Red & Black Newspaper

Red and Black Recommendations and Conclusions:

Stories need to be meaningful stories.  By being active in your reporting with the dean of students,  football arrests, and the police crackdown in the wake of the No. 1 Party school ranking you can create your strengths. The crime streets projects was amazing from beginning to end, and the fake ID and Nights of Athens week long series were smart and well written.

But we struggled showcasing some stories as well as we could – too often we didn’t have the pictures, or the forethought with design or graphics or sidebars to make a good story better. Here is some advice I have going forward:

Ask more questions: We are great at getting the right aspect of the initial story, but sometimes stories are left with unexplored areas. There are some stories where we stopped and looked at it and took it as far as we could go.  But there were others – the $100,000 carpet, profiles of athletes, freedom of speech issues on campus – that we came up short and missed some good opportunities for strong stories. When getting an assignment or following a story, take a moment and think about all the aspects of what’s in front of you. It’s not that I’m looking for us to find a “gotcha” aspect to what we cover, but we do a disservice to ourselves and our readers by not telling the whole story. I’m always here for a consult, sometimes talking about a story before doing it makes it easier to report.

Plan for how it will be played in the paper: Reporters and editors need to think about what the story will look like on the page. Is there a photo opportunity? Is there a graphic that can be done, or a box to pull out? Are there little sidebars that make this story better? What can I do to make on online presence? Can I add audio, are there documents, a map? We’ve had some great stories that were didn’t have the affect in the paper because they didn’t have graphic items to go with it. The reason the crime streets came out so well was because there was a plan in place from the start – but we should be doing this every day. The centerpiece should not be decided at 4 p.m. the day of.

Online: Fifty percent (and maybe more) of your job at any news organization will involve working online, whether it’s filing breaking stories or shooting video or editing audio. Can you take a good picture? Do you know how to get it ready for online? You should. These are where the jobs are. We are taking a different approach to online next semester, and online editor Jessica Roberts has some great ideas on how to proceed. We are bringing in some blogs, and allowing comments on them, to add another voice to what we do. Jessica will also work with more social media and come up with ideas that can enhance our stories online. When people ask me if we have an online staff, I tell them we don’t need a separate online staff, because online is something everyone on staff should already be doing. If you’re not, you’re behind.

Be daring, but be a little wary too: Do you think a professional newspaper would ever let the term “clustercluck” appear in a strip headline? Or write about masturbation in such detail? Or have a Fourth & Forever where two editors throw word darts at one another? Or write a tongue and cheek obit for tailgating? We’ve had moments of risk this semester, and I like to see that. Our opinions page could be more daring, sometimes we run policy papers which are boring and ill-informed. Our news stories should always have some bent of daring to them, we run some meeting stories because we feel we need to, even though nothing comes out of them. There’s a feeling we need to have one must-see story in the paper every day, but I think every story should be a must read. We also need to have some more fun with our display type. A good headline will stop people and make them read – the New York Times is a master of this. The One and F— headline was a perfect example. Everyone knew what the story was about, but they picked it up anyway.

But we had some issues where we inserted ourselves in the story this semester, and we can’t do that. If the journalist becomes part of the story, then the journalist has failed. People will gripe at us for not liking what we write, but if what we write is based on reporting that is not influenced by us, then people have no cause to complain. And also understand that as a member of The Red & Black you belong to a group that people are watching – the same standards we hold for SGA, or football players, or members of Greek organizations we hold for ourselves as well.

Help one another: Remember that a bad headline or a wrong credit line can ruin a great clip for someone. A misspelled name in a story ends any chance of the writer gaining credibility with the reader.  Thanks to some of the best collegiate journalists in the country.  It’s never easy writing a story, or shooting pictures, or editing a section, designing pages, copy editing, assigning stories. The Red & Black has been a force for 117 years because of what you bring every day.

