Why Newspaper?

By Brad Simpson

President & CEO, MANSI Media

So, let’s get the big question out of the way. Is newspaper still a good investment for advertising?

Look, I’m not going to beat around the bush, OF COURSE, IT IS! There are a variety of excellent reasons why advertising in newspapers makes excellent sense and cents.

Trust

Trust is extremely important when it comes to advertising. Trust builds strong, reliable brands. Where you advertise is directly correlated to the trust your consumers have in your product. This is an interesting phenomenon that has become known as “the halo effect.” When brands place ads in publications that readers view positively, by extension, the brand enjoys the same benefits of that positive impression.

In print or digital, newspapers are THE most trusted source of news and information among all age groups.1 Not only is there trust in the news itself, but also 82% of news media consumers report that they trust print ads.2

What’s even more impressive is that the level of trust is significant across all generations. Consider these statistics:

  • 83% of Gen Z turn to newspapers for trusted information and content.3
  • 65% of millennials trust paid news and information MORE than free media.4
  • 75% of Gen X reports turning to newspapers to learn about products they are not familiar with.1
  • 84% of baby boomers have acted because of seeing an ad in a print newspaper in the past 30 days (and I don’t need to tell you – that’s A LOT of spending power).2

Equally important is ensuring that your ads are placed adjacent to trusted content. That’s one of the key benefits of working with MANSI Media on a local, print or digital ad buy. MANSI Media’s buyers negotiate for guaranteed inventory with prime positioning to drive higher response rates. This means your brand’s message will be placed on quality, community properties, surrounded by trusted, local content. What this boils down to is that you can be comfortable with where your ads land – they won’t be placed next to salacious ads or content that damages your hard-earned brand trust.

Speed

If you have a time-sensitive campaign that needs wide placement or highly targeted placement, newspapers are quick, delivering your ad into consumers’ hands, tablets and phones in as fast as a day.

This cannot happen with magazines, television and even radio. Aside from production, the trafficking of each of those can take weeks.

Size/Budget/Variety

When it comes to news media placements, your options are incredibly varied. This can be a crucial benefit. If you need significant frequency, newspapers can provide that – but if you need considerable frequency combined with a limited budget – newspapers still provide tremendous options.

  • Ad size: There are numerous sizes available, from full-page to page-front strips to high-frequency, small space ads.
  • Budget: With nearly unlimited variables – especially when you add in a digital newspaper buy – you can have significant reach with a modest budget. With a large budget, the options are even more varied. The more ads you can place, the more your cost per ad will decrease.
  • Variety:  Both print and digital news media buys offer incredible variety. When it comes to digital, this can be everything from site takeovers to banner ads to pop-ups. In terms of newsprint, the variety doesn’t end when it comes to size. There are front-page options like spadeas, post-its and banner ads. Additionally, you can choose ad locations and sections.

Reach

The most recent newspaper industry reports confirm that newspapers have a large and loyal base of readers that extends to all age groups. For example, according to a 2021 Nielsen Scarborough Report:

  • More than 129 million U.S. adults read newspaper media each week, or more than 6 out of 10.
  • Sixty-one percent of adults aged 18-34, and more than 6 in 10 adults aged 35+, read a newspaper each week.
  • Eighty-two million adults access newspaper content on their smartphones or tablets.

Demographics

Another advantage of newspaper advertising is that newspaper readers are the demographic group advertisers are looking to reach. Newspapers and their integrated products reach an educated and affluent audience of avid shoppers. More than 71% of U.S. adults with a household income of over $100k read newspaper content each week. Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults with a college degree access newspaper content each week. With newspaper advertising, brand messages can reach an affluent, educated audience ready to be swayed by your message in print or digital formats.

Targeting

One of the substantial benefits of newspaper advertising is that newspapers offer a variety of ways to target a particular audience. Whether it’s zoning inserts by ZIP code and using a niche publication to target a certain demographic group, or behaviorally targeting a specific group through a newspaper’s digital property, newspaper options offer a wide range of products to reach any audience with whom an advertiser is looking to connect.

MANSI Media are experts in using data-driven research to produce the results your campaign needs. We will do all the legwork to find the suitable media and the right audience for your project. With focused demographic and market research, we make ad placement intuitive.

The Human Element

How many times have you heard someone talk about “the algorithm” and the effect it’s had on their social or digital buy? Furthermore, how often have you heard that “the algorithm changed again” and everything that a digital buyer knew yesterday is irrelevant today? It’s a frustrating, resource-heavy process that is hard to nail down.

But when it comes to newspapers, and further, when working with MANSI, you still deal with a human. At MANSI, our buyers work with other people to negotiate rates. When a specific placement is required, we talk with our contacts. We value the relationships that have been built over decades and believe that the result is a stronger, more targeted and effective campaign for our clients.

Conclusion – Newspaper Placements are Desirable

We believe in the power of newspapers and the respect and trust that the medium has created and sustained over centuries of building significant legacies. The newspaper business has certainly changed significantly over the last two decades; however, two things are essential to remember:

  1. Newspapers have evolved. They’ve worked very hard to embrace dual print and digital platforms and have done so successfully.
  2. There are certain audiences, for example, small towns, to which newspapers provide unparalleled access.

Advertising with newspapers is a sound, solid investment that will benefit and support your campaign. When maximized and planned appropriately, you’ll be amazed by the campaign results.

MANSI Media is here to help you tackle these placements in a simple, effective, and expedient manner.

 

Sources: 1Coda Ventures, 2 NMA, 3MNI targeted Media, 4Pew Research