Keep more revenue from festival ads

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Newspapers and local festivals can benefit from a new incentive in HSPA’s Power of 2 statewide advertising program.

To prove it and encourage Indiana newspapers to take advantage of this revenue generator, HSPA has increased the percentage of revenue a newspaper keeps if it upsells a 2×2 or 2×4 festival ad into the Power of 2 network from 15 percent to 25 percent. 

For example, if the organizers of the Shoals Catfish Festival want to draw attendees from across the state, they can purchase a 2×2 ad through The Shoals News for $900 that will run once in a week in the 90-plus Indiana papers in HSPA’s network.

Under the new incentive program, the newspaper would keep $225. The festival gets advertising exposure that would cost more than $6,700 if organizers bought through each of the 90-plus papers individually.

The rest of the ad money would go to support HSPA’s efforts in the General Assembly and other areas.

HSPA’s Power of 2 and Indiana Classified Adver­tising Network weekly and daily programs help the association keep the cost of membership low. The majority of Indiana newspapers participate in running ads from at least one of the three programs.

Everyone wins when an Indiana newspaper upsells a Power of 2 ad to its local festival committee, said Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel.

“The festival gets exposure it otherwise couldn’t afford. This increases attendance, which increases its bottom line,” he said. “The newspaper keeps more dollars, which helps its bottom line. And the ad sale helps HSPA’s bottom line, which enhances its ability to serve and represent newspapers.”

Or look at it this way: If the Dearborn County Register sells a 2×4 ad for the Tri-State Antique Market held July 1 in Lawrenceburg, the $450 it keeps from the $1,800 cost of the ad will pay for its 2012 HSPA dues.

If it runs the same size ad for the August, September and October sessions of the market, that’s $1,800 in revenue from one sale.

The Times Post (Pendleton) could more than cover its dues with the revenue from a 2×2 ad sold to promote the nearby Lapel Village Fair on July 14 and 15.

Even if the Village Fair budget can afford to run the ad in only one of three zones of the state – for $550 – The Times Post would make $137.50.

“Newspapers are already talking to festival promoters to purchase ads in the newspaper,” Key said. “Why not upsell the festival to a statewide ad that broadens the reach of their advertising dollars?”

Unless the local newspaper sells a statewide ad through HSPA, how will anybody outside of Gibson, Starke or Adams counties know about the Owensville Watermelon Festival, Bass Lake Summer Splash Festival or Berne Swiss Days – all happening during the same three-day span in late July?

It’s simple, Key said. Have your staff sell a Power of 2 display ad to your local festival or tourism bureau, and your paper keeps 25 percent of the revenue.

The Power of 2 deadline is 5 p.m. each Monday. Ads run one time the following Monday through Friday at newspapers’ discretion.

For information on upselling a 2×2 or 2×4 ad, contact HSPA advertising coordinator Shawn Goldsby at (317) 803-4772 or sgoldsby@hspa.com.

Or download an information packet at hspa2.aimmediallcindiana.com/advertising-services.