Author: mark

I am a Director of newsXpress, a marketing group for newsagents keen for a bright future. You can reach me on +61 418 321 338 or mark[at]towersystems.com.au

Diversity in newsagency marketing group membership helps all newsXpress members

nxmembershipbaseThe survey of newsXpress newsagency marketing group members late in 2012 provided an excellent insight into the types of businesses operated under the newsXpress shingle. The results show a diverse group of members covering a good geographic spread and a nice range of retail situations.

There is strength in diversity with members being able to learn from each other and with the group being able to attract an excellent range of suppliers.  The breadth of coverage demonstrates to prospective newsXpress members that size does not matter, what is important is the people joining and that they are committed to growing their business and representing the newsXpress brand professionally in their area.

While there are many common offers, threads and products weaving the newsXpress network together, there is also diversity from which many opportunities in the future will flow.

the up-to-date understanding of the types of businesses in the newsXpress community was a small part of the data harvested through the survey.

Promoting Australia Day in newsXpress stores

adaynewsxpressCheck out one of the posters created by newsagency marketing group newsXpress for our members for promoting Australia Day.

This exclusive collateral coupled with access to products from several preferred suppliers has enabled newsXpress members to tap into the spirit and commercial opportunity of the day.

newsXpress provides a range of collateral for what we’d call minor seasons, collateral to suit the various needs of newsXpress members in shopping centres, on the high street and in rural locations.

Newsagents embrace newsXpress cluster meetings

Newsagency marketing group newsXpress has filled all available places for the regional cluster meetings to be held in the next couple of weeks. This is an excellent response from newsXpress members seeking to network with other newsXpress members and to engage in business development discussion.

The cluster meetings are being held  on the Sunshine Coast (Nambour), Townsville and Newcastle over the last week of January and the first week of February.

These are not buying meetings, they are about business development … a unique and competitive positioning from newsXpress as it helps members grow more valuable businesses in 2013.

The sessions are not a traditional member meeting, they will be more free-flowing, less formal.

Participation for newsXpress members is free.

Why newsXpress is working with Coke and the value this brings to newsXpress members

cokenewsXpress is the only newsagency marketing group to have a formal relationship with Coca Cola, the largest and most successful beverage company in Australia and the world.

newsXpress has developed the relationship over the last year and a half and in 2013 is driving even more value for newsXpress shoppers, newsXpress members, Coke and some of our partners.

We have recently had an opportunity to learn more about Coke, its positioning, its values and how this connects with us at a landmark international conference. This reinforced the important of the decision to focus on the relationship with Coke.

When you are working with the best consumer brand anything else is not what it could be.

Here are some key points about the value of the Coke brand and its connection with today’s consumer:

  • Coke is a brand that inspires optimism and happiness and hope.
  • Coke’s mission is about refreshing the world. It does this using a message of happiness and optimism.
  • Millenial consumers very concerned about the environemnt. Coke connects with them. On … water stewardship … recycling … climate protection.
  • Coke engages consumers with stories with strong and emotional content. The stories share value and create connections. This creates brand love and shared value.
  • Stories are the new currency for Coke in bulding their brand.
  • Coke invites all businesses to join in this journey on happiness and shared values.
  • The biggest shift in retail being driven by techology / mobility.

newsXpress is delivering strategic and valuable partnerships to newsXpress members, partnerships which bring their own shopper traffic and help drive greater engagement from existing shoppers.

Water Canon sells through summer

The hot summer is helping drive sales of the Water Canon brought into Australia exclusively for newsXpress. Members are reporting strong sales this past week with some ordering more stock.

In our own corporate stores we are experiencing excellent results long after the Christmas rush passed for which we originally sourced this product.

In addition to negotiating excellent supply deals, newsXpress helps members unlock opportunities with training, support and guidance to help turn products on the shop floor to money in the bank sooner.

Local communities love shopping local at newsXpress

newsXpress businesses are locally owned and operated, bringing professional newsagency-like and other products and services to local communities across Australia.

Shoppers visiting our stores can expect good local knowledge and support, direct community engagement and assistance. Important hallmarks of local businesses.

newsXpress businesses also bring new products, exciting products, to local communities … often saving the need to travel long distances to find these same cool products in a larger shopping situation.

In leveraging our group size and delivering access to the benefits at local and regional shopping situations, newsXpress is helping local communities in many ways as well as helping local business owners.

While we can never be a one size fits all business and operate on a full national scale, we work hard at delivering products and services with broad appeal and through which our members and their local communities can prosper.

help@newsxpress.com.au

The enhanced newsXpress member help service is helping more newsXpress members get quality answers sooner. By emailing help@newsXpress.com.au members are connected with a well-resourced panel which can either immediately answer queries or find answers.

newsXpress members are using the service for traditional newsXpress member queries through to questions of a more general newsagency management nature.

In establishing the centralised service, newsXpress is making use of the expanded head office services and freeing up on the road resources for in-store use.

And it’s into Back to School for newsXpress

BacktoSchoolWith the New Year just a few days old, many newsXpress members have been busy setting up for Back to School 2013, putting in place excellent displays and capping and skirting these with newsXpress exclusive collateral promoting the season.

newsXpress preferred suppliers have offered a range of cool products to augment the traditional Back to School offering. This helps newsXpress members position their businesses beyond the traditional and through this extend their relevance beyond what shoppers expect.

