A Q&A with Isaac Lasky, Marketing Director of Al Dia Texas.
Portada: How does this expansion tie in with the general expansion of the Dallas Morning News?
Isaac Lasky: The expansion of Al Dia’s circulation ties in with the general strategy of growth of The Dallas Morning News by focusing on specific targeted reader segments. The company is very sensitive to the changes in demographic changes and very in tune with lifestyle changes that is why we have a wide portfolio of publications to serve different needs. Now we are announcing two initiatives to service our readers and advertisers and to find growth strategies we are, launching Briefing a brand new style of newspaper, with free home delivery to non Dallas Morning News subscribers, with a total circulation of additional 200,000 households with a quick read format on the days the consumer wants it is loaded with savings and coupons.
Al Dia’s expanded circulation is in answer to the very rapidly expanding DFW Hispanic population. Being the only daily newspaper in the Dallas Ft. Worth metropolitan area we found an underserved market and advertisers told us that a larger circulation was important to reach critical mass and be able to capture this dynamic market segment.
The Dallas Morning News growth strategy is and has been based on consumer needs and the company has been innovating with the ongoing shift in the news delivery industry; examples of this innovation and growth strategy are the launch of Quick, the launch of Neighbors, The launch of Al Dia almost five years ago and our rapid expansion of our related web sites, particularly Dallasnews.com. Other examples of the strategy that The Dallas Morning News has executed are:
NeighborsGo highly local print and online reader-generated newspapers and web sites.
Quick was also introduced in 2003 to serve younger readers who don't pick up traditional newspapers.
F!D Luxe, tailored for affluent, style-conscious readers, began publication in 2004.
Portada: What advertising categories are you getting most demand from when doing this expansion?
Isaac Lasky: We have started our sales process with a vast array of prospects and potential and current clients. Various National Accounts have expressed an interest in our expanded circulation, Retailers, Financial services, automotive and telecommunications are categories that are interested in the reach that we will achieve with our expanded circulation. Additionally we will have the capability of laser targeting distribution for local and national accounts.
Portada: What is the prime motivator for this expansion?
Isaac Lasky: Requests by advertisers to reach a more numerous audience a truly have critical mass.
Portada: Is there going to be a web tie in? Are you are part of the Yahoo newspapers consortium that does newspaper circulars online).
Isaac Lasky:: While we have a strong relationship with Yahoo we do not participate in their on line circulars program. We have an award winning web site, www.aldiatx.com was a finalist in the last EPys awards for the best web news sites on a US basis we were the only finalist, the other two were El Pais in Spain and El Comercio in Peru. That speaks volumes of the quality of our web site. We have evolved with a new platform that allows us to include videos, audio, blogs, on line chat with our news reporters and a very powerful sweepstakes and promotions capabilities. We have had exponential growth in our visitors and page views.
Portada: We understand that Wednesdays and Saturdays your circ is going to be 120,000 and that 80,000 of those will be home delivered, can you explain the distribution of the remaining 40,000?
Isaac Lasky: As you point out our total estimated circulation (it will be audited by CAC in the next reporting period after launch) will be 120,000 total. The remaining 40,000 are distributed as follows: Current home delivery base of approximately 20,000 and another 20,000 single copy papers distributed via vending racks and retailers.