Ifra innovative advertising

Empowering the News Publishing Industry10.2008

Innovative Advertising

www.ifra.com/specialreports

A must read for:Managing Director/CEO/ChairmanAdvertising ManagerProduction Manager

Catchwords:AdvertisingDesignPresses and Printing

SPECIAL REPORT

2

Preface

Disclaimer:This Special Report presents solutions and concepts with which advertising in the newspaper medium can be intensified. It makes no claim to comprehensive-ness. In particular, the given examples are intended to provide impulses but should not be understood to indicate that other processes not referred to deserve less attention. IFRA always welcomes information concerning new advertising methods not dealt with here or about the development of new technical facilities. The IFRA Magazine newsroom will continue to report on this topic.

Not so long ago, the motto “Content is King” was the credo of the publishing industry. In the meantime, it has been agreed that this should really read “Customer is King”.

This explains the growing spirit of openness towards the occasional out-of-the-ordinary wishes of the customers. News publishing countries worldwide recognise that, in an era of constantly growing media diversity, they must offer their customers more than standard advertising formats.

Fortunately, during this same time printing and mailroom technology has been developing in such a way as to provide the technical conditions for a wider range of types of advertis-ing through and in the newspaper, at an affordable price. This especially increases the importance of the mail-room in the added-value chain.

Today, with the aid of modern production techniques and on the basis of a customer-oriented communication strategy, newspapers offer a hitherto unknown variety of innovative advertis-ing possibilities. However, up to now no comprehensive presentation of these possibilities has been available. IFRA,

as an international association, has therefore taken it upon itself not just to assemble examples of innovative news-paper advertising, but also to document them in such a way that they provide impulses for new ideas by showing the wide range of present-day possibilities and at the same time by providing the practitioner with the tips he needs to investigate the conditions of new types of advertising in his own environment.

There is a special need for innovation in difficult economic times because it can help smooth the way out of the crisis. Purely defensive cost-cut-ting measures by themselves will not generate additional sources of revenue. Innovative advertising builds on the existing strengths of the news pub-lishing companies and must not be integrated by a laborious process. Every news publishing company, simply by varying formats and colours, can create advertising environments that are unac-customed and therefore special, thus suitable for attracting attention. As a next step, unusual design and layout options can be used, and finally all the boundaries of conventional newspaper advertising are overcome with the aid

of exceptional materials (ink and paper) as well as forms of processing that are not run-of-the-mill.

Innovative newspaper advertising can not only be seen, but also smelt, heard, felt, looked through, put up on the wall in poster form and scanned with a mobile camera. But I do not want to reveal too much here already, instead I recommend reading the report. It is absorbing and inspiring. And that is frequently the first step into new territory.

Klaus von Prümmer, a professional journalist, was commissioned to write this Special Report. For IFRA, Beatrix Beckmann was responsible for the pro-ject and the report. All photos included in the report – unless otherswise stated – are also from Beatrix Beckmann.

We take this opportunity to thank the members of the IFRA Technical Groups “Materials” and “Production” for valu-able tips!

Darmstadt, November 2008Manfred WerfelResearch Director, Deputy CEO

ImprintIFRA Special Reports, research reports, study reports on technology and organisation as well as documents for the standardisation of publishing and news-paper printing techniques. Published by IFRA GmbH & Co. KG, Washingtonplatz 1, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany; www.ifra.com; phone +49.6151.733-6; fax +49.6151.733-872. Chief Executive Officer: Reiner Mittelbach, Deputy CEO: Manfred Werfel. Republishing – also of excerpts – only with express permission of IFRA and acknowledgement of origin.

Purchase priceThis IFRA Special Report is sold at the price of 270 EUR plus 7% VAT* per printed copy. IFRA members can download the report free of charge as a digital file from the area of the IFRA website reserved for IFRA members. * This applies within Germany as well as for companies and persons in the European Union that do not have a VAT number.

IFRA Special Report 10.2008 Innovative Advertising

3

1 A brief history of advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.1 Innovations in the mailroom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51.2 Global crash and a revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61.3 Cross-media advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61.4 USP: the printed daily newspaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Trends in newspaper advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.1 Address all the senses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.2 Receptive young readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.3 The daily magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3 General preconditions for special types of advertising . . . . . . 10

4 Tougher competition in the print sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

5 New forms stand out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125.1 Editorial and advertising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125.2 Borderline forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125.3 Ads stand out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135.4 Rate structures and other obstacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

6 A question of format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146.1 Tabloid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146.1.1 Easy-to-manage tabloid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146.1.2 Difficult pricing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146.2 Flying pages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156.3 In great demand: the front page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156.4 Double-truck as poster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206.5 Tunnel and island ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206.6 Steps and L shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216.7 Sponsoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226.8 Multiplicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226.9 Fantasy with special shape ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246.10 Ads instead of inserts, multiple-page ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246.11 Cross-media in print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256.12 3D offers new dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276.13 Print with animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

7 Gloss and scent upgrade the newspaper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297.1 Printing paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297.1.1 Tinted newsprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297.1.2 Improved, coated paper qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307.1.3 Other paper qualities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307.1.4 Transparency with a deeper meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317.2 Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337.2.1 High-gloss extravagance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337.2.2 Fluorescent inks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347.2.3 The refined, metallic look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347.2.4 Ink for the nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

