imPRESSions - FCPNY · 2014. 7. 9. · From the Desk of Your Executive Director Dan Holmes From the Desk of Your Executive Director Greetings FREE COMMUNITY PAPERS OF NEW YORK Summer

Free Community Papers of New YorkAssociation of publishers of free distribution shopping guides, newspapers and periodicals throughout New York State

SUMMER EDITION 2014

Free Community Papers of New YorkkAssociation of publishers of free distribution shopping guides, newspapers and periodicals throughout New York State

imPRESSionsIn This Issue

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Executive Director’s Message ............. 3

President’s Message ............................. 4

Sales & Training Director’s Message ... 5

PaperChain Update ................................ 6

SMC Update ......................................... 7, 9

Associate Members ......................... 10-11

Board of Directors ................................ .11

SALES 101 ........................................ 12-13Brought to you by the FCPNY Sales Management Division, this section of our association newsletter will prove to be a valuable resource to you and your sales team.

Member Fun and Philanthropy ........... 14

Legalese ................................................. 16

News ..........................................17, 19, 20

Kevin Slimp: Working from Home ....... 18

Classifi ed Sales Contest ...................... 21

Classifi ed Discount Offer ...................... 22

Our mission is to unite and educate our

members for their strength and prosperity.

FCPNY109 Twin Oaks DriveSuite DSyracuse, NY 13206Toll Free: 877-275-2726Fax: 315-472-5919www.fcpny.com

See page 6 for details.

CELEBRATECELEBRATEFree C

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Free Community Paper Mon

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IN JULY IN JULY

www.fcpny.com SEE AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF OUR PUBLICATIONS • DOWNLOAD THE FCPNY PUBLICATION AUDIT REPORT • REVIEW MEMBER BENEFITS2

From the Desk of Your Executive Director

Dan HolmesFrom the Desk of Your Executive Director

Greetings

FREE COMMUNITY PAPERS OF NEW YORK Summer 2014 3

After decades of being a tenant in the offi ces of the Scotsman Press, FCPNY has moved to new digs. We successfully relocated on Monday, June 23, and have now settled into our new offi ce. Only our address has changed; all phone numbers and email addresses remain the same. Please make note of our new address:

FCPNY – 109 Twin Oaks Drive, Suite D, Syracuse, NY 13206

I want to extend many thanks to past and present leaders of Scotsman Press, and the owner, John Badoud, for their many, many years of hospitality and support. We enjoyed a fantastic working relationship with so many fi ne people over the years. Even as we moved out of the building, Bill Veit, current president, provided employees and vehicles to make the move as pleasant and effi cient as possible. Many thanks to Chris Colburn who assisted Tom Cuskey in the transfer of our electronic fi les from the Scotsman server to our new storage systems. We are now truly on our own, and all is going well.

As we distribute this summer newsletter our industry begins a month-long celebration of free community papers. Organized by PaperChain, a subcom-mittee comprised of many FCPNY members has facilitated the creation of print and electronic promotional ads and a Free Community Paper Month logo for use throughout July. Proposed wording for local, regional, state and federal governmental support in the form of a formal proclamation also has been created. The promotional elements can all be found at http://paper-chain.org/communitypapermonth.html). I strongly encourage you to use these ads and the logo on your masthead, within your publication pages and on your website all month long. You can fi nd more complete information on Free Community Paper Month on page 6.

Tom Cuskey and I have worked with a committee of FCPNY graphics and sales leaders for a number of months to rebrand the advertising arm of FCPNY. I want to thank Tom and all of the participants in this project. At our May meeting the FCPNY/CPAN board of directors approved the adoption of a new “public” name for CPAN. AdNetworkNY will be our new name, and we have created a new logo and a new website to better promote our network advertising opportunities. See the article on page 17 for more detailed information about this exciting new development.

Our membership development committee has also been hard at work with the development of a new membership category and the creation of promo-tional collateral materials to solicit new members for FCPNY. The new “spe-cialty publication” membership category was approved at our March annual meeting allowing the acceptance of publications that distribute from 6 to 49 times per year. Previously only weekly publications qualifi ed for FCPNY membership, now we can solicit and welcome monthly and other less than weekly publications. The membership development committee led by Carla

Chase will begin the solicitation of new members with a meeting on July 11th. Any suggestions of neighboring publications that would make reputable members of FCPNY are most welcome. Please direct your suggestions to me at [email protected]. We are also looking to increase the number of Associate members in the association. If you have a particularly good working relationship with a vendor who could provide services to your fellow FCPNY members, please ask them to consider joining the association as an associate member. We will happily provide all the information a potential associate member needs, just let me know.

Plans are under development for a multifaceted sales summit during the week of September 8th. Under the auspices of the Sales Management Division, this will be an exciting and valuable opportunity to expose your sales teams to three of our industry’s best sales trainers. Read all about the developing details on page 15.

Continued on page 8

FCPNY IS MOVIN’ AND SHAKIN’... LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY

From Your PresidentFrom Your PresidentA Message Randy Shepard


SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE! HIP HIP HOORAY!After an unusually long and cold winter, it’s fi nally nice to be outside the offi ce visiting customers and feeling the warm sun rays on my face instead of the stinging cold snowfl akes. It’s especially nice to see the advertising sales come back as the summer temperatures continue to rise. With the changing of the seasons came a change to our FCPNY board of directors. Back in April, Community Papers of Western New York (CPWNY) announced that it had acquired Metro Group, Inc. Metro Group, Inc., is the publisher of weekly community newspapers and shoppers serving over 250,000 households in Erie and Niagara Counties, along with portions of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Allegany and Wyoming counties. CPWNY is owned by James Austin, a career newspaperman who recently made his fi rst acquisition of the Angola Pennysaver. Shortly after this announcement, our Syracuse offi ce received a letter of resignation from long-time board member Denny Guastaferro, who was a partner in Metro Group, Inc., along with Bernard Bradpiece. I’m going to miss seeing Denny at the board meetings and hearing his valued insights. Good luck to him on his future endeavors.

While we wish Denny all the best, we welcome James Austin as our newest member of the board. At the May board meeting, it was unanimously voted to accept James to the board fi lling Denny’s vacated seat. James has been in the newspaper industry for 30 years, and has a lot of energy and ideas that will help assist the board on achieving its goals. In fact, one of the board’s goals is to continually provide its members with a conference fi lled with quality content, training and profi t-making ideas. In an effort to achieve this goal, a new Conference Committee was formed. James volunteered as a member of this committee, along with Dick Snyder, Bill Brod and Karen Sawicz, our committee chairperson. You can bet these talented individuals will put together an outstanding conference next year—one that you and your staff will not want to miss. In the meantime, if you have any speakers or topics you would like to suggest for the conference, please let us know by emailing the FCPNY offi ce at [email protected] and putting “conference suggestions” in the subject line. Speaking of suggestions, Dan Alexander had a good one at the May board meeting: In regards to group

purchasing, could we receive better pricing on items like printers, computers, software, insurance, etc., if we could buy from a dealer as a group? I’m sure we could. So, we are going to research the possibilities further. First, we need you to provide us with the names of vendors that you use for purchasing items mentioned above. Fax or email this list to the FCPNY offi ce with “group purchase” in the subject line: 315-472-5919; [email protected]. Did you hear? Community Paper Advertising Network (CPAN) is being rebranded as AdNetworkNY. No longer will advertisers confuse our statewide advertising net-work with the political cable TV channel CSPAN. For more information on AdNetworkNY, check out page 17 . Finally, July is Free Community Paper Month. Go to http://paperchain.org/communitypapermonth.html today, download the Free Community Paper Month ad series and run them in your paper for the month of July. Together, let’s promote the strength, value and impor-tance that our industry provides to our communities. Best wishes for a great summer!


