Category: newsagency marketing

The team behind newsXpress

nx_team_jan28_09.jpgWe brought the newsXpress team together yesterday to discuss plans for 2009, standards around our brand and look at several soon to be released member offers.  From marketing to merchandise, newsagency business development to board level, the day was an excellent opportunity to continue to evolve the culture of newsXpress and remind ourselves of our commitment to deliver measureable value and rewards to the newsagents and newsagencies which we serve.

We have a skilled and committed team working for newsXpress from the front line through to back office processes.  This team is a tremendous point of difference for newsXpress and what it can achieve with member newsagents.

Shop at newsXpress and win a Nintendo Wii

We are in the home stretch of our Nintendo Wii competition and the entries are rolling in as customers who have purcahsed eligible Back To School product at a newsXpress store go to our website and enter their details.  We are giving away 20 Nintendo Wii.

We selected the Wii as the prize because it’s something for the whole family. From games to educational software, the Wii serves many uses and is a perfect gift for the back To School season!

newsXpress is proud to be the first newsagency marketing group to run in-store competitions where entry is through the website. It’s our way of introducing our new website to consumers and making entry faster and easier.

Valentine’s Day marketing collateral

nxp_vals_blog.jpgIn addition to the excellent marketing collateral provided by Hallmark for newsXpress members as part of the Alliance program, newsXpress has produced artwork for A4 and A3 posters for our members to use with Valentine’s Day gift displays. Given that gift displays may not be mixed with card displays, we saw a need for additional collateral. Having this extra marketing collateral available means newsXpress members can more effectively dress a second and third Valentine’s Day display and thereby drive better sale outcomes.

newsXpress members can access the artwork from our website. We will also send printed material to stores who request this – at no cost.

The importance of standards

An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday about the Vinnies Op Shops run by the St Vincent de Paul Society, is a timely reminder for retailers, and newsagents in particular, about the importance of standards around a national brand. Without commenting on the politics of the changes being applied to Vinnies locations, it is important for a national brand to be more than a logo on a wall or hung as a shingle over a shop.

At newsXpress we are committed to strength behind the brand. The extent on this strength will be evident in the first round of members meetings we will run this year. We will demonstrate the importance not only to our members but newsagents more broadly the importance of a strong brand which is respected with consistency in every location in which the brand trades.

The newsXpress brand, what it stands for and how it is managed is another newsXpress point of difference.

newsXpress tagged in national TV and radio campaign

newsXpress is proud to be the only newsagency marketing group tagged ABW in a national TV and radio campaign featuring the new Schoolzone range. newsXpress is tagged along with national retailers, very proud company.

Each station & time-slot being used in the campaign is either the number 1 or number 2 rated for the appropriate demographic – grocery buyers with children aged 5-12 years.

This TV and Radio coverage coincides with the national TV campaign being run by newsXpress to promote its Back To School offers.

Electronic media exposure such as we are seeing for our brand at present is crucial to creating a difference in the minds of consumers for our retail brand over other retail newsagent brand.  We are grateful yo the folks behind Schoolzone for their support of newsXpress.

The newsXpress mission for newsagents

Our mission is to make newsXpress newsagencies the most successful and sought after newsagencies in Australia.

More than words on a screen or a page, this is our mission statement.   It defines our purpose and our goals.  It frames every decision we make on behalf of our members.

We know that if we make our members successful, we will be successful.

Branding and back to school

ctn_bts_09a.jpgThe team and newsXpress Castle Towers has created a terrific outpost for Back To School at Castle Towers Shopping Centre.  They have a full range of product from exercise books to pencil boxes, to highlighters to sketch pads.  The outpost rivals that of any national retailer.  The newsXpress Castle Towers team have every reason to be proud.

Visually, what you cannot miss as you approach the Back To School outpost is the newsXpress branded red bags.  In addition to branding the outpost, these bags contain prepackaged Back To School items by grade – making shopping even easier.

