By: Lucia Moses Broadcast and print promos are useful in pushing people to a given day's newspaper, but what about presenting breaking news throughout the day? The
Orlando (Fla.)
Sentinel has a new light-emitting-diode display billboard that lets the paper update its message as often as every seven seconds to promote upcoming features as well as ongoing news reported on its Web site.
The electronic board, from Brookings, S.D.-based Daktronics Inc., has software allowing the
Sentinel to change the promos throughout the day via modem. The board -- perched on a billboard beside a bottleneck on Interstate 4 where plenty of eyeballs will see it -- fits up to three lines of type, which can be static or scroll across the board.
Major-league sports teams and banks have embraced these boards in their advertising, said Jim Crum, Florida sales representative for Daktronics, but the
Sentinel is the first newspaper he knows to buy one. At about $80,000 for a unit similar to the
Sentinel's, it's an inexpensive way to advertise, Crum said. The cost doesn't include installation, maintenance, or the billboard. Clear Channel Outdoor said a sign in the location similar to the one it rented the
Sentinel could run $10,000 a month.
The board is part of the
Sentinel's new "Get Into It" marketing campaign aimed at occasional readers. The campaign marks a shift in direction for the
Sentinel, which traditionally has gone heavy on brand advertising, said Carol Hobbs, brand and promotions manager. The paper decided to shift to a topical promotion campaign after single-copy sales strategies helped increase daily and Sunday circulation in the six months ended March 31.
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