New England Press Association


'One of the biggest problems I see is crappy ads. The hard part is selling the space, but that’s not enough; it has to work.' -- John C. Peterson, Principal, The Peterson Group, Oakdale, Conn 'If people have information to make better decisions, they can buy smarter.' -- John C. Peterson	Bulletin photo by Mary Catherine Adams John Peterson speaks to the audience at the “Outselling Your Conditions” workshop. Advertising more important to business in down economy By Julie Bonette Bulletin Correspondent Today’s poor economy is an opportunity for newspapers because consumers are in search of information that will aid their financial needs and goals, John C. Peterson told the audience at a workshop titled “Outselling Your Conditions” at the recent New England Newspaper and Press Association convention. Most of the workshop detailed specific methods a newspaper can use to retain and gain advertisers, especially in the current recession. Peterson is a consultant who travels throughout the country to assist mostly smaller newspapers. Peterson, founder and principal of The Peterson Group of Oakdale, Conn., began media and marketing consulting in 1995. He was president of Capital Cities/ABC’s New England Newspaper Group, which published 75 newspapers and shoppers in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and is a past president of newspaper organizations. One of the main points of his workshop presentation was that the public is constantly seeking information, and most people turn to newspapers for help. “If people have information to make better decisions, they can buy smarter,” Peterson told the audience of 22 people. The focus of the workshop was that all businesses benefit from advertising. A PowerPoint presentation displayed statistics throughout Peterson’s talk, including that “48 percent of U.S. adults believe that a lack of advertising by a retail store, bank or auto dealership during a recession indicates that the business must be struggling,” a figure from Ad-ology Research. Peterson emphasized that advertising is important to businesses because it is a conversation with consumers. A business cannot expect to generate sales without talking to its customers. But even when a business chooses to advertise, there can still be problems. “One of the biggest problems I see is crappy ads. The hard part is selling the space, but that’s not enough; it (the ad) has to work,” Peterson said. All ads should answer the question of “Why?” -- why the consumer should buy -- and those that do are successful ads. Focusing on the business and selling the store itself, is also important, Peterson said. He believes in the three-call approach, which lets businesses know that the newspaper is trying to help the business, not just take its money. “The customer needs to know you care, before they care what you know,” Peterson’s slide show said. The first call to a business should be an introduction and a chance to make an appointment. The second call’s object should be to determine what a company needs its advertising to accomplish, and an assessment of any previous advertising experience. That conversation should also include a discussion of the account’s expectations of advertising. The third call is a formal presentation with options, preferably a written proposal. A written proposal offers a tangible record of the plan and suggested options. Another point stressed is that just one advertisement will not work on consumers. “Advertising is a process, not an event,” Peterson’s slide show said. In it. he quoted studies from both Harvard and Northwestern universities that indicated that people needed to see a message eight to nine times before they are moved from apathy to action. While a special section might be a good way to get new advertisers in the paper, publishers should consider incentives to extend that exposure. He advised that giving a discount to a business on advertisements the weeks before and after the ad is to appear will be beneficial. Peterson often asked specific questions and people in the audience gave responses relating to their newspaper. When Peterson asked members of the audience how their newspaper approached advertisers, one woman said she tells companies that people worry when advertising for a business stops. The workshop took place Friday, Feb. 5, in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. Julie Bonette is an undergraduate student in the Northeastern University School of Journalism. POSTED 2/11/10