Convert your football preview to a bundled 12-week campaign
Another entry from SNPA's Best Revenue Contest
HUP 1….HUP 2…HIKE!!!
HUDDLE ... BUNDLE ... AND BLITZ
Stan Woody, editor and publisher of the 7,500 circulation Fort Bend Herald in Rosenberg, Texas, says: "I was told when I first arrived at a newspaper in Texas, that if you can't sell high school football, then you can't sell!"
He says, "This is true, however, advertisers and sponsors want to be shown how their support for the local teams is going to get the maximum exposure during the course of the season. By bundling the season's starting preview section, with weekly print and online ads, and company logos we are able to increase substantially the amount of participation both in number of advertisers, and their total investment."
He says the key is that the program is bundled to be charged evenly over the 12 weeks of the season. It was extended by one issue into the playoffs for one of the paper's local schools. An additional feature the paper will be adding in 2014 is a realtime "Live Game Blog" on the Fort Bend Herald's website.
With this program, the Fort Bend Herald turned its annual High School Football Preview into a 12-week campaign that gave advertisers great exposure and made revenue jump – with just a single sales call!
The results for the past three years:
- 2011: Annual Review (tab only) – $4,960
- 2012: 3 in 1 (with live game online streaming) – $9,655
- 2013: 3 in 1 (with package attached) – $15,180
View details about this program:
Read below what some of our contest judges had to say about this entry. And, add your own comments.
View previous articles about contest entries at this link (plus additional revenue-generating ideas not entered into the contest). Here's a quick link to the first-place winner). Every week, for a number of weeks to come, we'll look at additional contest entries. Keep reading your eBulletin and checking this site for more proven revenue-generating ideas.
Comments
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CCrittendon13
Very nice way to extend annual football revenue from a one-time pub to an extension of all that you do for the season!
Tuesday, October 29, 2013 Report this
Pat Taylor
Love the combination print package, but wonder if there is some way to get the web involved, too. Don't see much on that, but assume you are posting sports stories on the web. Maybe that's in reserve to grow it again next year...
Friday, November 1, 2013 Report this
Nice to see a fresh product each week as opposed to just one preview. And captures the young readers as well!
Monday, November 4, 2013 Report this
mmulholland
Nice example of bundling, and of taking a good existing concept and making it even better. A great lesson for all of us.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013 Report this
jack.perkins
I like how you sell them in all 3 packages upfront, and it looks like great y-o-y growth
Friday, November 8, 2013 Report this
jnoel0921
You can't beat packaging, can you? Great way to take advantage of an audience that can't get enough football. I'll bet advertising thought this was a GREAT idea!
Friday, November 8, 2013 Report this
jsowell
Excellent combining of niche products and regular ROP. Great revenue builder. Adding online would help reach all markets.
Friday, November 8, 2013 Report this
dherlinger
A good way to own local football. I especially like the use of print and digital advertising options.
Monday, November 11, 2013 Report this
Lauren
A great way to offer the advertiser frequency, and reach sports fans all season. Taking a good idea and making it better each year is hard to do. Good job!
Monday, November 11, 2013 Report this