Monday, August 10, 2009

Is the newspaper ad plunge about to bottom out?

A market research firm predicts newspaper ad sales will bottom out this year, then begin a modest comeback -- but won't reach the heights of 2005, when ad revenues hit $57.3 billion. Click here for the story.



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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course advertising revenue will bounce back! When the recession ends and we get a recovery there will be more spending on newspaper advertising.

The question is will the advertising market continue it's long term slide. I believe that ad dollars are flowing away from newspapers and will keep doing do.

The leadership at the newspapers is not doing anything to stem their losses in readership much less market share. I expect market share to continue to fall.

Advertisers no longer see association with the newspaper as a valuable support to the brand.

Competing, more effective technologies are going to keep ravaging the unsustainable rates that advertisers pay. Just think when the grocery ads go the way of the classifieds.

In the best case scenario, newspapers have been dealt a tough hand. Their leadership has only accelerated the trends.

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:46 Nice, well balanced response! Why the heck can’t newspapers be like you!

Anonymous said...

The comment from anon 6:46 is what this site should have been like from the beginning. Very nice response.

Anonymous said...

And this has nothing to do with bias you people are ALWAYS writing about.

Anonymous said...

Yes, because no one should be allowed to post anything that doesn't meet with our approval. Your site should have conform to our vision from the beginning.

Response approved.

Anonymous said...

The chart shows the big drop in revenues continuing the next couple of years. Readership will continue to decline because the current crop of editors are content to let things go as they have in the past. There is no innovation in coverage, they are clueless in what modern readers want and they aren't getting fired by the top boss. These are lifetime jobs held by incompetents.

Anonymous said...

9:36, it sounds like you're describing the inept Sac Bee newsroom management. If not, it must be the same where you work - buffoons on parade. There must be some fresh-faces and fresh ideas out there somewhere but McClatchy refused to search for visionaries with guts.

Anonymous said...

There must be some fresh-faces and fresh ideas out there somewhere but McClatchy refused to search for visionaries with guts.



We don't need no stinkin visionaries with guts when we have colorful parrots with no sense or shame!

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:46 - Coincidentally, I stumbled upon the 10th anniversary edition of "The Cluetrain Manifesto" (updated) which sets out some ideas for future business on the web. It also echoes some of your sentiments. For example:

"Newspapers are on the verge of collapse as their functionality has been taken over by more efficient mechanisms: distribution by anything with a screen, coverage by syndicates such AP and Reuters, commentary by everyone with an opinion, editorial judgment by everyone who can make a recommendation via email or a Website, and classified ads by a guy named Craig."

And on the subject of leadership, a personal favorite:

"Leaders who lead as if they are the highest incarnation of Business Man look increasingly foolish."

The authors are tech guys who predicted many of the online developments of the past decade. Again, this version is updated.

You know, if I were a company making claims of becoming a hybrid print and digital entity, I believe I'd be looking around for information like this. Hint, hint...