From Your Sales & Training DirectorFrom Your Sales & Training DirectorA Message Tom Cuskey

A MOVING EXPERIENCE“Summertime ... and the livin’ is easy.” Bull-oney! Maybe summer was an easy time in 1935 when George Gershwin and crew wrote this famous show tune, but we all know that you have to work hard every season if you want to succeed in this business, especially in 2014. Summer at FCPNY is moving season as we relocated our association headquarters. The moving experience is one we should all engage in from time to time, even if you have no reloca-tion plans. Let me explain ...

It is easier today to stay on top of what we do. Smartphones, tablets and laptops give us constant access to our customers, our calendars, email and customer relationship management (CRM) software. It can make it easy for us to think that we are in control of everything. At least it gives me that impression; and I fi nd today, in the midst of prepping to move, that it’s a false impression. I try to use my iPhone, iPad and laptop with the associated apps and software for anything and everything. I use them to the degree where my wife will even grab them out of my hands and make me go outside and play for a while, even though it’s not video games that I’m tuned into. But in spite of all the reminders and calendar notes, I still have to fi le some items for later follow-up. Some of those go into four drawer fi les, accompanied by brochures and other hard collateral relating to the event. It’s been the process of going through these fi les and cleaning in anticipation of the move that I have found things that still have slipped through the cracks. Some have been harmless items, such as articles I intended to read when I had a few minutes, or notes about a promo or idea I thought I might share at the right moment. Others have been names I thought I would contact when the timing was right, or notes on projects that I once started but got sidetracked from ... and never made it back. Poooof! Forgotten in a brain that I bet is like many—too crammed and too busy to actually be doing as good of a job as I might think.

This experience of cleaning out hard-copy paper fi les also has triggered a purging of unnecessary computer fi les I had created. Gigabytes are cheap; thus, one can get carried away saving digital notes and fi les on our hard drives that are easily overlooked and forgotten. In looking through these fi les, I have found as many diamonds as I have in the paper fi les—rough, uncut diamonds, but some could turn into precious gems. So learn from my experience, and stay on top of those fi les and folders you’ve created.

The New Selling ModelIf you’re a student of your sales profession, you no doubt are well aware of the growing trend in sales training to talk about the new sales model or the new way of selling. Big names like Jeffrey Gitomer (whom I enjoy and follow closely) and others have been part of this shift away from what I will call the traditional training models. I’ve even read things like “cold calling is dead” and “don’t try to close a sale.” What is this all about? I have two comments:

First, the cynical side: Why does a major sports team change its uniform design every so often? At least part of the reason is to get fans to buy new jerseys. And then they can sell you the current one as a “throwback jersey” next year, probably at a higher price. It’s marketing ... revenue creation. If I write a book on selling, or kayaking for that matter, it better have something new and different for the reader, or it won’t sell. If nothing changes—if the

old model is deemed to be doing just fi ne—then why invest in the new one? I have been to plenty of sales seminars where the presenter came up with new terms for prospecting, opening, questioning, presenting, closing and objection handling. There was little or nothing new ... just new terminology to describe the same practices. It’s important to remember that sales trainers and coaches are in it for the money, as well as the satisfaction of helping salespeople get better. Be discerning when taking advice on changing up your style.

Second, the positive or pragmatic side: It is a different world today. Some days, it seems like no one answers their phone anymore and allows you a chance to talk to them. Current research bears that out. AT&T says 75% of fi rst phone calls to a business don’t get through. Four years ago this past June, the Direct Marketing Associa-tion released its “2010 Response Rate Trend Report,”

asserting that cold calling customers yielded the highest response rate for sales initiation attempts among other methods like direct mail, email, paid search and Internet displays. Cold calling was most successful with a 6.16% response rate. So, make 100 cold calls and be successful with six of them ... and that’s the best method? I’ll bet it’s worse today. I’d skip the calls and sit on a street corner whacking yourself with a stick. You’ll draw a bigger crowd and feel less pain. Statistics like these scream for new, innovative approaches to gain success especially in a time when traditional methods are simply harder to put to use.

My suggestion is to treat this like the moving experience. Use the new tech-nology, new ideas and models to get better at what you do and to adapt to how the business world operates today. But don’t forget the old methods ...the practices that got you here. And take inventory—regularly following up on prospects, ideas and promotions you may have innocently fi led away and forgotten about.

Until next time!

Use the new technology, new

ideas and models to get better at what

you do and to adapt to how the business

world operates today.

But don’t forget the old methods ...


PaperChain Update

Here is the agenda for the 2014 celebration rollout: 1. Shown is the Free Community Paper Month logo. Please use this logo often in your masthead, folios, promotional ads and articles, and also as fi llers throughout your paper during the month of July. For original artwork and PDFs, visit http://paperchain.org/freepa-permonth.html.

2. We have also created and released promotional ads for 2014. They also are available on the website noted above, and will be distributed by your state, regional and national associations as well.

3. We encourage all free paper publishers to put together a prize package for their readers to be able to enter and win on the PaperChain website.

4. Publishers are asked not to alter the logo but to use it often. We encourage you to local-ize the ad and draw your reader’s attention to the important role your paper and staff play in this industry, and how this industry stimulates the local and national economy.

5. We are all so very busy these days, but we also encourage you to brainstorm with your staff and fi nd ways to use the month of July to highlight your publications’ accomplish-ments and the many ways your publications help drive and support the local economy.

6. The 2014 celebration is a national event, but you can provide the local fl avor. Ask your town fathers, city council and county government to consider taking action on a local proclamation formally recognizing Free Community Paper Month. Suggested proclamation verbiage also can be found at http://paperchain.org/freepapermonth.html.

Your paper has made a great investment in your community and this industry. Only you and your staff can help us bring that story alive to your readers in this consolidated industry-wide effort. Please consider active participation in the July 2014 Free Community Paper Month. Visit us on Facebook, and let us know your plans for Free Community Paper Month. Thank you in advance for all you do to enhance the industry with every issue you publish and your support with this project.

Industry insiders know and recognize the valuable service our community papers provide to readers and advertisers; but all too often in the hustle and bustle of today’s fast-paced world, we become so wrapped up in publishing that those important facts get overlooked. For the benefi t of publishers of this valuable service, and for future generations of community paper publishers who will follow, it’s important to remind those we serve of our important role in their community and to toot our horn just a little bit. PaperChain is the common link between all the national, regional and state free community paper organizations, which makes it the logical choice to lead the charge to organize a recognition and celebration of our industry. The PaperChain leadership believes the noble mission of free community papers fi ts perfectly with the national celebration of freedom the United States so proudly enjoys. The concepts of freedom, liberty and the rights we hold so dear provide the nation’s community papers with the perfect backdrop to remind the country of the valuable services we bring to millions of homes each week. In the spirit of independence and freedom cel-ebrated nationwide every July, we need your help to spread the word and demonstrate the reach of our industry. We will do this through a celebration of the free community paper industry during the entire month of July.

