The Indiana Publisher

Pulliam Interns: The interns and hosts have been announced. Page 3 Homework? Key gives an assignment that will preserve our freedom. Page 4 Hey, can they do that? Steve Key an- swers your legal ques- tions. Page 3 Favorite Apps: Maximize the use of your handheld device. Page 2 INSIDE Publisher The Indiana Volume 82, Issue 5 • May 11, 2017 Published on second Thursday monthly T he Hoosier State Press Association (HSPA) will host a full line-up of con- ferences in 2017. The conferences and training opportunities include the Idea Exchange Call, the Public Notice Advertising Seminar, the Reporters Workshop, and the 2017 HSPA Annual Conference. HSPA and Indiana Newspaper Advertising Executive Association (INAEA) will host an Idea Exchange con- ference call on May 18 th at 10 am EDT. The calls are designed to be an ideation session that helps you create revenue generators for your market. During the calls, newspaper professionals share their ideas, and field any questions from those on the call. Sales materials will be shared with via email. HSPA Executive Director and General Counsel, Steve Key, will lead a Q&A on public notice advertising on June 7 th and June 14 th . During this seminar, attendees will get answers to their questions on legal advertising. The questions answered may include information on what to charge for public notices given the state-mandat- ed price cap, which government agencies should publish their notices, which public notices fall outside the state-set rate structure, why commu- nication with the news department about public notices is important, and why customer service is important when government officials have no choice in running public notice advertising. Register at www.hspa.com/pnworkshop. The Reporters workshop is for up-and-coming reporters who want to brush up on their skills. The 2017 sessions will address everything about covering a beat. Attendees will learn how to deliver education news, and how to integrate social media into daily beat reporting. Conference content also includes information on going beyond the police news releases to get the inside scoop, and get- ing full access to the govern- ment proceed- ings that mat- ter. Conference speak- ers include Allison Carter (Indianapolis Star), Steve Key (HSPA), Bill Powell (The Herald, Jasper), Lt. Tim Lampert (Dubois Co. Sheriff), and Eric Weddle (WFYI Public Media). Register for the Reporters Workshop at www. hspa.com/reporters-workshop. Save the date for the 2017 HSPA Annual Conference. Hundreds from around the state will meet on Sept. 21-22 at the Alexander Hotel to celebrate our accomplishments and learn about new innovations in the industry. HSPA conferences approach I t isn't everyday that you get to spend the day at a Hoosier icon's house. While offi- cially it wasn't the actual house of Barbara Bradley Baekgaard or Patricia Miller, I did get to spend the day at the corporate headquarters of Vera Bradley near Fort Wayne and learn about their legendary business. Founded in 1982 by the ladies with a $250 loan, the women's handbag and accessories com- pany now rakes in over $500 million in sales annually. In their 35 years of business, these ladies have learned a thing or two about how to run a successful business. Some of those key points are quickly translatable to media com- panies, who can learn from today for a better tomorrow. Vera Bradley had a very simple beginning. The two founders were neighbors and struck up a friendship and business partnership based on a simple housewarming gift. Later, the two were traveling and noticed the selection of women's handbags was limited to black and brown. They introduced fun patterns and bright colors, revolu- tionizing the handbag and backpack market. Turning a good product into a sustainable busi- ness is not easy. They lean heavily on research, design and customer feedback to keep their brand fresh and growing. Vera Bradley doesn't look at their internal goals and then try to create a product that works at achieving their goals. They interact with their core and potential customers, and determine what they can create to excite their target and score sales. Too many times, newspaper companies do just the opposite. The challenge for media professionals is to is to be different enough to customers to be fresh, but not so radically different that they are turned off. We accomplish this through special sections, product roll outs and sales initiatives. It is May now, and Christmas feels forever away. But it's not. At the event I attended, Vera Bradley gave us a sneak peak of their back to school and fall / holiday TV commercials. They've planned their marketing that far out. Within our organizations, we need to take the bull by the horns and plan ahead for the remainder of the year. Now, or at least in the next few weeks. If sales specials, kick offs, sales rep incentives and special sections are thought out six months ahead instead of thrown together at the last min- ute, you have the chance to Purses teach target engagement, sales growth Pete Van Baalen See Purses, Page 3 By Pete Van Baalen Fort Wayne Newspapers Attendees at 2016 Hoosier Press Association conference listen attentively to seminar speaker. Legal guide coming Due June 16 Entries for 2017 Best Advertising Contest Details at hspa.com/advertising-contest Get answers to your questions on this vital component of govern- ment transparency. Details and registration at www.hspa.com/pnworkshop Q&A on Public notice ADvertising H oosier State Press Association is build- ing a guide to public notice advertising for Indiana's newspapers. The guide will be posted on our website in June and is downloadable for those who want a hard copy they can reach readily. "I'm excited to see this project reach fruition," said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for HSPA. "This is something I've heard requested for more than 20 years." The electronic version of the guide will be a growing publication, Key said. As members con- tinue to ask questions about the process or spe- cific notices, those questions and HSPA answers will be added to the guide. "Our members will See Guide, Page 4

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