Advertising in Bad Times helps the community in many ways

As you know, we are a small staff, Laura Collins and myself. Since Laura started, she has blossomed into a very good employee, and I value her work very much.

As there are only the two of us, there are times it is impossible for us to make it to all of the meetings and events that may occur. As many of you have families, you make the time to be with your family. We have to make time to be with our family, or we would never see them, but for a very brief good morning and good night. This is why we ask you for your news and events. If you have a note worthy event coming up, we would like to know about it in advance so we may plan to be there. If by chance we cannot, we will call and ask for your assistance. There are times, that in order for you to have a community paper, the news has to come from you the community. Kind of like, to the Community, for the Community, by the Community.

And to make these efforts possible, to be your community newspaper, we must solicit for advertising, even more so in tough economic times. I have heard from many folks, these are very tough economic times, and I do not have any money for advertising. Even if I did have the money, I do not think it would do any good to advertise now.

Believe me, I certainly understand your concern, but allow me to share some facts about what happens to companies when they cut their advertising and marketing during tough economic times.

According to a McGraw-Hill Research, it analyzed 600 companies from the 1980 through 1985 period. The results showed firms that maintained or increased their advertising investments during the 1981-1982 recession averages significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased their advertising.

By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recessions advertisers had risen 256% over those that did not keep up their advertising.

Another study of the 1990-91 recession by Penton Research Services, Coopers & Lybrand, and Business Science International, found that better performing businesses focused on a strong marketing program which enabled them to solidify their customer base and take business away.

I know the initial reaction in bad times is to cut off advertising and personnel, but as you know, your customers are looking for the best value for their hard-earned dollar. If you advertise that you have the best value for the dollar, they will come to your business.

Also, in a MRI Survey of American Consumers, "Influential's" use newspapers more than any other medium. Nearly 60 percent of college graduates read a daily newspaper, 68 percent of 18-34 year olds read a newspaper weekly.

According to Pulse Research's May 2007 Missouri Statewide Market Survey, nearly 40 percent of those under 35 looked in the local newspaper for a job.

When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise.

Allow Becky or myself design some ads that demonstrate this value and then run them on a consistent basis.

There's an excessive amount of gloom and doom being spread around these days when the talk turns to the future of newspapers. In fact, the mere mention of the future of newspapers suggests that there might not be one. There is no question that the newspaper business has been disrupted. And yet, what the doomsayers fail to see is that newspapers are well on their way to ensuring that a bright future lies ahead.

It has been painful to bring costs in line with revenue and recast the product to reflect the realities of the new media world. But one thing that has not changed is our historic mission of informing and enlightening, agitating and entertaining, protecting and defending the public's right to know.

Without question, the newspaper of tomorrow will not be the newspaper of yesterday or even the newspaper of today. Change and innovation are pointing us toward a very different future, one that cements our unique role in the communities we serve.

Just a few years ago, we were a print business with digital on the side. Today, we are bringing together print, web and mobile, and opening the possibilities for even greater advancements that now may be only dreams in a young innovator's mind.

We are at the heart of our communities. We generate the information and track the local developments that are vital for an informed, engaged citizenry. We offer clarity and perspective, and we provide content that our readers can trust.

Getting to the point we are at now has not been easy. Genuine change is never easy. But we are far closer to our future than our past, and that future is bright.

As you can see, it really takes the community to enable the Portageville Missourian-News to be that "Newspapers: The Cornerstone of Your Community".

Some information provided from Missouri Press Association Oct. 2012