The following memo details the project I first wondered about on April 28; it's written by Senior Vice President Michelle Krans, who is in charge of strategy and development.
On behalf of Laura Hollingsworth, Michael Kane and all of us at McLean headquarters, we are very excited to have you join us in Virginia next week for the official kickoff rally for Gannett Client Solutions (GCS).
This year, U.S. Community Publishing has embarked on an ambitious goal -- to become a World Class Sales Organization. We think we will get there, in part, by becoming more consultative with our advertising customers and better understanding our market’s potential. Gannett Client Solutions is a key strategy in achieving our goal.
Think of Gannett Client Solutions as a newly-formed advertising and marketing services agency working on your media organization’s behalf. We’ll give you all the details when you’re in town, but Gannett Client Solutions will be focused primarily on generating new key account business, and there will be one GCS group per region. Each group will be made up of highly experienced marketing strategists, multi-media design talent and digital experts. They will be ready to help you understand the needs of your highest potential prospects, develop solutions for them and even accompany you on the calls necessary to consummate the deal.
But our time in McLean will not be just about Gannett Client Solutions. We will talk about a new way of managing key accounts. In our increasingly competitive environment, we must be more solutions-oriented, offering more than just media schedules. To compete and win in today’s environment, we also must be the best at building relationships, developing custom strategies with real value and making the most of market opportunities.
Attached is the agenda for the big event on June 7-8. We will start Monday evening at 5:30 p.m. with a reception and dinner at Gannett’s corporate office. It will be a good chance for all of us to get to know each other. Our hope is to leave you feeling inspired and armed with new resources to provide the best solutions for your clients.
We look forward to seeing you in McLean!
[Image: today's Indianapolis Star, Newseum. Indianapolis is headquarters for the Interstate Group, one of Gannett's four regional newspaper operating groups across the U.S.]
Capitalizing "World Class Sales Organization" makes it so, I guess.
ReplyDeleteSo rather than build upon any local market knowledge or client history, from wherever GCS is warehoused, they'll be able to tell you what your clients need, what programs we're going to stick them with, and then they'll swoop in to consummate the deal. This will leave the locals to clean up the mess with this fad disappears in six months - similar to other corporate innovation like the DIG and our entire digital division.
Hey, publishers - don't forget to ask where the cash goes. Remember, you're still on the hook for your total nut, even if corporate takes all your big advertisers and GCS's 'em.
Digital Experts now that is too funny.
ReplyDeleteFunny Laura in charge of this, we will see if advertisers like her negative style. She is incapable of saying anything positive. Most hated President in Gannet.
ReplyDeleteGannett -- you are a day late and a dollar short! Businesses, both large and small, with savvy marketing managers no longer need to hire outside companies to grow. Dozens of marketing solutions are already availabe online to businesses. All they need is a computer with a high-speed connection -- and a little bit of training. Trust me on this. I am a former Gannett employee, and I have advised many of my old customers about new marketing techniques. These techniques DO NOT require the assistance of an overpriced Gannett employee. Let's face it -- the marketing world has changed!
ReplyDeletebeen there. done that...and that...and that. Stinson tried to roll out the flight plans and some computer assisted rate calculator that never worked but waisted thousands of hours. Then it was the national flier program, then it was the political ad software with Chris Frey (great guy, bad plan), then it was a corporate classified initiative, then it was year 2000 ad drive, then it was the idea swap, I know they have to do something, but each new corporate team launches variations of the same plan that takes too much time and never delivers. I have been gone for 9 years (former metro ad director) and it's still the same stuff. Corp writes it declares it the solution to all programs and you're a dumb ass because it doesn't work!
ReplyDeleteThis is comical. Bob Dickey recycles the same old people for teh NEW initiatives...Laura Hollingsworth, Michael Kane, Michelle Krans...
ReplyDeleteCome on, isn't there anyone else who can innovate here? Seriously, nothing that they have done previously has worked, so why are they leading up this initiative Bob?
No matter how they dress this up as some new initiative, this is a real turkey. I am sure that everyone who attended the Crystal Palace's conference congratulated the execs on their new pet idea, while grumbling to themselves that it won't do much. Where have these people been? Even small business today does its own marketing, thanks to tools readily available on the Internet. If they turn up with marketing specialists, they will be laughed out of the front office.
ReplyDeleteOMG, WTF, Really. Give me a break. Advertisers will see right through this. Why would an advertiser put all their eggs in one basket(Gannett Products). Leader in the industry is probably true but Gannett is so far behind that they will never catch up.
ReplyDelete9:05 is right. Business is already atuned to doing its own marketing, and the proof is they are putting their own ads on the Internet and monitoring the outcome. This memo treats them as fools who don't know what they are doing, and need the expertise of Gannett's marketing experts.
ReplyDeletePlus, who in their right minds would hire a marketing company that will only recommend its own products.
ReplyDeleteIf I was a company that chose to outsource my marketing, I would go to an independent who would look at all media, not just Gannett products. In fact, as bad as the Gannett products in my market are, I would favor a company that looked for alternative outlets.
The worst part of this initiative is that it is aimed at key accounts - the customers who have broken the mold already and stayed in business long enough to grow.
ReplyDeletei.e. the people who AREN'T marketing idiots and who have a real good idea of where their promotional dollars are spent most wisely.
Can we form a team next to tell Walgreens and Target that they're wasting their money with inserts and instead should be running $300 banner ads on our websites?
Unstated in the memo, but I think implicit, is that this initiative is aimed at promoting Pointroll. Pointroll gives advertisers a richer profile of consumers, but it only works with digital. Doesn't work with traditonal newspaper ads.
ReplyDeleteTo make this work, reps will have to be willing to recommend other (non-Gannett) media to have any legitimacy. It would have to be an agency, not a lead generator for Gannett products.
ReplyDeleteNever will happen which is a shame. It’s not a bad idea. They could wipe out a lot of local agencies (See what Staples, Office Max, Office Depot did to local office supply stores.)
Ah where is Leslie G in all of this? Isn't she still part of advertising?
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny that they think they are innovative! World Class? Ha-ha!
They need to move on and let some others in to show them how it's done.
Also Brad is part of this. All talk;No show.
Lot's of luck! See ya in the welfare line.