Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Money Number of the Day: $26,788
Posted by Christopher Frizzelle on Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Is it...
(A) The cost of a week's worth of full-page ads in the Seattle Times.
(B) The cost of a week's worth of half-page ads in the Seattle Times.
(C) The cost of one full-page ad on a weekday in the Seattle Times.
(D) The cost of one half-page ad on a weekday in the Seattle Times.
The answer is after the jump. Don't cheat! Guess before you click below!
The answer is D. One half-page ad in the Seattle Times on a weekday costs $26,788, according to this piece in the January 16 Puget Sound Business Journal, which notes that "volume advertisers get discounts." (You need a subscription to the Puget Sound Business Journal to read the whole article.)
If you got the number wrong, don't feel bad. Three Stranger editorial staffers—when asked to guess what a single half-page ad in the Seattle Times goes for on a weekday—guessed $3,000, $5,000, and $10,000 respectively.
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3
Yes, that's because they have a large readership.
I also bet hardly anyone ever pays the full rate.
I also bet hardly anyone ever pays the full rate.
4
That's really pathetic that your editorial board is that out of touch with the ad world. So, that would make your rates about $1000ish for a half page?
5
No one pays the full rate. Discounting is part of the ad sales process. Anybody know what their circulation is?
6
@4
Why is that pathetic? Basic Journo 101 sez editorial and sales DO NOT MIX. The writers don't need to know about ad pricing any more than the accountants need to diagram sentences.
Why is that pathetic? Basic Journo 101 sez editorial and sales DO NOT MIX. The writers don't need to know about ad pricing any more than the accountants need to diagram sentences.
7
Print advertising is soo not worth the money anymore. A couple weeks ago, I was told at work to find out how much a half page ad in the Renton Reporter (the cheesy free "newspaper" that's mailed out to addresses in Renton). I was shocked to find out that a half page ad runs for almost $3,000.
8
Christopher,
Speaking of numbers, I just found this out. $3 million is the fee for a 30 second advertisment on the Super Bowl. I can still remember when it was $300,000. Wow.
Speaking of numbers, I just found this out. $3 million is the fee for a 30 second advertisment on the Super Bowl. I can still remember when it was $300,000. Wow.
9
@6 It seems a little out of touch. I'm sure they have a realistic idea of how much their ads cost. In theory, yes, the ed board and ad staff don't mix. But come on, that's not how it usually goes down in practice. And as much as I love this paper, it's not the pinnacle of journalist integrity, which is fine by me.
10
Editorial and Ad Sales don't mix.
Wait, what's that? They do? Under a pseudonym? Fired? Re-hired?
Oh. I see.
Wait, what's that? They do? Under a pseudonym? Fired? Re-hired?
Oh. I see.
12
How many click-thru ad impressions will that buy you?
And how many of those are Chinese Gold Farmers working on spec?
And how many of those are Chinese Gold Farmers working on spec?
13
But how many places get just one half-page ad on a weekday?
Aren't volume advertisers (who get discounts) nearly all of the advertisers?
Aren't volume advertisers (who get discounts) nearly all of the advertisers?
14
they're looking for a way to sell cheaper. It would have to be automated because the cost of the salesperson isn't worth the time to sell cheap little ads. Also, they could boost circulation numbers by making single copies free (and thus possibly boost or maintain ad rates), but newsprint is so expensive it wouldn't be worth it. It's hard to find a new model because salaries and newsprint costs affect sales/distribution changes, but online ads can't (yet? ever?) support a full news-gathering operation. If the P-I goes paperless it will be a great chance to see if it can work.
16
@7: A lot of the big advertisers still prefer to advertise in print and not online (like Macy's, for example). A print newspaper with a big ad on it sits around in a house or workplace for a few days and every time someone walks by it, the ad flashes their brain again. On the web, exposure to the ads is much more limited. I check each newspaper web site once a day, typically, and don't flip by every page the way I do with the print version. I only go to the pages I specifically want to read the content of, without ever passing by the others. That's a lot of ad exposure lost.
17
Levide @6, I don't think anyone at The Stranger has known how to diagram a sentence since Amy Kate left.
18
What is the most phenomenal half page ad someone paid $26,788 for? Phenomenal can be either legitimately cool or just plain old moronic.
19
What is the most phenomenal half page ad someone paid $26,788 for? Phenomenal can be either legitimately cool or just plain old moronic.
20
I almost fell for the "wall of separation" excuse except that I remembered that most of these ignorant fuckers pontificate every other day about the newspaper biz and how it ought to be run. How embarrassing.
22
Wow, does that mean The Seattle Times' weekend real-estate section is worth about $650k before discounts?
Screw the Times. All they've ever done is write puff pieces for local development interests. They're no PI, whose good investigative work - such as in-depth coverage of the SPD's use & abuse of the obstruction charge - I'll sorely miss. If the PI goes, may the Times quickly follow.
Screw the Times. All they've ever done is write puff pieces for local development interests. They're no PI, whose good investigative work - such as in-depth coverage of the SPD's use & abuse of the obstruction charge - I'll sorely miss. If the PI goes, may the Times quickly follow.
23
it's true. and they're losing a lot of advertisers (including big companies with huge ad budgets) because of it.
24
I'm guessing that that's the rate for large national companies, not the lower rates for local and smaller businesses. (and as someone up above said, advertisers with contracts pay far lower rates than a company that randomly decided to place one half-page ad.) And yeah, the circulation is still higher than any other pub in the northwest.*
*disclaimer: I'm an employee (but not, you know, so dedicated that I'd make this shit up)
*disclaimer: I'm an employee (but not, you know, so dedicated that I'd make this shit up)
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