Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Need Advice On Differentiating Advertising Booklet

Posted by Anonymous on 7/10/2012 at 11:16 PM ET 250 Points
First of all this is a great quality site, one of those that really help out people in need of business advice.

I'm going into publishing advertising booklet, which is a booklet with certain amount of pages mostly retails advertise their ad copy. Booklets are delivered to mail boxes in certain areas, usually around 60-80K copies. Currently there are two players in this industry, both having different size of booklet with repeated advertisers.

My ideas to differentiate myself from my competitors based on these questions:
- why should retails advertise in my booklet
- why would buyers choose to purchase from my booklet

1. Offering a lucky draw which is eligible with a purchase. 50% of my profits is dedicated for this, also allows advertisers to measure their ROI. ( in the future can also use the ROI to persuade non believers that booklet works )

2. Cross selling, discount coupons distributed among related but not same industry, example slimming discounts coupons given to hair/makeup saloons n vice verse. Implementation based on both parties agree to participate.

3. Not sure of this one - only one type of industry advertised in the booklet, example if slimming than no other slimming allowed which means no competitor within my booklet for the slimming, the downside being not much choice for the buyers to choose and I'll have to put in more effort to fill the minimum number of pages - good/bad idea?

That's all my non marketing mind can come up with, please give any type of advice for the above and also any more idea that wont cost me cash.
All inputs appreciated and thanks in advance.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 7/11/2012 at 1:46 AM Accepted
    So you're thinking about publishing an "advertising booklet" and you are in the planning stage. The problem is you haven't done the work yet.

    Are you going to publish the advertising booklet in the US, by "certain areas" do you mean regionally? where, by states or metro areas? Do you have a clear vertical/segmented target? which retailers? including restaurants and hospitality? Who are the two competitors and how are they doing? Do they tie there "mailings" to an online presence? Why do people need a third choice?

    These questions and your questions represent the fundamental work you need to do in a development phase. You need a business model, that is based in market demand realities. You need a business/marketing plan. Ultimately, you need a business adviser or mentor.

    You could post this as a project on marketingprofs
    https://www.marketingprofs.com/ea/pfh_addco.asp

    Hope this helps you with some useful direction.

    Steve
  • Posted on 7/11/2012 at 2:11 AM Author
    Thanks Steve for your reply. I have done the planning, publishers license, sample n pricing. Will execute starting next week.

    Will be publishing in my country, asian country, by area i mean within a state they are divided by major housing area I'm following exactly where my competitors are doing. They include retail, restaurants, auto, service within the area. The two competitors are doing well, one is about 4 years and another new about a year. Both doing well with repeated customers, its a monthly circulation. They do have a website but mailing not tied to it.

    Why do people need a third choice?
    This is what I'm trying to ask in my post.

    Hope i address your question. Thank you Steve
  • Posted by SteveByrneMarketing on 7/11/2012 at 3:42 AM Accepted
    Re: "Why do people need a third choice?
    This is what I'm trying to ask in my post"

    This is why I advised you to seek out a business mentor's help or post a project on this site. I don't think this forum is the right place to sort out a feasibility study for a start up in an unknown asian country.

    Sorry, probably not the reply you were looking for.

    Steve
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 7/11/2012 at 9:38 AM Accepted
    Dear Securepeo,

    You've received fantastic feedback from Steve and Randall that, if you were being billed for it, would set you back thousands of dollars.

    Yes, you need to plan this REALLY carefully. As for your question about why advertisers ought to sign up with you, your niche here could be ... and that's a vague angle I know, but it COULD be advertisers in similar niches to those currently covered by your two main competitors but advertisers who currently do NOT advertise in either publication because they either cannot afford it OR because the other publications are too cheap, OR because the drop zones don't match their current buyer areas or profiles. There might be scope here for you to appeal either to discount sellers OR to appeal to premium store owners and THEIR customers.

    BUT ... and this is a really LARGE "but" ... you must FIRST know ... you need to be 100 percent certain ... that either niche is right for you and for your advertisers.

    And you need to pay CLOSE attention to every point raised by Steve and Randall ... that's EVERY point: legal, production, distribution, design, offers, everything.

    Good luck to you.

    Gary Bloomer
    Wilmington, DE, USA
  • Posted on 7/15/2012 at 10:44 PM Author
    Sorry for the late reply. Thank you very much for all the advice and feedback. Will take every point mention seriously.
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