How to choose a newsagency marketing group

newsXpress is pleased to publish How to choose the right marketing group for your newsagency.  Newsagents will find this useful in evaluating newsagency marketing groups and newsagency franchise groups.  It offers straightforward advice which will stand up to rigorous assessment.

We are expecting critics.  These are likely to be those we caution against in the report – the newsagency marketing and franchise groups which seek to lock newsagents into five year agreements, which want first right of refusal if you try and sell your business or stop you from joining another group for a year after you leave.

The key advice we provide to newsagents considering joining a newsagency marketing or franchise group is to understand what you want, take your time to thoroughly evaluate the options and check the claims.  Good marketing groups have nothing to fear from such an approach.  newsXpress would be glad to help you compare its offer with any other you are considering for your newsagency.

Growing the newsagency franchise

s7300075.JPGThe newsXpress newsagency marketing / franchise group is growing.  Jarrad Zanich, our new newsXpress Western Australia based Business Development Manager, has been visiting with newsXpress members as part of his induction into our newsagency marketing group.  In the photo, Jarrad is with Margaret Augustine.  Business Development Managers like Jarrad are a unique point of difference newsXpress offers newsagents – someone who visits the business regularly to work with you on the business, fresh eyes and a kit of knowledge and ideas which are working elsewhere.  Bringing a new Business Development Manager into newsXpress takes months to learn what is unique to newsXpress.  Jarrad will be visiting stores around the country over the next two months, getting to what we do in between geting to know our Western Australian members too.

Dressing the store for the sale

marbigvalueprop.JPGIn addition to our TV campaign and national letterbox drops supporting Back To School at newsXpress, we have provided our members with a range of in-store marketing collateral – preprinted as well as material they can print themselves – to support the Back To School themes of brand and value.  On some items, like the Marbig Lever Arch Binders, we include an additional pitch – summer colours.  While this may be obvious because of the colour of the product, we have found that adding to the communication in this way can further differentiate your offer from that of a competitor.

Crossword offer exclusive to newsXpress

puzzlernxp.JPGExclusive to newsXpress.  The sticker in the top left corner of the crossword pack from Puzzler is an important message in newsXpress members and to consumers shopping in newsXpress stores.  This is one of several exclusive to newsXpress offers from Puzzler planned for this year.

The crossword category is important in newsagencies because of its efficiency.  Crossword customers are more likely to buy multiple titles from the category.  Crossword customers are also loyal – once they have found a store wwith the range and service they like, they are more likely to return.  This ties in with our newsXpress exclusive traffic generating loyalty program.

Campaigns like this one we are running with Puzzler reinforces the value of crosswords in-store and the key supplier relationships we deliver exclusively for newsXpress members.  The sticker is a proud badgs for us.

Back to School success at newsXpress

newsXpress members are reporting excellent results with Back to School even though the season proper does not kick off until next week.  Some of our members have gone out early with the support of the group and have found plenty of shoppers getting and early start on Back to School shopping.  That we had our collateral out to our members early was crucial in enabling those members who did want to start early to do so.

Information for newsXpress members only

newsXpress has loaded more content in the members only section of the new corporate website.  This includes product specific marketing collateral in support of Valentine’s Day. 

Our new website is generating excellent consumer traffic – driven in part through Google searches – to the public areas and excellent member traffic to the member-only areas.

newsXpress Bargara in the news

Bargara’s NewsXpress owner Debbie Chapman said her store experienced expected sales despite the economic squeeze.

“People are price conscious for their back to school shopping, but I haven’t noticed a difference from this time last year,” she said.

“It’s one of our peak periods in the year … last week was really strong.”

Debbie was quoted in a report published by the News Mail about businesses and the reported economic climate.  It is good to see the one report cover Officeworks and newsXpress.

Many newsXpress businesses are reporting good trading thanks to the balancing the group has brought to traditional newsagency businesses.  With categories like calendars, gifts and books delivering better-than-before margins, the newsXpress offer is proving to be financially rewarding.

