Daily Circulation: 92,721
Sunday Circulation: 148, 624


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
We have educated our newsroom on the strengths and weaknesses of our content.

each year as reflected in extensive reader surveys, then set newsroom goals specifically designed to improve weaker areas.

We've redesigned the look and content of the paper to take advantage of new presses.

We formed a company-wide task force that combed through research and developed content improvements designed to grow readers in underrepresented demographics.

Brand
Marketing developed a campaign (radio, billboards, in-paper) signaling that "smart" people read the Eagle.

The newsroom developed content (a master narrative) capitalizing on the region's strong identity with the Kansas spirit.

The company, working with an ad agency, developed a campaign to elevate the profiles of personalities in the newsroom. For the first time, we're using billboards, traded radio and TV time and impact racks to promote.

Service
Earlier delivery times: 5: a.m. Monday through Saturday, 7:00 a.m. Sunday.

Tied District Manager bonus potential and District goals to lower(ing) complaint per thousand ratio.

Complaint redelivery times narrowed to within 1 hour after call is received Monday through Saturday and within 1 ½ hours on Sunday. Established a call-back system to confirm redelivery and subscriber satisfaction.

Revised subscriber billing/renewal notice geared to ease of use for the consumer.

Added subscriber bonus/loyalty coupon to subscriber renewal notice.

Added "branding messages" and target messages to subscriber newal notices (can also fall under branding).

Added complaint per thousand contract expectation to Independent carrier contracts.

Culture
Developed high-profile, buildingwide task forces to signal importance of circulation growth and reaching younger and more diverse audiences, then acted on recommendations.

Senior management group read and and extensively discussed book "Execution" by Bossidy and Charan.

Revived company newsletter to promote business literacy and sense of community among employees.

Implemented more frequent presentations/letters to employees about our business and what's behind actions we're taking.



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?
Immerse your newsroom in readership research, work with it to identify a strategy for addressing areas for improvement and ask teams to set quantifiable goals that will move the organization in those directions. It is important that teams participate fully in the process, thereby taking ownership of the challenge. We have significantly improved the newspaper in this way.



What is the most persuasive indication you have that your readership efforts are producing results?
We have grown readership for several years running, even as circulation rose and fell.



What is the most important lesson you have learned as you have worked on readership in the last few years?
Steer clear of traditional thinking and ground your decisions, instead, on what works for 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?
More research on an ongoing basis, in the way of regular focus groups and surveys. It is difficult to devote staff and funds to these efforts.

More zoning, both geographic and demographic. Zoning is labor intensive and thus costly.

Getting Traction on Readership

Survey Responses by Topic & Newspaper