By Scarlette Merfeld, Event Chairperson

CELEBRATECELEBRATEFree C

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Free Community Paper Mon

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IN JULY IN JULY


SMC Update

CHRISTMAS IN JULY OR PLANNING FOR PROMOTIONS

Years ago, when Saturation Mailers Coalition (SMC) was involved with postal rate cases under the old law where every few years all postal stakeholders—including businesses that use the mail—could appear before the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to argue about the allocation of a proposed rate increase, I worked with a witness for saturation mailers who talked about the importance of advertising. My witness operated a chain of party stores where planning and preparing for business promotions was always done six months in advance. For his business, Christmas was in July, and the traditional holiday or New Years season was all about graduations and celebrating the 4th.

For many free papers, as well as the advertisers you serve, your customers are thinking about fall and holiday promotions well in advance.That makes it a good time now to consider how your free paper can take advantage of the Postal Service’s Mail Drives Mobile Commerce Promotion.

The USPS has been offering incentives and promotions for the past several years. One popular promotion is the year-end “holiday timed” promotion that allows standard mailers to take advantage of an upfront, 2% postal rate discount on mail pieces that include a mobile barcode or print/mobile technology that can be read or scanned by a mobile device, and leads the consumer to a mobile optimized shopping website. The recipient must be able to purchase an advertised product from the website. The name of the promotion is Mail Drives Mobile Commerce Promotion. To be eligible, mailers must register. The registration period begins September 15, 2014, and continues through December 31, 2014. You must have registered before you can claim a discount on a mailing.

Mailers wanting to obtain further information about the program can go to the Postal Service’s Rapid Information Bulletin Board System website at https://ribbs.usps.gov/mailingpromotions. When you are there, look up Mail Drives Mobile Commerce Promotion Requirements.

An additional incentive included with the promotion is the opportunity for mailers to earn an additional 1% postage rebate, to be credited in the future, if suffi cient purchases made using the mobile barcode or print mobile technology on the qualifying piece lead to orders fulfi lled by Priority Mail between November 3, 2014, and January 15, 2015.Registration for the Priority Mail promotion is separate and includes different requirements. There is a threshold for receiving the 1% discount for Priority Mail fulfi llment of .5% of the discounted mail pieces.

Unlike earlier mobile barcode incentives, this promotion has signifi cantly more requirements about the copy that must be included with the mobile barcode, or other qualifying print mobile technology, and the materials and offers on the website. The incentive requirements include a directional copy requirement that provides that the text near the barcode or image must provide guidance to the consumer to scan the barcode or image and information about the landing page. Examples of qualifying directions or text include:

a. Scan here to shop our mobile website.b. Scan here to see our products.c. Scan the barcode to reach our mobile website.

Once the consumer lands on the website, the website platform must contain, or be deeply integrated with, a checkout function that allows the customer to complete a purchase of the product referenced in the mail piece through a complete mobile optimized experience.

Consumers must be able to complete the purchase in one of the following ways:

• An electronic payment (such as a credit, debit or prepaid card) made through the Internet on the mobile device.• A person-to-person payment method (e.g., PayPal) made through the Internet on the mobile device. • An order placed on the mobile device through the Internet where the customer is invoiced at a later date (presumably upon delivery).• An order placed on the mobile device through an Internet browser where the charge is added to a recurring bill.

The promotion includes a defi nition of “product” as a “tangible and physical item” that needs to be distributed or manufactured, and could be shipped via mailing or other shipping service. Products that can only be fulfi lled via private carrier, such as a local pizza or fast food delivery, would not meet these requirements.

In some limited instances, the sale of services or charitable donations will qualify if the mailings meet all other promotional requirements. This example is given:

• A tangible item such as a hardcopy certifi cate, thank you note or voucher is mailed to the recipient upon purchase via the Postal Service. An invoice billing statement or receipt would not qualify for this exception.

The Postal Service provides several examples of mobile barcode uses that will not qualify for the promotion, as they do not involve the potential to purchase a tangible and physical product. Examples of ineligible mobile barcode uses include paying a bill, signing up for a list, signing up for online billing or paperless statement services, downloading a deal or coupon (where no hard-copy certifi cate or voucher is mailed), taking a survey, confi rming a reservation, viewing a video or even purchasing a product where there is a requirement for in-store pick-up.

As part of the registration requirements, participants must agree to promotion terms and promise to participate in a survey at the end of the promotion period. It is recommended that mailers register several days in advance of the fi rst qualifying mailing.

by Donna E. Hanbery, Saturation Mailers Coalition

?www.fcpny.com SEE AN INTERACTIVE MAP OF OUR PUBLICATIONS • DOWNLOAD THE FCPNY PUBLICATION AUDIT REPORT • REVIEW MEMBER BENEFITS8 Got News?FCPNY has a new location

Do you have a news item about someone or something within your organization that you would like included in our quarterly association newsletter?

If so, please pass it along to Deedee Dillinghamat [email protected].

Where the mailing is not to be accomplished by the mail owner, but done so by a mail service provider, there are several additional requirements. Mailers working with printers or mail service providers will need to review program requirements, including registration requirements, well in advance to make sure that all mailings with the barcode will be eligible. There are requirements for the documentation and postage statement that accompany the mailing. Generally, mailings must be submitted electronically via mail.dat, mail.xml or Postal Wizard. Mailings submit-ted via Postal Wizard cannot exceed 9,999 pieces. Postage must be paid using a permit imprint or pre-cancelled stamp permit. Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) deposited at a Business Mail Entry Unit may qualify, but EDDM retail mailings taken to the local post offi ce retail units (where a permit is not required) are not eligible to participate.

For Standard Mail products that must be automated, the full service Intelligent Mail barcode is required.

For free papers wanting to present the mobile barcode to an advertiser or customer, the eligible customers will be limited to those that have a website with tangible products for sale where mail or product delivery (not store pickup) is an option. Other exceptions would be mobile websites that allow consumers to complete a purchase of a service or make a charitable donation, and the donation is confi rmed with a thank-you note or certifi cate of appreciation that is sent by the Postal Service (it does not appear that a simple receipt acknowl-

edging the donation would qualify). For most charities, the requirement to confi rm to the donor that no tangible goods or services were permitted would allow an eligible promotion to be created where the thank you included a confi rmation or receipt of the contribution made that the donor can retain for tax purposes.

Historically, SMC has had a number of members—including free paper publishers—work with their local charities or causes, supported by the business, to establish a qualifying promotion and a barcode that takes the consumer to the website; to purchase an incentive or item offered by the supporting the charity; or to make a qualifying donation and receive a hard-copy certifi cate of appreciation, or other premium, mailed or shipped in return.

In working with your sales team or customers, keep in mind that the barcode can be placed anywhere on, or inside, the paper. The barcode cannot be placed on a detached address label or card that is not attached to, or enclosed within, the mail piece. Further, the barcode cannot be placed in the area that is too close to the area for placement of the mailing piece address. For further details on the location of a barcode, consult the technical program requirements.

Although the requirements for the program have become considerably more complex than the initial versions of the holiday barcode promotion, the length of the promotion (two full months) and the opportunity for an upfront 2% discount make it worth your while to plan now for holiday savings later this year.

