Newsdesigner.com | Front Page Ads in L.A.*

Front Page Ads in L.A.*

4:07 PM, July 13, 2007

Looks like ads may be coming to the front page of the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Observed says. In a memo to the staff, publisher David Hiller said the paper had “one of the worst quarters ever experienced,” and that the newspaper faces more competition for advertisers and is looking at “expanding the types and positioning of advertising.”

Here’s what Hiller said about the ads:

There has been a lot of focus on such ads, and I know there a real mix of views and emotions on this subject, so let me tell you what I think of them:

Front page ads will raise several million dollars in revenue, and make a meaningful contribution to improving current trends

We will make sure the revenue is additive, and not just switched from other pages

They will help pay for the content we create for readers, and for our investment in new growth opportunities

They are common at reputable papers across the U.S. and Europe, including in the Wall Street Journal’s much admired re-design

Space taken (1 ½” strip) and related design issues can be managed

We will have standards to ensure the ads look good, not schlocky

If we communicate well, reader reaction should be OK

Update: As Anonymous points out, the Chicago Tribune reports that it will likely follow suit and that Newsday is considering it as well.

Comments

Heads up: After you hit "post" things may be slow and you may get an error. Most likely, your comment did post. Apologies. I'm looking for a fix.

To other Tribune Co. papers as well:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat_brief1_0714jul14,0,1064719.story?coll=chi-business-hed

Posted by: Anonymous at July 14, 2007 11:31 AM

Have I been living in a hole, or has San Jose just begun putting ads on A1 as well?

Posted by: Danielle T at July 14, 2007 5:11 PM

The Merc started a few months ago -- at least three months before the Chron's hideous PG&E Green ad. In fact, all the paid dailies in the Bay Area have them now -- Chron, Merc, Trib, CCTimes, Press Democrat and Marin IJ.

Posted by: Daniel Hunt at July 14, 2007 5:43 PM

Ads don't work on the front page of tabloids such as Newsday, where the space is supposed to sell the paper -- not someone else's products or services. The New York Post tries ads on its front from time to time (usually when Fox has something to promote) and it does, indeed, look schlocky. Even the sticker ads were a better solution. If this trend continues, tabloids like Newsday will soon look no better than the Pennysavers and shopper publications that come stuffed with supermarket circulars and ads for garage sales. A counter argument might be that without these ads, newspapers such as Newsday might soon not be in business at all. But an ad on the front page is not a panacea to the larger problem of vast competition and self-canibalization. Pouring free content online, where the advertising revenue is considerably less, hasn't been the answer. Neither has shrinking the news hole and cutting staff. People want content. Advertising on the front page, especially on the small-page size of a tabloid makes more blatant the reduction of news and the intrusion of a bottom-line at all costs attitude.

Posted by: Michael at July 14, 2007 8:35 PM

I don't mind ads on A1 so much. I think the along-the-bottom strip ads are kind of ugly. I prefer ads that you can, for lack of a better term, work around. The Guardian (U.K.) is a good example. And I think a lot of care should be taken to make sure the ads don't look like hell (no wild or pastel colors, a simple and elegant design, simple typography, no huge company logos, etc.). In other words, an explosive ad for "Franks Hot Car Lot" probably wouldn't go over well, in my opinion.

Posted by: grayson at July 15, 2007 2:23 PM

There may be an early wave of protest from savvy readers, but I wouldn't expect it to last beyond that. Unlike journalists, most readers don't get worked about these things. If they notice at all.

Posted by: Scot D at July 17, 2007 9:01 AM

Readers might not care about front-page ads, but what about ads that actually cut their way straight through the text of an article, and at an oblique angle? There was one in today's SF Chronicle. I posted 2 photos of it here:
http://www.dogtowncommons.com/?p=21
Am I wrong that it is quite unusual to have an ad cut an article in two like that? My guess is that it really annoyed a few readers.

Posted by: Dogtowner at July 20, 2007 12:00 AM

Posted by: Dogtowner at July 20, 2007 12:06 AM

Front page ads are common feature at all the newspapers across India. We have ads in the sizes of 20cm*3column, 25cm*4column and half page etc. On some special occassion we have 4 page "Jackets" with national dailies. As Mr David Hiller said these ads will help the newspapers to pay for the content they create for readers, and also for subsidising the cover price per issue. In India on an average 42 pages broadsheet newspaper sells for only Rupees(Indian currency)2.50, (1US$ = 40.45 Rupees). For 2US$ you can get almost one months subscription of a broadsheet newspaper.

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