Cherry Media Group

I recently ran an ad in the local newspaper classifieds to test the saturation of the once great media. Much to my surprise, it took days before I received my first inquiry. At the end of the first run I still had not sold the product. In true marketer fashion I resorted to my bag of tricks adding slick copy and enticing words, surefire methods for making the sale. At the end of run two, still nothing. Round three went no better. I dropped the price to a ridiculous sum with the same ridiculous results.

So what went wrong?

To begin with, the newspaper industry is slumping with no hope for survival in sight. The younger generations are embracing new technology and the dinosaurs making decisions in the newsroom can’t read the writing on the wall. As a former design/copy editor, this behavior from those I once admired saddens me.

In the early 90s I had a discussion with the Editor and Publisher of a large daily newspaper about the need to expand the operation to include a web presence. At the time, the city was in need of a good internet service provider. I envisioned the newspaper being the gateway for that public to the world wide web. The discussion ended in an insult. I was told I didn’t understand the news industry. I didn’t understand the economic climate of the city and that people simply could not and would never be capable of owning a computer in every home. Like most old school businessmen, he believed all products must rise in price to survive. The idea of declining prices and rising profits only a fantasy in his mind. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

So let me say it one more. This time I'll be blunt. Attention all news editors! The glory days are over. Make way for the free community papers and digital content. The public has had their fill of your archaic ways and here's the proof...

The Houston Chronicle is recently laid off 80, the New York Times 100 and now the Chiago Tribune is following suit. U.S. media employment fallen to a 15-year low. On the other hand, social networks are growing daily by millions and bloggers have begun replacing columnists. Many are so busy they now hiring editors and reporters out of traditional newsrooms.

So the simple answer to my question, “what went wrong?” is I chose the wrong media source. To be successful I should’ve put my efforts in popular web based classifieds such as craigslist, ebay or some other virtual classified service. The outcome would have been very different.

It's only fair to provide this final note regarding my classified ad test. I ultimately sold my product. After four cycles in the newspaper classifieds I made the sale.  I knew I would, because the most important thing to consider when placing an ad, especially in traditional media, is frequency. Over time most ads will get noticed. Still, the problem was time and expense nearly out weighed the hassle and the profit.

In the future I recommend trying the new media. Save your time and money for more important things.

Lance Cherry owns Cherry Media Group and has nearly two decades of marketing and media experience. A native of New Mexico, Lance has spent the past several years directing and leading a high-profile public relations department, responsible for critical publications, media relations, public outreach and public education programs. To reach Lance email, lance@cherrymediagroup.com or visit online, www.cherrymediagroup.com.