SMC Update (continued from page 7)

From the Desk of Your Executive Director(continued from page 3)

I want to recognize and thank Ron Rudolph and Al Dicroce of All Island Media (AIM) for their willingness to join the CPAN (AdNetworkNY) classifi ed advertising network. Our network classifi eds are now running in the AIM publications providing a signifi cant boost to our total circulation and to the advertising results for all of our CPAN (AdNetworkNY) customers.

In closing I want to explain our new method of distributing your quarterly imPRESSions newsletter. At the May FCPNY/CPAN board of directors meet-ing the directors approved the dissemination of the newsletter by electronic transmission only. In order to conserve resources we will no longer print and mail the newsletter. You will now receive the newsletter via email and have the ability to view, read and even print a pdf version of every issue. Or you can follow a link that will be provided in the email and view, print and conveniently enlarge an on-line version compliments of our associate member, JB Multimedia. In addition to the cost savings we will realize, we also hope that we will reach more people with our electronic distribution, but that depends on you. Please forward every issue to all members of your publication team. If you email me their names and email addresses I will see that they are added to our distribution list.

I wish you a pleasant summer!

As of June 23, 2014, FCPNY’s new offi ce location is:

109 Twin Oaks DriveSuite D

Syracuse, NY 13206


SMC Update...more

Exigency and RatesThe United States Court of Appeals has set September 9, 2014, as the date for oral argument on the exigency appeal case. This week, SMC, along with the numerous mail associations intervening on the case, will submit a detailed brief in support of the PRC’s decision limiting the exigency increase to a period of time that will allow the Postal Service to recoup $2.8 billion in lost contribution.

The setting of the date for oral argument in early September makes it very likely that the case will be decided before the end of the year.

The Postal Service submitted a short response to the PRC order to submit a “plan” and process for accomplishing a rollback in rates if the PRC decision limiting the exigency surcharge is upheld.

The Postal Service refused to submit any defi nitive plan, but stated that its options and decisions would depend upon the overall economy, upcoming annual price changes, and how the mail mix had changed.

One of the options the Postal Service fl oated—that is certainly of interest and intriguing to the industry—was the possibility that the Postal Service could alter the schedule of regular rate changes. The USPS wrote:

The Postal Service could delay the next rate adjustment so as to coincide with the rescission of the exigent surcharge. If the available percentage of rate authority attributed to infl ation were 4.3% or greater, then the surcharge could simply be absorbed as part of the scheduled rate change. Even if infl ation were less than 4.3%, the Postal Service could, notwithstanding, use available pricing authority to fold in the exigent surcharge into the basic rate structure of some products, while adjusting the price of other products so as to come out at the cap.

In Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meetings, the Postal Service has stated it will pursue its normal Consumer Price Index (CPI) pricing process with a fi ling, presumably this October, for a price adjustment effective by the end of January 2015. The current CPI pricing authority available to the Postal Serviceis 1.471. Based upon the present economy, estimates for 2015 pricing authority are approximately 1.6%. Depending upon the outcome of the exigency appeal, the Postal Service could change its plans about an annual pricing adjustment, and try to retain portions of the exigency increase in existing mail rates as a way of covering the CPI increases and presenting an overall rollback plan.

Postal ReformThe prospects for comprehensive, or even piecemeal, postal reform that could pass before the election, or during a lame-duck session, remain uncertain.

The comprehensive Senate Postal Reform bill has not made it to the full Senate fl oor, and it does not appear likely to happen soon.

A somewhat “off the wall” proposal was fl oated by then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) announcing a GOP leadership plan to eliminate Saturday mail delivery service as a means to “pay for” a one-year replenish-ment of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, which is expected to run out of money this August. The idea of “swapping savings from eliminating Saturday delivery to provide cash fl ow” on the federal budget to fund the Highway Trust Fund for another year was promptly denounced by everyone from all postal unions to The Washington Post as a budgetary shell game.

The likelihood of this proposal going forward is further weakened by the upset primary vote removing Eric Cantor from his House Majority leadership role. But this proposal is an example of the type of stand-alone reform proposals and “gimmicks” that could pop up between now and the end of the year as ways to “fi x” some of the Postal Service’s problems. The Postal Service continues to seek “comprehensive” reform that would eliminate Saturday mail delivery, as well as allow health care program changes, governance changes, and greater than CPI pricing fl exibility. Individuals in Congress have looked at stand-alone provisions that would move more quickly to consolidated delivery or cluster boxes, and elimination of Saturday service as stand-alone sources of savings. From the standpoint of the industry, most postal stakeholders agree that we should “KISS” (keep it simple, stupid) and exhort Congress, the unions and all postal stakeholders to support the two reforms that have the most fi nancial impact and seem to have the least opposition: 1) that the Federal Employees Retirement System and Civil Service Retirement System overpayments should be refunded; and 2) the retirement health benefi t funding prepayment schedule should be restructured. SMC UpdatesOn the SMC front, I have some sad news to share with all members. Valassis Communications, Inc., was acquired earlier this year by Harland Clarke. As part of organizational changes and restructuring following the acquisition, the postal and government relations in-house department of Valassis has been eliminated. Our co-chair, Robert Croce, and his team will no longer be on the SMC Steering Committee. We continue to look for, and will count upon, the talents of Paul Giampolo as our MTAC representative and a representative member on our Steering Committee for Valassis. Robert Croce was on the SMC Steering Committee for 15 years. He always provided a keen insight on how things work in Washington. As part of the restructuring, we also have lost the services that were funded in the past by Valassis of postal counsel Tom McLaughlin and economist Toni Crowder. Their historic expertise and decades of experience on postal laws, regulations and strategy helped us to continuously achieve better than “par” results on issues relating to postal rates, discounts and regulations. I am currently in the process of revising SMC’s budget and the goals that I can reasonably achieve for our members this year and the years to come. I think there is still a need for SMC to be an advocate for saturation shared mail pro-grams, mailed free papers and coupon programs before the Postal Service and PRC in areas of rates, regulations, operations, delivery, incentives and pricing. But my ability to continue the association will depend on the participation in terms of funding and effort of our members. I will hope that more of you can step up and contribute dues in accordance with our suggested scale to help SMC continue. If you know of other busi-nesses that mail—or provide print and mailing support—for you or other saturation mailers, please urge them to join at the $500 associate level. I will be putting out our second quarter fi nancial report with revisions showing the recent changes. If anyone has made a pledge or not yet paid dues, now would be a good time to do so. Thank you.

EXIGENCY, RATES AND REFORM


By Patronizing Our Associate Members...

AdMall/Sales Development Services Inc.Virtual sales assistant for media advertising.Denise Gibson600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 260Westerville, OH 43082Phone: 304-863-6748Fax: [email protected]

ANOCOIL Corp.The largest independent manufacturer of plates in North America. A pioneer in the development and manufacture of digital and analog printing plates for the news-paper and commercial printing markets. Jay Faulkner60 E. Main St.P.O. Box 1318Rockville, CT 06066-1318Phone: [email protected]

Barrett ConceptsProvides an array of web services and consulting.Brad Barrett138 Palm Coast Pkwy., Suite 187Palm Coast, FL 32137Phone: [email protected]

Bartash Printing, Inc.Printer of weekly newspapers, direct mail shoppers and niche publications such as real estate, auto, parenting, boating and more.Eric Roberts5400 Grays Ave.Philadelphia, PA 19143Phone: 215-724-1700Fax: [email protected]

Buffalo News (The)Newspaper printing, commercial sheet fed printing, bindery services, website design, website and search optimization, distribution services, direct mail, TMC and insert printing.

