • I need a someone to back me up if I get sick or can actually go on vacation!
Competitor Analysis How is news delivered to Brookline now? • Newspapers • Television and Local Cable Access • Internet sites • Radio • Word of mouth
Newspapers • Daily distributions of >30,000 Nashua Telegraph,Manchester Union Leader, Concord Monitor • Weekly multiple town shared advertising (some with above distributions) The Cabinet, Neighborhood news • Mailed distribution covers many towns Broadcaster - weekly produced by Lowel Sun - probably for advertising too Jomarc - monthly • Free at local sites only entertainment and advertising Coffee News, Mirror, HIPPO, 157
Internet sites • Many people use a variety of news sites for international, local and regional news • Direct from daily papers • Weekly papers • Events - NewHampshire.com, NH.com, NHEVENTS.com, Mirror.com, Parenting NH, hippopress.com
Local news sources • Nashuatelegraph.com • NH.com, NHEVENTS.com, NHBusinessReview.com, ParentingNH.com, NHMagazine • unionleader.com • Yourneighborhoodnews.com, newhampshire.com • Bedford, Bow, Goffstown, Hookset, Manchester, Salem, Mirror • Concordmonitor.com • Cabinet.com • Bedford,merrimack,hollis/brookline - journals • OTHER • Hippopress.com (nashua & manchester) • NHBroadcaster.com
Television & Cable access • Brookline Channel 13 • WMUR channel 9 and wmur.com • Other NH cable channels (wzid 51?) • Boston stations
Radio , ipod, phones • Local radio stations - forget AM • Get list of all local regional stations • Could download news to ipods? • Could work with phone companies to send local news
Target Population • Primarily adult residents in Brookline • Some appeal to high school students • Small section for kids • Possible distribution to towns surrounding Brookline
PromotionMix • Use local business associations • Mass mailing to all local addresses • Sponsorship of local teams, activities • Internet searches - how would this help a newspaper? • Use radio advertising • Use WMUR and wmur.com • Use web advertising -where? • Determine where else to advertise in print, web, tv? Cable? Radio?
PromotionMix For advertisers: • Special business issues • Web and print exposure • Biweekly with occasional themes • Hiking & recreation issue, political, town services issue, historical
Plan for Implementation • Purchase computer, software • Get business name and register in NH • Work with investor - how much willing to spend and for how long • get training • Working on town web site gives insite into web posting issues • Goodbrain.com - web and graphic design
Plan for Implementation • Determine distribution (mailed to 1900 vs. 300-500 sold in stores) • Determine what web portal will be • Determine exact costs for; • print, web and mail • setup advertising fees- publicize and get advertisers • Get printer, paper, ink
Control • Periodically analyze print and internet costs • Keep on top of customer relations with advertisers • What do readers want to read about? • and advertisers -business need to sell? • Determine if there are any grants for ; • New business • Women • Newspapers • History - archiving- webpublishing
Financial Forecast • Print costs leasing or buying still could be $400 month *12 months = $4800. • Printer, ink, maintenance • Paper • Mail expense would be approximately $350 per mailing * 26 mailings = $9100 • Postage, Permit fee, annual fee • Legal fees • Taxes & accounting • Web - could be a source of income too • Backup expenses • Software & computer
Service Life Cycle • Newspaper printed every 2 weeks • Internet site updates at least this often • Breaking news may be available online prior to printing
Brookline Post • Very difficult to make any money!! I work for free enough already! • Most likely will not happen unless it is a non profit consortium • Could expand town website to include local news
Original township of Dunstable 1674 200 sq. miles
Territory • A interesting way to define a current territory is to cover all towns that existed originally as a part of Old Dunstable. Includes: • NH: Nashua, Brookline, Hollis, Mason, Milford, Londondary, Amherst, Merrimack, Litchfield, Wilton, Mont Vernon, Hudson, Lyndeborough • Mass: Lowell, Dracut, Tyngsboro, Townsend, Groton, Dunstable • Possible: Derry, Windham, Pelham, there could be others
Additional Territory • Concord for state news, Wash.,DC - NH is so full of politics • Boston - aren’t we a suburb? • Other New England coverage, possibly their capitals