Elements of a Business Plan

1. Cover sheet

2. Statement of purpose

3. Table of contents

I. The Business

A. Description of business

The Red & Black is UGA’s award-winning newspaper established in 1893 as an independent business.  It is the largest college newspaper in Georgia and the 10th largest newspaper in the state.  It receives no student activity fees or other funding from UGA.  The Red & Black’s mission is to provide a training platform for students interested in gaining experience in various aspects of newspaper publishing and to produce a high quality daily newspaper for the University of Georgia community.  The Red & Black is governed by a volunteering board of directors who appoint the publisher, four full-time staff positions, student managers, and editors to perform the necessary tasks for a daily newspaper.  As the strongest, most trusted brand among UGA students, The Red & Black is an influential part of their college experience (Red & Black).

It’s business level strategies should be to match its strengths with its opportunities.  UGA is the source for UGA news and sports information with readership among UGA students.  Editorial content is relevant to target audience.  The Red & Black also has 117 year history that provides a strong reputation and brand name.  Opportunities of increasing revenue on content published online during break periods must be captured.  Explore other revenue sources outside of ROP through cost-effective methods such as referrals.  Campaigns to sell to cold advertisers across media platforms must be established better to establish the Red and Black as a media brand.  Increase distribution locations of ROP.  Value Chain analysis. Core competencies.  Resources and Capabilities

The Marketing department at the Red and Black creates a service for local businesses to create advertisements that can be used to raise revenue for their growth.  Overall marketing and sales strategy have been implemented for the newspaper to be self sufficient by raising revenue through the sale of advertisements.  The Red & Black Ad Agency contains developing tools for training on how to transform the ad department from a sales force into an ad agency.

B. Marketing

The Red & Black currently provides a newspaper specifically directed to UGA students, faculty, and staff.  This newspaper is in print and online form.  The core beneficial target market for The Red & Black is UGA students on campus, specifically white over 21 non-Greek female students who are juniors/seniors.  Psychological study behaviors must be conducted to better understand this target population.  Including all total students at the University of Georgia, the projected growth market is 34,885 students.  The current market is growing every year based upon enrollment restrictions per semester.  The demand for The Red & Black is based upon editorial information and advertising media.  Habits for student picking up The Red &Black is about 97 percent, once a week.  Preferences for students to pick up The Red & Black include learning about the football team, current UGA news, filling out the crossword and sudoku, classified/advertisements, interesting variety, opinions and commentary, and finding jobs.  However, current students are not completely satisfied with the current newspaper.

Not enough of students have created a loyalty toward the paper.  Although The Red & Black are easily integrated into other products and services, integration needs to be increased.  The Suppliers for the The Red & Black are not funded by UGA.  However, The Red & Black does have technology in place to reduce costs. Pricing Strategy for advertisements.  A Marketing Research Project should be constructed to gain better knowledge by obtaining information from customers, suppliers, distributors, managers/independent sales representatives of others businesses, and competitors.

The Red & Black needs to use a differentiation strategy as a clear strategic plan.  Cost-leader tactics are to be put in place under small areas of growth due to The Red & Black not controlling their manufacturers and restrictions on distribution.  The Red & Black therefore must be innovative by guerrilla marketing, portability, social networks, mobile, event marketing, sponsorships, location based marketing, and niche publications.  Management should be unrestricted in the number of advertisers they can have.  Yet, advertisements still need to be chosen carefully to create better brand recognition.  While editorial content can be hard controversial news, advertisements need to be managed ethically.  Problems dealing with advertisements that cause bad brand image for the Red & Black need to be taken into consideration.  The Advertising Agency will charge a flat fee for the research, strategy and creative and a cost + 15 percent fee on the media buy.The Red & Black also needs to obtain acquisitions or partnerships with HSBT advertising agency, Studio 120, UGA Creative Consultants, or other media providers to increase market share of the advertisement market.  A joint venture will lower your costs, enabling you to enter into new markets and create new distribution opportunities.

In order for the Red & Black to create better brand recognition it also needs better marketing channels through videos, word of mouth, and distribution to increase brand usage for its brand reputation as a respectable brand name.  The brand can add value if it uneasy to imitate, rare, and valuable.  Brand can also increase brand identity by being better structured.  The Red & Black can create better adds by….  It can also create better circulation by…..