Bryan Carr1 News PlazaBuffalo, NY 14240Phone: [email protected]

Circulation Verifi cation Council (CVC)Circulation audits and readership studies. Tim Bingaman338 S. Kirkwood Rd., Suite 102St. Louis, MO 63122Phone: 800-262-6392Fax: [email protected]

CoolerAds.comOffering Web solutions for communitypapers.Joe Nicastro5 Vista Dr.Flanders, NJ 07836Phone: 973-809-4784Fax: [email protected]

Cribb, Greene & Associates Specializing in brokering, shopperbusinesses, consulting and appraisals.John Cribb7512 Loon RoadHelena, MT 59602Phone: [email protected]

Independent Free Papers of America (IFPA)Community newspaper association of member publications with independent owners.Gary Rudy, Executive Director107 Hemlock Dr.Rio Grande, NJ 08242Phone: 800-441-4372Fax: [email protected]

JB Multimedia, Inc.Displays publications online with aninteractive digital edition.Robert DursoP.O. Box 704

N. Bellmore, NY 11710Phone/Fax: 888-592-3212 [email protected]

Kamen & Co. Group ServicesFree distribution newspaper, shopper and magazine appraisers, and broker and management consultants.Kevin B. Kamen626 RXR Plaza, West Tower, 6th fl oorUniondale, NY 11556Phone: 516-379-2797Phone FL Offi ce: [email protected]

MediaBids.comMediabids’ free, online tools allow publications to sell ads in print and digital editions to businesses across the U.S. Additionally, newspapers can run custom-sized ads from national, direct-response advertisers and get paid for each call the ads generate.June Peterson448 Main St.Winsted, CT 06098Phone: 860-379-9602Fax: [email protected]

Metro Creative Graphics, Inc.The largest and most comprehensive ad-building, revenue-generating, art and advertising service. Available online at MetroCreativeConnection.comGwen Tomaselli519 Eighth Ave.New York, NY 10018Phone: 800-223-1600Fax: 212-967-4602gtomaselli@metro-email.comwww.metrocreativegraphics.com

MSG Payment SystemsComprehensive menu of payment systems, including credit and debit card processing; eCommerce; recurring payments; ACH/e-Check processing; mobile payments; payroll; Customer Information Manager; and more.Paul Huntley10555 New York Ave., Suite 101Urbandale, IA 50322Phone: 888-697-8831

Fax: [email protected]

MultiAdProviding virtually everything needed to create and sell retail, classifi ed and co-op advertising. The industry’s largest selection of art, ads, photographs and more.Mary Armstrong 1720 West Detweiller Dr. Peoria, IL 61615Phone: 800-245-9278, ext. 5324Fax: [email protected]

North American Precis Syndicate, Inc. (NAPS)Nationwide distributor of free, non-copyrighted features (health and fi tness, home improvement, car care, bridal, holidays, etc.) to newspaper editors.Gary Lipton415 Madison Ave., 12th fl oorNew York, NY 10017Phone: 212-309-0107Fax: [email protected]

Penny Lane Promotional ProductsAn advertising specialty service with over 300,000 products available to display your company logo, including brand-name clothing embroidered or screened.Lorie Browne1471 Rt. 15Avon, NY 14414Phone: [email protected]

Saturation Mailers Coalition (SMC)SMC represents saturation mailers—including free papers, shared mailers, and coupon envelope mailers—that share a common interest in maintaining fair and reasonable postal rates and regulations.Donna Hanbery 33 South 6th St., Suite 4160Minneapolis, MN 55402Phone: 612-340-9350Fax: [email protected]


...We Say Thank You for Their Support

Software Consulting Services, LLCA 30-year-old plus systems integrator that serves the newspaper business worldwide. Offers newspaper systems for the following prepress areas: ad order entry and accounting, ad dummying and pagination, production and workfl ow management, editorial and much more. Specializes in software development, systems engineering and integration, technical support and training.Phil Curtolo630 Municipal Dr., Suite 420Nazareth, PA 18064Phone: 610-746-7700Fax: [email protected]

Standard Rate & Data Service (SRDS)Connects publishers with media decision makers all day, everyday. SRDS.com has powerful functionality to help buyers select markets and newspapers in which to place their advertising dollars.David Crawford1451 Millmoore TerraceDacula, GA 30019Phone: 770-614-0588Fax: [email protected]

Trumbull PrintingA full-service commercial printer with complete prepress, binding, mailing, inserting and shipping capabilities. Specializing in news-papers, publications, shoppers, catalogs, magazines, directories, coupon books, college course catalogs, business and fi nancial periodicals, free-standing inserts and advertising supplements. Contact us for a free quote.Gustave C. Semon205 Spring Hill Rd.Trumbull, CT 06611Phone: 203-261-2548 Fax: [email protected]

WorldPayYour trusted partner in payments processing for over 20 years, enabling businesses of all sizes to accept payments securely and quickly to help them make the sale.Jennifer Hendrix3613 Watervale Rd.Manlius, NY 13104Phone: 315-723-9928Fax: [email protected]

Board of DirectorsFCPNY is one of the oldest and largest state organizations of free circulation papers. Over the past several years, we have grown to be one of the most active. The members of our board of directors have donated countless hours to our association, and we take this opportunity to say “thank you” to:

Richard SnyderSnyder Communications,

Norwich

John RozeskiRW Publications,

Orchard Park

Christine KennedyWarsaw Penny Saver,

Warsaw; Perry Shopper, Perry

Steve HarrisonGenesee Valley

Publications, Avon

Cheryl TearsThe Merchandiser,

Clifton Springs

Jeff LambertNeighbor Newspapers,

Farmingdale

* Also offi cers and directors of CPAN

PRESIDENTRandy Shepard*

County Shopper, Delhi

Dan AlexanderDenton Publications,

Elizabethtown

TREASURERKaren Sawicz*Lake Country

Pennysaver, Albion

Mark CoyleFredonia Pennysaver,

Fredonia

Carla ChaseYorktown Pennysaver,

Yorktown Heights

Bill BrodSyracuse New Times

1ST VICE PRESIDENTDavid Grayson*

LeRoy Pennysaver, LeRoy

2ND VICE PRESIDENTBridgette Stewart*

The Hi-Lites,Watkins Glen

CPAN Directors

James AustinCommunity Papers of

Western NY, Cheektowaga; Angola Pennysaver, Angola


Each quarter, this special section features articles written by your fellow FCPNY sales managers and publishers, as well as relevant items of interest from sales trainers, authors and contributors. We expect that you will fi nd these articles informative and timely, and we encourage you to share them with your sales staff when you feel it is appropriate. If you are a sales manager and would like to be involved with the FCPNY Sales Management Division Board, or if there is a particular topic that you would like to see addressed in future editions, please email your request to Tom Cuskey at [email protected].

Scarlette MerfeldDenton Publications1ST VICE PRESIDENT

Gary Hill Lake Country PennysaverPRESIDENT

Kristine MorsemanThe Hi-Lites/SenecaCounty Area Shopper

Daria ReitknechtGenesee Valley Penny Saver

Meg BourdetteRW Publications

Marketing is not a one-note tune. In fact, most marketing textbooks feature meticulous descriptions of the Four P’s of marketing—four elements that work together in the creation of a successful campaign. If any one of the four is lacking, failure is a likely possibility.

