Introduction
Initial results of the Impact study of readership in 2001 showed that a newspaper's brand can be a key driver of readership. In 2002, the Readership Institute has done follow-up work to help understand how newspapers can create a brand that has particular relevance for a desired group of readers, and how to promote that brand.

This work focuses on younger (age 20-45), lighter readers - an essential group for newspapers' future. They represent a large portion of newspapers' markets and they have a tenuous connection to the newspaper as it is now. They have some familiarity with the newspaper, but read it infrequently, spend little time with it, or don't read much of it.

This group is well-educated, fairly affluent, and is not starved for information. Their issue, rather, is how to manage all the information coming at them and not feel "drowned by the news." In more than 150 hours of lengthy, one-on-one interviews, they told the Readership Institute that their local newspaper seems to them a repeat of what they have already heard on other media and not worth the time to page through and find news that may be of interest to them.

The qualitative research resulted in four brand concepts designed to increase readership among light readers. The concepts were distilled from more than 20 ideas that were tested with members of the target group. Some ideas they flat-out rejected. Others got a lukewarm reception. We focused on the ones that really resonated with their lives and needs; the ones they said would make the newspaper more relevant to them. We've labeled the concepts Update, Talking Points, Enrichment, and Guide.

With the help of news designer Tim Bitney of Minneapolis, we developed prototypes - examples of what the concepts might look like translated into newspaper content. We adopted the look and style of the four newspaper markets in which the research was conducted - Milwaukee and Racine in Wisconsin, and Raleigh and Durham in North Carolina.

These are not the only or the best ways the concepts might be played out. They are meant to serve as ideas or inspiration that newspapers can take, make better and adapt to their particular markets.

Our belief, as yet untested, is that the ideas will prove attractive to heavier readers as well, or at the very least, will not undermine their loyalty.

One other point. For these concepts to work with light readers, they must be executed consistently and prominently throughout the newspaper. The needs and lives of the target group must be kept uppermost as editors and reporters shape and present the content. And this new, relevant brand must be promoted to them.


Update
At any given time there are a number of important stories in play in the news. Sometimes they continue for days, weeks or months. Some days there are developments, on others, not. Light readers have neither the time nor the inclination to piece together what may or may not be happening in stories they care about. But if someone can do it for them, they're definitely interested.

Using this concept, the newspaper tracks high-profile, ongoing stories, summarizes the major developments of the day, or notes their status. To light readers, the benefit of this concept is getting a quick update without having to take the time or effort to dig through the paper. (That option is offered them through refers, but they do not need to take it.)

Update provides a way for readers to quickly scan the news for major changes in stories they are interested in following. As implemented in the prototype, below, Update occupies a prominent rail on the left side of the front page. The stories can be local, national or international. We experimented with ways that would have readers choose or vote on the stories to track, but the idea did not resonate with light readers. They are content to let editors act as judges and gatekeepers.

Some respondents referred to this concept as "a news Cliff Notes." Their comments can be summarized as follows:

• I can keep up without spending a lot of time.
• I can easily dig deeper into stories I care about and skip stories I don't care about.
• This is a good use of my time.

As prototyped, each Update item has three parts - "Last we knew," "Latest," and "Next" - that summarize the past, present and possible future developments of each story. "Latest" is the summary of breaking news of the day. There are refers to related stories elsewhere in the newspapers, giving light readers the option to go straight to stories they care about.

(Click on the images in this paper to view larger-scale PDF versions in a new window. You can view larger-scale images of all the prototypes in this paper, as well as additional prototypes, in the Brand Prototypes Gallery.)





Inside the paper, each related story carries the Update logo. This helps readers identify the story as a prominent, ongoing one as they browse the paper, as well as flagging it for readers who turn directly from the front-page rail.

In addition to Update stories, this concept also includes branded "Follow-up" stories that appear periodically at the editors' discretion and provide a follow or closure to what once was an Update story. Consider, for instance, the summer of 2001 when the Gary Condit story would have been prominent in the Update rail in many U.S. markets. As time passed and other important news gained prominence, the Condit saga would have dropped out of Update. Six to eight months later, an editor might choose to run a "Follow-up" to answer the question: Whatever happened to Gary Condit? What happened to the Chandra Levy investigation?

