By: Julie Starr

Julie Starr — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:51:00 +0000

Thanks for you comment Paul. I like your point about print reps with a vested interest in the status quo having no incentive to make the shift to digital. And I agree completely that new products need champions. In this then, sales is little different to editorial or any other part of a media company.

By: Paul Camp

Paul Camp — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:03:00 +0000

Reps go where the money is. Local online may be growing for newspapers, but print is still where the big dollars and comparatively easier sales are. Every new product needs a champion. Online is a new product and will always receive short shrift from print reps who have a vested interest in the status quo. So it absolutely makes sense to have dedicated online reps with proper incentives as part of their compensation to spread the gospel of online advertising. The only alternative is providing significant extra incentives to print sales reps to make it worth their while to make online part of every sales conversation every time. And these incentives have to be generous, more generous than most newspaper organizations are willing to part with in these times of declining overall revenue.

Comments on: US newspaper websites take 27% local online ad share

By: Julie Starr

By: Paul Camp