Canada's most-read daily newspaper is hoping a daring advertising strategy will give it a leg up on the competition.
The Toronto Star is planning a revamped approach to selling newspaper advertising, including a switch to modular ads and sectional pricing, starting Jan. 1, 2008. Sectional advertising means advertisers will be charged a different rate depending on which section their ads appear in.
The changes are expected to provide advertisers with the standardized sizes and targeting opportunities being offered by online media, television and radio.
Among Canadian newspapers, however, the Star is taking a leadership role. In particular, its foray into sectional pricing is being called a first for the industry and builds on the newspaper's redesign this spring.
"The Toronto Star is committed to helping advertisers build results by connecting price and value," said publisher Jagoda Pike. "Newspapers have always been thought of as mass mediums, but through sectional pricing, the Toronto Star becomes much more than that and offers unprecedented opportunity for targeting."
Until now, most advertising has been sold by the line with prices based on mass readership. Modular advertising involves selling ads by standardized size proportions instead of ad hoc shapes. Starting in the new year, 24 modules will be available to advertisers.
The article does note that some U.S. papers have already adopted this approch. Those include the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Globe and Mail promises to watch the Star's experiment, while the National Post wouldn't comment.