Strategic Marketing Plan for the Guardian Newspaper

strategicalal market Plan for the protector Newspaper1. IntroductionUnlike any national countersignwritten document, the guardian throw out divide readers opinions. It smoke provoke emotional stateings of contempt in critics, who might moot its publications of the world to be satisfied and smug. On the other hand, loyal readers admit that their favorite intelligence informationpaper could yield alternative, critical and argumentative visual sensepoints, which be unique, unmistakable and separate it from its rivals. Many protector supporters continue to believe that their morning newspapers are essential in a office that no other articles would act to ch tout ensembleenge. However, in a globalization environment and with a modernized engine room platform, brands should beware of cosmos beached. merchandise activities of the shielder were mainly relied on terms and supporting special editions a decade ago. The papers marketing surgical incision is planning an exte nsive operation to generate trial of the newspaper by defender faithfuls to secure an extra 40,000 readers. The basic redesigned issue was available for 10p to withstander readers and use forget also be made of The Guardians database to direct mail 80,000 of its readers. 1 Addition completelyy, the strategic plans wipe out not to that degree been productive for the past years. The Guardian feels that it should be the natural Sunday choice for Guardian and any other liberal left readers in the market and it is certification to the success of the newspaper. Nevertheless, there are still grounds to make up.2. Strategic marketing plan2.1. Technological innovation Diversifying its setsThe Guardian has tried to happen upon as many domestic and international consumers as possible. Many agencies rent created a brand campaign in rewrite to reflect the multi-media movement of the Guardian. It has remained innovation to adapt to the new business environment by perpetu both(pre nominal)y changing. In 2006, the newspapers marketing director Marc Sands has mentioned If you aggregate the changes weve made everyplace the last twain years, such as the decision to print news stories on our netsite before theyve appeared in the newspaper, youll see the direction were moving in. 2 entirely full media brands should measure and publish crosswise brand perceptions rather than practiced the number of circulations. Likewise, the Guardian has ensured its brand to increase its market shares globally. Its gross sales agradical has been able to inform their clients that the newspaper brand could help them buy across many platforms, not safe the ones who are interested in tuition newspaper. It is wee-weeing with the indus movement and looking at different brands and meters to enhance two sellers and buyers of advertising to open different platforms for different kinds of currency.The newspapers branding has been attached to many technological advances in deliv ering national across a range of platforms. These includes the groups communicate site Comment is Free already one of the worlds top cytosine blogs according to technorati.com and G24, a regularly updated printable version of breaking news for commuters to read on the journey home. 3Additionally more(prenominal) competition has happened. through and through its let research, the Guardian has found out that it is perceived as fit and dull by lapsed readers. Those between 18 and 35 move up it old-fashioned, tired, lacking style and too conservative. all over the past ten years 40 per cent of all readers under 35 mystify delinquent the newspaper with female readers providing the greatest hemorrhage 50 per cent have dropped the paper. 4 As a result, the Guardian should diversify its market segmentation and try to divert perceptions of the consumers in its strategic plan.To continuously promote the articles to a target market of 18 to 35-year-olds, the Guardian should ensure that the proximo newspaper send packing provide appropriate advertising limit to attract target group to sell to advertisers. Decades ago, This is take leavely d receive to the fact that the Saturday Guardian is a good product and its readers dont feel the need for a Sunday. 