newsclips
APRIL 2013
Sheridan College Student Receives Rod Jerred Memorial Scholarship
Hamilton Community News Wins Several Awards Courtesy of Hamilton Community News
Courtesy of the Oakville Beaver
Sheridan College print journalism student Jonathan Clarke is the first recipient of the Rod Jerred Memorial Scholarship award. Jerred, a Sheridan alumnus and the former managing editor of the Oakville Beaver, recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. The scholarship is awarded to a deserving Sheridan print journalism student — this year’s $1,450 award was donated by college alumni and through a honorarium donation from Jill Davis, Halton Division editor in chief. Clarke, from London, began his post-secondary career studying psychology, but had a change of heart and decided he wanted to be a journalist. “He’s been one of our brightest students and is a big contributor to the Sheridan Sun this year,” said Nathan Mallett, print journalism co-ordinator at Sheridan. “In addition to filing stories each week, he volunteers to help professor Kathy Muldoon oversee production each week… He is very committed to his studies and the newspaper, and I think he’s going to make a fine journalist.”
Photo by Nikki Wesley, Oakville Beaver (From left to right): Kathy Jerred (Rod’s wife), Jonathan Clarke, Halton Division Editor in Chief Jill Davis and Nathan Mallet, Sheridan’s print journalism co-ordinator.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
CANADA’S NEWSPAPERS: ENDURING & EVOLVING Newspapers aren’t disappearing; they’re evolving.
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Hamilton Community News has again been recognized for excellence, this time at the national and international levels. The Canadian Community Newspapers Association recently announced the winners of its 2013 competition, which saw more than 250 community newspapers from coast-to-coast submit 2,222 entries in 33 categories representing their best work from 2012. The Stoney Creek News and Dundas Star News were each recognized by CCNA for their strong editorial page entries, earning first and second place finishes in their respective circulation classes. The Local Media Association (formerly Surburban Newspapers of America) received thousands of entries from Canada and the United States for consideration in categories in six different circulation classes this year. The LMA, whose membership includes community newspapers from across North America, also singled out the work of HCN staff. Dundas Star News Editor Debra Downey placed first in the Best Feature Series category in its circulation class for ‘Out of the Darkness,’ an in-depth examination of suicide and the need for improved mental health services, published in November 2011. LMA also recognized the Stoney Creek News series on hospice care that ran last June with a third place award in the Best Coverage of Health and Wellness category (all classes). The series, penned by former News editor Abigail Cukier, also won the Best In-Depth Feature by a Community Newspaper category in the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) Media Awards competition. “I am extremely proud of the work of our editorial team, and to be recognized at this level is confirmation that our staff is dedicated to providing the best in community coverage to our readers,” said HCN General Manager Jason Pehora. “These awards reflect the efforts of the entire editorial department in bringing a superior news package to homes each week and I look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence.”
PROVIDING FEEDBACK As a manager, you must know how to provide feedback.
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CLASSIFIEDS DESERVE DESIGN ATTENTION Design is important to every page of your newspaper.
See Page 16
April 2013 MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE ONTARIO1 COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
A Message from OCNA’s New President When I worked for OCNA, I enjoyed stealing copies of member papers from across the province to see first hand the work they were doing. I was always struck at how different and yet how similar they were. We had papers that ran in black, with only the occasional splash of spot colour, and those who ran colour from cover to cover. We had papers with circulations in the hundreds of thousands and those where the publisher knew every subscriber by name. We had papers that published in English, French, Cree, Spanish, Persian, Vietnamese. Each paper different, each designed to meet the needs and tastes of the communities it served. But for all our differences the one constant that always leapt off the page was how much each paper cared for its community. Sometimes it meant the picture of a cute kid dressed up like a bunny for the Easter parade; other times it meant exposing a community’s scandal for all to see; sometimes it means taking an unpopular editorial stand on an issue that will impact the area for generations to come. We do these things not because we think they’ll bring us the love and admiration of readers, but because they matter and we care enough to ensure everybody knows about them. During my term as president I want to take that same level of care and apply it to the industry as a whole. I want to use my skills and energy to work with the provincial government on issues important to us, from government advertising to the proposed changes to how the recycling system is funded in Ontario. We need to show off our strength as an industry and prove that no matter what technology throws at us, Community Newspapers aren’t going anywhere. We need to attract new members from the province’s growing and thriving cultural communities — communities who are no longer ‘the other’ but who are now part of Ontario’s mainstream. We need to do all that we can to ensure our members, big or small, corporate or independent, are able to thrive. That’s ultimately OCNA’s job and as its president I’ll do my best to ensure that it cares for the Community Newspaper community in the same way we all care for our own individual communities. - Gordon Cameron, OCNA President
IN THIS ISSUE... 04 ...............CANADA’S NEWSPAPERS: ENDURING & EVOLVING 05 ....................................ADVERTISING ALERT: MISLEADING ADS
NEWSCLIPS VOLUME 02, ISSUE 08 3228 South Service Rd. Suite 116 Burlington, ON L7N 3H8 p.905.639.8720 f.905-639.6962 e. info@ocna.org w. www.ocna.org OCNA BOARD PRESIDENT
Gordon Cameron
FIRST VP INTERIM
Dave Adsett
SECOND VP
Andrea DeMeer
SECRETARY/ TREASURER
Dave Harvey
PAST PRESIDENT
Mike Mount
DIRECTORS
Abbas Homayed Mike Powers Rick Shaver Ray Stanton John Willems
OCNA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Anne Lannan
CONTROLLER
Todd Frees
MEMBER SERVICES
Karen Shardlow Kelly Gorven
NETWORK CLASSIFIEDS
Carol Lebert
ACCOUNTING
Lucia Shepherd
AD*REACH
Ted Brewer Carolyn Press Erica Leyzac
