From the point of view of a large media buying company, newspapers have some problems.

"There are some threats that you have to deal with very quickly," said Mr Jeans.

Consolidation of media buyers is one of them – they are increasing, and the pace is getting faster, reducing both the 'buying points' and newspapers' access to those points. Four big players control half the advertising in the world.

Another problem: globalisation. "The decisions are made on a global basis or a regional basis, and by regional I mean a continent," he said. "By the time we get to talk to your representatives, three or four decisions have been made. There's very little you can do."

"What can you say if you are in Holland, for example, and we say, 'there's no money for Holland this year.' There isn't much you can say, unless you are involved in the decision making at the high end.'"

What media buyers need from newspapers is research, research, research – and not just awareness surveys either. "Reach and awareness is only the start of the process, rather than the whole process," he said.

Mr Jeans presented some of the sophisticated research that media buyers are conducting for clients these days and urged newspapers to contribute – to give the media buyers the kind of information they need to make a compelling argument to advertisers that newspapers must be part of the mix.

"It isn't enough to say, 'I'm aware of an ad in a newspaper.' Reach and awareness are only the start of the process, rather than the whole process."

Because, he said, it isn't about buying advertising anymore. What media buyers are thinking these days is this: "what can we bring to the party that will actually increase the clients' sales?"

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