Andy Eick on Improving Circulation Departments

Andy Eick, general manager for the Boston region at USA Today, spoke to API about new strategies for the circulation department. He will lead the session, "Creating and Excellence-Driven Department" at API's Circulation Executives seminar, July 10-14, 2006.

API: What challenges do circulation departments face today?

Andy Eick: Circulation departments face nothing BUT challenges. FasFax numbers still prevail, so paper-vs-paper comparisons are still the reality. However, the shift away from third-party and less-than- 50% circ means many papers will fight themselves for awhile (the enemy within?), as the gains/holds of the past several years are taken away in one fell swoop. Increased migration to newspaper websites may be OK long-term, but it doesn't help the person who, for now, sits atop the circ dept only. There are also paid weeklies, free weeklies, new niche publications, free commuter dailies - each of those chip away at a local daily's franchise, and take another few minutes away from an already too-busy consumer. Couple that with the dreadful 18-34 data, cable and Internet availability on just about everything but your shoes, and the continuous manpower reductions that come as stock prices and circ dip, and you've got yourself a couple of obstacles to start your day.

API: How are circulation executives reprioritizing to meet new challenges?

AE: Part of the short-term response will not be necessarily innovative, but more necessity. Invariably, accomplishing "more with less" will become a reality for every circ exec in the land. Better to have a plan when that time comes than to have one forced upon you, so [you need] a strong sense of your stars, their skills, and their capacity to reinvent themselves going forward.

• Try to get on the "eyeballs bandwagon" - major metros are beginning to tell their story with their total reach. That "reach" now, and increasingly going forward, will include the non-duplicated consumers who access their information platform SOMEWHERE - print, on-line, TV, radio. A circ exec today would be well served to pay attention to this message, and adopt/adapt accordingly within his/her own organization, where appropriate.


• Newspapers have been merging their print and online advertising groups and editorial staffs recently. Circ would be wise to track what that merge looks like, and ideally invest yourself in the process.


• Don't operate in a vacuum! To the greatest extent possible, make sure you are well-apprised of the company mission. If the intent is to get a blended advertising rate between print/online that's going to elevate overall profitability, make sure you're not on a "circ growth at any cost" mission, as the expense involved may not feed the core mission.


• If you've been part of editorial's budget meetings each day, great. But now more than ever, ask for top dot.com stories weekly, if that's available. If you're the first at your newspaper to make such a request, so much the better.

API: Looking towards the future, what type of staff should circulation executives be hiring now?
Where should execs look for these people?

AE: Top management of circ departments will increasingly become college graduates, and increasingly, the call for MBAs and professionals with an expertise in direct mail, database analytics and distribution metrics will become the norm. Profitability also carries the day, so a circulator will need to differentiate "good growth" and be able to rationalize the staff they have. To not do so will just put circ in a tough spot when profitability forecasts are missed.

With everything that comes before, college grads may seek anything BUT a career in print newspapers. However, it will be incumbent on newspapers to show that they are bigger than the dead trees they print on each day. Newspapers do have at least equal footing when it comes to the best and brightest grads - the job market continues to be dreadful for this group, so a compelling, meaningful position at a newspaper could be the best offer to come their way. And given the number of layoffs, restructures and severances newspapers continue to offer, there are bright, well-trained, industry-savvy people sitting home waiting for the opportunity to get back in the business. The very best typically hire a search firm, so networking with that group may bring some excellent candidates your way.