Daily Circulation: 4,749
Sunday Circulation: 4,749


List the major steps you have taken in the last four years to increase readership. Please organize your response under four headings: content, brand, service, culture.

Content
Several new features have been introduced this year in the last three months or will begin soon, including "A Day in the Life... "Volunteer Spotlight," "Places to be in 2003," "Collector's Corner," and a regular weekly food theme page.

A quality control program was implemented in advertising to cut down on mistakes. Checklist is followed to monitor ad through its sale, insertion, creation, proofing, and billing.

Brand
Series of interactive reader contests have been held, including football contest, Halloween and Christmas coloring book contest, Christmas stocking giveaway and a March Madness basketball promotion held in conjunction with a local radio station.

In an effort to make the newspaper more vital to younger readers, the NIE program sent out 5,000 fliers to all Altus school students. Parents, family and friends were given the chance to subscribe to the Altus Times with $6 of a PIA subscription being donated to the school of the new subscriber's choice.

Service
Using returns to sample non-subscribers. A "See what you missed" flyer is inserted into the samples along with 4 months for 3 coupons.

Thank you letters are to be sent to all new subscribers, which includes a coupon for a free, 15-word classified line ad in appreciation.

Culture
Cross training conducted between accounts payable, accounts receivable, circulation clerk and customer service rep in business office to create more depth on staff. Employee of the quarter and employee of the year program started.

Employee newsletter started which features a segment on the readership initiative.

Each employee was given an Altus Times shirt. All employees are encouraged to the wear the shirts to work each Friday in a show of team spirit.



What is the most innovative, successful or noteworthy thing you have done on readership that you think other papers might learn from or want to emulate?
The efforts we have made in building organizational culture have been very worthwhile. It has helped employees buy into what we are doing and feel a sense of ownership in our newspaper.



What is the most persuasive indication you have that your readership efforts are producing results?
Readers are starting to notice some of things we are doing in the area of content and service.



What is the most important lesson you have learned as you have worked on readership in the last few years?
The importance of good service and how it translates into more satisfied readers.



What would you like to do on readership that you have not been able to do and why haven't you been able to do it?
Many of the content changes have been slow to come because of talent level of folks in our newsroom. I'm working to improve that situation with each new hire to bring us to a sufficient level to make the changes in content and presentation that will make us a more vibrant newspaper.

Getting Traction on Readership

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