Announcements are making a come back at newspapers

There is at least one piece of good news for newspapers struggling through the shutdowns:  Announcements may be making a comeback as a revenue category for newspapers, according to Brian Gorman, co-founder of iPublish Media, the leader in self-serve advertising solutions. 

Graduation announcements are leading the way. Students have been left out of proms and parties due to safety concerns this year, and parents desperate to celebrate their kids’ accomplishments have been posting lawn signs, buying billboards - and paying for announcements in the local media. 

Before the pandemic, iPublish’s Celebrations platform was in place at nearly one hundred newspapers, allowing them to obtain revenues from announcements including weddings, engagements, anniversaries, birthdays, and of course, graduations. 

Post-pandemic, however, Celebrate Graduates is also taking off as a revenue category. 

“The entire announcements category is going through a rapid transformation,” said Brian Gorman, Co-founder of iPublish Media.

 “People want to make a bigger splash than just posting an online notice. It’s just not enough to replace big weddings, birthday parties or graduation parties that are no longer taking place.” 

“This is the chance for local media to win the category back.” 

Here’s how iPublish Celebrate Graduates works:  The newspaper can select to use either ad templates or post small stories with celebration messages. 

If they go select advertising, the platform builds a print/online ad in seconds from templates. 

Parents enter the platform from a custom page hosted on the newspaper’s website: 

Next, they select from a drop-down list area high schools: 

Families choose a layout from three templates, which are customized with the student’s photo and a color choice: 

Finally, the parents select from a choice of two sizes and prices—all controlled by the local media company. At The Day in Connecticut, one-eighth and one-quarter page-sized announcements are $50 and $100. At the Boston Globe, pricing is a little higher at $100 and $150. 

For newspapers that choose a text-based format, the announcements look more like a newspaper article, and price is auto-calculated based on number of words, photos, and other features, so families can add as much or as little as they want. Recently, families are choosing to spend more than ever.

Weddings, engagements and birthday announcements may be next, as people need to find better ways to celebrate while avoiding in-person gatherings. Technology partners like iPublish are hoping, along with newspapers, that even after the students return to classrooms, and weddings to well-spaced ceremonies, this new way of celebrating will now be a tradition and provide a stable new revenue stream.