Think Visually Act Locally What Appeals to Readers

Readership Trends Average Weekday Readership Source: Newspaper Association of America (Simmons 1970 -1997; Scarborough

Readership by Age Group • % reading a weekday 1967 2003 18 -24 yrs

Aging ≠ More Reading • % reading a weekday 1967 2003 18 -24 yrs

How We Reach Readers Identify audience and their interests Make content and market/sell newspaper

Past Approach Identify audience and their interests Make content and market/sell newspaper Measure results:

Improve the Experience • ‘Experience’ better predictor of reading than content satisfaction • Avoids

• Think of a magazine or periodical that you really enjoy and look

Inventing Markets, Not Products • Starbucks views itself as a ‘third place’ to hang

Totally amazing I rule Engaging I’m immersed Easy to use I can get it

Listening to Readers • 200+ one-on-one interviews • 90 minutes each • Hundreds of

What Readers Said • “I enjoy reading, more than watching or listening” • “I

Key Experiences • Something to talk about • Makes me smarter • Looks out

Low Intensity of Experiences in Readers = Opportunity Neutral © Readership Institute

18 -34 Year Olds • Are less likely to: – Say paper gives me

One Paper’s Audit • Counted young adults in photos, as subjects and sources •

Some Findings • Young adults find newspapers stilted, stodgy, dull • Newspapers are age-centric,

A Difficult Task • Implementing experience is the biggest challenge – Requires willingness to

A Way of Thinking • It’s not about design – Although design is important

Same story, different photo choices © Readership Institute

Makes Me Smarter? © Readership Institute

Taking Risks • Talk about it • Surprise • Humor • Makes me smarter

Story-level experience • Minneapolis Star Tribune rethought individual stories to drive experiences: – Talk

New Tsunami Story Original Tsunami Story © Readership Institute

Inside Pages Side-by-Side: By Story © Readership Institute

New Teen Story Original Teen Story © Readership Institute

Front Page Study • Created three versions: – Original Paper – Improved Paper –

Original Paper • 22 February 2005 • Typical news day, no big stories ©

‘Improved’ Paper • Same day, same news choices • Editing, design changed to try

Experience Paper • Same day, but news chosen from any part of the newspaper

Percent who prefer Experience Paper Strongly Preferred Side by side comparison © Readership Institute

Eight Lessons 1. Don’t be afraid to talk directly to readers • Question headlines

Eight Lessons, cont. 3. Humor is a huge selling point • Catchier headlines •

Eight Lessons, cont. 5. Be more interactive every day • Online poker game •

Eight Lessons, cont. 7. Not hard to make the paper a little younger •

People remember experiences. They don't remember attributes (features). --A. G. Lafley, CEO, Proctor &

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Think Visually, Act Locally What Appeals to Readers, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do About It ASNE Readership Program Cristal Williams, ASNE Steve Duke, Readership Institute Ed Baron, Ed Baron & Associates © Readership Institute

Readership Trends Average Weekday Readership Source: Newspaper Association of America (Simmons 1970 -1997; Scarborough 1998 -2003) © Readership Institute

Readership by Age Group • % reading a weekday 1967 2003 18 -24 yrs 71% 40% 25 -34 yrs 73% 41% 35 -44 yrs 81% 50% 45 -54 yrs 79% 59% 55 -64 yrs 78% 64% 65+ yrs 72% 70% Source: NAA; Scarborugh Top 50 DMAs; Scarborough unpublished survey data as reported in The State of the News Media 2 © Readership Institute

Aging ≠ More Reading • % reading a weekday 1967 2003 18 -24 yrs 71% 40% 25 -34 yrs 73% 41% 35 -44 yrs 81% 50% 45 -54 yrs 79% 59% 55 -64 yrs 78% 64% 65+ yrs 72% 70% Source: NAA; Scarborugh Top 50 DMAs; Scarborough unpublished survey data as reported in The State of the News Media 2 © Readership Institute

How We Reach Readers Identify audience and their interests Make content and market/sell newspaper Measure results: circulation, satisfaction, readership © Readership Institute

Look Forward © Readership Institute

Past Approach Identify audience and their interests Make content and market/sell newspaper Measure results: circulation, satisfaction, readership Our Opportunity Identify audience and experiences that will make them read more Pick content & present in ways that create the experiences Enhance all contact points to build experiences Measure results, including experiences © Readership Institute

Improve the Experience • ‘Experience’ better predictor of reading than content satisfaction • Avoids ‘rearview mirror’ syndrome © Readership Institute

• Think of a magazine or periodical that you really enjoy and look forward to receiving • How does it make you feel? © Readership Institute

