Great Content Key to Gannett Paywalls

Newspaper publisher Gannett made news itself this week by announcing that it will implement paywalls, or subscription-based sites, for its 80 local newspapers. Gannett’s flagship brand, USA Today, will still be free online. For the local papers, website visitors will be able to access five to 15 articles monthly for free. After that, a subscription will be needed to download content.

The decision to erect paywalls by Gannett is bold. In a time when economic uncertainty remains among consumers and free information is abundant on the Internet, shifting to a pay-for-use model may seem risky. Gannett looks to success of national papers The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, which have “metered access” in place- giving away some content but restricting access to most articles to subscribers. Transitioning to a subscription-based model entails a trade-off of creating subscription revenues versus devaluing the newspapers’ online reach (and appeal to advertisers) as fewer page impressions will occur when unlimited free access ends.

Can Gannett’s subscription-based model succeed? Sure it can. But, one condition must be satisfied… and it is a biggie. The content that Gannett previously gave away must have sufficient value to justify readers paying for it. Two attributes that can be at odds with one another, depth and timeliness, will be important for Gannett’s local products to contain. Quality journalism in the form of long-form feature stories as well as content exclusive to online subscribers are two ways to enhance depth of information. At the same time, subscribers will expect a pay site to offer up-to-date news in an environment in which “developing story” and “breaking news” are reported hourly in broadcast media.

Whether migration to a subscription-based model works for Gannett will come down to a simple marketing tenet: Product value must justify the selling price. The key to success is not so much persuading readers to accept a pay model (although that will be important) as delivering great content that people will pay to have.

Digiday - "Gannett's Paywall Gamble"

Find the Linsanity in Your Brand

The talk of the NBA, if not the American sports scene, in the past two weeks has been the play of Jeremy Lin. The New York Knicks guard is the latest overnight success (although there is no such thing), endearing himself to basketball fans and the New York market with great play and hitting clutch shots. The key to Lin’s connection with fans is his story. He is Asian-American, Harvard educated, and grounded in Christian faith. Lin has gone from unable to keep a spot on the roster at Golden State and Houston to one of the most talked about players in the NBA.

Jeremy Lin’s success on the court is one matter, but the phenomenon is fueled by his story of a rise from obscurity to stardom and the accompanying “Linsanity” that has swept New York and the sports world. Lin’s statistical performance is noteworthy- he averaged about 3 points per game last year. In his first four games as a starter for the Knicks, his average was nearly 20 points a game. But, the attraction of Jeremy Lin is his story. People want to know more about Lin and have favorable vhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifiews of him because of the story behind his meteoric rise.

Can marketers capture Linsanity and use for their benefit in their organizations? Absolutely! The power of story should not be overlooked as a connector between a brand and the audience it seeks to engage. In his book Tell to Win, Peter Guber reminds us that stories serve a functional purpose, facilitating retention of information, as well as igniting an emotional response by creating empathy between storyteller and audience. Stories have the power to establish a common ground and humanize brands that are by their nature impersonal objects.

What are the stories that you have to share? Personal triumphs of employees, making a difference in the community, customer profiles, and company heritage are examples of storylines that can captivate an audience. Stories offer a departure from the one-way “our brand is great” messaging on which marketers tend to focus. We have a longing to relate to others with whom we share common interests and challenges. Stories can bring people and brands together, deepen relationships, and even create a phenomenon, as Linsanity has reminded us.

What it Takes to be Best in Business

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my position as a business school professor is interaction with the business community. Our mission is to prepare the next generation of business professionals, and I find a great deal of inspiration in learning about successful companies and leaders in the Nashville area. For seven years, I have worked with the Nashville Business Journal as a judge for its Best in Business Awards. In that time, I have had the good fortune of meeting entrepreneurs in health care, financial services, marketing services, and many other industries. Their accomplishments and vision are nothing short of amazing.

We have just concluded judging for this year, and I realized that companies named as finalists for Best in Business Awards share three common characteristics:

1. Passionate – Most of the companies were started by people who had worked in a corporate environment and saw unmet needs or a better way to solve customers’ problems. Rather than maintaining status quo, they ventured out on their own to make a difference.

2. Intentional – Strategic decisions and direction are the result of careful consideration of what the companies wanted to be… and not be. For some companies, being intentional meant not chasing business that would force them to stray from their strengths. All aspects of the business including branding, products and markets, and resource acquisition were carefully planned. Yes, mistakes were made occasionally, but the best companies learned from mistakes and overcame them.

3. Caring – In addition to being good at what they do, the best companies have a culture of caring for people- customers, employees, and communities. It begins at the top of the organization with leaders who are advocates for caring, and practices such as donating a percentage of profits to charities or giving employees paid time off for volunteerism reflect a commitment to the world outside their organizations.

Awards are presented in five categories: 1-25 employees, 26-100 employees, 101-500 employees, 500+ employees, and non-profits. While the winners will not be named until April 19, it is evident to me that all companies named as finalists are winning in their respective industries. When passion, intention, and caring are prevalent in an organization, being Best in Business is an attainable destination.

Make Every Day Super Bowl Sunday

Like millions of other people, I cannot wait for the Super Bowl. The two-week break between the conference championships and the “Big Game” is excruciating- let’s play already! And as is the case most years, I do not even have a vested interest in the game as I do not have strong feelings to cheer for either the Giants or Patriots. I just want to watch the Super Bowl, enjoy the company of my son’s church youth group, and of course, watch commercials. So do many other Americans; a recent survey by CouponCabin.com found that 37% of persons surveyed watch the Super Bowl primarily for the commercials.

It’s a marketer’s dream come true: People wanting to see ad messages. Unfortunately, that sentiment is limited to Super Bowl Sunday and precious few other occasions such as the Academy Awards broadcast. Otherwise, most of us actively avoid commercial messages. Why? They can be intrusive, annoying, and irrelevant to us. What makes Super Bowl commercials different, and what can we learn from Super Bowl advertising to make us more effective communicators each day of the year?

The Super Bowl has become a cultural celebration as much as it is a championship football game. Advertisers are joining in the festivities rather interrupting our lives as is usually the case. The most popular Super Bowl commercials seem to share a characteristic that people can relate to the message. Whether it is the appearance of a popular celebrity, depiction of a humorous situation in everyday life, or a message that creatively captivates our attention, the best Super Bowl commercials resonate with the audience. In contrast, most ad messages are not as effective because the focus is more on the product and its capabilities, not how it fits with users’ lifestyles and adds value for them.

Let’s adopt the mindset of Super Bowl advertising every day of the year. Marketing messages must be conceived, designed, and executed from the customers’ viewpoint. We must constantly put ourselves in the target market’s shoes and ask the question “What’s in it for me?” Do our advertising messages provide a satisfactory answer? Our goal should be to strive to make marketing as appealing daily as it is on Super Bowl Sunday. May your team (or your brand) win this Sunday.