The Funny Paper

Readership:

Over 10,000 papers are picked up each month.  This is not an estimate.  It is fact, based on the number of papers we put out, minus what is still there at the end of the month*… which is very few.  We are told, and also observe ourselves, that people actually TAKE the paper home (see below).  With most other papers, people skim them on the spot, and may leave those papers there, but that is not the case with our paper.

The total number of people that actually read the paper, after the original person picks it up and shares it with friends, family and co-workers, is an estimate.  Based on what people tell us, the average paper is read by 2 or 3 people, because people bring it home, they bring it to their office, they give it to their neighbor or a friend…  Based on that, we estimate that we have over 20,000 readers.

*Some papers will talk about their “distribution” figures, but we don’t think the number of papers sitting there unread is a useful number for advertisers when making business decisions.  The number actually picked up and read is the number that matters.

Tourists: 

We distribute the paper at a majority of the hotels, motels, and B&Bs in the area.  The paper is picked up by tourists, particularly since the people working behind the desks at the hotels quickly become fans of the paper and recommend it to their guests.  They realize that a guest who gets a good laugh will fondly remember the trip, and will return to the hotel where they had a good time.  For the advertiser, this means that people visiting our town with money burning a hole in their pocket will see your ad when looking for a place to go for “fun, food, and entertainment”.

Time Per Page:

Our paper is designed to have people read every page.  They read every page, because we put humorous content on every page.  Unlike other papers, where people skim over a lot (most?) pages looking for something interesting to read, they spend time on every page of The Prescott Funny Paper.  This means that no matter what page your ad appears on, it will be seen.

Reader Loyalty:

The quote heard most often regarding the paper is: “I LOVE that paper!”  People actually look forward to each new edition.  At several of our distribution points I’ve been told that people call ahead to see if a new issue is in stock.  We also have a large contingent of local people who have subscribed to the paper.  In other words, they are paying for something they can pick up for free.  The bottom line is we have great reader loyalty.  What that means for you is that your ad is seen month after month, putting your message across to your audience.

Distribution:

The Prescott Funny Paper is distributed in over 60 local businesses, the vast majority of which are restaurants (but not “fast food” restaurants).  We do this because people who are going out to eat are generally people who have disposable income.  These are the people that you, as an advertiser, want to inform about your business.  (See above for information about attracting tourists to your business.)

The Type of Advertising:

The Prescott Funny Paper ads are “top of mind awareness” type ads.  In other words, we don’t make people hungry, but we make sure your restaurant springs to mind when they do get hungry and are thinking about where to go.  We don’t cause them to need a product or service, but we make them think of you when they do.  Obviously, the seed of need can, and will be planted in people’s minds as well.

 People’s psychology is interesting.  If they’ve seen an ad over and over, they think they know something about a business.  “I hear that place is good.”  “A Realtor?  I hear (fill in name here) is good.”  Do they know?  No.  They just know the name and have a positive association.  People rarely want to say, “I have no idea” when asked for a recommendation.  They quickly scan their mind for something they might know.

What we are not is a “shopper” type paper or a “coupon clipper”.  You could compare The Prescott Funny Paper more accurately to the kind of ad you’d do on radio or television than to the “shopper” or “coupon clipper” type of paper.

Summary:

If you want 10,000 to 20,000 (+) people to know about your business, you want your ad seen by every one of those people, and you want to be associated with something that people truly enjoy, The Prescott Funny Paper is the place to advertise your business.

YouCanWin.com

YouCanWin.Com

What it is from the reader’s perspective:

Readers of The Prescott Funny Paper go to “youcanwin.com” to sign up for the opportunity to win gift certificates to advertiser’s businesses.  Each week, the gift certificates our advertisers provide us with are given away to a limited (limited by the number you tell us to give away) number of winners.  The winners print out their gift certificate (which has an identity code and can’t be duplicated) and use it in the advertiser’s business.

The reader has to answer a few questions about the business in order to be registered to win a particular gift certificate.  These questions are used to impart information about the business in an active way (the person is actually participating in a process rather than just being told something they can “tune out”). 

For the reader, it’s fun and gives them a chance to win something useful.

What it is from the advertiser’s perspective:

1) From the advertiser’s perspective youcanwin.com is the most effective form of advertising your business can do, because it is interactive.  The person registering to win your gift certificate not only sees your ad again, not only has had to choose your business as a place they’d find value in doing business with, but also has to answer questions that give information about the business. 

The questions are things like:  Which appetizer do you like best at House of Hummas?  A) Spicy hot hummas.  B) Apple cinnamon hummas.  C) Garlic and onion hummas?  D) I’m a hummas lover, I like them all. 

Or, What is your favorite aspect of the Coffee Cups ‘R Us store? A) The free coffee you can drink while you browse.  B) The highly trained, well informed staff.  C) The wide selection of  large coffee mugs?  D) The large selection of mugs that fit in your car’s cup holder.

As they read the question and the answers, they LEARN about your offerings.

2) It brings the winners into your place of business to use their gift certificate.  This gives you the chance to impress them and bring their business back.  Even if the person does frequent your establishment, on a particular day, they’ve taken their business to you, rather than any competition, because they had the gift certificate.

3) The cost to you is minimal.  If you give away a $10 gift certificate, your cost is only your cost, not $10.  And, people tend to buy more when they have a gift certificate.  They usually use it for something extra (particularly in restaurants), rather than just buying something for the amount of the gift certificate.  And, even if they don’t, you are out only your cost, they’ve had their feet in your business where you could make them an ongoing customer, and they know a lot more about your business, which is information they can share with others.

What else is it good for?

1) It can be used as a virtual website for your business. 

A) We can put up a menu, list of services, or information about your business.

B) We can post pictures from your business

C) If you have a website already, we can link to your website.

2) The Funny Paper is quickly becoming a nationwide phenomenon.  People visiting our area from other parts of the country can find out about local businesses, and even win gift certificates to your business on YouCanWin.com before visiting.