Who Advertises in Newspapers and Why

Newspaper advertising is, overwhelmingly, used by local businesses targeted at local sales, though a surprisingly large number of these businesses have no formalized media plan. According to Direct Marketing magazine, advertising in all U.S. newspapers, including supplements, totaled over $49 billion in 2000, a 30% increase over the past five years. Of this amount, the three major categories, in thousands of dollars were:

Retail General Classified3

Records for general advertising have not been subdivided further since 1984. But using percentages based on the ten-year averages kept from 1974 to 1983, the totals would be:

Retail Dept. Store General Auto Finance Classified

51% 6.5% 6.9% 0.025% 0.035% 35%

These totals includes national advertisers, such as automotive, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, clothing, and cosmetics. Those firms are willing to pay a higher "national" rate for three reasons:

1. To increase sales of their products in local outlets.

2. To show local retailers that they are supported by national headquarters. (A campaign I directed aimed at retailers selling the Rand McNally Road Atlas used posters on the sidewalk side of buses where retailers were most likely to see them even while inside their stores.)

3. To make certain that the national advertising message is given exactly as the corporation wants it presented.

Continue reading here: Yellow Pages As A Mirror Of A Market

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