Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the means of using a laptop application in the creation of target market advertising for daily newspaper independent publications. More specific purposes were: (1) how to provide a sales representative with templates and guidelines to ensure that the primary function, selling, is maintained; (2) to train the sales representative on the hardware and software applications; (3) to analyze the productivity of the production department and the sales representative in relation to the laptop application; (4) to analyze the response to the laptop application by the customers and their involvement in the creation of their advertisement.

PROCEDURE: The procedure of this project is formulated within the framework of conventional historical research. The following objectives were undertaken to accomplish the goal of this project. Using the Multi-Ad Services application Creator© a series of templates were created consisting of approximately 18 different advertising layouts. Four clients of The Syracuse Newspaper's publication Auto Finder were selected to be initial targets of this project. The client base would be expanded each week. Training on the hardware and Multi-Ad Creator© application would take place as the same time as visits to the clients. This technique was used to accomplish the goal of training for both the sales representative and the client.

To determine the success of this project a questionnaire was formulated. The areas that were surveyed included the sales representative, members of the production staff responsible for composition of the publication and clients. An additional survey was distributed to the clients to determine if the project was a success for their business. This included questions relating to the success of the advertising, quality and other media used to sell the clients automobiles.

FINDINGS: The most important findings were:

1. A successful means of providing a sales representative with templates and guidelines that ensured that the primary function, selling, was maintained.

2. The training of the sales rep on the hardware and software applications must be limited to on-the-job training. It is more successful if the employee has a basic knowledge of computers, however this is not critical.

3. The analysis of the productivity in the production department and the sales representative in relation to the laptop application was significant in relationship to the amount of time allowed for the testing of the project. Productivity has increased as much as 20 percent with the sales representative and 10 percent in the production department. The production department anticipates further increases in productivity as this program is expanded.

4. The response to the laptop application by the customers and their involvement in the creation of their advertisement has been determined to be effective. The effectiveness is based on the customer's response to a questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS: The following conclusions were derived from the study

1. A Laptop Applications for Retail Newspaper Advertising (LARNA) is a cost effective method of increasing productivity in both the sales department and the production departments.

2. The Laptop Applications for Retail Newspaper Advertising (LARNA) is a concept that can be used through out the newspaper industry in a variety of specific areas.

3. The next step is to determine a means of transmitting the information from the sales representative on his rounds to the production facility.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Advertising, Newspaper--New York (State)--Syracuse--Data processing; Laptop computers; Advertising, Newspaper--Data processing; Desktop publishing

Publication Date

1-1994

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Advisor

Robert G. Hacker

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at HF5927.S27 N53 1994

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Download

Share

COinS