Publications

Publications are materials that are printed on a regular basis. Newspapers and magazines are good examples.

Newspapers. Newspapers are a great way to get in touch with customers, since they reach a large audience. When people want to know what’s going on around them, they often pick up a newspaper. But, high readership isn’t the only plus for newspapers. Just about anyone can place an ad in a newspaper, making this advertising medium popular among businesses.

Newspapers are frequently divided into sections that are useful in promoting different kinds of products. For example, movie theaters place display ads in the entertainment section, while fitness centers place them in the sports section. Sunday editions tend to be thicker, partly because they contain colorful preprinted inserts for stores such as Target, Macy’s, and Best Buy. Also, the Sunday paper is full of classified ads for virtually everything.

There are thousands of different newspapers in print across the United States. They vary based on:

• How often they are published
  Perhaps someone at your home subscribes to a daily newspaper. If so, it arrives at your doorstep every day. If you live in a suburb or rural area, you might also receive a weekly community newspaper. Imagine the benefits of spreading the word about your business on such a frequent basis!
  
  
• Their size
  Most daily newspapers are broadsheet size (the size most of us associate with newspapers), but newspapers come in tabloid size, too. If you’ve ever read the National Enquirer, then you’re familiar with tabloid-sized newspapers.
  
  
• What geographic areas they cover
  Two popular national newspapers are The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, which are circulated across the country. The mix of advertisements in national newspapers varies according to where they are printed. You might find a snowblower ad in a USA Today printed in Minneapolis, but not in a USA Today printed in Dallas. However, both copies might feature the same full-page computer ad.
  
  Unlike national newspapers, most newspapers focus on a smaller geographic area and are distributed locally. For example, the Columbus Dispatch is delivered to people who live in Columbus, Ohio, and its surrounding communities. This geographic area also benefits from several suburban newspapers, such as the Hilliard Northwest News. Suburban newspapers cover local events such as high school football games and community festivals. This makes them attractive to people in your area and your business’s advertising dollars.
  
  
• Whom they are intended to target
  Newspapers usually try to reach a particular target market of readers. Your local newspaper probably covers a variety of topics that appeal to a general population. The Wall Street Journal focuses on business issues. The Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Herald is geared toward Hispanics, while The Atlanta Voice targets Atlanta’s African-American market. There are even alternative-press newspapers that serve younger, trendier crowds interested in the arts and entertainment.

Magazines. Full-page, glossy magazine ads can make quite an impression with consumers. In addition, magazines appeal to very specific target groups. As a result, magazines are a powerful way to advertise.

Magazines are similar to newspapers in several ways. Like newspapers, magazines are published periodically and distributed in different geographic areas. For instance, Teen Vogue is distributed to a national audience. Other magazines, like Midwest Living, serve a regional area. Still other magazines such as Indianapolis Magazine are distributed within a relatively small geographic area.

Perhaps the most significant way to classify magazines is according to the audiences they reach.

• Consumer magazines
  What magazines do you read “just for fun”? Perhaps People, Sports Illustrated, or Rolling Stone? These are all consumer magazines that people read for personal enjoyment. Consumer magazines often target a very specific audience, including people who enjoy reading about celebrities, sports, or music, for example.
  
  
• Business magazines
  Business magazines appeal to individuals in all different industries. Bloomberg Businessweek and Fortune are aimed at a general population of workers, while trade magazines are aimed at specific areas of business or occupations. Adweek, Independent Agent, and HR Magazine are examples of trade magazines.