As a media director I used to place $1 million of ads each year in the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post. Newspaper can reach a segment of the population quickly. Very little lead time is needed. Here are the current advantages and disadvantages or Newspaper advertising.

Newspaper Advertising Advantages

newspaper art

Mass Audience: Newspapers reach a relatively large mass audience throughout the market with a single exposure. A single ad in the newspaper typically can create more impressions than a single commercial on television, a single Radio commercial, a single outdoor billboard, or single insertion in any other medium.

Newspaper readership by age:

  • 28% – A18-34
  • 22% – A35-49
  • 35% – A50-69
  • 15% – A70+

(Source: IBISWorld, Newspaper Publishing, August 2020)

Visuals: The newspaper’s combination of text and graphics, when used effectively, can create visual appeal that reinforces the messages of its advertising.

In-Depth: Newspaper ads have the ability to communicate lengthy, complex or detailed information and descriptions.

Comparison Shopping: Newspaper is an effective vehicle for price shopping, and serves as the prime source for coupons.

Ad Variety: The medium offers a variety of ad sizes that allow advertisers to meet their budgetary constraints, from a one-column-inch ad to two full-page ads side by side called a double-truck.

Ease of Tracking: It’s relatively easy to track response, primarily through couponing.

Lead Time: Advertisers can place orders and copy with a relatively short lead time.

Exposure: The reader controls the amount of exposure to a given ad. They can spend as much or as little time with an ad as they like.

Geographic Targeting: Zoned editions of newspapers in large metro areas allow for less than full-run advertising.

Newspaper Disadvantages

Decreasing Penetration: Gone are the days when almost every American household subscribed to at least one newspaper. Just after WWII, there were more than 1.2 newspapers in the U.S. for every household. Today, it’s 0.4, meaning that on average, a household subscribes to less than half a paper. (RAB Newspaper Performance Reports, based on ABC data, are available for most U.S. markets.) (Knight Foundation, 2011)

Newspaper popularity for daily news consuption by age as of March 2020:

  • 18-29: 6%
  • 30-44: 13%
  • 45-54: 10%
  • 55-64: 19%
  • 65+: 20%

(Source: Morning Consult; The Hollywood Reporter, 2020)

Passive: The paper provides information once consumers decide to buy, but it does not build brand awareness or create product demand. Newspaper advertising thus works mainly for comparing prices.

Browsers, Not Readers: Most people don’t read all sections of the paper every day. Ads in a given section reach only those who read that section.

Can’t Target: It’s difficult to accommodate selective approaches that improve your cost efficiency and enhance frequency against clearly defined, high-potential customer segments.

Declining Ad Revenue: All three major newspaper print ad revenue categories have declined sharply in recent years. When compared to 2010, Retail is down 42% since 2005; National is down 45% since 2003; and Classified is down 67% since 2005. (State of the News Media, 2011)

New Competition from Outside: One of newspaper’s ad categories (classifieds) is under attack both from Internet sites and savvy Radio stations.

Ad Clutter, No Separation: Your ad placed next to your competitors’ can only be an advantage if your price is absolutely the lowest.

Source: Radio Advertising Bureau