Short-term Marketing Tactics:

• Raise up the boxes of distribution
• 4 square
• Scavenger-facebook page, social media utility used to complete activities based on geographic locations
• Marketing Department
• Smart phone application
• Advertise more of the rewards Red and Black
• Day events for specific reader days
• guerilla marketing-moon bounce of Red and Black
• VW fund theory
• Speed lottery
• Horoscopes

Need Help With Brand Valuation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Economic Use Financially driven method to calculate the Red & Black’s brand value, “Role of branding index”

“Brand discount rate”

“Brand strength score”

Different medias for Red and Black:

http://www.redandblack.com/about-us/advertising/

Advertising Rates

Long Term Objective – Culture of Learning and Social Aspect.  I think a flow chart or other action objectives would be good to point out here i.e. what can we control?  =the hiring process.  By evaluating and enhancing the information a student receives upon being hired, we can promote the company culture and social aspect at the earliest point ontact.  This is a universal benefit

Short Term Objective – Periodical Events.  Calendar or time line/topics.  This idea could also be used as a recruiting, training and longevity tool.

Brand Subgroup

Long Term Objective – Increase exposure of brand to target audience. Market the Brand. Brand Guidelines.  I would love to see this further conceptualized with a loose action point plan of how it would be done, even ahead of the brand valuation, it what ways might we increase exposure and market the brand?

Product Subgroup

Long Term Objective – Ensure quality of product. Set recommendations. New Products. Optimize distro systems.  I think these objectives are an easy tie-in to the brand valuation in terms of building value and it would be a benefit to the Advertising Department to work on these early next semester.

Advertising Subgroup – This looks good all around.  This area is where I can take the most action personally; I am excited to share this Creative lab group with our clients and create some hands-on case studies.  Aside from that, I would only ask that you also consider another short term objective of investigating sponsorships and partnerships with other media and related events in Athens.  In the same vein as the concert series CNBAM entry, we could also do a better job of using events to market ourselves and getting involved with the community and local initiatives; could also be a good tie-in to the Culture of Learning and Social Aspect.

Yet this strategy will face dynamic problems for The Red & Black.  In a generation of technological efflux, students are moving away from newsprint.  Other forms of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, youtube, ipad, and iphone have made students acquire information more rapidly.  As “multitaskernots,” the current generation of students must be able to obtain information simultaneously.  Therefore, The Red & Black must be highly integrated in all facets of media.

Competitive Advantages must be obtained with innovative new products and services.  Improved Features/Services for competitors must also be taken into account to create added value to the business. New markets can be better reached with new and improved delivery.

C. Competition

The Red &Black contains many competitors.  Due to its competitors in vast markets, it must must differentiate itself.  Leading competitors for The Red & Black include AJC, New York Times, University newspapers, , Power 100.1, Flagpole Magazine, WNEG-TV, The Athens Banner-Herald, Magic 102.1, and Wuog 90.5.  These competitors must be researched and understood in order for The Red & Black to achieve sustainable competitive advantages in the market.

D. Operating procedures

Marketing Department will be reporting weekly to the ad director.  Business is managed on day to day basis by decentralized management.  Human resource management.  Production and delivery.  The equipment necessary

E. Personnel

The Red & Black staff has been segmented into individual departments:

Production: Production Manager, Student Production Manager (1), Production Assistant(4)

Advertising: Advertising Director, Student Ad Manager, (2) Territory Managers, Inside Sales Manager, (5) Account Executives, (3) Sales Associates, (2) Advertising Assistants, Classified Representative, Circulation Manager, Creative Assistant, Assistant Production Manager, (4) Production Assistants, Production Manager, Publisher, Office Manager, Assistant Office Manager, and Cleaning Person

Marketing: 6 CREATIVE LABS PEEPS 🙂

Editorial: (6) Editorial Board Members, News Editor, Associate News Editor, Sports Editor, Variety Editor, Photo Editor, (2) Design Editors, (3) Copy Editors, Online Editors, (2) Online Copy Editors, (5) Editorial Cartoonists, Adviser, Editorial Assistant, Recruitment Editor, Senior Reporter, (58?) Staff Writers, Chief Photographer, (11) Photographers, (7) Page designers

F. Business insurance

?

