1. The TMC Challenge
16 December 2012
Situation:
• Papers looking at reduced print cycles see TMC as a value –substitute product possibility
• Papers looking at high SES small area geography saturation (Washington Examiner model)
• Retailers looking at diminished response from TMC vehicles and question ROI; in the case of an
arts and crafts retailer I know , response from the TMC is less than half that of the paper’s insert
package
• Retailers look to see local business as part of the vitality of TMC packages but see only peers—
we have built them top down, not bottom up
• Rise and threat of digital preprints delivered by media companies and (now) retailers through
their own distribution channels.
Challenges:
• We have never spent much time and effort to focus on advertiser customer needs relative to
the product—when business was good, it was “added distribution”…now with declining
penetration and digital/competitive alternatives advertisers are seriously evaluating their ROI
• We have no real standard measure of “audience” to complement traditional paid distribution
• We have no real measure of usage and utility that we can convey as value to our advertisers—
who are the key users and why
• We pay little attention to the business. It is an afterthought (although growing in size as paid
circulation diminishes)—there is no one usually accountable for “the product”
• Does content matter today? There are no product standards related to content or delivery that
can enable an advertiser to properly measure effectiveness: some are wraps, some re-purposed
content, some/few original content, and outliers (such as Examiner and Briefing). Delivery is
internal one force, internal separate forces, CBA, US Mail, etc. What are the variables the impact
success—market, geography, product, competitive mix?
• Package composition—is what is in the package that matters to customers? Impact of food,
pharmacy, etc.
• What kind(s) of customers respond to the package? Can the “right customer” be modeled?
• Do multiple demo targets positively or negatively affect the use of the package (Is the TMC
package “my” customer?
• Digital preprints challenge this business but we think/hope it will go on forever
• We have never considered how local business targeting (re: print and deliver) can complement
digital impression targeting and bring value to advertisers (read: local) through efficient media
mix.

2. So…is there an opportunity to help advertiser customers and publishers better focus on this product?
December 2012