Here are summaries of selected presentations and some quotes from the 2004 World Editor & Marketeer Conference to give you a taste of the high quality of speakers and presentations featured at all WAN conferences. Expect even more in 2005!
Nearly 470 participants from 75 countries attended the 2004 event in Lisbon, which focused on circulation success.
Welt Kompakt - A New Product for New Readers
Jan-Eric Peters, Editor-in-Chief, Die Welt, Welt Kompakt, Berliner Morgenpost, Germany
At first glance, Welt Kompakt might seem to be smaller version of the Germany quality broadsheet Die Welt. But it is something completely new, and completely different.
"It is not just a new concept for newspapers, it is part of a unique world-wide journalistic model," says Mr Peters. "We’ve not only increased quality, but we cut costs. Name me a publisher in the world who would not want such a model."
The new model began when Axel Springer’s quality national Die Welt and its regional sister publication, Berliner Morgenpost, combined their editorial staffs -- going from 300 journalists each to 350 for the two publications.
Although the cuts were severe, Die Welt benefits from the regional competencies of Berliner Morgenpost, while the Berlin paper benefits from the national competencies of Die Welt, says Mr Peters. And when Welt Kompakt joined the mix, it benefited from both.
Launched in May 2004 in Berlin and seven other German cities, Welt Kompakt is not a substitute for the broadsheet, but a different offer aimed at new readers, particularly younger readers who don’t have a lot of time but want quality journalism. The tabloid sells for 50 euro cents.
"Who are we to decide how our readers should consume news? It is up to them to decide whether they want it on paper, on a computer, on a mobile phone or some day on a fridge or microwave oven. Soon new wireless technology will enable us to access information whenever, wherever. Our job is therefore to make sure this content is packaged in a way that can be distributed on all existing and future platforms. If we don’t meet their demands, then consumers will go elsewhere and we will be dead! Didier Brun, Senior Vice President, International Herald Tribune, France
Getting a Degree in Circulation Science
Jim Chisholm, Director, Shaping the Future of the Newspaper Project, World Association of Newspapers
Mr Chisholm presented a one-hour "master class" in which he provided a multi-step guide on how to build and implement a successful circulation strategy. This included simple, low-cost research tools for developing a clear understanding of newspaper customers, markets and sales processes.
"I do not think we spend enough time on understanding our readers," he says. "Too few newspapers understand who their readers are, what they want, and what is their value to us. Newspapers too often fail because they don’t know who their audience is and what they want."
Mr Chisholm’s class showed how developing a clear definition of readers can be used to attract those who are most valuable to the newspaper. For example, the information can be used to focus content, position marketing and determine distribution.
Participants in the class will be given access to a web-based template that will help them conduct the research suggested by Mr Chisholm. The presentation, along with case studies presented at the conference and other information, will form the basis for "Circulation Science," the next Strategy Report in the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper series from WAN. For more information on SFN, click here.
"Journalists and photographers are vital links in your circulation building team, but give them the benefit of your knowledge about what sells newspapers. It’s not often what they think." Peter Allen, Group Editor, Fairfax Community Newspapers, Australia
Providing Something for Everyone
Bernt Olufsen, Editor-in-Chief, VG, Norway
In one of the world’s most crowded newspaper markets, VG stands out.
It is Norway’s largest selling daily -- 380,000 copies on weekdays, and 483,000 on Sundays. Not bad for a country with 4.6 million people and 148 newspapers -- nine in Oslo alone.
Mr Olufsen provided a case study of the newspaper’s rise. He offers this simple formula:
"I think it is a great challenge to edit a newspaper for all different kinds of people. It is the same, no matter where you are in the country. We want to inform our readers about what is going on in the country and we want to entertain them at the same time. I see no conflict in giving priority to political news and, at the same time, to entertainment news and sports."
Mr Olufsen emphasized that product development was an important, daily task that involves everyone at the paper.
"Our policy is that product development should be part of everyday work," he says. "We are therefore working with evolution, not revolution. We allow editors and journalists to try ideas in the daily newspaper."
"Good product alone is essential but not sufficient. We need to get customers to try the product, and that’s what marketing is all about." Danai Kramgomut, Executive Vice President, Business Development and Investor Relations, National Multimedia Group, Thailand
Making Life Easier for Readers
Walter Bier, Circulation Director, Zero Hora, Brazil
The Brazilian regional daily Zero Hora has seen its circulation rise 5.2 percent since 2001, from 168,018 copies to 176,770 today. And it did so at a time when the overall circulation in Brazil dropped nearly 20 percent.
Mr Bier’s presentation provided some of the reasons for this circulation success.
"There is no magic here," he says. "We’re working in four areas: innovation, service excellence, editorial quality and the relationship with the reader."
Mr Bier presented ten key points for obtaining circulation success. Here are two of them:
Investing in content. "No product will sell unless it is a good product," he says.
Flexibility in delivery, subscription options, products and billing. Zero Hora will follow its subscribers wherever they go -- including to holidays at the beach. It offers seven different subscription options -- even a "sports" option of Saturday, Sunday and Monday only. And it recently introduced "Zero Hora Light", a smaller version of the main paper that has half the pages and is 30 percent less expensive (and now accounts for 18 percent of sales).
"We don’t have to be loved at all times but we want to be noticed. We don’t want readers to be indifferent to our paper." Walter Bier, Circulation Director, Zero Hora, Brazil
Making Newspapers Easier to Read
Ole Munk, Managing Director, Ribergaard & Munk Graphic, Denmark
"Easy to read" is a mantra for newspapers aiming to attract new readers. But "easy to read" means different things to different people.
To some people, the German picture newspaper Bild is easy to read. To others, so is the text-rich Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
"What’s the right look for your newspaper depends on who you are, what you want to say, to whom you want to say it, and where and when," says Mr Munk, who nevertheless offered 15 design tips to entice readers. Here are a few of them:
Don’t be afraid to use long headlines. "They can be a description of the story. In some cases, it’s all you need to read and it saves time. They’re a good service to readers."
Provide all major stories with multiple entry points. "You want to provide lots of potential hooks for the reader to get started."
Tell your readers why your stories matter to them.
"Our sentences never bore a reader on a single page. A bored reader is a lost reader." Bernt Olufsen, Editor-in-Chief, VG, Norway
New Products and New Sales Through Better Distribution
Rosie Cassidy, Director, Circulation Operations & Technology, Gannett Co. Inc, USA
Newspapers in the United States reach eight of 10 adults at least once a week. But once a week isn’t enough; increasing the frequency of readership has become a major challenge, says Ms Cassidy.
"The strategy is to build frequency among the occasional readers who are inclined to turn to their local newspapers for news and information -- a tool they can use in their daily lives," says Ms Cassidy. "But, unfortunately, they are not reading and using the newspaper with the regularity we need to post circulation and readership gains. This brings the focus onto a strategy that includes making the daily newspaper more available through merchandising efforts while continuing to aggressively market home delivery sales."
Distribution systems are a key element of this strategy, she says.
"The daily newspaper’s distribution system is considered by many to be one of our industry’s most understated assets. The foundation of all our marketing imperatives is an effective, supportive distribution system. Our ability to respond to our advertisers’ increasing demands for finer zoning capabilities depends of the strength of our distribution infrastructure. The question we face as circulators is how to leverage this strategic asset to ensure a competitive advantage in our markets."
Ms Cassidy presented many examples of how US newspapers were using distribution centers and other infrastructure to generate new revenue -- many by using their distribution networks to deliver publications from other companies. New technology allows complex deliveries of multiple products.