Or, as in the example below, a breaking news story - Condit's candidacy in the primary - put him briefly back into Update as a Follow-up item.






Talking Points
The idea behind this concept came from light readers talking about their need to be "interesting people to talk to." They want to be seen as people who are up on the news and issues of the day. They want to be part of social conversations, able to hold their own in discussions about current news and issues.

In implementation, this concept became something we call "Debatable." It is content that will stimulate readers' thinking, interesting issues - based on current news events - that people are likely to talk about with their family, friends, or colleagues at work. If a Debatable piece causes people to scratch their heads, air the issue with themselves, or talk to other people about it, then it has been successful. (Readers can also be encouraged to submit their opinions and read others' on the newspaper Web site.)

Debatable is not written like a news story, or an analysis or opinion piece. It poses a question and sets out various aspects or sides. It takes no angle and makes no judgment. (Go to the Appendix below for examples of Debatables used in the prototypes.)

We recommend running three to five Debatables a day, in a variety of sections. Because readers have a wide variety of interests and passions, no single Debatable will grip every reader.

The idea was broadly (although not universally) liked. Of the four, it elicited the strongest emotional response in the in-depth interviews. It was viewed as being the most "different" from the status quo.

It is possible that a Debatable could be a lead story, as below:



The primary design elements are a distinctive logo that appears on every such treatment; a headline that poses the key questions; and a sub-head or deck that expands a little on the debatable issue.

In the interviews, respondents said they would like to see a front-page index that highlights the Debatables of the day and where they can be found. They said they would regularly seek out such features in the newspaper.





Debatables could appear in any section of the paper - see the example in the business section, below:




Enrichment
Light readers are particularly aware of their need to get value from the time they invest in the newspaper, and an attractive concept to them is self-enrichment. The Enrichment concept plays on the desire to become more competent, proficient or knowledgeable in any given subject, with only a little extra effort.

We turned this concept into content branded as "In The Know." Our research indicates these stories are more appealing if they have a strong human interest or entertainment element. It's like painless education. The stories make people smarter and provide them with trivia, interesting facts, background and history that they can bring up in conversation.

As an example, below, a story about the NCAA Men's basketball tournament could include a story about the history of basketball, including the original 13 rules. For example, rule number three states, "A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it." Throughout March Madness, other stories could include the history of the tournament, memorable moments, trivia and do on. (Go to the Appendix below for examples of "In the Know" articles used in the prototypes.)




Another example, below, accompanying the state of the union, gives a bit of history about the tradition, the speeches and the speakers. For example, after George Washington, the President did not speak the annual state of the union address for the next 112 years. Instead, the message was printed in newspapers for the American public to read.




As the examples show, the Enrichment stories always run at the right-hand top of the page. For readers (such as commuters) who cannot spread out the paper completely, this placement makes it easy to get to. In the upper-right corner, enrichment stories will be more likely to be seen by people making quick perusals of the paper.

In addition, the logo needs to be distinctive so that the stories can be quickly identified. Finally, below, an index on the front page directs readers to these stories each day.






Guide
It was clear from the interviews that light readers are not information-starved. They get it from many sources and one of their major issues is how to sort through the clutter to get to the information they really want.

The Guide concept meets this need, to the benefit of both the reader and the newspaper. It not only provides specific information about particular subjects, but also points readers to relevant information in other media (books, magazines, Web sites, broadcast and cable programs, etc.). The newspaper positions itself as an information broker, a trusted source of information across all media.

Guides help readers become more involved in subjects and events of interest to them. Some guides can include go-and-do information. Others may not be action-oriented, but would help readers become better informed.

We prototyped three versions of the concept. One type, below, includes a short guide at the end of selected stories to indicate media links with brief summaries of what they offer.





Another approach is to include special guides to upcoming events - local, national or international: guides to the Oscars, baseball season, summer activities, Christmas events. Guides could also be created for current issues or concerns - the state budget, upcoming elections, personal investing, tax filing, etc. Many newspapers do some of these things already; what we are suggesting is a regular menu of guides and guide-type features that have some sort of a shelf life. The following example shows a portion of a prototype Oscars guide:




As with the other concepts, it is crucial to promote the new content prominently. The following example shows a front-page index to the guides in the day's paper:




Appendix
Below are the texts of two "Debatables" and two "In the Know" articles used in the prototypes.

