Daily Circulation: 67,094
Sunday Circulation: 73,252


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
Increased zoning of news to reflect communities.

Began a story obituary daily.

Added two local columnists.

Developed a series of reader advisory groups.

Expanded coverage to neighboring areas, outside existing circulation boundaries.

Pumped up topical coverage by using an existing advertising jacket.

Expanded “community coverage” to a weekly section, appearing each Friday. This section now includes most listings and offers community groups another “in” to the newspaper, where they can submit photos and other information, including community sports, etc.

Conducting audits of beats covered by reporters to measure diversity and variety in coverage.

Expanded regional coverage with the edition of a sports enterprise writer.

Target nontraditional advertisers.

Added ‘Deal of the Day” coupon promotion.

Brand
Expanded content promotion in three targeted areas: weekend section, food page, teen page.

Created a 7-day promotional box on 2A which teases to upcoming newspapers.

Expand partnerships with regional media outlets (cable TV, radio) to promote product.

Sponsorship of community events.

Service
Created a zoned advertising list on Page 2A.

Created a system for tracking bundle delivery errors.

Reviewed earlier delivery schedule.

Tracking retention rate of advertisers.

Installed electronic library system.

Developed plan to reduce ad credits by 10 percent.

Conducting advertisers’ satisfaction survey in summer 2003.

Added Quality Assistance Supervisor position to maximize production quality.

Improved service guarantee.

Conducted service surveys on errors.

Reduced repeat complaints.

Culture
Expanded partnerships with various media (radio, TV) in region.

Developed plans to grow new revenue streams.

Expanded employee recognition programs, including Calkins Media Employee of the Year.

Implementing performance management system.

Utilize “workout” sessions to allow employees to resolve workforce, workplace issues.



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?
Organization of community news and weekly listings into a weekly section which also offers the public the opportunity to submit photos and information for publication.

The addition of community columnists has evoked response from readers.

Added daily story obituaries.



What is the most persuasive indication you have that your readership efforts are producing results?
RBS score will tell us this.



What is the most important lesson you have learned as you have worked on readership in the last few years?
That just changing the newspaper is not enough to draw additional readers or keep current readers. You also need to continually market and promote content and services.

We need to continue to do more to market the newspaper to targeted segments and areas.

Getting Traction on Readership

Survey Responses by Topic & Newspaper