The Connector June 2014
QCNA at Saint-Sauveur QCT turns 250! QCNA paper gave me a chance
Write the ad proposal Anti-Spam - get ready!!
The Quebec Community Newspapers Association Newsletter December 2013
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Since 1980 www.qcna.org
Executive Director’s Report BOARD OF DIRECTORS Each year brings additional challenges and, without a doubt, our hands-on approach allowed us to accept these challenges and redirect our resources where they were most needed: to our member newspapers in Quebec who in turn serve the English minority. The year 2013 was again remarkable in terms of programming and program development. First and foremost, we worked with Canadian Heritage on our interim and final reports and the new application format. I am pleased to report that QCNA has secured another year of funding. In total, this support from Canadian Heritage amounts to more than $120,000 in order to fund our program aimed at supporting community newspapers serving Quebec’s English-speaking communities. QCNA began the monumental task of structuring a three-year strategic plan. This is a roadmap to our vision, a path to achieving our vision, a roadmap to retain membership and bring in new members. What it boils down to is that our industry is changing, again, as it has many times in the last century, and we are preparing our association and our newspapers for that change. We are evolving also when it comes to our responsibility to the environment. QCNA holds a seat on the board of directors of RecycleMédias, a private, non-profit organization accredited by the Government of Québec to represent owners of Quebec newspapers under the Environment Quality Act. One highlight from last year is our negotiations with Quebec for an equitable exchange whereby Quebec newspapers would run Recycle-Québec advertising for a reduction in payments. In 2013, 28 interns from Concordia University’s Journalism program participated, experiencing real newsroom action. In its third year, the program has helped many of our interns secure work in different newspapers in Quebec and across the country. Our Better Newspapers Competition and June 2014
Awards Gala continue to honour excellence across our membership. This year, 23 percent more newspapers submitted to the Better Newspapers Competition, up nine percent from 2012. Our educational program provided opportunities to learn. Through our workshops and webinars offered through the Canadian Community Newspapers Association, 38 reporters, photographers, editors and publishers learned about the latest industry trends and developments. In all the activity, somehow we managed to move to a new location. In September, the QCNA relocated from its offices in L’Île-Perrot to an office complex located in Pointe-Claire. We minimized our rental expenses to maximize our service to our members. We are confident that our message regarding Quebec’s English-language newspapers is being received and understood throughout the province, and that we continue to contribute to the vitality of Quebec’s English-speaking communities. I heartfully thank you, our generous and committed donours, volunteers and board members for your dedication and support. It has been a privilege representing you and the English-speaking community of Quebec, and I look forward to another
STEVE BONSPIEL President, CCNA representative MARC LALONDE Vice President GEORGE BAKOYANNIS Secretary-Treasurer FRED RYAN Director MICHAEL SOCHACZEVSKI Director NIKKI MANTELL Director LILY RYAN Director
HEATHER DICKSON Past President QCNA STAFF
RICHARD TARDIF Executive Director CAROLYN KITZANUK Administrative Assistant MARNIE OWSTON Advertising Coordinator & Bookkeeper
Richard Tardif
Executive Director Quebec Community Newspapers Association
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www.qcna.org
QCNA paper gave me a chance By Trevor Greenway
Trevor Greenway accepting prestigious Paul Dumonte-Frenette Award at the Quebec Community Newspapers Association’s 34th Annual Awards Gala in Saint-Sauveur, Quebec on June 6, 2014. Photo by Jennifer Pontarelli. It takes a community newspaper to raise a journalist. Crisp and fresh out of J-School with a handful of summer internships under my belt, I dove in head first at the Low Down to Hull & Back News, a popular weekly newspaper in Wakefield, Quebec. The slip-ups I made in the initial months might have ended my career. But with a
flexible and understanding publisher at the rudder, the Low Down gave me a chance. And another, and another as did its discerning readers. I trudged on. Wading through some criticism and feedback and pressure to deliver the news to so many loyal readers – readers who have only me to depend on to deliver their local
news, slowly but surely, turned me into a journalist. My writing improved. I made connections. My skin grew inches thick. Working for the Low Down was the perfect introduction into the world of journalism. Notable stories include the drinking and driving series we tackled in 2012 – and the national newspaper award that came with it. Or there was the time I witnessed two men desperately trying to save a drowning deer from the icy waters of the Gatineau River. I remember the business story over a new “receipt” law that could affect restaurant owners, a story I won a QCNA award for in 2011. I was also honoured in the same year as the winner of QCNA’s prestigious Paul Dumont-Frenette Award as QCNA’s top individual writer. These are stories that truly taught me how to report, write and craft a legitimate story. When the senior reporter job opened up at Metro Ottawa, I threw my hat in the ring and when editors saw that I had the right stuff they scooped me up. Having a nose for news is one thing, but having a community paper to let me sniff things out is what really made me into the journalist I am today.
