The Rise of Community Newspapers
Does the success of smaller community newspapers like Metro or 24 Hours mean big trouble for larger dailies like the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star?
A recent article in the June 11th issue of Marketing magazine suggests that readers are leaning more towards their local community papers for information, largely because the information tends to be “hyper-local” (difficult even in the age of the Internet) and increasingly relevant to them and their families.
A Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) spokesperson (an organization representing 700-plus English language newspapers) adds that small papers tend to hang around the house longer, making them a logical vehicle to communicate relevant community news. In fact, community papers have grown to the point that they now command $1.1 billion in annual advertising revenue, accounting for a bigger share of the ad pie than other ad segments like consumer magazines, radio and outdoor media.
Again, this is not the forum for us to pound on our chest or what have you, but we’ve been employing this grassroots strategy for sometime now. Prime example? Our automated PR tool – an Internet function that allows members of the Molson sales team to create communications materials that specifically target local papers.
You’ll see more of this in coming months – more examples of local Molson stories in your local community papers. The introduction of improved measurement tools offered by companies like ComBase will mean more effective interpretation of this strategy, and for Molson, more effective communication of the exciting projects we have going on in communities across the country.
