Newspaper staffers sell themselves as the Madison market experts, approaching potential telcom advertisers before they enter the market. Salespeople tailor initial presentations to the category and technology that the telecommunications company seeks to market. The sales execs often suggest a marketing plan, highlighting what the newspapers can provide. Managers are phasing out volume incentives, preferring to offer value-added services. To further meet advertiser needs, the ad staffers strive to keep up on business, regulatory and technological changes taking place in telecommunications.
Salespeople working in the category undergo internal and external training.
In the future, two salespeople will handle all telecommunications accounts, rather than several execs sharing them. The advertising department also publishes a monthly profile of Madison, highlighting local demographics and providing a general overview of how telecommunications companies are advertising in the market. The competitive reports share public data such as linage, insert usage, and whether a company is using targeted or saturation advertising. The report sets the bar for competing advertising levels. Paul area to reflect the changing marketplace.