Bigger proves better for tabloid

IN an advertising print world, dominated by catalogs, mimaturc flyers, small tabloids, "flexies" and miscellaneous assortments of uncommon cards and folders, a heavyweight piece stands out!

An example of heavyweight is a broadsheet with a "wing-span" almost 3 feet wide in a single piece of newsprint. With large illustrations and bold prices, it muscles into view of the recipient and can't easily be ignored.

"Go for something a little different" was the reasoning behind the king-size format, said Ted Geocaris, Palmer G. Lewis Co. major accounts muu:rager. PGL advertising and promotion manager Chuck Lauber designed the tabloid and with product managers, selected items and selling prices. Retail dealers were offered special purchase prices to increase inventory of featured items or to bring in products not stocked for the sale.

Paper costs for a wide flyer were a little higher than ordinary newspaper size tabloids, but since co-op reimbursements are based on costs, they were covered. The advantages of the giant size format with less make-ready and altering for the dealer saved money for both the retailer and the sponsor. The products featured were all fast-movers with excellent acceptance by the d-i-y audience and exceptional profit for the retailers.

Phil Eichholtz, owner of New Lumber & Hardware, Federal Way, Wa., a few miles south of Seattle, liked the idea of a tabloid devoted exclusively to pushing good-moving do-ityourself building materials. He com- mented, "This flyer by PGL covers a good range of items we normally stock as well as items not included in

Story at a Glance

Big advertising tab is a custom. er puller. ..large type and pho. tos are attention getters...big. ger than usual format allows more products and features to be mentioned. other tabloids available to us. The unique size makes it doubly interesting. " too!

Although the promotion caught New Lumber in the midst of some store remodeling, it did not cause a serious negative effect. The weather, they felt, might hurt the sale, but instore selling was brisk.

"We know the tab drew people in because it was responsible for many sales of featured items, such as poly, plasterboard, insulation and lumber items," Eichholtz said.

Jim Eichholtz, Phil's son and general manager, added, "We liked the size of the giant tab and the whole concept of pre-selected items and pricing. Would we use it again, maybe in early Spring? Yes, you bet!"

All things considered, the fall sale promotion heavyweight tabloid also scored a victory for Brookdale Lumber Co. in Tacoma, Wa. Desperately trying to ruin the chance of success was the bad weather - wind and rain, but manager Ron Torgeson was pleased with the response and results.

"We liked the format which I'm sure stood out among the mini-size circulars and flexies that come in the mail," he said. "It did a job because we saw many new faces, shoppers we hadn't seen before." Ron selected direct mail distribution for the 13,000 tabs he had printed.

Items that moved well for Brookdale were chimney pipe and systems, sheet rock, roofing and outdoor landscape products. Torgeson uses this rule of thumb in evaluating a sale as to cost and resultsto be successful, it must increase sales by tenfold or more over the expense of the promotion.