How do you make print journalism matter again? That was the big question for Dallas agency GoDo Discovery Co when they were presented with the challenge of coming up with a campaign for the 135-year-old Dallas Morning News in Texas.

The answer was to reintroduce the paper to the city, especially to younger audiences who may have never picked up a paper in their lives. They had to convince the city that the paper still matters and should play a role in their lives. To reach generations raised on digital, they went about it in a decidedly analog manner – they hit the streets and talked to people to find out what matters to them in their city.

What came out of those interviews makes up the 'What Matters' campaign, which is being rolled out over the next two years. It consists of posters, stickers, free copies of the paper and a lot of live events in the community where the type states what matters, like "Local Journalism Matters," "Democracy Matters" and statements on coffee cups like "Free Caffeine Matters."

The Lawrence Journal World launched a new digital subscription initiative with email leading the way.

The Oklahoman Media Co. generated hundreds of advertising leads with one new marketing initiative while creating a popular new event from its traditional emphasis on prep sports.

Since March, the company has generated 850 new leads through a LinkedIn B2B marketing system, according to Lawre Everest, creative director for Oklahoman Media. To say it has exceeded expectations is an understatement.

According to a study by Borrell Associates Inc. conducted earlier this month, digital advertising spend (including email marketing) for political campaigns will increase dramatically for 2018 campaigns. The figures are expected to eclipse previous years' spend and set new records.

The study shows that digital ad spend is set to grow to $1.8 billion, beating out cable, radio, newspapers and telemarketing, among other categories. In fact, the only category that will beat digital ads in the budgets of politicians this year is broadcast TV, with $3.5 billion in spend. Email marketing experts at Site Impact say this is exciting news, and further proof that the best way to reach people is, increasingly, email marketing.

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This column by Publisher and CEO Terry Kroeger was published May 5 in the Omaha World-Herald

Dear Readers,

I want to tell you a story. Don't worry. I'll keep it short.

This story is about you and us and how we're in it together, thick and thin. It's the story about our local newspaper and our community. We have been here for you in some form since 1865 – even before Nebraska was a state.

It's a story that at its most basic level is one of freedom. The stories we tell keep us all free by holding leaders accountable, by informing our community about what matters, and recording Omaha's history. Our stories also entertain, enlighten and inspire, forming the fabric of our community.

We can tell this story best because our storytellers – our employees – are part of the community, too. We are your friends and neighbors.

Chances are, many SNPA newspapers already know about Site Impact, the email marketing company that goes through 145 million addresses to find just the consumers who may be interested in a client's ad.

While CEO Brandon Rosen keeps the papers' names confidential so as not to give away competitive strategies, he says there are a lot of them. "The reason to work with us for the newspapers is, we're the source. We're a wholesale email marketing company. There are a lot of brokers out there. We don't broker anything."

Rosen will say that six of the 10 largest newspaper companies in the country are clients of Site Impact and two more are in negotiations. Smaller groups of papers use it as well, as do other media companies, advertising agencies, list brokers, radio and TV stations.

Site Impact, www.siteimpact.com, which has recently applied to membership in SNPA, prides itself on speed and the reliability of its database. If one newspaper has its own database of 10,000 emails, Site Impact probably has 20,000 in the same area, Rosen said.

A new branding campaign launched by The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., emphasizes Real News. A Real Difference.

Chris Zoeller, director of strategic marketing, says: "We want our audience to know how we make a difference in small and big ways through our commitment to journalism and delivering the news our community needs."

She added, "We want anyone who is touched by this campaign to sense the pride our staff has in their job and the role the newspapers play in the community to keep them informed."

Click on link below to view the print campaign, videos and learn how you can share your marketing materials for this SNPA collection.

Shared by The Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.

Shared by The Times, Gainesville, Ga.