06 ..................NEWSPAPERS HAVE MOST ENGAGING CONTENT 12 ......................MANAGING RISK IN BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS 13 ..................................................................B.E.S.T. OF THE BEST 14 .................................PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO EMPLOYEES 16 ..........................CLASSIFIEDS DESERVE DESIGN ATTENTION 17 ...................................................HIGH-TOUCH VS. LOW-TOUCH April 2013
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ASSOCIATION NEWS Waterdown Flamborough Review Wins LMA Awards
OCNA MEMBER UPDATES
Courtesy of the Review
The Review scooped up several awards in the Local Media Association’s 2012 editorial contest, including a third-place Journalist of the Year award going to acting editor Catherine O’Hara for her ongoing work on the future of horse racing in Flamborough. The Local Media Association, formerly the Suburban Newspapers of America, which represents more than 2,000 community newspapers across North America, announced the award winners last Friday. The Review received top honours in the Best Feature Series category in its circulation class for Off Track, a three-part series on horse racing in Ontario. Penned by O’Hara, in collaboration with former Milton Canadian Champion Reporter Christina Commisso, the exclusive feature also finished second in its class in the Best Investigative Reporting category. O’Hara’s and Review Reporter Dianne Cornish’s extensive coverage of a discretionary coroner’s inquest into the alcohol-poisoning death of a Flamborough teenager earned the paper a first-place finish in the Best Continuing Coverage award category. Sowing the Seeds of Hope, an environmental feature about a rehabilitation project that aimed to rejuvenate a Westover Road property with indigenous plants and trees, earned Cornish a third-place award in the Best Environmental Coverage category. Review Editor, Brenda Jefferies, who is currently filling the role of acting managing editor at Hamilton Community News, came in third in the Best Column Writing category for her monthly stories published under the title, My View. O’Hara’s coverage of the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, as well as her March 15, 2012 story on the government’s decision to axe the Slots at Racetracks Program, each received an honourable mention in the Best Coverage of Local Education and School District Issues and Best Breaking News Story categories, respectively. The 2012 competition featured stories published between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012.
NEW MAGAZINE
Metroland’s Niagara Region has launched a new magazine Cheers Niagara! to feature food and wine in the region. The response has been tremendous – even before the 48 page glossy premiere edition hit the street. Featured restaurants and advertisers were talking it up and the Cheers Niagara Twitter account was going crazy. To be published four times per year, Editor in Chief Katherine Nadeau tells us each edition will feature topics like diet backlash, diner space, profiles of chefs, and recipes.
TRIBUNE JOURNALIST FUNDRAISES FOR THE CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY
Sturgeon Falls, West Nipissing Tribune journalist Allison Loranger has come up with a really neat way to contribute to the Canadian Cancer Society’s daffodils campaign. She has designed and crocheted these very cute wool daffodil pins! Readers are able to pick them up at the Tribune office for a minimum donation of $2 to the local Canadian Cancer Society. They will be sold until June and the total will be presented at the Relay for Life. Way to go Allison!
25 YEARS OF SERVICE
Rainy River Record would like to extend congratulations to Anne Mailloux for 25 years of service to the paper. Anne was officially hired as the Rainy River Record’s Advertising Manager in May 1988. Congratulations from co-workers; Ken Johnston, Managing Editor, Dawn Drennan, Front Office, and Publisher and Owners Jim Cumming, Linda Plumridge, Don Cumming and Del Cumming.
Photo by Eric Riehl, Metroland West Media Group (From left to right): Acting Editor Catherine O’Hara, Reporter Dianne Cornish and Editor Brenda Jefferies.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Canada’s Newspapers: Enduring and Evolving By Jessica Napier, Communications Officer, Newspapers Canada Following his $140 million purchase of a group of U.S. daily and community newspapers, American billionaire Warren Buffet heralded the enduring importance of newspapers in local communities. “In towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper,” he said. And while this might be true, newspapers are not only continuing to serve communities, but we are also creating them. In their digital forms, newspapers have the capacity to extend their reach beyond the mailbox or newsstand and connect with readers far and wide by delivering content directly into their homes and pockets. Increasingly readers are coming to newspapers not because of geography, but because of compelling content and a desire for high-quality intelligent journalism. Buffet isn’t ignoring the opportunities presented by newspaper brands and, at the same time, we aren’t ignoring the challenges of a changing industry. As competition from online news sources grows, some individuals have prophesized about the impending death of so-called ‘traditional’ newspapers. But of course, there is a reason why moving pictures didn’t replace theatre, why television didn’t kill the radio and why online news will never eradicate print. One medium - no matter how fast or free it might be - does not replace another. Newspapers welcome competition from other media - it is this competition that forces us to get better. More news sources improve the level of discourse across a variety of platforms and encourage all news outlets to become more accountable in our reporting, more nimble in our management strategies and ultimately, inspire us to provide more relevant and engaging content to our readers. Newspapers aren’t disappearing; they’re evolving. And part of our ongoing evolution means getting a makeover. In print, newspapers are borrowing design ideas from magazines and blogs to create exciting new visual experiences. We’re improving paper stock, getting brighter, glossier and bolder in our design. The ubiquity and immediacy April 2013
of digital news means that newspapers are rethinking the nature of the printed product and the possibilities it holds. With so much opportunity for creativity, print publications are becoming tangible, beautiful pieces of artwork that not only inform, but also look attractive on a coffee table. Not only are newspapers improving the way we look, but also the way we act. Publications are experimenting with new
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In towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper.