Media salespeople should have a fundamental understanding of these Four P’s. Here’s a quick look:

Product: This represents the product or service offered to consumers. If the product is some-thing that the public would like to own, there is a ready-made marketplace.

I must mention that there is a big difference be-tween a want and a need. Just because someone needs a product or service doesn’t mean that he or she will want to buy it. And just because that person needs a particular product doesn’t mean that any brand in that category will do.

You may need basic transportation, but you want a certain kind of sports car. You may need athletic shoes, but you want a certain brand. You may need a house, but you want to live in a particular neighborhood.

Price: Think of the classic television show “The Price Is Right.” Pricing strategies create delicate balances. From the seller’s perspective, pricing should meet desired profi t margins. From the consumer’s point of view, a price that seems too high for perceived value will seem out of line. And a price that is too low for perceived value will suggest poor quality.

Whatever the price, discounts can be offered to boost sales.

Place: This concerns distribution. Where can consumers fi nd the product? Can they try it on or test drive it in a local store, then buy it and take it home? Do they have to order it in

the store or online? How will they receive it? Does the store have convenient hours? What if inventories are low and the product is out of stock? If it has to be ordered, how long will delivery take?

Product availability is a huge key. Many a sale has been lost because of distribution delays.

Promotion: Essentially, promotion is commu-nication. How do you let your target audience know about the advantages of the product or service? Here’s where advertising enters the picture. Promotion is one piece of the market-ing puzzle. And advertising is one component of promotion—just as public relations, special events and sponsorships are components of promotion.

Recent textbooks have added a fi fth P to the formula:

People. Without adequate customer service, all of the other P’s don’t add up to a hill of beans or—ahem—peas.

Sadly, some smaller businesses have little or no understanding of the marketing P’s. Of course they know the importance of each individual element, but they don’t see the connections. That’s where you can help them see the big picture and set reasonable expectations for their advertising. After all, the best ad campaign in the world can’t sell a product that is not available or priced incorrectly or lacking in customer service.

© 2014 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: [email protected].

SALES 101 presented by your FCPNY Sales Management Division

The Four P’s of MarketingBy John Foust, Raleigh, NC


You call it GOSSIPING. I call it NETWORKING.

I’m not sure if you can be successful with sales if you are not a “people person.” The reason I don’t know this is because I have never tried! People do business with people they like, so I strive to be personable.

Now, I have clients who I dread seeing and thus quickly breeze in and out of their loca-tions, offering current opportunities and mak-ing changes to their current ad campaigns. These are not the people who make me want to get out of bed in the morning.

On the other hand, I have clients who I enjoy seeing. They get pretty much the same service with little bits and pieces thrown in asking, “How are the kids?” or “Did you beat your sales from last year’s Memorial Day Week-end?” to prolong the conversation and build the relationship.

There are also business owners and market-ing managers whom I truly look forward to working with, and I plan these visits at the end of my day or before lunch so I can take them at a leisurely pace. Why? Because I love to gossip ... ahem ... NETWORK!

Several months ago, the director of marketing for the Gaffer District in Corning, N.Y.—my neighbors to the south—took another job. I was disappointed because I thought by getting to know him he would open doors to many of the businesses there for me, and I saw a lot of po-tential. It took me two months of unanswered emails and unreturned phone calls until I was fi nally able to score a sit-down meeting with his replacement. When I spoke with her by phone, I got a vibe that we might just hit it off, so I suggested we meet at a coffee shop in the business district and chat about what her needs were and how my publications could help her. I was right! We talked for an hour and a half. I was able to present all the products we had to offer, and left with a year’s worth of advertis-ing scheduled and another client who fell into my third category—people I liked to gossip/network with!

Three weeks later, my new client called and asked if I would work up a proposal for a business directory/guide exclusively to the businesses in her district and then present it to her executive director. As it turned out, my product was deeply needed in their area, and the director loved it. They both loved it so much

that they committed to paying for three of the premium spots and sold the fourth one for me before I left the building. More importantly, they were willing to personally open the door to all the businesses in their district by email-ing them about the project and discussing it during meetings. Nothing is more valuable than an introduction followed by an endorse-ment from trusted marketing professionals.

I share my tale with you to offer my sales advice, which is to take time to “like” your clients. When someone new comes into a position or opens a business, fi nd the time to listen to their needs and let them know about everything you have to offer because it may be their solution. Gossip a bit over coffee if you can. This particular cup happened to have a $10,000 print project and 180 new contacts in it!

And by all means, if you get a chance to take a weekend excursion this summer, come visit Corning, N.Y. There is even a handy Gaffer Guide that we published which “Hi-Lites” all the amazing businesses that make it Rand McNally’s Best of the Road, Most Fun Small Town in America for 2013!

Good GossipBy Kristine Morseman, The Hi-Lites

“Dr. Joey,” she asked, “to be gone on vacation for one week, why is it that I have to do two extra weeks of work—one before I leave, and the other when I get back?” Have you ever won-dered that? Sure seems that way, doesn’t it? Here are three strategies to avoid vacation anxiety:

1. Describe StatusHave a meeting with yourself and describe the status of each of the projects currently receiving your primary attention. How far along are you? Where are you on the project timeline? Will any status reports require fi ling while you’re gone? What must you accomplish before you leave? By describing the status of each project, you clearly detail expectations. This clarity focuses your mind to specifi cally address rele-vant matters, a cognitive function. Such mental processing keeps at arm’s length the emotive “vacation anxiety” which may sabotage your productivity the week before you leave. Once you describe the project statuses, update your coworker and/or supervisor with this informa-tion. This proactive approach calms any con-cerns they may have and, if anyone is to cover

your position, offers them all of the informa-tion they require to work positive.

2. Defi ne “Emergency”By describing the project statuses and sharing the information, you very likely eliminate any “emergency” communications while you’re on vacation. However, to insure you truly leave town physically and mentally, defi ne “emer-gency” when you meet with your coworker and/or supervisor. Ask questions like, “Now, what have we yet to discuss that could possi-bly arise while I’m gone?” and “Any potential emergencies come to mind?” By doing this, you avoid a frantic call asking, “Where are the coffee fi lters?” Well, even if someone else is in charge of the coffee fi lters, you understand. Defi ne “emergency” with them. 3. Delineate Re-EntryWork goes on while you’re gone. Just because you clean your desk before you leave doesn’t insure it will remain so. On one level, it’s comforting to be missed for your unique con-tributions you bring to the team. On another level, “vacation anxiety” can creep into your head as you travel back home. You imagine

everything that could possibly have gone wrong while you were away. Your racing thoughts keep you awake on Sunday night while anticipating Monday morning.Before you leave for vacation, delineate your re-entry process. Remember those projects for which you described their status? Sched-ule pick-up points for your week back. Also, that meeting you had with your coworker and/or supervisor before leaving? Schedule a status update meeting when you return, preferably early Monday. Such infor-mation is vital for your secure re-entry and a work-positive week. Describe status, defi ne “emergency” and delineate re-entry to avoid vacation anxiety and work positive!

