Daily Circulation: 10, 452
Sunday Circulation: 11,837


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
Profiled two dozen of our most frequent Opinion Page (letter) contributors (with photos), which was a big hit with readers and spawned new letter writers.

Broke out and repackaged our "What's Going On" page to give it more utility by breaking up events closer to home along with improved typography.

Added a "Fit and Healthy" page to our Thursday Variety Pack lineup.

Improved access of recreational sports and photographs (little leagues, softball, etc.) to our sports pages.

Added a food column from our corporate partner (Scripps).

Added a business section column "Sound Money" and expanded stock listings.

Added a half-page daily dedicated to pop culture, entertainment, etc.

Expanded content generally that is designed to reach 20 to 35 market.

Added a local music column.

Added a half-page full color weather map (and related) to our daily content.

Brand
Became more aggressive in in-paper promotion of same day, next day and next weekend content

Greatly strengthened newspaper promotion in TMC product, billboards and electronic media.

Brand, Service and Culture
Invited Mary Nesbitt to outline Readership Institute findings to nearly every full time employee (every news, circulation and advertising employee) on readership, service, etc. and how important it is to our future.

Every employee in the news, circulation, advertising, G & A and many production employees conducted face-to-face surveys throughout the community. In total, Gleaner employees talked to and surveyed nearly 300 local citizens.

Service
Initiated a program in which the publisher and editor called a minimum of six subscribers per week to ask about delivery and billing services, etc.

Culture
Have scheduled quarterly meetings by the publisher with all departments to update them on plans and development of the newspaper and to answer any questions employees might have.



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 frequent "letter to the editor" writer profiles.

Improving access to the sports pages by recreational sports (names and faces).

Community face to face surveys by all employees.



What is the most persuasive indication you have that your readership efforts are producing results?
Churn is down this year.

Total paid numbers are up slightly this year after being down the past two years.



What is the most important lesson you have learned as you have worked on readership in the last few years?
The readers know a lot more about what they want than we do and are willing to pay for it.



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?
Go to optional (paid) expanded obits.

Add more weekend entertainment information.

Add more newshole for everyday.

Getting Traction on Readership

Survey Responses by Topic & Newspaper