When publishers take initiatives to revive brand

These publications chosen by E&P accomplished much with novel ideas some of which had little to do with the daily business of journalism.

Take a look at the ones that caught my attention and why.

The Arizona Republic

This newspaper went all out with new media, and, as Josh Suson, director of investigations and enterprise, put it:

“Think about new media first rather than as an addition,” said Josh Susong, director of investigations and enterprise.

So the Republic, a Pulitzer winning newspaper, has invested in long, interpretative pieces, such as “The Wall,” a multimedia report about President Trump’s proposed border wall told through a collection of stories, documentary videos, a podcast series, and even virtual reality), the same strategy was used for two recent projects.

The Republic has also released a six-part podcast called “Rediscovering Don Bolles: A Murdered Journalist.”

Why it matters:Investigative journalism is a sure way to establish a core audience that will also pay for content that is unique, covers important topics and gives the newspaper an authoritative edge.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Sometimes it is effective marketing that comes to the rescue, as happened in Arkansas.

Realizing that many of their subscribers were consuming The Democrat-Gazette digitally, the publisher decided that he would give those subscribers reading mostly on line an $800, 13-inch iPad if they kept subscribing (should a reader end their subscription the iPad would need to be returned).

It worked.

Why it matters: Sometimes using traditional marketing tools—remember when newspapers used to give away sets of china, cutlery or encyclopedias?

The Chicago Sun-Times

The Sun-Times went to the heart of where the audience can feel the change; improve the product.

Recently, the newsroom rebranded both their print and digital offerings to make them feel more polished and cohesive as well as launched digital subscriptions.

This is important: Video and podcasting are also booming enterprises for the Sun-Times. In 2019, the company saw nearly 900,000 podcast downloads, and as of January this year, there is a 109 percent increase in video views, 167 percent increase in YouTube subscribers, and 137 percent increase in watch time.

As for podcasting, “The Ben Joravsky Show,” which launched in February 2019, is the product of a partnership between the Sun-Times and the alt-weekly Chicago Reader, and takes a deep dive into Chicago and Illinois news. The Sun-Times also launched several other popular podcasts including: “Halas Intrigue,” a Chicago Bears football podcast which has a companion newsletter; “The Fran Spielman Show,” where veteran city hall reporter Fran Spielman interviews Chicago’s movers and shakers; and “Motive,” a collaboration between the Sun-Times and WBEZ/Chicago Public Media about Thaddeu

Why it matters: Sometimes all it takes is a good look at the existing product, and making noticeable improvements that the audience recognizes and appreciates.

Keene Sentinel, Keene, NH

Events can put the brand of your newspaper out there where it counts. I see more of my European clients engaging in event planning than their US counterparts. This is why I was happy to read about this by the Keene Sentinel.

Since 2018, the Keene Sentinel, along with the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship, has produced Radically Rural, a two-day summit that features expert speeches, a networking event, local food and beverages, and live music.

The summit takes place in downtown Keene, with the kick-off, keynote and closing speeches at The Colonial Theatre, a historical venue which seats 900. More than 600 people from 26 states attended all parts of Radically Rural in 2019, a significant increase from the first year.

Why it matters: Newspaper brands are usually strong. Extending them via events that bring the community together are a way for attracting readers who may know the brand, but no longer engage with it.

La Voz del Interior, Cordoba, Argentina

Sometimes a good initiative can lead to a homegrown product, as happened for La Voz del Interior, in Cordoba, Argentina (one of our clients at Garcia Media).

When La Voz del Interior decided it was time to launch a subscription model at their publication two years ago, they started to assess vendors for a paywall platform. But when they couldn’t find a solution that could meet their financial need, the newspaper chose to create its subscription model with its own paywall solution.

“Wyleex was born from this unexpected situation, and our IT team was willing to develop the technology by collecting all the expertise we had gathered,” said Mauricio Rucci, Wyleex CEO. “All the departments in the company worked together to find solutions for subscribers.”

Rucci said they have five large media companies in Latin America as clients, and more than 50 prospects in 19 countries. They are also working on some proposals in Europe and the United States.

Why it matters: Nothing is too far from reach if the local team puts its mind to it.

Read the full piece here

10 News Publishers That Do It Right 2020

Let The Story guide your mobile first strategy!

A good read to start the year 2020: The full trilogy of The Story now available–3 books to guide you through a mobile first strategy. Whether you’re a reporter, editor, designer, publisher, corporate communicator, The Story is for you! https://amazon