Papers Find New Ad Layouts For Clients

By: Jennifer Saba Newspaper advertising revenue has been advancing this year, but the results -- especially over the past several quarters -- reveal a slowdown. Miles Groves, a media economist, puts it in this blunt context: "We're in a world where the industry is growing at 3% but that's not enough."

So where does that leave publishers who are trying to push the pedal on growth? Controlling costs can only help so much. Even Wall Street analysts, who usually welcome such reductions, are growing weary of this tactic.

That leaves growing revenue, so it's no coincidence that some unusual -- at times almost revolutionary -- ad design has been cropping up over the last several months to catch the attention of advertisers looking for the new and different. On May 25, Detroit Newspapers took the unusual step of turning Page One of its Detroit Free Press and Detroit News into a "false cover" ad for Marshall Field's. The ads featured a gigantic American flag touting a Memorial Day sale under the small logos of both papers, while the real Page One followed on the next page.

Detroit Newspapers Vice President of Market Development Henry S. Ford says the concept was fairly well received and that the agency gave the idea "thoughtful consideration" before agreeing to run the ads (Marshall Field's knocked on several newspapers' doors about the idea, according to Ford).

Though Detroit's move was atypical -- most newspapers jealously guard their front page -- newspapers in the past have sold parts of Page One, says Groves, who calls it "a rediscovered option."

Jason Klein, president and CEO of the Newspaper National Network, an ad placement company in New York, says that he's noticing a lot more this type of activity and sees it as a welcome change. "The smarter newspapers realize their first response can't be 'no' to every new idea," he says. "Five years ago they would shoot down anything new. I think the industry is becoming far more receptive to creative ideas and creative units. Publishers and executives are beginning to realize that advertisers want unique programs and they want to do different things."

And why not? Other media industries, Klein notes, embraced this concept long ago. Broadcast does product placements, sponsorships, and billboards for advertisers. Magazines run thick advertorials. Even online content (for better or worse) can have ads popping all over the page, drifting across editorial content, and flashing for click-throughs.

The Chicago Tribune just got in the game. In mid-June the paper unveiled a new ad program detailing the ability for advertisers to buy into different shapes, sizes, and ideas not normally seen in their pages; cars may melt down the side of a page in a step ad, while shadow logos fall behind stock tables or sports results.

The idea came about due to a confluence of factors, explains Kathy Manilla, director/advertising for business development at the Tribune. The paper just introduced new printing and color capabilities that would allow for such placement, and editorial was willing to hear out the business side. Operations was also consulted. But most important, advertisers started expressing interest.

"We haven't been quite as aggressive in the pages of the core newspaper," says Manilla, adding that other products like RedEye are far more creative with ads. The paper turned to its creative department for development. Executives looked at about 100 different ideas before introducing a mock broadsheet sent to advertisers on June 14 showcasing innovative uses. The Tribune did extensive production testing before going to market.

Although they are still selling the concept as premium space, the paper has already placed a few ads: Motorola ran a shadow ad behind the stock tables, and the minor league Kane County Cougars baseball team took out a t-shape ad on a sports page. "We're excited about this," Manilla says. "Our accounts are excited, our sales staff is excited, it's really motivated everybody."