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forms of reporting and embracing digital content platforms to bring our journalism to life and create even more value for our online audiences. Online curation platforms and live-blogging services help us to test out new interactive methods of storytelling and package news in an entirely new way. Not only are we putting out better, more in depth journalism, but social networking sites have radically altered the way we share these news stories. Sites like Twitter and Facebook allow us to collect valuable feedback on our content and are helping us to create a dynamic dialogue between our readers and our journalists. We are more accountable, more engaging and more comprehensive in our news delivery than ever before. As with any transformational period, newspapers are encountering obstacles along the way. With exciting innovation and growth comes moments of uncertainty. These challenges are being met head on with new revenue generating strategies, restructuring indicatives and cost-cutting measures. But while media organizations may 4
be reducing legacy costs and streamlining newsroom operations, good journalism from a reliable source is more priceless than ever before. From small-town news to global event coverage, newspapers - in their many shapes and forms - continue to deliver for our readers. Research shows that 77 percent of Canadians read a daily or a community paper every week (in print or online). Strong natural brands and trusted community publications will thrive as long as we continue to deliver authentic and relevant journalism to our readers and provide unique and creative solutions for our advertisers. The devices might change the way we exchange information, but the foundations upon which newspapers are built remain solid. The desire to share information and stories with one another will always be there. Is it any wonder that we now access our news of the day on a ‘tablet’, a name that harkens back to the age in which humans communicated their stories through stone engravings? Today’s newspapers possess the strength and endurance of stone combined with the infinite possibilities of digital communications. Note to members: Newspapers Canada is pleased to provide this op-ed piece, free of cost, to member newspapers for use in publications (print and online). To locate the document online, please visit www.newspaperscanada.ca/news/industry/ f r e e - u s e - n ew s p a p e r- o p - e d - ca n a d a - s newspapers-enduring-and-evolving.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
ADVERTISING ALERT: Misleading Ads Source: Competition Bureau http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cb-bc.nsf/eng/02776.html Scope: National Last Updated: January 2013 This is a great site to visit from time to time for educational purposes to see the companies that have been prosecuted and what they have done. The site covers: false and misleading representations, false or misleading ordinary selling price representations, performance representations not based on adequate and proper tests, sale above advertised price, bait and switch selling, and testimonials. You can also visit www.phonebusters.com which is the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre with the RCMP. This site will keep you updated on the latest scams. Also see Consumer Information – by province – at http://www.consumerinformation.ca/eic/site/032.nsf/eng/h_00395.html
To Download OCNA’s full Media Guide, visit http://www.ocna.org/filebrowser/ocna_programs_services/OCNA+Media+Guide. Pleas note: You must be logged in as a member.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
David Zilstra Communications Invigorate your ad planning calendar… to Increase sales and your bottom line!
Queen’s Park Day is scheduled for Wednesday September 25, 2013. Don’t miss your chance to meet and mingle with MPPs during the Publisher’s Reception at Queen’s Park.
Let David Zilstra help you….battle your competition (print or broadcast), revamp your ad plan, add proven vertical and sustained features, help you generate new business, and steer your ad team in the right direction. David has over 20 years of print sales and management experience, and is ready to help provide your operation with the boost it may need during these challenging times.
For a confidential discussion please feel free to call or email David at any time. 705-770-0232 David.Zilstra@gmail.com
April 2013
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
National Cross-Media Engagement Study: Newspaper Media Have the Most Engaging Content and Advertising Courtesy of the Newspaper Association of America
ABOUT NAA:
The study measured 11 different metrics for engagement, including how media make people feel connected, the value or inspiration they add to life, and the effectiveness of advertising Orlando – The Newspaper Association of America released the findings of a landmark study by Nielsen that compares the ability of major media, including television, radio and social media, to engage audiences. The study looks at consumer engagement with media content – and importantly, compares each medium’s ability to engage consumers with advertising. This side-by-side advertisement scoring will aid marketers and agencies in assessing media by their ability to engage consumers who seek and respond to advertising not just by audience numbers alone. The study, underwritten by NAA and released during NAA mediaXchange 2013, surveyed 5,000 adults on 11 different metrics for engagement, including trust and ethics, how connected media make people feel, the value or inspiration they add to life, and the effectiveness of advertising. “In this era of media fragmentation, advertisers want an environment in which their messages are noticed, sought and responded to,” said Caroline Little, NAA president and CEO. “This first-of-its-kind national study by Nielsen clearly demonstrates that newspaper print ads get noticed more than all other media and drive the highest purchase intent. And, newspaper media also demonstrated the highest level of engagement.” Key findings from the study include that newspaper media – print and online – scored the highest of all media on overall engagement. Where newspapers and their websites stood out most was in the efficacy of advertising. On a scale of different metrics of advertising effectiveness – including “usually notice ads,” “likely to purchase” and “best place for Black Friday shopping”— the average score among U.S. adult consumers for newspaper media consistently exceeded those of all other media. When looking, for example, at the aggregate advertising scores, newspapers and newspaper websites together delivered a 12 percent larger advertisingengaged audience than the overall average for all media, and 16 percent larger than that of social media. This study also looked at consumers’ engagement with content produced by these various media channels. The study found that Americans consume a wide range of media, but their feelings about the trustworthiness of what they consume, the extent to which it adds value to their life and whether they respond to advertising varies substantially by source. Newspaper media, while not accessed as often, scored higher on most of the metrics for engagement, including trust, public service and all four measures of advertising efficacy. April 2013
NAA is a non-profit organization representing nearly 2,000 newspapers and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and Canada. Members include daily newspapers as well as non-dailies, other print publications and online products. Headquartered in Arlington, Va., the association focuses on the major issues that affect today's newspaper industry, such as public policy/legal matters, advertising revenue growth and audience engagement across the medium's broad portfolio of products and digital platforms. More information about NAA and the industry is available at www.naa.org. View this news release online at http://www.naa.org/Newsand-Media/Press-Center/Archives/2013/National-EngagementStudy-Finds-Newspaper-Media-Have-Most-Engaging-Content-andAdvertising.aspx MEDIA CONTACTS: Michelle Hunt Brian Communications 484.385.2922 mhunt@briantierney.com Marina Hendricks Newspaper Association of America 571.366.1009 marina.hendricks@naa.org
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
electronic - Tearsheets Calling all Publishers!!!