Coffee House © Readership Institute

Coffee © Readership Institute

Inventing Markets, Not Products • Starbucks views itself as a ‘third place’ to hang out. – Wireless Net access increases visits and time spent – Music CD-burning service will too © Readership Institute

Totally amazing I rule Engaging I’m immersed Easy to use I can get it elsewhere Reliable, trustworthy Basic need/want for this product More at: www. headrush. typepad. com © Readership Institute

Listening to Readers • 200+ one-on-one interviews • 90 minutes each • Hundreds of similar comments © Readership Institute

What Readers Said • “I enjoy reading, more than watching or listening” • “I count on this newspaper to investigate wrongdoing” • “It often makes me laugh” • “I always get the newspaper in good condition” • “I save more money from its ads and coupons than I spend on the paper” • “Reading this newspaper is more like work than fun” • “Too many of the articles are too long” © Readership Institute

Key Experiences • Something to talk about • Makes me smarter • Looks out for my civic and personal interests • Good service • Surprise and humor • Ad usefulness • Too much • Discriminates and Stereotypes © Readership Institute

Low Intensity of Experiences in Readers = Opportunity Neutral © Readership Institute

18 -34 Year Olds • Are less likely to: – Say paper gives me ‘something to talk about’ – Feel newspaper ‘makes me smarter’ – Believe it ‘looks out for my personal & civic interests’ – Say the newspaper delivers good service © Readership Institute

One Paper’s Audit • Counted young adults in photos, as subjects and sources • Conclusion: ‘If young adults are the target, we’re missing by a country mile’ – 90% of people in main news were over 40 (or under 18) – 97% of people in community and features pages – 95% of people in local news section © Readership Institute

Some Findings • Young adults find newspapers stilted, stodgy, dull • Newspapers are age-centric, e. g. – Pricey restaurant reviews – Emphasis on high vs. popular culture – Personal finance aimed at middle-aged – Young people are “they” not “we” © Readership Institute

A Difficult Task • Implementing experience is the biggest challenge – Requires willingness to innovate • It requires you to examine traditional practices and assumptions – But if you don’t improve experiences for readers, someone else will © Readership Institute

A Way of Thinking • It’s not about design – Although design is important • It’s not about using tools better – But use the tools to build the experience • It is a way of thinking about the effect we want to have on the reader • It starts at the story level – What we cover – How we cover it © Readership Institute

Same story, different photo choices © Readership Institute

Makes Me Smarter? © Readership Institute

Story-level experience • Minneapolis Star Tribune rethought individual stories to drive experiences: – Talk about it – Looks out for my interests – Surprise/humor © Readership Institute

Front Page Study • Created three versions: – Original Paper – Improved Paper – Experience Paper • Tried to drive these experiences: – – Something to talk about Looks out for my civic and personal interests Surprise and humor Ad usefulness © Readership Institute

‘Improved’ Paper • Same day, same news choices • Editing, design changed to try to drive experiences © Readership Institute

Eight Lessons 1. Don’t be afraid to talk directly to readers • Question headlines • Tell us what you think 2. Bring younger voices to the table to share in decision-making • 40 to 50 -year-olds can be dead wrong about 20 somethings • Young people aren’t monolithic © Readership Institute

Eight Lessons, cont. 3. Humor is a huge selling point • Catchier headlines • Paris Hilton brings a pop culture touch to serious story • Rewrite story about blogs as a blog 4. Different story forms are a big hit • 5 things you should know list • Poker story presented as pro and con • Detail boxes convey information in a hurry © Readership Institute

Eight Lessons, cont. 5. Be more interactive every day • Online poker game • Online debates on hot topics • Samplings of reader responses • Mugs and quotes 6. Look out for their interests. Be practical, personal • Breakout boxes explain how a story affects them • Tell conspicuously what action they can take (e. g. if identity is stolen) © Readership Institute

Eight Lessons, cont. 7. Not hard to make the paper a little younger • Brainstorm in 30 -minute spurts • Charge different editors with looking for talkable stories, “looks out for my interests” elements • Talk across disciplines on key stories • Demand candor (“is this really interesting? ”) 8. “Interesting” is not optional. “Informative” is not sufficient. “Compelling” is mandatory © Readership Institute

People remember experiences. They don't remember attributes (features). --A. G. Lafley, CEO, Proctor & Gamble © Readership Institute

Totally amazing I rule Engaging I’m immersed Easy to use I can get it elsewhere Reliable, trustworthy Basic need/want for this product More at: www. headrush. typepad. com © Readership Institute