Three Strategies to Avoid Vacation AnxietyBy Dr. Joey Faucette

Dr. Joey Faucette is the #1 Amazon best-selling author of Work Positive in a Negative World (En-trepreneur Press), and work-positive coach and speaker who helps business professionals increase sales with greater productivity so they leave the offi ce earlier to do what they love with those they love. Discover more at www.ListentoLife.org.


Member Fun and Philanthropy

Tom Cuskey, FCPNY’s sales & training director, on Father’s Day (June 15) with his immediate and extended family at Alliance Bank Stadium, home of the Syracuse Chiefs Triple-A baseball team.

Vladimir Liba from Slovakia; Jerry Rolison of Mount Morris Shopper, Rochester, N.Y.; and Sasa Jezdimirovic from Serbia taking in the view of Niagara Falls (American side) at night on June 6. Both Vladimir and Sasa (pronounced Sasha) are in the U.S. on work visas until November.

Christopher Harrison (son of Steven Harrison of Genesee Valley Publications) about to enjoy the Richard Petty experience at Daytona Speedway, where he reached a speed of 172 mph on the straightaway in May.

The Syracuse New Times staff “going red” for heart health in support of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign this past February.

Eric Shay of The Hi-Lites with Idris Elba, star of the movies “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” and “Pacifi c Rim,” in Watkins Glen, N.Y., where Elba and NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Rusty Wallace were shooting a documentary last summer.


Upcoming FCPNY EventsFCPNY

SALES SUMMIT Watch your Em

ail for Details and Dates!

Plans are in the works for an FCPNY Sales Summit to be held this September. Dan Holmes and Tom Cuskey have reviewed results of surveys on the proposed idea as completed by association members, and have had preliminary discussions with potential speakers and presenters. A decision on a date and presenters is expected shortly. The format for the one-day event will offer something for all levels of sales.

A high-energy opening with a keynote kick-off presentation will be followed by breakout sessions for each of these three groups: 1) newer/recent hire salespeople; 2) experienced/senior salespeople; and 3) sales managers and publishers.

Plans right now put the summit sometime the week of September 8, so mark your calendars and keep an eye open for our offi cial announcement.


by Joseph J. Stefl ik, Jr., Esq. Coughlin & Gerhart, LLPby Joseph J. Stefl ik, Jr., Esq. Coughlin & Gerhart, LLPLegalese

Mark Twain wrote, “No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” Legislation deadlock would seem to alleviate this problem. However, it appears that executive and administrative fi at has altered the quote to “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe when ex-ecutives and administrative agencies may unilaterally change the rules.” The following are current examples:

Executive Orders/Presidential Memoranda. President Obama has issued several executive orders (EOs) and presidential memoranda that may affect your business. EO 13658, issued on February 12, 2014, requires federal contractors to pay their employees $10.10/hour for contracts issued after January 1, 2015. Thereafter, the wage will be indexed to the Consumer Price Index. The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) will issue regulations by October 1, 2014. EO 11246, issued on April 8, 2014, was amended to prohibit federal contractors from retaliating against applicants or employees who inquire about, disclose or discuss compensation. Interestingly, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has already held that discussion of wages is protected concerted activity and employers may not take adverse employment action against employees who exercise that right. President Obama, on March 13, 2014, issued a presidential memorandum directing the USDOL to “update and modernize” overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is anticipated that these new regulations will raise the minimum salary requirement for exempt employees (possibly from $455/week to $1000/week) and change the job duties necessary to qualify for the overtime exemptions. This change likely will make many employees now exempt from overtime rules as executives, managers and administrators to be considered non-exempt.

Affordable Care Act Regulations. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), on March 10, 2014, issued two new regulations detailing an employer’s obligation to report health insurance coverage information. Regulations pursuant to 26 U.S. Code (USC) § 6055 for self-insured plans requires every person who provides minimum essential coverage to individuals, including self-insured employers, to provide a return to the IRS with certain information about the individuals covered so that the IRS can confi rm that they have the required minimum coverage. Information that must be reported includes identifying information regarding the employer (name, address and employer identifi cation number); identify-ing information for the primary insured individual and each covered individual (such as date of birth and tax identifi cation numbers); and the months for which, for at least one day, the individual was enrolled in coverage and entitled to receive benefi ts. Pursuant to 26 USC § 6056, large employers (50+ employees) must fi le a return with the IRS that

reports for each employee, who was a full-time employee for one or more months during the calendar year, certain information about the health care coverage the employer offered to that employee, or, if applicable, that the employer did not offer health care coverage to that employee. The new regulations indicate that a return meets the law’s requirements if it is in the form as the IRS prescribes and contains: 1) the employer’s name, address, and employer identifi cation number; 2) the name and telephone number of the employer’s contact person; 3) the calendar year for which the employer is reporting; 4) a certifi ca-tion as to whether the employer offers to its full-time employees and their dependents the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential cover-age under an eligible employer-sponsored plan; 5) the months during the calendar year for which minimum essential coverage under the plan was available; 6) each full-time employee’s share of the lowest cost monthly premium (individual only) for coverage providing minimum value offered to that full-time employee under an eligible employer-sponsored plan, by calendar month; 7) the number of full-time employees for each month during the calendar year; and 8) the name, address and taxpayer identifi cation number of each full-time employee during the calendar year and the months, if any, during which the employee was covered under the plan. The regulations indicate that if the employer fi les Form 1095-C for each employee, as well as a transmittal Form 1094-C with the IRS, it will fulfi ll its obligation.

National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB continues, by administra-tive decisions, to impose additional obligations on employers:

1. Photography bans – The NLRB has found that rules prohibiting employees photographing work areas or allowing employers to photograph employees may violate the National Labor Relations Act. Employers must carefully draft their social media policies to regulate only specifi c photography—trade secrets, manufacturing processes, etc.

2. Non-work regulations – The NLRB held that a rule requiring employees “to represent the employer in the community in a positive and professional manner” unlawful as overbroad and ambiguous. Prior decisions have held “positive and professional” language is acceptable. Company policies should be carefully reviewed and, if necessary, made more specifi c.

3. Wage discussions – A trucking company’s rule that required employees to sign a pledge not to disclose confi dential matters including “personnel information” and documents was held invalid.

Conclusion. Employers must monitor not only legislative enactments, but also executive orders and administrative determinations. They must be prepared to modify personnel policies to comply and avoid substantial penalties.

AND THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING


CPAN Rebranded As AdNetworkNY

– NEWSLETTER –Published for the benefi t of our members.

Volume 37 Number 3 • Summer 2014FREE COMMUNITY PAPERS OF NEW YORK

Publisher/Executive DirectorDan [email protected]

PresidentRandy ShepardManaging EditorDeedee [email protected]

Ad SalesTom [email protected]

Advertising, Editorial & ProductionFCPNY109 Twin Oaks DriveSuite DSyracuse, NY 13206Toll Free: 877-275-2726Fax: 315-472-5919www.fcpny.com

FCPNY is not liable for errors appearing in advertisements beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error, and notifi cation must be made in writing within 10 days of publishing. The right is reserved by FCPNY to edit, reject or cut any copy without notice.

NO CASH REFUNDS.

The opinions of the individual contributors or correspondents do not necessarily refl ect those of the publication or its management.

FCPNY may include material produced under copyrighted or syndicated ad service. Permission of the publisher must be obtained before copying any of the material from any issue of the FCPNY Newsletter.