•Stop wasting time sending tearsheets out manually! •No more wasting and storing newspapers! •Send tearsheets to customers within seconds, just like an email!
All electronically done!
OCNA/AD*Reach 3228 South Service Rd. Suite 116 Burlington, ON L7N 3H8
Christine Stolarz
Regional Sales Manager
Canadian Jewish News to Go Digital
office: 905-844-0524 cell: 519-854-7374
1184 Speers Road | Oakville, Ontario, Canada | L6L 2X4
OCNA’s Board of Directors is pleased to welcome the following newspaper as probationary Active Member:
Stratford Marketplace
April 2013
New Office Address Reminder A quick reminder to anyone submitting member payments or sending items to us: we have recently moved. Please update your records accordingly. We are now at:
Contact me for a live demo!
Newspaper
BNC Award winners interested in purchasing duplicate plaques for staff should contact Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org or 905-639-8720 x 232. Each additional plaque will cost $35. Please submit your orders no later than April 30, 2013. Note: One of our members made a great suggestion to the winners of BNC Awards. Print the PDF of the piece your paper won for and tape it to the back of your plaque, this way you will always remember why you received the award.
•Eliminate excessive postage costs!
email: christine.stolarz@newsnet.ca website: www.newsnet.ca twitter: @NewsNetInc linkedin: News-Net
BNC Duplicate Plaques
Circulation
Ownership
17,262
Sun Media
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The CJN recently announced that it will cease publishing its print edition in two months and will publish a digital edition only. The CJN was founded roughly 42 years ago by Ray Wolfe, a businessman and philanthropist, who helped convert it into an award-winning, nationally oriented, weekly newspaper with a mission to ‘served Jewish people living in Canada, in Isreal and in all its habitants’. With a paid circulation of 40,000 the newspaper published weekly editions in Toronto and Montreal. After stuggles with advertising and the evolving print industry, the board of directors came to a decision to cease its print edition. The last edition of the CJN will be June 20, 2013. www.ocna.org
Dear OCNA Members, Tim Hortons Camp Day will take place on Wednesday June 5, 2013 and they are asking for the generous support of community newspapers. A full page process ad is available in the members section of our web site under OCNA Programs & Services. Please note: you must be logged in as a member to access this material. Camp Day helps more than 15, 000 economically disadvantaged kids go on the camping adventure of a lifetime. It is the one day a year when Tim Hortons Restaurant oweners across Canada and the U.S. donate every penny from coffee sales to the Tim Hortons Children’s Foundation. During their stay, campers participate in various activities designed to increase selesteem. More information regarding the campaign is available on the members section of our site.
Peladeau Assumes Role with Hydro-Quebec Former president and chief executive of Quebecor Inc. and Quebecor Media Inc. Pierre Karl Peladeau has been appointed Chariman of Hydro-Quebec, effective in May. Peladeau will continue to serve as chairman of the board at Quebecor Media and vice-chairman of the parent company, Quebecor Inc. He has assured the government that his involvement with his media company will not cause any conflict of interest situations. He has declined remuneration for his position with Hydro-Quebec.
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even more kids to camp
On June 6 th , Camp Day, Tim Hortons
Which means we can send even
Restaurant Owners will donate the entire
more kids to camp, for a truly
proceeds from your coffee purchase to
positive experience. Think
help send deserving kids to camp. Did you know that this generosity will help send thousands of children – children who normally wouldn’t have the opportunity – to one of our six Foundation camps across Canada and the United States?
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
about it. More kids trying new activities. More kids making new friends. More kids returning home with newfound strength and skills, and the knowledge they can achieve almost anything. From all of us at Tim Hortons, thanks for helping kids discover their best.
And did you know that if you also make a donation, you can help send even more kids to camp? With that extra generosity,
For more information or to donate visit sendakidtocamp.com
the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation can renovate and build new camps.
April 2013
Coin image © 2012 Royal Canadian Mint – All Rights Reserved. ® Camp Day is a registered trade mark of The TDL Marks Corporation. © Tim Hortons, 2012
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GET YOUR PRESS IDENTIFICATION CARDS OCNA can provide you with laminated, business card-sized Press Cards. Cost is $10 each for the first three, and $5 for each one thereafter.
Managing Editor
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GORDON CAMERON Town Crier Newspapers 416-785-4311 101 Wingold Ave Toronto, ON M6B 1P8
April 23, 2013 Date
Contact Kelly Gorven at k.gorven@ocna.org or call 906-639-8720 x239 for a Publisher’s Authorization Form and instructions on how to send photos.
