(Editor’s note: We asked our readers to tell us how they make use of the opportunities the Times-Union offers. Here’s the reply from Tim Hamby, co-owner of Renaissance Creative Services.)
Of course we make regular use of the many opportunities that The Florida Times-Union offers our clients, including our real estate clients.
The Times-Union has long been the city’s only major non-niche daily newspaper. I read it cover-to-cover every day. Despite the challenges that the newspaper industry has faced over the past few years (resulting from a steady increase of people getting their news online), their daily circulation (last time I checked) was still around 140,000 and Sundays about 200,000, accounting for approximately 11 percent and 16 percent of the city’s population, respectively (and more likely than not, those with money to spend).
When you factor in online and total readership, those numbers shoot up to approximately 340,000 daily and 500,000 on Sundays (approximately 27 percent and 40 percent of the population).
Many people mistakenly assume that newspapers are “dead.” That’s not necessarily so. They’re just becoming diversified, multi-media corporations. The Times-Union is investing heavily in jacksonville.com for this reason and this is very encouraging to see.
The flipside to the continuing development of the online component is that many people also mistakenly presume that web marketing is the be-all, end-all of marketing due to its perceived cost efficiencies.
I love online marketing. It is one of our core capabilities at Renaissance Creative and we consider websites to be the “hub” of the marketing wheel.
But sophisticated professionals understand the reality that effective marketing requires a holistic approach utilizing interdependent on and off-line marketing channels to ensure consistency of message and maximum profit at minimum cost.
This includes the strategic integration of creative advertising, public relations, new and traditional media, social media, sponsorships, direct-marketing and other promotional techniques, based upon the unique criteria of each individual client and project.
With respect to the Times-Union, over the years we’ve used print advertising in the newspaper, including display and classified ads, in virtually every section including Builder’s Showcase, Sunday Real Estate, most of the main news sections, the weekend tabloid (“Jack,”) the community news sections and their military publications.
We’ve used post-it notes, special inserts and direct mail. We have placed our advertisers in other Morris publications such as Skirt (now being integrated into the T-U,) the now-suspended Water’s Edge and their relocation guide, Discover Jacksonville.
We’ve utilized public relations editorial in conjunction with advertising (and the T-U has always been terrific at working with us on the placement of feature stories, press releases and, for real estate clients, additional editorial features such as “Floorplan Spotlights”, “Curb Appeals” and other promotional opportunities).
We’ve partnered with them on large-scale promotional and fund-raising events. And we’ve worked with their online division to implement both short and long-term promotional campaigns, utilizing both static and rich media campaigns.
I appreciate that the T-U’s marketing arsenal is as diversified as it is, and hope that they continue to think creatively about how to help our clients deliver their messages in targeted, compelling, cost-efficient ways.
They are navigating the same waters all in our industry are, including adjusting to the furious pace of evolving technologies; the oversupply of housing and glut of foreclosures; and an economic environment of global de-leveraging which has simply left less cash in the pockets of marketers.
I wish them the best because I truly value local news, for which they are a trusted resource.