Guide

Beyond Print Toolkit: Run of paper advertising

ROP advertising has been in decline for most newspapers for decades now, but there are a few ways to squeeze the most out of this revenue stream.

By Shira Toeplitz Center

June 27, 2024

One arm, wearing a bright red sleeve, signs a document, while two hands in green polka dot sleeves point at it. — Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock

Run of paper advertising is a mainstay of newspaper advertising — clients want a print position, a full page or fraction thereof, in the best possible spot to catch reader attention. ROP advertising has been in decline for most newspapers for decades now, but there are a few ways to squeeze the most out of this revenue stream.

Consider color: Of course, newspapers charge more for color ads than black-and-white ink. As you consider cutbacks in print, think about which positions you’ll be able to offer advertisers who will want — and can pay for — color advertising on those pages.

Flexible timing: ROP clients tend to be among the more flexible, and ideally they’ll be open to moving days as you eliminate some print editions. If possible, try to move those advertisers to future publishing days before you cut back for a more seamless transition. You’ll lose some seven-day advertisers, but those are rare in this era of publishing.

For clients seeking to cut back ROP, one way to keep some of their business might be contextual alignment with special editions. You can remind clients that they shouldn’t pull back their spend on Sundays in February, for example, when your Super Bowl Sunday edition includes special features about the game in the Sports section. (And potentially added interest if the local team manages to win!)

Converting ROP clients to digital

As no doubt you’ve found, it’s not easy to convert print to digital buys, but ROP clients might be lured by blended, impression-rich packages. Here are a few ideas for ROP clients who might be looking to make a similar statement via digital:

A homepage takeover on a key, high-traffic date for coverage
100 percent share of voice on a newsletter that delivers a large number of impressions
First-time discount for digital impressions via run-of-site or section (all ads on those pages), or a combination of high-profile section-front takeovers

Of course, any of the above can be paired with a regular ROP buy in an effort to diversify a client’s spend.