Newspapers
The News
Feb 2nd
When I’m on the road, I typically get my news from the local newspaper hanging on my hotel room doorknob in the morning. Whether it is USA Today, The South China Morning Post or The Gulf Times, I enjoy reading different points of view on the same stories from around the world. I also like to watch hotel cable, mostly because I don’t have cable at home, but also because it allows me to watch different news sources from around the world. I prefer CNN in Europe to the CNN that is broadcast in the U.S. I also enjoy the BBC and Al Jazeera International.
It seems that more and more people are getting their news from TV and the Internet, rather than from print sources. I still believe the newspaper is the best source for world news, followed by the Internet. The TV remains most popular, but, in my opinion, offers the least amount of meat when it comes to real issues. I have always been disappointed by the local news at home, but then again, I have always had more of an international curiosity so maybe my disappointment is natural.
On the road, do you find yourself more tuned into different news sources? Or do you ensure you get your local daily news source?
– Â Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
Misplaced Marketing
Jan 6th
Earlier this week, my favorite publisher, Fran Gallagher, discussed Hawaii’s questionable marketing strategies. It is a bit surprising that marketing for something as important and big as Hawaii would be so misguided, but I have seen many inept plans on a smaller scale.
When I worked at (the now defunct) Lerner Newspapers, one of my responsibilities was the distribution of Visitor Guides for certain areas. These guides were jointly produced by Lerner and various Chambers of Commerce or Tourism/Visitors Bureaus.
I would think these guides were meant to attract others to these areas. Instead, most times, The Powers That Be felt the guides should be distributed only in the areas covered. This certainly made distribution easier and quicker, but I doubt it did anything for the economy of the area. Ironically, The Powers That Be would often complain afterward that they didn’t receive any response from the guides, nor did they see any spike in tourism.
Another failed project involved a shopper publication. The newspaper consisted entirely of ads for local stores, many including coupons. I was shocked to learn that The Powers That Be wanted the entire run of the publication to be delivered to local businesses. After a few minutes of this pointless exercise, the project was abandoned based on the lack of consumer response.
How does this happen? I understand there are knuckleheads in every walk of life, but why didn’t someone see the silliness in these two examples?
Of course, on their resumes and in their minds, these projects were probably classified as successes. They probably bragged about their brilliance in promotion and marketing. They might even have parlayed these experiences into better jobs, like maybe at the Hawaiian Visitors Bureau.
– John Wroblewski, distribution specialist
Ad Assault
Dec 12th
I don’t know if I can take it anymore. They’re everywhere, and each day brings a fresh assault. Stuffed in my mailbox, folded inside each issue of the local newspaper, blaring from the T.V. and radio, filling up the inbox of my email. I’m speaking, of course, of all those catalogs, advertisements and “special, bonus coupons” urging me to take advantage of incredible offers and ”the lowest prices of the year.”
It happens every year, surely, as retailers try to end their year in the black and move as much inventory as possible as consumers cross items off their holiday gift-giving lists. And while I would say that I’m pretty sure this year we have gotten fewer and smaller print catalogs from some retailers such as Lands End, Coldwater Creek and Victoria’s Secret who traditionally have sent out a book a week from November ’til Christmas, everywhere else the flood has increased in volume.
It’s understandable, of course, considering the bleak season for merchants last year and their hopes to end this year on a high note, but it’s all feeling rather desperate to me. According to one ad I heard last night, one company has decided one Black Friday wasn’t enough this year; they’re having one each week — but on Saturdays, instead. And we saw how the Black Friday sales began well before the day after Thanksgiving this year, and online sellers spread their Cyber Monday over a week or more of special deals and free shipping. Now it isn’t just the Friday or Sunday papers stuffed with pages and pages of ad inserts from retailers one never hears from the rest of the year. Virtually every day of the week come notices of one-day sales and early-morning doorbusters and sheets of special coupons offering additional percentages off of other coupons. It’s all really starting to get to me.
I am not a shopper. I don’t have the time or the patience to meander the malls or boutiques just hoping to stumble on something I don’t really need but can’t live without. I go with a list of what I’m looking for after checking to see who might offer the best price, get what I came for and leave. Sure, I’ll browse and windowshop a bit, but I can’t spend hours doing so, nor do I have the time to go through all those ads or the space in my head to keep track of the zillions of special deals available for three hours next Tuesday.
But the sum effect of all those ads and promos this year is really beginning to wear on me. What if there really IS something in all that newsprint that might be just the thing for my daughter/sister/husband? Perhaps that electronic item IS within my budget if I’d only check every ad in print or online and found the right coupon or rebate offer to apply to it. Surely in that enormous mountain of paper piling up in my recycle bin there is SOMETHING I WILL REGRET MISSING OUT ON!!! Oh, the horror! Oh, the wasted opportunity! Oh, the ten dollars I might have saved!
I’m not sure my frazzled nerves and fragile psyche can handle any more. Perhaps I should let my husband sort through the paper and the mail each day and remove all those urgent messages of irresistible savings before I can see them. I’ll turn off the T.V. and radio and just zone out to holiday tunes and New Age harmonies. I’ll unsubscribe to and designate as “junk” all the online retailers who dare to tempt me via email. Then I’ll be safe . . . at least until all the after-Christmas sales.
– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
Not a Bad Day at All
Jun 3rd
John and I were recently in New York for Global Traveler‘s annual wine survey. Unfortunately, we were not part of the judging but were in charge of transporting the wine to the restaurant. We originally planned to assist during the actual tasting, but it turned out our help was not needed until the end of the day. Suddenly, we had about five hours of free time to do whatever we wanted.
Since it was such a nice day, we decided to get some lunch and then walk a few miles to The Dakota, the spot where John Lennon was shot. Across the street, in Central Park, was the Strawberry Fields tribute to Lennon. We sat around for a while, enjoying the day and also trying to kill some time.
We wandered around a bit and happened upon a competitive league of guys playing fast-pitch softball. There were two games simultaneously being played on separate fields. The players were men from the media and newspaper business. I was envious while watching, thinking to myself how cool it would be to get out on the field and play softball in Central Park.
Luck was on my side. On the next play, one of the players pulled a hamstring running out a ground ball. I turned to the umpire and told him I could substitute in for the injured player. To my amazement, he told me to get a glove and get out there. I was now playing for the New York Post; ABC News was our opponent. I was the happiest person on the planet. It kept getting better and better as I made some solid defensive plays and drove in a couple of runs.
Sweaty and dirty from playing, but feeling great, I was smiling from ear to ear as I rushed back to the restaurant. As I reflect on the day, I can only think one thing — not a bad day at all!
–Lou Atsaves, distribution specialist
