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How much of a fight should I put up over this?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by bigpern23, Jun 26, 2007.

  1. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    One year, an idea was proposed to match up advertisers with number of football panelists for those silly picks many papers do late in the week in-season. That way, a certain number of advertisers would be locked in through the season, with the winning business earning a free half-page ad.

    Part of it involved advertisers rotating with the panelists, i.e., the advertisers' record that particular week was whatever the panelists' record was. Anyway, some of them had "Go (panelist)." or something rah-rah and generic.

    Some smartass put my name with one of the advertisers and said "(My name) thinks a (crappy car manufacturer) would be a really good pick for you."

    I wanted a retraction ... at least, someone to clarify that I, in no way, shape or form, was associated with said company. Bosses blew it off. I blew up.
     
  2. DGRollins

    DGRollins Member

    I gotta agree...

    We are talking about a little ear ad here. It's not like they have plugged a half-page ad on your S1.
     
  3. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    However, I have had that and a 3x10 before on S1
     
  4. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    At my first full-time stop, they would put ads on the first page ... even pulled a 4x10 a couple of times. We got that stopped quickly ... told them they could basically cannibalize our last page, but that the obtrusive first-page ads had to go.
     
  5. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Have had a couple stops like that, Sam.
    And I had to deal with it as always.. but bitched enough to get the ad placement clowns to put a deadline on it. No more finding out Friday at 3 p.m. there was an ad on the front; rule came down a section front ad had to be given with 2 days notice -- three for Sunday...
     
  6. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    Sounds good, Slappy. Problem is, this was a family-owned that made it clear that advertising could do no wrong. Many a page - and good chunks of sections - were torn up because they wanted to shuffle ads. Small wonder I'm no longer there when they wanted to b_tch about lack of production and/or OT I put in. Lack of efficiency by advertising didn't help.
     
  7. expendable

    expendable Well-Known Member

    Can't say that I blame you.
     
  8. Ace

    Ace Well-Known Member

    bigp,

    you outta send a thank you note to the ad rep for bringing in some coin.
     
  9. Tom Petty

    Tom Petty Guest

    yes, way to go ad folks. you no longer can sell your domain, now you have to rely on section fronts. what happens when that newness wears off?
     
  10. jambalaya

    jambalaya Member

    Saw this in my version of the NY Times last week. Yes, that NY Times.
     
  11. chazp

    chazp Active Member

    At one stop we had an ad for a radio station in the upper right hand corner of the sports front. I told ME I didn't like it and thought it didn't belong. Couldn't do anything about it. The radio station had cut a deal to buy the space for a whole year! I've heard other papers are doing similar things. I saw one paper with a rail on the left side with teasers to the inside that had an ad in the rail. Uck. Hate it. But it appears to be the here to stay.
     
  12. EE94

    EE94 Guest

    The ads are inevitable and I think will only become more intrusive. What you have to do is accept them, but minimize the impact by getting involved with the ad department, likely through your ME, and offer suggestions on where and how the ads go. Doesn't always work, depending on your bosses, but it can regain some ownership on the pages. For instance, if they;ve taken away your teaser spot, perhaps you can suggest somewhere else on the page the ad can go so you can get that back.
    You can't fight it. It's revenue, and editorial is expenditure. In that relationship, expenditure always loses, so you have to accept that and do your best to minimize it.
    If you staff sees you do this to some effectiveness, you will be surprised at how impressed they will be. Just railing about it and being pissed off, while changing nothing, will dishearten them.
     
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