April 2013
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TECHNOLOGY
Print, Butts and Scripts
By Kevin Slimp Institute of Newspaper Technology Joel Klaassen, Publisher of Hillsboro Free Press in Hillsboro, Kansas, strolled up to me during a reception during a convention in Illinois this week and said, “It looks like you were right about JCPenney.” Not sure what Joel was talking about, I asked what had happened. “I just heard. The CEO was fired this afternoon.” You might remember I predicted in early 2012 that JCPenney samestore sales would drop 20 percent by mid 2013 and that the new CEO, Ron Johnson, would be fired. I went so far as to write a column in August 2012, comparing the changes at JCPenney to those at Advance Publications, the parent company of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. To see that column, visit kevinslimp.com and scroll to August 2012.
days, I still get asked to lead software workshops at many conventions. The best draws are always related to photo editing and InDesign tips. One of my favorite things to teach in InDesign is the use of scripts. Most designers, even those who have been using InDesign for years, don’t realize that scripts even exist. A script is a tiny application within an application. Scripts are found at Windows>Utilities>Scripts in the most recent versions of InDesign. Prior to CS5, they were found at Windows>Scripting>Scripts. A simple example The Sort Paragraphs script can be found in the Scripts panel i of a script is ‘Sort Paragraphs.’ After selecting a list of items or paragraphs in an InDesign document, then double-clicking on the script in the Scripts panel, the list is magically alphabetized. When I show this script at conferences, attendees always make ‘ooh’ noises and start scribbling notes and whispering excitedly to their neighbours. This script has been in InDesign since the original CS version. I also love showing InDesign users how to download free scripts from Adobe.com. My favourite script on the site is ‘Calendar Wizard.’ Calendar Wizard allows the user to create a somewhat detailed calendar with the click of a couple of buttons. Calendars can be anywhere from one to twelve months. They can include government, religious and other holidays. I created a series of four calendars to include with this column. It was easy to set the exact size of the calendars, the months and year and other details. InDesign installs 20 scripts with the application. Free scripts can be downloaded from Adobe.com by clicking on the ‘Downloads’ menu, then selecting ‘Exchanges’ from the bottom of the right sidebar. Once inside Adobe Marketplace & Exchange, simply choose ‘InDesign’ and click on ‘Scripts’ in the right sidebar.
Catholics find print correlates with ‘butts in the seats’ I walked into a colleague’s office this morning. The 40-year-old executive was sitting at his desk and said, “Look what just came in my e-mail ... my church newsletter. That’s pretty cool.” He told me that a while back, his church had moved from sending printed news to an online version of the paper. I asked if he read the online version. “No,” was his response. “I never do anymore.” I asked if he used to read the printed version when he got it. “Yes, I would flip through it and read most of it.” That reminded me of a conversation I had with Matthew Schiller, business manager at Catholic New York in 2012. I called Matthew and talked to him about a study done in the Catholic Church a little over a year ago titled, ‘Catholic Media Use in the United States, 2011.’ Basically, the study was established to learn how converting from print to digital was affecting things like attendance, giving, participation in volunteer efforts and more. You might be interested in finding the results of the study, available online, and digesting some of the material. Basically, the study found that when the Church, which boasts newspaper staffs that rival many newspapers in most dioceses, converted distribution of news from print to online, there was a direct correlation with less giving, fewer volunteers and fewer, butts in the seats,’ as Matthew so eloquently put it. One of the most interesting aspects of the study, Matthew told me, was learning that young people would pay a lot more attention to information sent to them in print than online. As I speak at advertising and newspaper conferences, I remind attendees that this type of information is powerful in helping advertisers understand the value of print.
KEVIN SLIMP serves as the director of the Institute of Newspaper Technology. He is a faculty member of the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information and makes his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kevin’s insight on technology is highly sought after at various industry events across North America. www.kevinslimp.com
Scripts: One of my favorite InDesign ‘treasures’
Even though much of my speuaking is of the keynote variety these
April 2013
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TECHNOLOGY
The top technology & design instructors in the world gather together once each year for three days of incredible training at the
TRAINING UPCOMING OCNA WEBINARS: May 8th - Learn About the Inusrance Industry (FREE) Could auto insurance rates cause a spring election? This question no longer inspires rolling eyes. Political brinkmanship, strong media attention, and driver dissatisfaction have created a perfect storm. Anything could happen come Budget 2013.
October 17-19, 2013 University of Tennessee • Knoxville, Tennessee
newspaperinstitute.com
Behind that one question are other tough ones: • Why are premiums still high? • What are the costs behind those high premiums? How are premiums set? •Sure there’s fraud, but is it really that much? Who’s the blame for it? Community newspapers are trusted sources of information. But the issue is complex. We can help break it down. On Wednesday, May 8 the Insurance Bureau of Canada will host a live webinar on auto insurance. We’ll look at the issues and take your questions. You’ll leave with a better understanding of how auto insurance works, and the forces at play. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/ register/201959815
NEWSPAPERS CANADA WEBINAR SERIES: May 14th - Excelling at Classified Sales May 21st - Excelling at Corporate Sales June 4th - Great Idea Awards Newspaper Marketing Winners (FREE) June 25th - Newspapers 101: Cross-Media Studies (FREE)
I N S T I T U T E
April 2013
O F
N E W S PA P E R
Visit www.newspaperscanada.ca/programs/ webinars to learn more about each webinar and to register. For more information about the Newspapers Canada webinar series please contact Tina Ongkeko at tongkeko@newspaperscanada.ca.
T E C H N O L O G Y
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BUSINESS
Managing Risk in Business Negotiations By Patrick Tinney, Managing Partner Centroid Training & Marketing
There is almost always risk in business negotiations. The question is whether it is negative risk or positive risk. If there is no risk in a negotiation then we are all just buying and selling stuff at market rates or at rates with unknown mark-ups. The breadth of risk tends to follow factors such as the cost, quality, complexity, scarcity and time sensitivity of a product/service. Depending on the product/service and where it is produced there are other risks to acknowledge and calculate. Professional business negotiators do their best to mitigate and manage risk. Here are a few examples of how they do it:
their business case for what final pricing should be. The party who best understands their cost modeling will have a better chance of mitigating risk.
