Just Doing It – Initiatives worth considering

With all media struggling with reduced ad revenues, newspapers are trying more new things than ever before. Some are cost cutting or revenue generating measures, others are new initiatives that are being tested and finally there are exciting and original ideas that are being considered. Below is a list of each of these which could be used a basis for an internal innovation session.

Cost cutting or revenue generating:

• Removing sections (e.g. Washington Post removed its stand-alone Business section)http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2009/03/13/washington-posts-kills-its-stand-alone-business-section/  
• Stop printing and move to online only (e.g. Seattle Post Intelligencer) http://www.marketingmag.ca/english/news/media/article.jsp?content=20090317_142553_2812         
• Content sharing (e.g. Tulsa World & The Oklahoman; New York Daily News, Star-Ledger, Buffalo News, The Hackensack Record & The Albany Times Union http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003953697 
  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/business/media/19paper.html?_r=2
• Raise price (e.g. Chicago Sun Times to raise its newsstand price by 25¢ Mon-Sat as of March 30)
  http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1486998,CST-FIN-price20.article 

New initiatives

• Embracing technology in new ways (e.g. Times investigating a computer enhanced newspaper box to provide personalized content, as well as other opportunities
  http://www.editorsweblog.org/multimedia/2009/03/nick_bilton_describes_emerging_nyt_techn.php 
• Going hyper-local with content from readers (e.g. Hearst launches in conjunction with its Connecticut Post and other papers) http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/digital-downloads/broadband/e3i195c363ab252f976cf4e5876ba4f3191   
• Change formats (e.g. Blick moved from tabloid back to broadsheet to differentiate from the freebies; Chicago Tribune added a tab for commuters http://www.newspaperinnovation.com/index.php/2009/03/16/blick-back-to-broadsheet/
  http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/01/tribune-to-launch-tabloid-edition-for-newsstands.html

• Creating niche sites (e.g. The Daily Green, Hearst's online environmental brand)http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123595052933904905.html

Hot ideas

• 30 U.S. Newspaper Executives from different papers (e.g. Gannett, Washington Post, USA Today) brainstorm on revenue opportunities – A MUST READ!http://revenuetwopointzero.com/
• Consider embedding ads with online cartoons
  http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=160301
• Readers print their customized paper
  http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/03/back-to-the-future-medianews-revives-print-your-own-newspaper/
• Let Gen-Y tell you their preferences and then deliver accordingly
  http://adage.com/video/article?article_id=135039
• U.S. Ink is launching “lickable ink” so newspapers can provide “taste-it-notes” – potentially a unique revenue generator
  http://www.editorsweblog.org/newspaper/2009/03/lickable_newspapers_could_they_save_prin.php