Growing Paid Newspaper Subscriptions Economically
Using an All-in-One Paid Subscription Insert/Mailer

The Challenge
Newspapers have been struggling for the past 20
years with sustaining and growing their paid
subscribers list. Print newspaper circulation has
been ebbing slowly for decades with some
publishers drastically curtailing the distribution of
their papers, abandoning print partially or
altogether for the Internet.

Today, more readers turn to digital news
accessible from their computers, mobile phones,
and other hand-held devices. In the May 2009
publication Newspaper Economic Action Plan,
the American Press Institute stresses the
importance of newspapers embracing the digital
age and making it work to their economic
advantage. By maintaining and growing paid
circulation, the publication can more easily
transition from print to digital.

In the past, newspaper management utilized the
direct response multi-component envelope to
cultivate paid subscribers. This standard has
been dropped in the mail, as time permitted,
through the busy mail room operations of the
newspaper. These hit or miss direct response
campaigns have been expensive to print and
collate, with a lot of additional labor. The
response has also been spotty and unmeasured
at best.

The Solution
There is one bright spot in paid subscription
solicitation being used by some of the more
successful daily and weekly newspapers we work
with. Recently many of our larger daily and smaller
weekly newspaper clients have called on us to
develop an all-in-one paid subscription
insert/mailer for this purpose.

As we manufacture various formats for different
clients, we have come to understand the same
product can serve two purposes. The all-in-one
paid subscription insert/mailer showcases a
traditional insert offer but includes a postage paid
return envelope. The right offer immediately closes
the deal as the customer can take advantage of
the offer and mail their subscription payment in
one step.

The Benefits
Typically the direct response mailer format is run
in lower quantities. Combining the newspaper
insert fold format with the mailer allows for a
greater print volume discount. The mailer can be
printed, finished, addressed, and sorted, in-line as
a single production step for the best potential
economy. This smaller press run can be combined
with the newspaper insert version, produced at the
same time as a single machine production run.
Often times, a simple construction change is
made to extend the flap to make this form a
better-nested fit for the mechanical insertion.
Many customers use the all-in-one paid
subscription insert/mailer throughout the year and
adjust the end use or offer.

Case Histories
Larger daily newspapers and local weekly
newspapers have embraced the all-in-one paid
subscription insert/mailer model to boost their
subscriber volume.

The Los Angeles Newspaper Group used the
all-in-one paid subscription insert/mailer to
reach potential paid subscribers by inserting it
into all of the newsstand copies. They offered a
Target gift card to subscribers opting to sign up
for the EZ Pay option and converted many
paying subscribers.

The Saratogian newspaper highlighted the TV
Week weekly listings supplement when they used
the all-in-one paid subscription insert/mailer for
an annual subscription offer they did in 2010.

The Eagle-Tribune used the all-in-one paid
subscription insert/mailer both as an insert
and as a mailer when they offered an opportunity
to enter to win a $1000 grocery giveaway at
local grocery stores. Their order consisted of
951,000 pieces, 50,000 of which were
constructed as mailers.

About B&W Press
B&W Press is a 44 year old nationally branded
supplier of web finished forms and envelopes.We
are expert printers and providers of two-way-mail
products, specialty format envelopes, and direct
mail components for the industry.We have
numerous repeating newspaper clients who put
their paid subscription potential success in our
hands. View our all-in-one paid subscription
insert/mailer on our website.We are always
looking for ways to deliver the best product at the
lowest cost for your budget.

Dan Kimball/ Sales
B&W Press