Opening and Closing Negotiation Positions
Recently, I asked a seasoned mergers and acquisitions (M&A) specialist his preference for opening with a price or waiting for the other side to start. He firmly stated that he liked to see what price the other side wanted and then his side would counter. He was also convinced that over a long period of many M&A deals that on average the party that started the negotiation got the worst of it. By comparison, my experience in the negotiating many large media contracts is that the party with the best cost modeling and best reconnaissance who stated price first usually got the best of the deal thus reducing risk. We must conclude that knowing your industry and negotiation partner is essential to mitigating risk.
Start Homework Early
Control Content of Deal
Very simply…money is lost at the bargaining table when the homework for the negotiation is compressed into a short period of time. Professionals if they have an option will always take the time to know as much as they can to improve their odds of closing the best deal they can. It sounds cliché like but time in this case really does translate into money.
When closing out on a negotiation make sure your side drafts the content of the contract. This allows you to a degree to control and interpret the language in the contract. It also allows your side to arrange the order of the items and special side bars of the deal. If the other side does not like your interpretation of the deal they will simply cross out what they don’t like write in their changes and the deal closes. If not…the deal stands with your content.
Understand Everyone’s Economic Situation
Can you imagine if you knew the party you were negotiating with was anticipating a labor problem? What about if they were faced with a scarcity of a key component of their product causing potential for a production quality problem? Would all of this economic information affect your management of risk in the negotiations? You betcha!
Professional business negotiators always manage risk wherever they can!
Understand Needs of Other Side
“
What if you knew prior to reaching the bargaining table that the other side needed to close a deal with you to hit their quarterly or year-end sales targets? How would this affect your approach to cost modeling with them? In a word, lots!
Research Competitive Pricing
This might sound academic but too often long relationship, negotiation partners just become comfortable while competitive market prices are edging lower. Conversely, scarcity owing to unforeseen natural catastrophe can drive prices up. Think drought and flooding in this case.
Copyright Centroid Marketing 2012
”
PATRICK TINNEY is the founder of Centroid Training and Marketing, a consulting firm helping organizations make and save money through consultative selling, sales prospecting and business negotiation training.
Goal Pricing and Walk Away
The gap between goal pricing and walking away from a deal is called ‘the bargaining continuum’. This gap exists for both negotiation parties and sets up a unique dance. Both bargaining parties will make April 2013
You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. - Wayne Gretzky
For more on Patrick visit centroidmarketing.com 12
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BUSINESS
B.E.S.T. of the Best!
By Chuck Nau, Murray & Nau Inc. As a referee, I had numerous opportunities to observe some of the best of the best athletic teams. The teams typically have been coached in a highly focused, disciplined and supportive environment. Surprisingly, even in today’s quickly changing and evolving retail climate, these same principles apply to the world of sales and marketing. In working with retailers, chambers of commerce, community marketing groups and retail organizations I have often found it helpful, as I initiate my work with the, to remind them to be the ‘Best of the Best.’ This helps to refocus and reinforce some earlier learned (and often forgotten) business tips to improve both retailing or service management while enhancing customer service and selling professionalism. Which action steps, which things to do NOW, which right moves should you recommend to your community’s small businesses to take in times when business is tough to get, to be the best of the best? Reflecting on my many discussions with owners, managers, franchisees, regional managers, operational directors, senior management and others involved in retailing, the following trails consistently surfaced as benchmarks of the best of the best retailers who are in touch with their community and growing and changing as their community grew and changed. • In good times or bad, ‘B.E.S.T. of the Best’ retailers consistently assess their resources, acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, they also consistently assess their community, both today and tomorrow. Rather than trying to change the past, they focus on designing the future. • In good times or bad, best of the best retailers, create an action plan, focusing on both their business and community assessment to put their resources and strategies to work for their business...they commit to themselves and to their business to DO SOMETHING...TO ACT rather than react! • When business is tough, best of the best retailers raise their standars, they sharpen their pencils, further enhancing April 2013
their strengths and competitive advantages, working smarter (not necessarily harder) to do whatever they do in the best possible way. How might you help your community’s small businesses develop a best of the best philosophy utilizing a focused disciplined, and supportive (for themselves and their employees) environment? Consider challenging them and then helping them to implement a B.E.S.T. principle to their business strategy and everyday operational procedures. Let’s walk through a quick best of the best refresher... • Everyday they need to BUILD their business. Their action plan, their continuity of effort and their consistency at enhancing their customers’ perceptions all play a significant role in building, growing and defining their business. • Each and every day, they themselves, their employees, and their business should look for opportunities to EXCEL...opportunities to excel in meeting their customer’s needs or problems, opportunities to excel and overcome competitive encroachments and market changes, opportunities to excel, to position themselves and their business top capture new market share or grow a new product line or service. • SELLING, servicing, and offering goods or services are the lifeblood of their business. That lifeblood comes with the realization that the goods or service they, their employees, and their business offer are of the value to their customers. Keeping the lifeblood flowing depends on core values...integrity, trust, follow-up, to name a few. Fate, the urgency to survive, the hunger to succeed will all test their core valuyes...don’t let fate, the good times, the bad times or uncertainty, tear down everything they have built, and thereby destroy their business identity. • They need to be a teacher. To TEACH their employees the ins and outs of the business their employees have joined is part of their responsibility. Teach employees their role in helping the business achieve its goals, identifying. understanding and working with its customer base, their personal and their business’ core values, and most of all, helping 13
their employees understand that everyone (including themselves) continues to learn and grow as the business builds and grows. Last but not least, remember that by helping your small businesses create public awareness of ‘who they are’ and ‘what they do or sell’ they help their community, their business and themselves GROW.