Debatable: Are we trying too hard to prevent U.S. casualties?
Catching Bin Laden: Spare lives or accomplish the mission?
Nearly two months after the last major battle in Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden's location is as mysterious as ever. Some intelligence sources think they can pinpoint the period when bin Laden slipped away and cite a military misjudgment. This episode raises questions about how the United States conducted this war and how it should conduct future wars.

The incident in question is the decision to call a brief cease-fire at the height of U.S. bombing in Tora Bora. Al-Qaeda fighters were holed up in cave complexes in the region that borders Pakistan, and intelligence indicated bin Laden might be with them. U.S. bombers were blasting the cave complexes, while anti-Taliban allies conducted the ground fighting. U.S. and British commandos had not yet arrived in large numbers to lead the hunt for bin Laden.

Rebels under the command of warlords in Tora Bora called a surprise cease-fire at the peak of the bombing and U.S. commanders agreed to the request. Intelligence officials now say the cease-fire was called to allow al-Qaeda forces to escape, probably across the mountains into Pakistan. "Plain and simple, the United States was hoodwinked," said Sohab Qadri, intelligence chief of the anti-Taliban forces in Tora Bora.

The real issue is the reliance on proxy forces in Afghanistan to conduct the ground war in the early stages. When you have allies on the ground, you have to cooperate on tactics, including cease-fires, Pentagon officials say.

Another strategy involving large numbers of U.S. ground forces earlier in the fighting might have made bin Laden's capture more likely, but would have been far bloodier than the Afghanistan war.

Relying on proxy forces in Afghanistan - rather than a large force of our own - ensured that the hunt for bin Laden would fall to the bottom of the priority list. Opposition fighters had one major goal: seizing power from the Taliban. Once that was realized, they had little interest in doing the United States' bidding.

The question for U.S. officials - and for the country - remains whether sparing American lives at the expense of letting bin Laden slip away was a reasonable tradeoff.



Debatable: How much should the U.S. government compensate terror victims' families?
Sept. 11 victim's fund: What price to pay for a human life?
How much is human life worth? Some would say it's priceless; others may offer more concrete figures. It all depends on whom you ask.

But would you ever expect to get the answer, "Depends on how they died"? That's the answer we seem to be getting from the U.S. government.

The debate: A federal commission has written the final rules for death benefits to compensate those who lost family members in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on Sept. 11. The multi-million dollar awards going to these families far exceed the standard death benefits - an average one-time payout of $6,000 plus monthly stipends - for military personnel killed in combat, and many Americans are asking why.

To add to the debate, those who lost family members to the Oklahoma City bombing and the U.S.S. Cole are now demanding federal compensation. All this causes us to ask the questions "How much should the government give to compensate for the loss of life and where does it draw the line on whom should be compensated?"

Setting a standard?: According to the Victim Compensation Fund for the families of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks, the cost of a human life is, on average, about $1.8 million. While no money can truly compensate Trade Center victims' families, a federal commission has developed a complex process for determining a nominal compensation that's based upon lifelong earnings potential, number of children, and so on. Special Master Kenneth Feinberg, the fund's administrator, says there is no minimum award amount or "cap" specified in the final rules released this week, but compensation will range somewhere between $250,000 and $4 million per person. So far, about 370 people have filed for compensation from the fund.

Again, the compensation drops dramatically if you're a soldier and die fighting for your country. The U.S. Armed Forces awards a $6,000 death benefit, plus $250 per month per spouse and dependent child - but only until the spouse is remarried. Some clam that this benefit is not out of line because soldiers know the risks involved and are paid a salary to put their lives on the line. Others claim that because of their noble efforts, soldiers' families should be paid more - not less - than those who lost loved ones in the Sept. 11 attacks.

Forgotten fallen: What of the families of those who were killed at the Oklahoma City bombing? Beyond the Social Security system's relief payouts, they received nothing extra from the U.S. government for the loss of their loved ones. Just like those who died on Sept. 11, those who died in Oklahoma City were the victims of terrorist atrocities, albeit at the hands of U.S. citizen Terry McVeigh.

Although it is not surprising that the survivors of the dead in Oklahoma City are now calling for similar compensation, these actions make some government officials worry that the U.S. is on a slippery slope. What types of tragedies should the government be held accountable for?