II. Financial Data

The budget must be allocated efficiently in advertising (radio, TV, Internet, print), outsourcing (telemarketing, PR), printing (brochures, business cards, collateral materials), market reports, development (website, logo, collateral), conferences, seminars, customer events, hosting services (website, conferencing), SWAG or other promotional products, leads and direct mailers.   Currently we conduct 3+ case studies on an “experimental” basis with current advertisements.

A. Loan applications

Can be applied for contingent on completion of Business Plan.  Not accounted into under current Financial Data.  Lenders prefer low debt-to-asset and debt-to-worth ratios and high current ratios. These indicate financial stability.

B. Capital equipment and supply list (Spreadsheet of each broken down)

Printing of newspaper, installation of machines, layout of plant printing procedure, schedule, loading and other matters relating to printing, postage, paper, envelopes, legal pads and other office supplies. (Elliot)

Subscription rate of 195 per year?—What’s that

C. Balance sheet

Insert Excel Spreadsheet Here

D. Break-even analysis

E. Pro-forma income projections (profit & loss statements)

F. Three-year summary

Does not exist

G. Detail by monthly operating budget for first year

Expected Return on Investment and monthly cash flow for the first year.  The accounting records will be maintained by accounting and finance students at the University

H. Detail by quarters, second and third years

I.  Assumptions upon which projections were based

J. Pro-forma cash flow

The Red & Black has dual revenues.  Circulation as an indirect revenue and advertising sales a direct revenue.  The AD Agency controls who the Red and Blackl currently has as advertisements from Restaurants Yoguri AND Papa John’s, Outfitters Cheeky Peach, Housing Carriage House Realty, University Related UGA Georgia Center – Independent Distance Learning (these are the online classes offered through UGA), and Service (hair, nails, tan, car, wash & fold, etc.) Sunshine Tan.  But it needs to expand advertisements in Bars, Career Minded, Venues, Sin (sex, tobacco, package stores), Rec & Leisure (Movies, sports, outdoors, etc), and Retail

III. Supporting Documents

A. Tax returns of principals for last three years Personal financial statement (all banks have these forms)

B. For franchised businesses, a copy of franchise contract and all supporting documents provided by the franchiser

C. Copy of proposed lease or purchase agreement for building space

D. Copy of licenses and other legal documents

E. Copy of resumes of all principals

F. Copies of letters of intent from suppliers-Who are the suppliers of the Red and Black?

Sample Plans

One of the best ways to learn about writing a business plan is to study the plans of established businesses in your industry-Atlanta journal Constitution.  Executive summary, supporting documents, and financial projections. management are the most important things for readers in business plan (SBA)

II. Budget Level Set at 2,500

In order for The Red & Black to obtain profit maximization it needs to use resource optimization to increase brand recognition from its advertisers.  It will need increased investment in the newsroom to increases circulation revenues and create adds for advertising revenues.  When a newspaper has increasing advertisements, circulation tends to grow; and when a newspaper has a circulation increase, advertising tends to rise. U.S. are read as much for the advertising as for the news content (Reynolds).

Execution

A. Build Your Referral Business

The Red & Black must maximize referrals from satisfied customers as the most cost-effective method of reaching new customers.   A satisfied customer telling others about The Red & Black is more effective than any fancy ad campaign. Spend time to get customer referrals on a weekly basis.  Referral marketing reduces your sales expenses and sales cycle. With less time calling cold prospects, your small business can focus on customers and their circle of influence.

Referrals can be set as a key target for business growth for The Red &Black.  The Red & Black must set a clear goal with a time line. For example, 10 percent increase in referral business over the next 10 weeks.  The Red & Black will allow clients time to experience service or product before asking for a referral.  The Red & Black will also try to narrow your referral canidates to the top 20 percent that are ecstatic about your business and ask them for referrals. Networks should be the appropriate channel that you would want.  The Red & Black will give clients extra service and follow-up support before asking for referrals.  It will also tell referring  clients of the type of customers The Red & Black can help.  The Red & Black will also establish a Rewards Program by providing special rewards to your referring customers on a regular basis. If a customer provides you with 5 sales, offer them something special discounts.  The Red & Black will also create a basic thank you letter that can be personalized and sent to each referral they receive (Elliot).