© Murray & Nau, Inc. Chuck Nau of Murray & Nau, Inc. is a retail consultant and sales and management trainer. He has been a speaker for and conducted advertising and marketing workshops with retailers, chambers of commerce, community marketing groups, and retail organizations throughout North America. Based in Seattle, Nau is a twenty five year veteran of advertising, sales, media and management, who knows and understands the everyday challenges of starting up, growing, and surviving in today’s ever changing retail climate. Comments and questions are welcome and may be directed to Chuck via email: murnau@nwlink.com. or at (425) 603 - 0984.
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HUMAN RESOURCES
As a Manager, You Must Know How to Provide Feedback A TwoGreySuits Article Knowing how to provide feedback to employees is a MUST HAVE skill in being a good people manager! When well done, it builds solid relationships based on candor and integrity. On the other hand, poorly expressed feedback will demotivate others and make for bad business and strained relationships. Feedback is a stated observation/perception of another’s conduct or performance. It should be given with the same introspection and care in which it is to be received. The message must be delivered in a thoughtful and well balanced manner (you control this) and received in a similar mature way (you don’t control this). Consider that the ‘real’ message received is based on 3 factors: 7% on what is said; secondly, 43% on how it is delivered; and thirdly, 50% on body language as interpreted by the recipient. These guidelines will help you give proper feedback:
not by impersonal emails or by phone. Give it in person - this also lets you see the person’s reaction, thereby ensuring that the appropriate message has been received.
Do it fast – People affected by important information need to
hear it quickly – whether it is good or bad news. Few things are worse that waiting in suspense and feeling you are being controlled by someone. Once all facts are on the table, people are more relaxed and it is easier to deal with virtually any situation.
Deliver the message in balance
– Try to sandwich the positive and negative messages. This is all about balance, not manipulation, e.g., you could discuss a person’s positive intentions, critique a specific situation that did not work out, and then express confidence that you believe in them and that you see they are motivated to get better results next time.
Do it with tact – Be direct and be sensitive.
Give feedback on a person’s actions/issues, not on their personality. Never assault their personality. If you need inspiration for this, think of your own worst experience, that is, when you were on the receiving end of a poorly delivered feedback that didn't sit well with you.
Get the facts – first, do your homework.
Ask questions to get the facts, get the right facts and get the facts right. Be open to new information, for, if you have partial information you will predictably give inaccurate feedback. You will then look bad.
Keep cool - Discuss things professionally.
If you find yourself being hooked into a mental or emotional battle, ask questions for clarification. Or, if someone is ‘losing it’, take a breather. Buy some time - things said in anger rarely turn out positively.
Know who you are dealing with – Assess how the other person will react and tailor your message and method of delivery to that person. Generally, give positives in public and negatives in private; however, break this guideline if the person gets embarrassed easily and prefers these types of conversations to be done privately.
There are certain truths that endure: People want to be important, want to matter and be valuable. They crave selfesteem. By what people say and do, one message they regularly deliver is: “… notice me … I count! ...”. Effective feedback is a gift that will make most people in most companies more successful. While your gift to them costs you just a little time, recipients say that receiving it is priceless!
Give them the feedback FIRST
- The recipient of feedback deserves respect and courtesy – especially if the feedback is about something that went wrong. If you talk about someone behind their back and then, if they hear gossip from another person, you become the executive ‘weasel’ whose leadership role has now been compromised.
This article is part of the TwoGreySuits ‘Employee Performance Management’ Series and is offered by our partner, the TwoGreySuits HR Power Centre as a service to our members.
Do it face-to-face
– Particularly if feedback deals with criticism, mature adults deal with tough situations face-to-face,
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HUMAN RESOURCES
TERMINATIONS CAN COST A BUNDLE! When terminating an employee, the big questions are ‘How much will it cost?’ and ‘Will I be sued?’ You could ask a lawyer (expensive), or you could subscribe to the TwoGreySuits HR service that OCNA is offering our members absolutely free! You can educate yourself on this important topic while at the same time saving money and minimizing risk. Have a look at the video and then explore the HR Power Centre at www. twogreysuits.com. It contains everything you need for effective people management. And, when you need answers fast, you can talk to a senior HR Professional 24/7 through the HR Hot Line. Signing up is hassle free. Just click on the URL below and you will be taken to OCNA’s customized sign up page. Fill in the information and you will receive immediate access to the HR Power Centre. Hassle-free, effortless HR solutions for your business ...because HR happens. For more information, call us at 905 639 8720
Make Money with Network Classifieds OCNA’s Network Classified Advertising is an easy way for you to earn additional revenue. Upsell your retail and classified advertisers and earn a 35% commission. An All Ontario 25-word ad is $475. You earn $166.25 each time you upsell your client into the program. You already know that advertisers in community newspapers get results. Help your advertisers extend their reach into a region of the province, across Ontario, or right across the country. They Win – You Win. The possibilities are endless: »Online revenue – any retailer with a web site. Let the Networks drive traffic to their site for increased sales »Real estate – any agent with vacation properties, commercial properties, and luxury homes. Buyers from outside your newspaper distribution area need to know »Events – Fairs, Markets, Shows, Theatre, Concerts, Sports. Spread the word to draw more people »Help Wanted – Trades and other positions that individuals would relocate or commute to should be advertised here
Contact OCNA Network Classified Coordinator Lucia Shepherd for full details at l.shepherd@ocna.org or 1-800-387-7982 ext 223. April 2013
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DESIGN
Classifieds Deserve Design Attention By Ed Henninger Henninger Consulting YEARS AGO, A CLIENT PUBLISHER boasted that his classifieds section was second only to the big area mall in the number of customers per month. Yes, there’s been some downturn in classifieds lineage, but classifieds are very much an important part of our revenue stream—and the classifieds section requires the same level of design attention as other pages and packages in your newspaper. Some elements to check: THE HEADER: Is it uncluttered, or are you trying to put too much there? How about clip art, bursts and the like? Too many elements make a classifieds header unappealing—and make your paper appear less professional. One element you don’t want to leave out: Your phone number. Give it prominent placement in the header and make sure you use it large enough, 24 point at the smallest. Your phone number is the front door to your classifieds store. If you want people to advertise in the classifieds, make it easy for them to get to you!
