Dear Joe,
I respect your right to run your paper the way you feel is appropriate. However, I think that your one-size-fits-all advertising policy is limiting your potential income, and limits your readers’ choices.
The reader can only find out what the specials are at one restaurant in town. Pretty soon they’re going to get hungry for something else. The reader must like one salon, get their medications at only one pharmacy (hopefully their insurance recognizes that one), rent office space in only one building, use only one bank. Likely your reader will go to another source to locate what they need or want.
America’s economy is based on competition. Competition is what makes businesses try harder, do better, and actually, it helps them grow. Competition helps the consumer because more and better choices are available.
I enjoy your newspaper, but I am glad it is not the only one out there.
Sincerely,
Looking for Choices
Dear Looking,
Thank you for writing. Your comments were nicely stated and well thought out. We appreciate the opportunity to respond.
When we started our paper, we made some decisions on advertising that continue to affect us. You hit the nail on the head when you mention that it limits our advertising potential. We decided that instead of trying to be like other media sources, we would try to “partner” with only one in each category. We’re always perplexed when we open a paper to see a large cell phone ad, backed by another cell phone ad. Turn the page and there’s another. We think that dilutes your message. Unfortunately, this policy has forced us to say no to a few potential advertisers. (We hate this!) On the other hand, we feel this exclusivity is a huge added value to those who got on early and a great incentive for them to keep running with us. We like that we don’t have to divide our loyalties between competitors.
As to your comments on choice, as flattering as your suggestion is, it was never our intention that ours or any publication should be anyone’s sole source of information. We are confident you can find a multitude of other outlets, which will be happy to bombard you with all the choices you desire. Like you, we are glad those other options are out there. Our hope is that it makes our policies and our little paper standout in comparison.
Thanks for reading.
Joe
Yo, Joe,
I was going to comment on how I’ve enjoyed your paper for nearly a decade, but then my editor reminded me that you have only been around for 9 issues so far. I wonder what I’ve been reading all this time.
Seriously, I enjoy your non-serious tone. We here at the Vast Typo Headquarters and Hovercraft (VTH&H), have always been fond of witty hyperbole and snappy repartee. You Joe-sers are certainly full of it.
As a fellow local publisher, I can certainly vouch for the personality of St. Joe (yeah, yeah, and the people who live there). I hope you have a happy and long ink time.
Bad publishing idea: While pondering avenues to take TYPO toward, I sometimes hearken back to a discussion I remember some of the folks that published the old, Sights and Sounds of St. Joseph, had. One gentleman was pitching a story about the stock yards. Another guy was thinking about a scratch and sniff cover gimmick. The idea was nixed when the two thoughts converged.
Which reminds me of a story…
An older guy that used to hang out at the old, Captain Comics back in the eighties told me what HAS to be an urban legend. He claims to know the city councilman this happened to, though, and swears it’s true.
Once upon a time, a young man, originally from the area, came back from his California home with a proposition for the city council of St. Joseph. He had this wonderful idea, and St. Joe, with its middle of America location would be perfect for it. He wanted to build something had created. This would certainly bring in business and grow the city. The city council would have nothing of it. Growth was bad. It brought crime. It brought in new, strange people whom they couldn’t control. It would cost too much. Absolutely not!
The man, of course, was Walt Disney. I hear his park did okay in California.
May all your coffee rings be sugary and taste like mint juleps,
William D. Noe, EIC, TYPO Magazine
Dear Wm,
Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for putting out a smart, funny, publication. Keep up the good work.
Joe