5 Furthermore, it should concern the lack of homage in the Sunday newspaper market, since the Sunday vouchers has been dropped during promotional campaign. As part of its attempt to stay ahead of a future of declining newspaper sales, the tramp of number of obsessed youth and throwaway fall by the wayside newspapers through online contents should consider.2.2. Relaunching strategies Agency promotionAnother frame is promoting the brand through free newspaper with DVD and CD. The breaking-news market has been grounded in term of content, volume, target and the absolute frequency of the quality press. Their high growth approaching method will take in with more strategic leverage, not just with DVDs fo r posh papers.Our relaunch strategy was all about encouraging race to reappraise The Guardian. says Richard Furness, circulation manager for Guardian Newspapers. The two free DVDs on consecutive Saturdays did just that we enjoyed our two highest-ever sales in the hi fiction of the newspaper, and our subsequent Saturday sales show that many have stuck with us.6Traditionally, newspapers utilise to facilitate the line with primary sales promotion tools that help to be hit in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market. Since entertainment becomes a major decision for consumers to purchase a product, DVDs can lead to the right strategy to implement.Its an expensive but extremely good tool. says Dermot McPartlin, director of PD3, the agency that handled The Guardian DVD push. Essentially, the relaunch was a sampling exercise for the new product. The films that were used had a great synergy with the papers brand care fors and broad consumer appeal. 7Over the past few years, due to t he impacts of the solid ground Wide Web, big newspapers have tried to transpose their brands onto the web. The obvious advantage of the online facility is that the internet can enable marketers to ask readers to picture, and as a result, their customers concern can be responded quickly. The two-way dialogue could be promptly done and help get on a meaningful relationship. When media can be effectively transferred their brand value online, demographics are essentially different from the newspapers with traditional hard copy delivery. collectible to the lack of commitment on the part of print publisher, the online content is normally less hygienic thoughtful. Additionally, print publishers have a print view of pricing, which might inhibit the realistic cost per response. Most print publishers have tried to stick to the standard rate. In fact, the newspapers have paid as little of the supposed price but consumers have not yet realized that they have been overcharged for their onlin e equivalents.However, the Guardian might be not the early title to adopt this template. Heeding the thumping proportion of ads on newspaper web sites bought as part of cross-media campaigns, the Audit Bureau of Circulation has launched what it calls a Group mathematical product Report, which aims to simplify the process of choosing a cross-media campaign by outlining the audited number of a newspapers print copies, its web sites page impressions and the footfall of any related exhibition. 8The Guardian has made enormous efforts to provide compelling contents to cover all areas. To prove that the Guardian has been committed, will succeed and are succeeding, it should be more popular, both in domestic and international regions.2.3. Facilitating bannersBrand owners need to coiffure their internal culture in order to persuade their customers that they have been reborn. They have different degrees of success in adapting when the ground moves beneath their feet. However, cultural un likeness for a big brand, like the Guardian which has a strong ecumenical impact, can cause a steady and slow procedure, rather than a prompt fire remedy. The Guardian seem trapped in its culture, hardcopy print, producing advanced information, but still seems unsuited to a new technology trend, the World Wide Web.Coy about the exact revenue Guardian boundless is pulling in, Waldman says Our revenues are growing very rapidly in all areas of the site, and through all types of advertising from banners and buttons through to e-commerce partnerships and sponsorships. Elaborating this point, Guardian Unlimiteds commercial maturation manager, Helen Mayor, says Increasingly offline sales teams like ourselves are looking to mirror the developments and merged structure of the agencies involved in buying traditional and online. 9Using both digital and print in a cross-media campaign, the Guardian has tried to agree an aggressive competition. The inherent conflict between the media buying community and the promoting sales can cause difficulties to implement. The sales trading operations in a large organization is gearing up for a cross-media sell, while the media buying operations have focused on expertise in dedicated media division, which specializes unaccompanied in online content for planning and purchasing. Many media agencies have established their interactional departments in response to what they have perceived, rather than what the real demand could be in the market.The Guardian is to yield to commercial pressures and make people register to visit its Websites. The Guardian, which last week unveiled details of a staffing regenerate in its new media division, is to introduce registration on its revamped Websites. The move is intend to improve its appeal to display and classified advertisers. 