'Daily Herald,' Advo to Share Ad Delivery in Chicago 'Burbs

By: Mark Fitzgerald The Daily Herald, Illinois' third-largest newspaper, on Monday became the 30th U.S. paper to partner with direct-mailer Advo.

Beginning in the first quarter of 2005, the Paddock family-owned Daily Herald will deliver Advo's ShopWise package of preprinted advertisements to its approximately 120,000 household subscribers in northwest suburban Chicago, while Advo will mail the packages to non-subscribers. The companies said the program will reach more than 725,000 homes.

Not too many years ago, newspapers regarded Advo as an enemy. But papers increasingly both collaborate and compete with a variety of businesses these days. Jim Cook, marketing and promotions manager for the Daily Herald's parent company, Paddock Publications, noted the paper already combines some classified with the Chicago Sun-Times and other nearby Hollinger International papers.

"Advo acts almost like a TMC [total market coverage] product for the Daily Herald, and of course, Advo gets the targeted marketing of our subscribers," Cook said. Over the years, Cook noted, the Daily Herald has tried and discontinued several TMC products, most recently a product called "Fast Track Marketplace."

Daily Herald subscribers will receive the Advo package on top of their Wednesday paper, while non-subscribers will receive it in the mail on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. The package will be co-branded as both ShopWise and the Daily Herald.

Like the mailed package, the newspaper-delivered ads will be, in effect, zoned, using Advo's proprietary sub-ZIP Code targeting. Advo says its partnerships with 29 other papers reach 9.5 million households nationwide.

"Advertisers can leverage the power of the newspaper/mail combination to enhance their message to consumers and can ensure maximum response through sub-ZIP-code targeting for both mail and newspaper delivery," said Advo CEO Scott Harding. The Advo head is an example of the collaboration of direct mail and newspaper: Until three months ago, he headed the large newspaper ad-buying firm Newspaper Services of America.