'Virginian-Pilot' Sponsors Troop Homecoming

By: Mark Fitzgerald U.S. military forces achieved their quick success in the Iraq war by combining months of planning with the experience gained during 1991's Operation Desert Storm. That same formula is at work in the homecoming promotion The Virginian-Pilot has arranged for the many Navy ships and troops returning from Iraq to Norfolk, Va.

The 201,041-circulation daily is only halfway through the promotion, and has already generated "well over" $500,000 in revenue, said Dale Bowen, the newspaper's director of market development.

Some of the biggest events, including "The Mother of All Parties" and a "Fleet Week," are still ahead in Norfolk, where the local chamber of commerce expects the return of some 60 ships and 29,500 troops to bring $72 million in additional discretionary income to the market. "We have more than tripled what we did in 1991 in revenue," Bowen said in a telephone interview.

In 1991, the Virginian-Pilot "published a lot of stories and [sponsored] a lot of events that were free to the military," Bowen said, "but it was sort of loosely done, if you follow what I mean."

Nothing was left to chance this time around. As war clouds gathered, the newspaper took the lead in creating a task force that included the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Navy, the USO, and Cox Communications, the local cable television provider. The paper is publishing special sections, and has printed more than 200,000 copies of coupon books offering discounts to returning soldiers and sailors.

It created a "Hampton Roads Heroes" logo that has proven popular on posters and T-shirts, even at PXs overseas, according to the paper. The task force sold sponsorships ranging from a $15,000 "Bronze Level" to an $80,000 "Platinum Level."

As with a military campaign, the promotion encountered some unpredictable events -- chiefly, the speed of the U.S. victory in Iraq. "The ships weren't supposed to be back until the summer," said Bowen, who noted two big major battle groups came back in May. "We had to jump," he said.