10The Guardian sales team has determined that although many uncertainties have existed in the marketplace, the Internet is still a relatively new medium. The bold st rategic framework to take first step to integrate into both media will help the sales teams feel confident with both media. These strategies might question the competence of the agencies in order to understand and properly facilitate the web as a media deport distribution.3. ProposalsThe Guardian has created more original content than any agency in town and has led the way in online publishing. The question is not just about the internet media channel, but the growing part of the Guardian brand. Its barely surprising, because every day in the UK some 13.5 million national papers are sold, which could easily mean over 20 million people read them. Yet, if predictions from Jupiter Communications prove correct and US trends wend their way to the UK, online advertising will outstrip magazines or radio by 2005. 11Additionally, the Guardian brand management should not think that consumers as people to be targeted, but people to be utilised to work for the brand. Increasing fragmentation , eminence and proliferation of media channels are arising trends in consumer sovereignty, gained through internet technology. Consumers are establishing their own channels if they could get anything in return, such as customizing products themselves, entertaining and exploring their own world, expressing their phonates, knowledge that they are buying favorable responsible products, or obviously just saving their time, creating most convenient means for them they are impulsive to pay for and work for that brand.With that notion in mind, the successful brand of the future will be most productive and efficient to facilitate the cock of consumers-employees relationship. Agencies will consider themselves as consultant for brand, which help recruit and direct consumers for ideas, dialogue, gaining consumers consents as well. As a result, the Guardians research and measurement will need to gain clear insights into the consumer-brand relationship as well as understand the value of consumers-employees.With the current technology trends, consumers can pass off faster and cheaper ways to get information. In fact, news publishers are challenged to follow and fulfill consumers expectations. Thus, the following proposals can help the Guardian engage consumers to work for its brand.3.1. The Guardian should increase C2C (consumer-to-consumer) business and reduce B2C (business-to-consumer) interface. The Guardian should facilitate the concept the word-of mouth among key consumers. It should consider consumers as media.3.2. It should have more content and dialogue and less advertising. The strength of a dialogue involves mental disciplines. Thus, these dialogues engage the customers to think and to work with the Guardians staff to complete the message. This strategy might fascinate the customers to promote message from the Guardian.3.3. More emotional media should be involved in the circulations. Obviously, the more touching and vivid a story will be, the more likely it is to be remembered. The future will be in branded contact that consumers can choose to involve themselves in voluntarily, as a part of the Guardian. In this environment, the share of employment will be a major impact, not just the share of their voice or raising their opinions.4. ConclusionGalvanizing itself ahead of technological and social trends is not easy, especially for iconic brand, which tends to navigate in cultural system that defies change. However, without successful product innovation and such progress, the Guardian could risk itself of being cast adrift. Ensuring and enhancing a brand is not just simply water-washed up the changing tides of technology and society. This is also a key strategic framework, which the Guardian has facilitated.Reference listKavanagh, Michael 1998, Guardian joins in registration halt, marketing Week.London, vol.21,no.24, 13 August,p.32McCann, capital of Minnesota 1995, Observer strives for fresher image, Marketing Week, London, vol.18, no.25, p.22Scott, Jon 2000, Do newspapers deliver online? Marketing,London, 21 September,p.43The Guardian view ahead 2006, Marketing Week,London, 24 August, p.24Thornton, James 2006, Do quality and giveaways mix? Promotions Incentives. London, January,p.25Page 1Footnotes1 McCann, Paul 1995, Observer strives for fresher image, Marketing Week, London, vol.18,no.25, p.222 The Guardian Thinking ahead 2006, Marketing Week,London, 24 August, p.243 The Guardian Thinking ahead 20064 McCann, Paul 19955 McCann, Paul 19956 Thornton, James 2006, Do quality and giveaways mix? Promotions Incentives, London, January,p.257 Thornton, James 20068 Scott, Jon 2000, Do newspapers deliver online? Marketing,London, 21 September,p.439 Scott, Jon 200010 Kavanagh, Michael 1998, Guardian joins in registration game, Marketing Week.London, vol.21,no.24, 13 August,p.3211 Scott, Jon 2000