First newsagent member meeting for 2009

newsXpress today announces its first member meeting for 2009 – an online meeting on January 27 at 3pm.  The 3pm start will enable this to be a national meeting, covering all time zones.  The meeting will review Back To School 2009, preview Q1 marketing and facilitate a general business discussion.

Access to the meeting is open to newsXpress members only.  To participate, you will need a computer with broadband and access to a phone for a toll free call for the audio part of the meeting.

Our online member meetings are in addition to our face to face capital city and regional member meetings and in-store visits made with members on a regular basis.  newsXpress places high importance in getting like-minded newsagents together to talk about business and collectively develop streategies for member businesses and the group as a whole.

Help when a newsagency is for sale

When a newsXpress newsagency is for sale, membership of our newsagency marketing group helps in a variety of valuable ways.

The existing newsXpress member has access to our advice in relation to preparing the business for sale – making sure the records are up to date and that the business itself is presented well.  This can help a newcomer to the newsagency channel to better understand the value of offer.

The prospective purchaser has access to the newsXpress team to get a feel for how we help newcomers to the newsagency channel settle into the business should they proceed with a purchase.  We outline our training and support services which provide access to knowledge which would otherwise take years to develop.

These services and others we provide to newsagency sellers and buyers are unique to newsXpress.  They are provided without additional cost.  They make a newsXpress newsagency more valuable through the sales process and a more appealing business to people who have never owned a newsagency before.

The newsagency channel can be a great channel to join.  Good partnerships are vital to finding that enjoyment.

Newsagency marketing group news

newsXpress is a full service marketing group for newsagency businesses.  It is the only group delivering regular in-store business management support – a key reason newsXpress members outperform other newsagencies, regardless of brand, in key departments of magazines, cards, calendars and other areas. 

To drive traffic to their newsagencies, newsXpress members have access to national TV advertising, regular catalogues and a comprehensive online marketing campaign.

To leverage the best value from each customer visit, newsXpress members have access to excellent product deals, the best in-store marketing colateral in the channel, tactics to help achieve strong impulse sales and a loyalty program which is applauded internationally as ground breaking.

To drive business efficiency, newsXpress provides regular training to members around newsXpress exclusive intellectual property.  This is delivered face to face and online. 

newsXpress members are offered these benefits – marketing, products and in-store support.  We respect their independece and their right to decide whether to engage.  The group does not force members to take every deal or engage in every promotion.  This is why some members do better than others.  Those who truly engage do very well.

What makes newsXpress unique among newsagency marketing (franchise) groups is that members are NOT locked into long term agreements.  This is a consideranble risk for a newsagent who may want to sell their business in the future as it could cause a sale to fall through.  Our view is that if we do our job members will support the group.  This is better than tying people into an onerous contract.

If you want to achieve the best from your newsagency in 2009, talk to newsXpress and see whether your business and ours are a good fit.

Nintendo Wii giveaway at newsXpress

nwii.jpgCustomers buying items promoted in our Back To School catalogue can go online to our website to enter to win one of twenty Nintendo Wii we are giving away.  Entries are building as the Back To School season really kicks in. 

We selected the Wii as the prize because it’s something for the whole family.  From games to educational software, the Wii serves many uses in a busy household.  What a perfect gift for the back To School season!

newsXpress is the first newsagency marketing group to run in-store competitions in the newsagency channel where entry is through the website.  It’s our way of introducing our new website to consumers and making entry faster and easier. 

newsXpress is embracing technology and choosing cool prizes to show that you can have fun at this time of the year and that there are great rewards for shopping at newsXpress.

Early start to Valentine’s Day

newsXpress members are taking up our Valentine’s Day offers in good numbers.  We have selected a range of gift lines to compliment an excellent range of greeting cards and related items already provided by core suppliers.  In selecting our product offers we have carefully balanced margin with potential volume as both are crucial factors in product selection.

While newsXpress sources offers around seasons and throughout the year, members are free to make their own decision as to whether to participate.  It is gratifying sharing the results after a season and hearing how well offers pitched through the group have gone.