my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Cost Of Newspaper Advertising (Page 4)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1  2  3  4  5  6

Author Topic: Cost Of Newspaper Advertising Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-15-2007 09:22 PM                     If I couldn't edit my posts I'd be much more militant about proof-reading for typos. One of my father's professors back at Syracuse would give anyone an automatic "F" on any paper with a spelling error. It wouldn't be called a spelling error either; rather, it would be deemed an "error in fact." This professor also didn't stop with the "F" grade either. He would give students grades like "N-" "Q" and even go into double letters if there was enough errors in the paper. I think this professor's last name was Demarest. I remember hearing my father's complaints about what a Sadist that guy was.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-15-2007 10:26 PM                     If I did that in my classes, I'd never teach again. Then again, I only require papers during the summer semester. Although I agree most college students are terrible at grammar and sentence construction - especially in their writing - that is just plain stupid. Ah, tenure.  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 12-17-2007 02:53 PM                        Getting back to the effectiveness of newspaper advertising, I think you need to determine who your potential audience is, and market to that audience using the most cost effective methods possible. Newspaper advertising is expensive, but if it sells enough tickets and concessions to cover its costs, it may be worth it. But, if it's not as effective as other means, then you have to judge whether you have enough advertising money to throw at it in comparison to the others. My guess is that if you educate your customers about your web site and your phone number, you may not need the newspaper advertising as much as you thought. Running a coupon on each medium simultaneously would be a good way to test that out. You could also have some sort of tally sheet at the point of sale where the cashier quickly asks how they get their showtimes. It shouldn't take long to check a box and thank them for their answer. In Milwaukee, Marcus Theatres (which has many Milwaukee Metro locations) does not advertise showtimes in the weekday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, only the names, addresses, and numbers for each theater in a 3.5" x 3.5" ad. The Sunday ad is 3.5" x 13.5" with complete names, addresses, and showtimes. Another way to look at it is, if you had an extra $3,000 a month ($36,000 a year!) to build your business, what could you do with it?  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 12-17-2007 07:51 PM                     Our audience if mostly younger. Eventually the ad will go. The last several weeks it runs there will be no movie name or show times. It will will say see our web site or call our movie line for what's playing and show times in hopes of conditioning them to do so.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-17-2007 09:08 PM                        Maybe get a second phone number and put that number (only) in the newspaper ad (and nowhere else). Count the number of calls to the "new" number and that's the number of people who saw the ad and cared enough to find out what you are showing. Of course, that doesn't tell you how many of those people actually become paying customers, but it would be an easy way to get some idea of how many potential customers see the ad.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-17-2007 11:37 PM                     Coupons are an easy way to tell the difference. Print up one coupon for one specific snack bar item in the newspaper. Run a special coupon for something different via the website (and require a print out of that coupon for redemption). Do something unique yet again for radio, like some special buzzword or something. Don't carbon copy the same special between all the three mediums. I would mention TV, but hardly any movie theaters do any advertising on local TV stations anymore.  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 12-18-2007 12:50 PM                     Buena Vista was the last distributor to run local TV spots in Lubbock. (Is Buena Vista a bit behind the curve somehow?)  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 03-05-2008 01:20 PM                     The ad ended two months ago and there has been NO change in attendance and so far only one person who has complained about the lack of the ad. The $3000. was apparently wasted money.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-05-2008 01:52 PM                        Sometimes I think I'll cancel our ad in the paper. On the rare occasion we have a mistake in it (like a showtime that's 15 minutes off or something) we literally never get anybody commenting on it. I guess I keep it because: 1. This is a small town and the paper needs all the ads it can get 2. The editor is a good moviegoer (with family) as are a couple of the staff 3. It's only about $85 a month (weekly paper) 4. There are alot of "older" people around here who do look at the paper and see the ad. I may think about decreasing the size though...I've been running a movie logo w/picture; I could drop the picture and save maybe $30 a month.  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 03-05-2008 03:27 PM                     Hits on the web site have quadrupled since the ad ended. Friday and Saturday hover around 2k+ hits. Weekdays around 800 to 1000. The phone movie line never stops.  |  IP: Logged Ramin Hashemi Expert Film Handler Posts: 129 From: Houston TX Registered: Sep 2004 posted 03-07-2008 04:03 PM                     I'm sorry if this is a repeat, as I did not read the entire post. But, if people pick up the paper to see the show times, copies are sold because of the theatre. Shouldn't the paper pay us, or at least make it fee? wishful thinking  |  IP: Logged James Westbrook Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1133 From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa Registered: Mar 2006 posted 03-07-2008 11:54 PM                     I wonder why newspapers don't list the times gratis like they do television listings.  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-08-2008 12:36 AM                     Some newspapers do. Often entitled "Weekend Movie Clock" and the like. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-08-2008 09:21 AM                        ...but do they do that for free if the theatre is not an advertiser?  |  IP: Logged John Hawkinson Film God Posts: 2273 From: Cambridge, MA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-08-2008 10:27 AM                     I have no idea, but my experience is in major metropolitan dailies where generally theatres are not advertisers at all, they just appear in stack ads, which may or may not count depending on how you look at it. --jhawk  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 6 pages: 1  2  3  4  5  6

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.