Confession here — and I’m telling the truth — in 2010 I made a halfhearted proposal to some corporate types that we (the newspaper) should be giving away iPads to subscribers so they could read the paper on it.
In 2010, this would have made national news! iPads were brand new and people would have flocked to subscribe just to get the iPad.
Of course, it wasn’t even seriously considered.
Now, newspapers would kill to get the 2010 circulation numbers back. And don’t forget, circulation means revenue and that spells M-O-N-E-Y.
Well, that’s another boat that newspapers have missed. Offer free iPads today, and you’ll probably get a ho-hum response.
However, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette did just that last year, and apparently to some success:
We also realized that many of our subscribers did not own an iPad. So we included an iPad with the subscription …
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
A letter to subscribers
The Democrat-Gazette started the iPad offer in one county. Just 5,000 people. They realized that most people there would not know how to work an iPad, so they gave classes. Sat down with people and showed them how to use the iPad and more importantly how to read the paper on the tablet.
Kudos to the Democrat-Gazette. The program continues, and if you happen in live in the circulation area you get sign up for a subscription and an iPad!
Check out their iPad help page… it’s pretty good.
Wanna Buy a Paper, Mister? 