Creative Brief Template

Client:  Yoguri                                     Project: Winter volume driver                         Date: 12.1.2010

1.    What’s the client’s real problem?

It’s cold outside and people don’t want to eat a cold dessert.

1. 2.     What’s the communications objective?

Change belief about eating cold things on cold days.

1. 3.     Who is the target audience?

UGA coeds 18-24 who frequent downtown, have disposable income and enjoy frozen yogurt as much as ice cream.

1. 4.     What’s the insight?

“Georgia weather is so annoying, it’s cold one day and warm the next. It’s hard to know what to wear on any given day.”

5.    What single-minded statement should the advertising communicate?

Yoguri puts you in control of the temperature.

1. 6.     Why should the target audience believe this?

Yoguri’s frozen yogurt is always 28 degrees.

1. 7.     What else is notable about the brand, product, or service?

Located downtown, new flavors on rotation, locally owned and operated.

1. 8.     What’s the brand’s personality?

Fun, relaxed, young, invigorating.

1. 9.     Where and when will communication have the most power?

In ROP on days when high is above 70 degrees. On Facebook and Twitter     when the temperature reaches 70 degrees.

1. 10.  What manditories are there?

Logo, location, hours of operation.

1. 11.  What is the budget, what time frame does this cover?

$1,000 – 12 weeks.

Works Cited

Editorial Staff Interview with Miim and Rachel

Abrams, Rhonda and Kleiner, Eugène. 2003.  The planning shop. <http://books.google.com/books?id=hpFxjEsZLUwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=business+plan&source=bll&ots=enRmZDcGRj&sig=hB81cPGAZBdPq71RyLmWdtnIyRA&hl=en&ei=znP1TMG-NoL7lwffk7XNBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=14&sqi=2&ved=0CJoBEOgBMA0#v=onepage&q&f=false>

Elliot.  “How to Budget for a Marketing Department.” 2010.<http://www.ehow.com/how_2152528_budget-marketing-department.html>

Red and Black.  Copyright © 2010 The Red and Black Publishing Company Inc.   <http://www.redandblack.com/about-us/&gt;

Reynolds, Donald W.  January 22, 2010.  University of Missouri. <http://www.rjionline.org/presentations/stories/may-conference/stories/econometric-appraoch/index.php>

Zahorsky, Darrel.  “Low-Budget High-Impact Marketing Plan.” About.com 2010 New York Times Company. http://sbinformation.about.com/cs/marketplansample/a/impactplan.htm

SBA.  Write a Business Plan.  <http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/plan/writeabusinessplan/SERV_WRRITINGBUSPLAN.html&gt;

Long Term Objective – Culture of Learning and Social Aspect.  I think a flow chart or other action objectives would be good to point out here i.e. what can we control?  =the hiring process.  By evaluating and enhancing the information a student receives upon being hired, we can promote the company culture and social aspect at the earliest point of contact.  This is a universal benefit

Short Term Objective – Periodical Events.  Calendar or time line/topics.  This idea could also be used as a recruiting, training and longevity tool.

Brand Subgroup

Long Term Objective – Increase exposure of brand to target audience. Market the Brand. Brand Guidelines.  I would love to see this further conceptualized with a loose action point plan of how it would be done, even ahead of the brand valuation, it what ways might we increase exposure and market the brand?

Product Subgroup

Long Term Objective – Ensure quality of product. Set recommendations. New Products. Optimize distro systems.  I think these objectives are an easy tie-in to the brand valuation in terms of building value and it would be a benefit to the Advertising Department to work on these early next semester.

Advertising Subgroup – This looks good all around.  This area is where I can take the most action personally; I am excited to share this Creative lab group with our clients and create some hands-on case studies.  Aside from that, I would only ask that you also consider another short term objective of investigating sponsorships and partnerships with other media and related events in Athens.  In the same vein as the concert series CNBAM entry, we could also do a better job of using events to market ourselves and getting involved with the community and local initiatives; could also be a good tie-in to the Culture of Learning and Social Aspect.