The seeds of greed: Families of those killed in either attack insist that they are not trying to get rich, but that they want to make sure that their children are provided for and that the government is held accountable. "Here we are pitted against justifying ourselves to the nation. We deserve accountability from the government," said Loreen Sellitto, mother of Matthew Sellitto, 23, who died in the Sept. 11 attacks. "This is not just about the money."

Fund administrator Kenneth Feinberg said, "These are people, families, American citizens for the most part, who have suffered a horrible loss, months ago - not years ago, months ago - and they are trying as best they can to value a lost loved one. I do not believe it has anything to do with personal greed. It has everything to do with valuing a lost loved one." But with a federal valuation that claims to be fair, yet proves to inconsistent, accountability becomes a much larger issue.



In the Know: The origins of basketball
Basketball originated as a simple physical education game developed by Dr. James A. Naismith at Springfield College, Springfield, Mass., in 1891. Naismith was charged with coming up with an indoor winter game that would keep students interested in physical training.

Naismith attached two peach baskets to the balcony at each end of the school gymnasium. He divided 18 students into two teams, gave them a soccerball and instructed them to follow 13 rules he devised.

Little did he know that this experimental game would grow into a sport that would afflict college basketball fans with "March Madness."

The 13 original rules:

1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
   
2. The ball may be batted in any direction
3. with one or both hands (never with the fist).
   
4. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at good speed if he tries to stop.
   
5. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
   
6. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.
   
7. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3, 4, and such as described in Rule 5.
   
8. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).
   
9. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basked and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
   
10. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side.
    
11. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
    
12. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
    
13. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between.
    
14. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winter. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.

The origins of basketball trivia

• At first, the beach baskets had no holes in them, so someone had to climb up and retrieve the ball whenever a goal was scored. Then Dr. Henry Kallenberg, a friend of Naismith's suggested cutting holes in them.
  
• The actual basketball did not come into existence until 1894, three years after the game was originated. But the game's first governing body, the "Basketball Co-Operating Committee," decided the ball should be a bit larger -no less than 30 inches and no more than 32 inches in circumference.
  
• Hoop backboards were developed because fans would try to help their teams by batting the balls away. As early as 1909, glass backboards were used.
  
• Dribbling was not part of the original game, but was incorporated into the sport years later.

In the Know: State of the Union: A short history
"The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Article II, Sec. 3, U.S. Constitution

When George Washington personally delivered the first annual message, the precursor to the State of the Union address, to Congress on January 8, 1790, he was aware of his constitutional duty to deliver his message and of the precedent he was setting for future presidents. The President's focus was on the very concept of union itself. Washington and his administration were concerned with the challenges of establishing a nation and maintaining a union. The experiment of American democracy was in its infancy.

Since Washington's first speech to Congress, U.S. Presidents have "from time to time" given Congress an assessment of the condition of the union. Presidents have used the opportunity to present their goals and agenda through broad ideas or specific details. The State of the Union's length, frequency, and method of delivery have varied from President to President and era to era.

For example, Thomas Jefferson thought Washington's in-person, oral presentation was too kingly for the new republic. Likewise, Congress's practice of giving a courteous reply in person at the President's residence was too formal. Jefferson detailed his priorities in his first annual message in 1801 and sent copies of the written message to each house of Congress. The annual message was not spoken by the President for the next 112 years. The message was often printed in full or as excerpts in newspapers for the American public to read.

The first President to revive Washington's spoken precedent was Woodrow Wilson in 1913. Although controversial at the time, Wilson delivered his first annual message in person to both houses of Congress and outlined his legislative priorities.

State of the Union: Fast facts

• FIRST AND SHORTEST: George Washington's first annual message was the shortest, and it contained 833 words. If given today, the speech would likely have lasted from four to seven minutes.
• NAMING RIGHTS: Franklin Roosevelt began using the constitutional phrase "State of the Union" in his annual messages in 1935.
• TUNED IN: Calvin Coolidge's 1923 address was the first annual message to be broadcast via radio.
• SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: Harry Truman's 1947 State of the Union address was the first annual message to be broadcast on TV.

Impact Study: Overview Page

Brand Perceptions: Overview Page

Brand Prototypes Gallery
Large-scale PDF images of the newspaper prototypes developed in this study.