Robert Rubrecht from NAA spoke at the 2009 KPA convention in Louisville. He shared his expertise and research on current circulation trends.

2. Today:
Look at various trends taking place in Circulation /
Audience Development in areas such as:
Distribution
Single Copy
Acquisition & Retention
Metrics

3. During the Process
Two Goals for Today:
Foster Communication
Provide Ideas for Revenue / Audience
Growth

5. Distribution
Delivery Agent Man
Distribution Centers
Contraction
Alliances
Digital / Hybrid Editions
Address Specific Delivery

6. Distribution
Delivery Agent Man
Distribution Centers
2002 – 28%; 2006 – 35%; >25K – 59%
Adult Carriers
2002 – 67%; 2006 – 81%
Contraction - Pulling back from outlying
areas: Atlanta, Fayetteville, NC
-reduce expense, concentrate on core

7. Distribution
Alliances – working with competitors: Dallas-
Fort Worth; Chicago; Hagerstown, MD
- increase revenue
- reduce expense
Chicago Tribune:
- technology-Handhelds
Wall Street Journal
- carrier pool
USA Today
New York Times
Red Eye
Chicago Sun-
Times
And more…

8. Distribution
Digital / Hybrid Editions – using online
products to expand reach: Detroit; Colorado
Springs
- reduce printing & distribution expense
- NIE
Address Specific Delivery – unbundling of the
newspaper sections / tailored delivery
- TV Books – opt-in – several papers
- Business/Finance - Austin

9. Single Copy
Retailer Partnerships
Scan Based Trading
Premium Pricing / Specific Day
Price Adjustments

10. Single Copy
Retailer Partnerships
SC Sales: 2000 – 35% News rack / 60% OTC
2006 – 30% News rack / 65% OTC
OTC Locations: 2000 – 150; 2006 – 185 D / 225 S

11. Single Copy – Promotion – Top Taco
Abilene Reporter
The premise was to have
two coupons in the paper
each day pitting
competing Taco
restaurants to determine
who had the best tacos in
town.
The store receiving the
most coupon redemptions
after two days would
move on in the brackets

12. Single Copy – Promotion – Top Taco
Abilene Reporter
Single Copy up YOY
•297 Daily
•130 Sunday
Vending Machine sales at
outlets increased
Positive promotion for
newspaper, businesses
and readers

13. Single Copy - Promotion
Mapco Express
$25,000 Agreement
Elvis Week
Target high-volume
lunch businesses.
Use newspaper labels New Account
50 daily / 65 Sunday Mystery Shoppers
Suggestive Selling
2100 D / 350 S
http://www.naa.org/search.aspx?search=Single%20Copy%20success%20stories

14. Single Copy
Scan Based Trading – Papers that have POS
accounts: 2000 7%; 2006 67%
Third Party Vendors:
The Nexxus Group (13) iControl Systems (11)
Wal*Mart CVS
Kroger Barnes & Noble
Food Lion Cumberland Farms
Speedway SuperAmerica Safeway
Sunoco Winn-Dixie
WaWa Schnucks

15. Single Copy – Scan Based Trading
Retailer Benefits:
•Ease of inventory–no need to count papers at delivery
•Payment on scanned newspapers only
•Returns process ease–in some cases, papers tossed
•Ease of billing–one check to write (CBP)

16. Single Copy – Scan Based Trading
Publisher Benefits:
•Access to new accounts
•Efficiency improvement for the distributor—removes the
time-consuming collection responsibility
•Delivery window is more flexible
•Easier to execute—switch to direct company billing
•Automation allows for quicker payment
A few other thoughts:
•Basics – attaining a UPC / Self-audits
•Ensure your paper is scanned
•Negotiate placement, secondary location and additional
POP
•Audits - Scan results vs. traditional

17. Single Copy
Premium Pricing / Specific Day
•Thanksgiving Day
•Early Sunday program
Price Adjustments
•Revenue Responsibility

18. Acquisition & Retention
The Diversified Sales Channels
Target Marketing
Retaining Subscribers with Technology

19. Acquisition & Retention
The Diversified Sales Channels
2000 2006
Telemarketing 58% 35%
Carriers 13% 9%
Crew Sales 9% 11%
Direct Mail 7% 8%
Kiosk 4% 13%
Other 10% 9%
Single Copy 7%
Internet 4%
E-mail 1%

20. Acquisition & Retention
Target Marketing
Seeking customer similar to your
current subscribers:
NYTRMG:
Lakeland Ledger
The Readership Growth Strategy.
Maximize core print product penetration
among areas most valued.
Three target groups:
* Younger
* Family
* Mature

21. Acquisition & Retention
Lakeland Ledger (Continued)
Coordinated and integrated campaign
Telemarketing
Direct Mail
Email Marketing
Product Sampling

22. Acquisition & Retention
Retaining Subscribers with Technology
-Retention efforts based on behavior –
Lexington Herald-Leader
-Relationship / Bonding programs
delivered electronically: Washington
Post – Emails, Post Points, La Porte
Herald Argus – Reverse Auctions

23. Metrics
What are we counting?
What should we be counting?
Circulation
Readership
Web-site Usage
Ancillary / Niche Products

24. Questions & Discussion

25. Thank You
Robert L. Rubrecht
Director/Circulation Marketing
Newspaper Association of America
571-366-1032
Robert.rubrecht@naa.org