CNPA Advertising Services launches National Preprint Network
The new advertising program will compete with alternate delivery methods.
About a year ago, the idea began to develop that would support the newspaper industry by
boosting advertising on a national level through the National Preprint Network. The idea
germinated at the Newspaper Target Marketing Coalition conference where CNPA Director of
Advertising Services Sharla Trillo and the Gregg Dittoe of the Los Angeles Times began to test
the waters and design what CNPA could do to lead the charge for the new program.
“This is a good time for the industry to start something like this and compete with alternative
direct methods. Our rates are very attractive and competitive,” Trillo said.
A year later, all of the infrastructure is completed and NPN, which officially launched Dec.
31, already has 14 member newspapers, a major advertiser signed on (to be announced at a later
time) and several already in talks to begin taking advantage of the reach this program can offer.
The Los Angeles Times helped to spearhead the program with CNPA. Their art department
designed the logo, and The Times worked with CNPA to draft a contract as a jumping off point
for outlining the program.
Trillo returned to the NTMC meeting in October to present the contract, which was received
with much excitement. Meanwhile, back at CNPA, systems, procedures and a process of
implementation moved forward.
The NPN targeted large papers first. About 100 packets, including a contract, a rate card,
which Trillo describes as “pretty industry standard,” and data about the network, were sent out
starting in late Jan. The interest is already beyond expectation.
“Our goal for the first year was to sign on 30 newspapers,” Trillo said. “At 14 members we
are already halfway to our goal with many prospects lining up, including 10 verbal
commitments.”
Only two or three papers have declined to join the network at this time, partially due to a
poor match for their market, but they did not rule out revisiting the idea at a later time.
Once a contract is signed, the newspaper enters a two-year agreement with CNPA, and each
newspaper will do its own selling. Each member paper will have two single points of contact for
the network with one to five salespeople working on the program, but no more than five. CNPA
will also provide training for the two points of contact and the salespeople chosen to work on the
network.
There is a one-time start-up fee, and after that is collected, CNPA compiles data from the
member paper and enters it into a system specifically designed for NPN. After the information is
in the system the newspaper can start selling.
CNPA is acting as a facilitator by conducting market research; providing one order, one bill
cash processing and being the central communication hub for the members and advertisers.
When an advertiser signs onto the program, member papers have the option of using the
advertiser or not and can even reach out to draw in new advertisers to the program, which will
bring more money to the member paper through commission. Papers will have the potential to be
selling members or distributing members, providing two different ways to bring in additional
income to the paper.
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