QCNA MISSION STATEMENT The Quebec Community Newspapers Association is dedicated to the professional and economic development of English community newspapers and their enterprises serving minority communities in Quebec.
About us. The Quebec Community Newspapers Association is as unique as the members it serves. Our English and bilingual publications distribute weekly, monthly, biweekly and daily to some 800,000 readers across the province. These publications serve an exclusive English and bilingual readership in their communities through their focus on relevant local news and high editorial-to-advertising ratio. The results from ComBase, Canada’s most comprehensive media study, show that QCNA newspapers are embraced by Quebec’s unique population more than any other medium in every market they serve. QCNA acknowledges the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage
Quebec Community Newspapers Association 189 Hymus Blvd, Suite 207, Pointe-Claire, Quebec, H9R 1E9 Tel. 514-697-6330 Fax 514-697-6331 June 2014
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www.qcna.org
QCT turns 250 Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph celebrates huge milestone North America’s oldest running newspaper, the Quebec ChronicleTelegraph, celebrated its 250th year in June. Originally published as a bilingual newspaper, called The Quebec Gazette – La Gazette de Québec, the newspaper was founded in Quebec City on June 21, 1764 by William Brown and it predates the Gazette by 14 years.
ADVERTISE WITH US QCNA.ORG info@qcna.qc.ca Making Community News Accessible for 35 years
WE SELL PRINT AND WE ARE PROUD OF IT! With one call book display and classified ads in the newspapers we represent. We simplify the process for you.
• We deliver to 800,000 readers weekly. • 3 out of 5 community residents read their weekly paper.
Quebec Community Newspapers Association 189 Hymus Blvd., Suite 207, Pointe Claire, QC, H9R 1E9 Tel: (514) 697-6330 | Fax: (514) 697-6331 | Email: info@ June 2014
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www.qcna.org
How to write an advertising proposal
CPF update: Publishers to receive funding notice in July
By John Foust Stewart was telling me about his first days of selling ads for his newspaper. “In looking through the files, I found some proposals that had been turned down by prospects. Even though I was new in the job, it was easy to see why they had been rejected. They looked like condensed versions of the rate card – never more than a half-page. “I remember one proposal that just listed the number of recommended ads and the costs. There was no mention of goals, creative strategy, or why the prospect should consider advertising in our paper. To make matters worse, it was a printout of an email which didn’t refer to any kind of faceto-face discussion of the proposal.” “That opened my eyes,” Stewart said, “so I developed my own proposal format. If I owned a business, I figured I’d need to know five things in order to make a decision on where to advertise.”
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Situation
“This sets the tone,” Stewart said. “It’s important to adapt to each prospect’s need for detail. Some proposals require statistical depth – and some just need brief explanations. “Sometimes I call this section Market Insights or Overview. This is where I cover the general situation and the marketing challenges I’ve identified in my discussions with the prospect. What is their position in the market? What makes them different? Who is their target audience? Who is the competition and where are they vulnerable?
Objective
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“The key is to be specific. This is where I make a simple statement of what we want to accomplish. Ideally, the objective is a measurable sales goal, such as increasing widget sales by a certain percent by a specific date. But sometimes it’s a brand oriented goal, such as generating x-number of impressions for y-number of readers within a speciJune 2014
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fied geographic area over a given time period.” Your unique advantage
“When you cover the benefits of advertising in your paper, focus most of your attention on audience,” Stewart said. “What is your coverage area? How many people do you reach? Who can you reach that your competitors can’t? How many of those readers fit the demographic profile of your prospect’s target audience?” Creative strategy
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“This is a crucial element in a proposal,” Stewart explained. “How can you differentiate the advertiser from competitors? And what types of offers will make the cash register ring? If it’s appropriate, you may want to include a couple of spec ad ideas.
