By: Todd Shields 'Virginian-Pilot' Touted Two Special Series
WASHINGTON -- The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., has
found that promoting high-impact editorial copy can reap a bump
in single-copy sales. It plans more efforts coordinating
circulation, sales, and the newsroom.
In May, the 192,924-circulation paper in southeast Virginia saw
single-copy sales increase about 4,000 copies over six days as it
ran a series on dangers to area shipyard workers from exposure to
asbestos.
Preliminary figures show a similar effect with another series in
June. Single-copy sales of the Landmark Communications Inc. paper
rose an estimated 7,136 during a seven-day account of a meteor
that crashed into Virginia 35 million years ago.
The raw numbers conceal one especially encouraging statistic,
said Beverley Mason, interim marketing director. Traditionally
sales drop the last Sunday before the week containing the July
Fourth holiday. This year, single-copy sales jumped 3,891 that
Sunday, Mason said.
"It's the biggest bump we've seen," Mason said. "It's very
exciting for us."
To promote the series 'A Cosmic Tale,' the Pilot's
marketing department placed ads in the Pilot and other
Landmark publications, bought radio ads, and installed rack cards
in 2,000 newspaper boxes.
Once the series began the Pilot and Hardee's fast-food
restaurants offered a breakfast-and-newspaper special. The paper
also ran a contest for free admission to science museums. It
yielded personal information for use in subscription drives. In a
third marketing phase, the series is to be repackaged for use in
schools.
Mason said circulation and sales increasingly want to plan with
an important question in mind: "What have they got in news?"
Todd Shields (tshields@editorandpublisher.com) is the Washington editor for E&P.
Related stories:
VIRGINIAN-PILOT MARKETS METEOR SERIES (06/27/01)
VIRGINIAN-PILOT BRINGS WORKPLACE TRAGEDY TO LIFE (from E&P Online's weekly e-mail newsletter; 05/15/01)
Copyright 2001, Editor & Publisher.
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