Of course, bundled in with back to School are the Back to Work and Back to Uni opportunities. In both segments, newsXpress preferred suppliers offer excellent products with which to reach new shoppers.

newsXpress Australia Day competition opportunity

nxadaynewsXpress members have been provided with an opportunity to run a local competition connecting with Australia Day.

Offered as part of our exclusive local area marketing suite, our Australia Day competition is a wonderful way for newsXpress members to connect with their local community on this important and treasured national day.

We know that newsXpress members love being local and they embrace local community connection opportunities.

Our Australia Day competition is simple – entrants are asked to draw or write about what Australia Day means to them. Judging is local. Prizes are local. This is a perfect local store, local area marketing opportunity.

this is another excellent example of the newsXpress difference in action … helping newsXpress members to engage with their customers and local area in an exclusive and creative way.

newsXpress members promoting marie claire magazine

nxmcThe latest issue of marie claire magazine is being promoted across the newsXpress network right now. It’s packed with excellent content plus bonuses.

FREE Aveeno Moisturiser, plus 20% off online fashion hub ASOS – wonderful bonuses.

newsXpress customers are sure to love the 24-page marie claire at work special with career tips, style hits and the secrets of successful women. They will also have the chance to WIN a $1,000 beauty-floor shopping spree by voting in the Prix de marie claire Readers’ Choice Awards.

The launch of this special issue has been promoted with emails to tens of thousands of shoppers located near newsXpress stores – with emails detailing local store locations.

newsXpress members loving our new help service

Late in 2012 newsXpress launched a new help service. This new service is in addition to our exclusive Retail Development Manager in-store service.

The new help service makes it even easier for newsXpress members to leverage the national resources of the group … providing easy access to a range of key people in the business.

The help service is freeing our RDM team from day to day queries and enabling them to take on new responsibilities focussed on helping newsXpress members to grow stronger and more valuable businesses.

We understand the new help service to be another newsXpress exclusive among marketing groups.

Connecting with Australia Day

adaynewsXpress members have been given a range of opportunities and ways with which to connect with Australia Day. From use our email footer through to several preferred supplier connections, newsXpress members are able to source product and promote their connection with the day. This is important as it demonstrates local relevance in a way often neglected by larger retailers.

newsXpress 2013 conference bookings filling

newsXpress members from across Australia are booking to attend and participate in our 2013 conference. With travel subsidised by newsXpress, we are making it easier for members to share in this important event.

The agenda is developing as practical and insightful with excellent business growth opportunities to flow. Equally important is the networking opportunities plus the exclusive buying opportunities at the conference and the newsXpress exclusive buying tour of the Toy Fair the day prior to the conference.

newsXpress 2013 National Conference. Tuesday March 5th, 2013. Melbourne Cricket Ground.  9.00am -5.00pm.

2013 Conference Cocktail Evening.  Rivers Edge.  7.30 pm – midnight.

Both events are fully funded by newsXpress.

Newsagents joining newsXpress newsagency marketing group

nxnewstoresnewsXpress ended 2012 with some terrific businesses joining our newsagency marketing group.  These latest newsagency member acquisitions capped a busy year of member acquisitions for newsXpress … across a number of states.

newsXpress welcomes member businesses of all sizes in all situations – capital city, country and rural … high street, regional centre and major capital centre.  Our membership base is spread across these platforms.

The key we look for in  newsXpress members is people who are proactive, who want to grow their businesses and who enjoy pursuing change.  These principles are central to the unique newsXpress offer.

So, welcome new newsXpress members – may 2013 be a year of wonderful growth and valued friendship as you become more connected with the newsXpress family.

newsXpress funds members to attend national conference

newsXpress earlier this month announced details of funding to be provided to newsXpress members to help cover travel costs for getting to our national conference in March 2013.

The funds being provided by newsXpress to members along with free conference attendance and free attendance at our cocktail party will make accessing the conference easier for newsXpress members.

The agenda is coming together with some excellent opportunities being lined up to make the event inspirational and valuable for newsXpress members.

The conference agenda will be augmented with some valuable buying opportunities. This year’s conference resulted in members accessing product and making truly valuable margin dollars through the year as a result of their buying.

This will be the newsagency conference of the year not to be missed. It will showcase exclusive opportunities which will help newsXpress members build stronger and valuable newsagency businesses.

newsXpress publishers post Christmas sale advice video

vidLast week, newsXpress published a brief training and motivation video for newsXpress members discussing post Christmas sale opportunities. This video, the second this month from newsXpress, is a resource for members and their employees … something to be usedto help all team members get the most of Christmas and post-Christmas opportunities.

Using video training is another newsXpress leadership initiative – helping newsXpress members and their teams to be better informed and equipped to make the most of the season.

Member feedback has been terrific.

January In Store offers newsletter for newsXpress stores

nxnlnewsXpress last week published its January 2013 In Store Offers newsletter for members, providing access to another excellent marketing tool for use through the month.

This latest newsletter reflects the professional standards of newsXpress, giving our members something with which to personally promote their businesses across the counter and through direct mail. It’s an excellent resource members tell us they love.

This latest issue is promoting fun summer products from newsXpress as well as New Year opportunities.

newsXpress members enjoyed the Mayan calendar opportunity

On our newsXpress private Facebook page we shared an opportunity for some fun yesterday. Members who engaged report a terrific sales result and plenty of fun to boot.

Through this promotion, newsXpress demonstrated a wicked sense of humour and an attention to commercial opportunities around world events (or non events).

It’s another newsXpress (fun) difference.