5
Schedule and cost
According to Stewart, it’s smart to present prospects with choices “That leaves the door open for conversation and adjustments,” he said. “In my experience, two initial schedule and cost choices work better than three. Four is way too many. Two is a manageable number that your prospects can understand quickly. Just call them Option 1 and Option 2. “Usually, the bottom line cost of each option is in line with their budget. The difference is in the schedule – how we get there.” 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:
john@johnfoust.com
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Canadian Heritage will soon be sending out its Aid to Publishers funding decisions for the 2014/2015 fiscal year. Publishers who applied to the Aid to Publishers component of the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) will receive a letter at some point in late July indicating funding amounts to be awarded. Cheques are expected to be delivered to eligible recipients later on this summer. If you have any questions regarding to the Canada Periodical Fund, please contact: John Hinds, CEO, Newspapers Canada Email: jhinds@newspaperscanada.ca
Charles Bury Journalism Scholarship Charles Bury is credited with mentoring dozens of reporters found in newsrooms across the country today, and during his tenure as Sherbrooke Record editor from 19811996. Record publisher Sharon McCully said The Record will continue Bury’s legacy through the Charles Bury Journalism Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a student who plans to pursue a career in journalism from each of the Townships’ three high schools: Alexander Galt, Massey-Vanier and Richmond Regional. Record alumni and others who wish to contribute to the legacy fund can send their cheques to: The Record, c/o Charles Bury Scholarship Fund, 1195 Galt Street East, Sherbrooke, Qc, J1G-1Y7
www.qcna.org
Industry news Local Media offers online sales course The Fundamentals Media Course consists of eight modules (self-paced video and assessments) that prepare an advertising sales professional to successfully present effective advertising solutions that drive client-value and generate measurable sales-results. The Fundamentals Media Course covers everything from digital marketing to how-to sell an integrated (print and digital) solution. Upon successful completion of the course, the sales professional receives a certificate to certify compliance with the LMA standards of fundamentals media selling. http://www.localmedia.org/training/sales-certification/
June 2014
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation With the launch date of Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) already completed businesses and organizations are trying to educate themselves about the legislation. Emilia Somma and Dana-Lynn Wood from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) helped delegates at the INK+BEYOND conference understand their obligations under the new CASL which came into effect July 1, 2014. “Spam is a global issue. In order to enforce it, we need to enter into an
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agreement for information sharing,” said Wood. Sommaria and Wood have travelled across Canada educating individuals and organizations about the new CASL regulations and teaching them how to become compliant with the law. “When businesses become compliant, it really paves the way for us to go after the bad apples,” said Wood. CASL will came into effect on July 1, 2014 and the new law prohibits
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www.qcna.org
Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation cont’d the sending of commercial electronic messages (CEMs) to individuals without their consent. A CEM is an electronic message designed to promote a product or service and encourages the recipient to purchase the product or service. Sommaria said a CEM must include the identification of the sender and their affiliates as well as their contact information and proof of consent. The message must also contain an unsubscribe mechanism that is easily performed. Wood outlined the two different kinds of consent. Corporate members must have either expressed consent or implied consent before they can send a CEM to an individual. Expressed consent means the recipient gave their consent to receive CEM either orally or in writing and must include a statement that consent can be withdrawn at any time. Implied consent means the recipient of the message has an existing business relationship with the sender or has disclosed their email address to the sender. There is a time limitation on implied consent. Implied consent lasts for two years after the purchase of a product, service or subscription. “It’s a great opportunity to update your contact lists,” said Sommaria. A sender cannot use a pre-checked box in
a message to get consent and they cannot send a message to express consent because that is considered a CEM. Wood said there are penalties for CASL violations. Canadian monetary penalties are the highest in the world. The maximum penalty for an individual is $1 million and the maximum penalty for an organization is $10 million per violation. Sommaria highlighted several of the exceptions to CASL. The law does not apply to personal or family relationships or members of a non-business relationship such as a club or association. A personal relationship is between two individuals and a corporation cannot claim to have a personal relationship. CEMs can also be sent between two businesses if they already have a business relationship and if the message concerns the activities of the organizations. Unconsented CEMs are permitted in response to an inquiry or if it is used for quotes and estimates for a product or service, but the message must meet the information requirements. Social media contacts are not considered a personal relationship unless the person’s real identity is known. The CRTC has published information bulletins about CASL on their website www.fightspam.gc.ca. There is also the Spam Reporting Centre on the site that allows people to report spam.
We’re on Facebook and Twitter. If you’re already set up with a
Facebook account, simply head to our Facebook page, click the ‘like’ button to become a fan of the Quebec Community Newspapers Association and, if you like, leave us a comment on the wall. Make sure you check back to the page often, as we’ll be posting news about our newspapers, events and industry news. If you have an account already, all you need to do is follow us by clicking the ‘follow’ button. If you don’t have an account, they’re free and quick to set up; just visit Twitter’s website and follow the instructions. You’ll be tweeting to us in no time.
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June 2014
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2014 Awards & Gala - June 6, 2014 - Saint-Sauveur
The night we brag!
Keynote Speaker: MNA Francois Ouimet Host: Maya Johnson, CTV reporter Photographer: Jennifer Pontarelli June 2014
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2014 Awards & Gala - June 6, 2014 - Saint-Sauveur
Thanks to all of our judges for their dedicated time. Without you, the Better Newspapers Competition would not exist. All photos by Jennifer Pontarelli Our Gala Sponsors
June 2014
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Advertise with us The Quebec Community Newspapers Association - as unique as the members it serves. Our bilingual publications distribute weekly, monthly, and biweekly serving 800,000 English and bilingual readers across 35 Quebec communities through their focus on relevant local news and high editorial-to-advertising ratio. The research shows that these same readers possess a high level of purchasing power and are the ideal target demographic for advertisers.
514-697-6330 - marnie@qcna.qc.ca
June 2014
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