Graphic Design/Layout

What’s in a name? Just ask Madonna Louise Ciccone. You probably know her by her fi rst name only. Or how about making a copy on a Haloid machine? Never heard of it? You may know it better as Xerox, the name adopted some 55 years after the Haloid Company was founded in Rochester back in 1906.

Your brand name says it all.That’s why FCPNY recently unveiled AdNetworkNY as its new brand name for the advertising sales arm of our business, replacing the Community Papers Advertising Network (CPAN) brand. Our new logo accompanies this article. The effort to make a change started in discussions about a year ago, recognizing that the CPAN brand probably had little recognition value outside of our membership, and did not speak to potential advertisers about the products and value that we offer. Our CPAN Sales Committee, headed by Genesee Valley Pennysavers publisher Steve Har-rison, knew we needed a brand that better connected with our customers and prospects.

The effort to examine our opportunities really got underway in November 2013 when our Rebranding Com-mittee was formed from member volunteers. Special thanks goes to our committee: Caterina Cacace of Chase Multimedia, Deedee Dillingham of FCPNY, Gary Hill of Lake Country Pennysaver, Colleen Kennedy of the War-saw and Perry Pennysavers, Kristine Morseman of The Hi-Lites, and Sandy Nichols of the Community Papers of Western New York. These good people gave us the initial direction we needed to start the rebranding effort.

After consideration of a number of possible names, AdNetworkNY was selected as the new brand. Execu-

tive director Dan Holmes says, “It speaks to what we do, how we do it, and where we serve readers and potential customers.” The AdNetworkNY.com URL was already owned by FCPNY, a defi nite benefi t attached to this name.

The effort then focused on developing a new logo to capture the energy of the brand. The call went out to graphic artists from our member publications, asking for ideas and designs for the new brand. A contest was introduced, offering a $100 American Express gift card prize to the person who designed the winning logo. We were very fortunate to have received a number of excel-lent designs from the following group of talented people: Rita Butters, Southern Tier ShopperCaterina Cacace, Chase MultimediaTom Heffernan, Steuben Courier AdvocateLeslie Hendrix, The Hi-LitesJayme Privitera, Lake Country PennysaverRachel Richter, LeRoy PennysaverEric Shay, The Hi-LitesCheryl Tears, The Merchandiser

The designs were reviewed by our CPAN and Rebrand-ing Committees, as well as FCPNY staff. This review produced a “Final Four” of designs that was presented to our board of directors during their May 2014 meeting. In a close competition, the design submitted by Jayme Privitera of Lake Country Pennysaver was selected as our new brand logo. Jayme won the $100 gift card, and

a $50 gift card was awarded to Tom Heffernan, of the Steuben Courier Advocate, whose name was selected at random from the remaining participating artists. The effort now turns to implementation and development of brand awareness. Currently, we are actively developing a new retail-oriented website, AdNetworkNY.com, to present our products. We also are working on a cam-paign of various promotional ads for member papers’ remnant space that soon will be available for use in promoting network classifi eds, display ads and inserts.

The sale of network ads is critical to our members’ success. It’s network advertising sales that fund your CVC audit, AdMall sales tools, conferences, training and much more, as well as provide another potentially signifi cant stream of cash fl ow to our selling members. Many thanks to all involved in this effort, and thanks to our members for helping to promote the AdNetworkNY name.

Karen Sawicz, publisher of Lake Country Pennysaver; Jay

me

Privitera, graphic designer; and Marissa Olles, art direc

tor.

NewsDAVID FITZMORRIS PROMOTED TO VP AND COO OF CHASE MEDIA GROUP

In late May, David (“Dave”) Fitzmorris was named vice president (VP) and chief opera-tions offi cer (COO) of Chase Media Group (CMG). Mr. Fitzmorris, a 25-year expert in printing and media services, is now leading all functional departments and product groups at the marketing services provider, including commercial printing, digital ad-vertising and tools, website development, direct mail, email, social media and mobile marketing. “While the title is new, Dave has been acting in this capacity for quite awhile,”

said Carla Chase, chief executive offi cer. “His results-oriented work ethic and organizational skills continue to create growth opportunities that benefi t our entire company.”

Mr. Fitzmorris joined CMG in 2003. Since 2008, as operations manager for the company, he has overseen steady and sizable revenue growth in the fi rm’s Chase Press division, the largest printing and direct mail operation in Westchester County, N.Y.

Prior to Chase, Mr. Fitzmorris was director of operations at Miracle Press, a manufacturer of Web offset printing equipment and services in Naugatuck, Conn., where he was responsible for the development and production of its M-series presses, marketed in the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia. He started his career in 1989 at Miracle.

Dave Fitzmorris is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University with a B.S. in IT Electrical Systems. He lives with wife Tracey and son Matthew in Wolcott, Conn.

Chase Media Group serves the Hudson Valley and beyond with “Multimedia Marketing Solutions for an Omnichannel Marketplace.” Founded in 1958 by John W. Chase, the company publishes the 200,000+ circulation PennySaver, now in its 56th year. Its full range of services for businesses of any size and location include graphic design, direct mail, Every Door Direct Mail, freestanding inserts, low-cost websites, email marketing, promotional merchandise and commercial printing. The company’s headquarters are in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., with a branch offi ce in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. For more information about Chase Media Group, please call 914-962-3871 or visit www.chasemediagroup.com.


FCPNY on the Move

As of June 23, 2014, FCPNY’s new offi ce

location is:

109 Twin Oaks DriveSuite D

Syracuse, NY 13206


NewsFCPNY MEMBERS WIN AGAIN AT AFCP

Once again, FCPNY member publications were big winners in the awards ceremony of the recent AFCP annual meeting in April in Orlando, Fla. Eleven FCPNY publications received a total of 52 of the 242 awards presented in the 2014 AFCP Best of the Best awards competition. The 52 awards included 13 for fi rst place, 20 for second place, 12 for third place and seven honorable mentions in various categories. Three big winners included Genesee Valley Penny Saver with 10 awards, including four for fi rst place; All Island Media with 10 awards, including two for fi rst place; and The Merchandiser with 9 awards, including one for fi rst place.

Other winners included Chase Media Group: two awards; Angola Penny-saver: two awards; Times of Ti: four awards, including a sweep of the Best Original Photography B&W Sports category; Today’s CNY Woman: 6 awards; Valley News, one award; and Snyder Communications publica-tions: eight awards.

FCPNY publications swept the Best Online Presentation of News category with entries from The Merchandiser, Angola Pennysaver and Genesee

Valley Penny Saver. You can visit their respective websites to see award-winning ideas for your online presence.

In the Most Improved Publication categories, Genesee Valley Penny Saver took fi rst place for publications with 10% to 25% editorial content. Denton Publications received an honorable mention for their Exquisite Bridal Guide, and Today’s CNY Woman received third place for Most Improved Glossy publication.

In the General Excellence categories, All Island Media took fi rst place; and Genesee Valley Penny Saver took third place for publications with 10% to 25% editorial content.

The winner for Best of Show in the 10 to 25% editorial content category was the Genesee Valley Penny Saver.

Congratulations to all of these fi ne FCPNY publications. You have made your association proud!

“Hello” from Cheryl and Tom!

Documents

imPRESSions - FCPNY · 2014. 7. 9. · From the Desk of Your Executive Director Dan Holmes From the Desk of Your Executive Director Greetings FREE COMMUNITY PAPERS OF NEW YORK Summer