NUMBER OF COLUMNS:
If you’re charging by the word, column width doesn’t really make a difference in revenue. So you can use six columns, a width that makes classifieds easier to read. If you charge by the line, narrower columns create more revenue. Still, I wouldn’t go to more than eight or nine columns. Anything narrower can torture the type.
TYPOGRAPHY:
Ah…here’s the key to success in classifieds! If you can get the type right, you’ll have a classifieds section that advertisers will be happy to support—and readers will be happy to browse through at length. Items to consider include:
Font:
Go for a clean, legible sans serif. Helvetica or Arial will work very well. Though I would not recommend either for use elsewhere in your paper, they are highly legible for classifieds.
than 8 point—if you’re using that good sans serif font.
Spacing:
You can keep classifieds tight. Spacing need be no more than 8.5 to 9 points.
Set: If your columns are wide enough, it’s OK to
set classifieds justified. But squeezing classifieds into narrow columns (as in the illustration) and setting them justified creates word spacing that makes you look careless. Consider going to flush left instead. I’ve seen some classifieds set centered but they’re just tough to read.
IN-COLUMN
LABELS:
Avoid the temptation to use reverses here. Sure, they stand out better…but they can also be so strong that they become more of a stumbling block than a stepping stone to easy reading. Instead, just try a bold rule above and below or an Oxford rule border. If you must use a reverse, try screening it back to 40 or 50 percent black. One last point: If you can, rid yourself of the numbers here, like ‘501-To Rent’ or ‘333-Pets.’ The numbers usually mean nothing to readers and can create confusion—especially if they’re out of sequence.
Size: You really don’t need to go any larger RULES: It’s a good idea to run a horizontal rule April 2013
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between your classified ads, to help separate them. These need be no more than .5 points wide, unless your advertiser pays an upsell fee for something heavier. And, if your gutters are narrow, consider running .5-point rules there, too.
BORDERS: If an advertiser is willing to pay a premium for a special border, then go ahead and sell it! But let’s keep the options to a few. Puhleeze…no autumn leaves or little cutesy bunny rabbits!
COLOUR:
If you have colour available throughout your classifieds section, it’s a sure way to upsell your advertisers. Be careful, again, to control the options. You don’t want your classifieds pages to look like a hodgepodge of every colour in the rainbow. Design is important to every page in your newspaper. Take care to bring informed design thinking to your classifieds section, too! ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting, offering comprehensive newspaper design services at www.henningerconsulting.com. www.ocna.org
ADVERTISING
High-Touch vs. Low-Touch By John Foust Raleigh, NC
Travis is an experienced salesperson who works hard to develop and maintain rapport with his advertisers. “I believe it’s important to touch everyone in my client base on a regular basis,” he said. “Different situations call for different kinds of touches. If I need to advance a sale, it’s high-touch all the way. In other situations, a low-touch technique may work fine.” This strategic approach makes a lot of sense. In descending order of impact, his top seven touches are (1) face-to-face, (2) phone call, (3) e-mail, (4) snail mail, (5) text messaging, (6) voice mail and (7) social media. Let’s take a closer look:
1 Face-to-face meeting.
This ranks highest on the touch-scale. “For impact, you can’t beat an in-person conversation,” Travis said. “You’re in the same room talking about the same thing at the same time. This also gives you the opportunity to tour their business, see their products first hand, and meet employees.” Context is important. A meeting to gather information, present campaign ideas or analyze ad results is more meaningful than a getacquainted visit.
2 Voice-to-voice phone call.
A phone conversation doesn’t provide the opportunity to read body language – which is an important part of communication. But it is next best thing to a face-to-face meeting. “I’ve advanced a lot of sales in phone calls,” said Travis. “If you catch a client at a good time when they’re not in the middle of something else, they can be more relaxed than in a face-to-face appointment. The key is to be brief and get to the point quickly. Most business phone calls are short.”
3 E-mail. 4 Snail mail.
According to Travis, “E-mail is a great tool when you need to create a communications trail, follow up on meetings or send personalized information. But it ranks low on the touch scale when you send e-mail blasts or cookie cutter messages.”
The more of yourself you invest in snail mail, the more effective the message. Form letters and direct mail pieces are not as personal – and don’t rate as highly – as handwritten notes or personal letters. “It’s a shame that more sales people don’t send handwritten notes,” Travis said. “A handwritten note – especially a thank you note – is so rare that it is one of the most powerful communications tools in your arsenal.”
5 Text 6 Voice mail. 7 Social media.
. In order for text messaging to work, there has to be an existing relationship with that particular client. Otherwise, it’s a wasted effort. “If you’re returning a call or providing follow up information, voice mail is a good thing,” Travis explained, “because you’re responding to a specific request. But if you’re making cold calls, a voice mail message is likely to be deleted.” This is at the bottom of Travis’ list. “If meaningful dialogue is the objective,” He asked, “how person-centered is a message that can be viewed by other people?”
It comes down to this: High touch equals better communication. And more sales.
(c) Copyright 2012 by John Foust. All rights reserved. JOHN FOUST has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: jfoust@ mindspring.com
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