As a fringe benefit, the addition of the news side to the roster of those who use online demographic applications in a given newspaper lowers the total cost of ownership, thanks to economies of scale. That rapid return helps justify the investment in Web-based tools. Subscribers simply specify the information they desire on online forms and instantly receive reports, charts and maps on their desktops. Larger newspapers and newspaper groups can take the process a step further by commissioning custom intranet sites incorporating various third-party databases as well as proprietary information such as their circulation data and newspaper zones. Gannett's Newspaper Division, for example, is using a customized version of DemographicsNow that delivers a wide variety of information to its 100 daily newspapers.
Every paper has online access to the application.
Working with demographic and lifestyle data, the paper developed readership composites personalized with family names, pets, specific newspaper section preferences, and photographs. The Greenville News in Greenville, SC, used lifestyle information to help redesign the Tribune Times, a sister weekly newspaper. The design team used the data to target reader and non-reader interests in specific geographic locations. Following the redesign, the Tribune Times significantly increased readership, and it was also was named the best weekly in South Carolina by the South Carolina Press Association. Newspaper personnel attribute these achievements in part to the strong targeting made possible by the demographic data.