8 More colour space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Table ofContents


4

9 Fine screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

10 The printing press: the pivotal point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.1 Rotogravure ensured brilliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.2 Combination of two worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.3 New markets for hybrid printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3910.4 New designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4110.5 The fifth colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4110.6 Imprinting by ink-jet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4110.7 The perforated ad: the super coupon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4210.8 Gigantic: the dual double-truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4310.9 Folding and stitching online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

11 Stitched and trimmed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

12 Getting product samples directly to the customer . . . . . . . . . 47

13 Self-promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Reference literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51


5

1 A brief history of advertising

It is only recently that daily newspapers have had to start looking into unusual types of advertising, and many of them have not yet decided what stance to take. The older generation experienced newspapers as irreplaceable advertising carriers – no one else was in a position to provide daily updated coverage of local markets and sectors. At the begin-ning of the 1970s, the rapidly growing volume of advertising brought not just revenues, but also problems of a genu-inely de-luxe nature: On Thursdays, branded article producers advertised heavily: How would it be possible to fill the additional pages for more than a dozen “below text, 100 mm high” strip ads with editorial articles?

Because at that time there was a major growth in classified ads on Saturdays, the news publishing companies were not overly concerned when the display ads of the national advertisers shifted towards the increasingly colourful magazines and image compaigns ran in the exciting new medium of colour TV. It was not long before ads for cigarettes or detergent totally disappeared from the daily newspapers.

In contrast, regional classifi ed advertis-ing withstood all challenges, as in this

area the waste coverage of magazines and TV was simply too great. But also the fi rst generation of online services1 at the beginning of the 1980s did not damage the classifi ed ads. There were as yet no personal computers, and TV sets showed themselves to be totally unsuited receivers for online offerings. The analogue telephone connections trans-mitted data at the rate of 1200 baud2. The image quality of the Prestel standard3 was barely suffi cient for several lines of text with a few colours, such as we still know today from videotext pages. When a certain graphic capability was intro-duced with the CEPT standard4, it took several minutes to build up a page in a quality approximating that of a TV still image. Moreover, costly add-on equip-ment had to be bought and high phone charges paid. It was only in France, where France Telecom supplied every home with a Minitel receiver free of charge, that the online service reached any signifi cant degree of importance. But even there it never represented a threat to the news-paper market.

1 These services were introduced under a variety of

names: e. g. Viewtron (Knight-Ridder, U.S.), Viewdata

(U.K.), Bildschirmtext (Germany), Minitel (France) or

Telidon (Canada).

2 A widely-used measurement at the time,

corresponding to 1200 Bit per second – or 150 text

characters. Transmission of a graphic in TV quality

took several minutes.

3 Prestel, name of a former videotex service of the

British General Post Office.

4 CEPT, Conférence Européenne des Administrations

des Postes et des Télécommunications (European

Conference of Post and Telecommunication

Administrations), approved character standards for

the videotex service that was in widespread use.

1.1 Innovations in the mailroomDevelopments in the mailroom brought about an enormous boost for news-paper advertising turnovers. With hopper feeders, inserting drums and offline buffering it became possible to satisfy even the most demanding advertiser’s wishes. The immense investments paid back quickly, as major turnover increases were gained with fewer personnel. For a while it seemed like a classical win-win situation: inserts could be used to satisfy even the most unusual customer wishes without having to make many changes to the newspaper itself.

Little consideration was given to the fact that the inserting business makes major logistical demands also on the advertisers. They have to have the inserts produced separately and in advance and ensure that they are delivered on time. Furthermore, the readers started to complain: the flood of inserts was regarded as a source of irritation.

Therefore it was a welcome deve-lopment when, in the 1990s, the press manufacturers offered presses that per-mitted the integration of genuine four-colour printing into the production run. Four-high towers ensured an attractive price/performance ratio and, when electronic direct drives replaced the

Fig. 1: Classified ads have characterised the newspaper

for centuries.

Fig. 2: The first online services were complicated, slow

and not well suited as advertising carriers.


6

conventional mechanical shaft drives, the time had come to invest in printing equipment. Thanks to healthy advertis-ing income, newspapers were also willing to invest on a large scale. As a result, the print advertising turnovers continually scaled new heights. They reached their zenith about 10 years ago. At the turn of the millenium, at very most only a couple of enthusiasts gave any thought to which new types of advertising could be used to attract customers to the newspaper.

1.2 Global crash and a revolution

The boom came to a bitter and unex-pected end among the turbulences from conflicting trends. The attacks of 11 September 2001 triggered an economic crisis. Companies and investors went under cover, important advertising markets, such as the jobs market and property, collapsed worldwide. Unlike in earlier recessions, the advertising busi-ness did not recover in the usual way: the development of search engines, which provide information with com-mercial links leading to the Internet pages of the advertisers, permanently revolutionised the market. A major share of today’s advertising turnovers bypasses print and TV, going instead directly to Google, Yahoo! and others.

The rapidly growing popularity of the Internet has led to extensive discussions at IFRA’s and other organisations’ conferences. Even up to three years before 11 September, most newspaper specialists considered it impossible to offset the high losses in print advertis-ing by Internet-based advertising. Whereas on the one hand they thought

about the increasing costs for growing numbers of personnel and technical equipment in the online newsrooms, on the other hand the earnings from banner advertising and pop-up ads seemed to be very limited. Judged against these expectations, the year 2004 saw a breakthrough, at least in America: For the first time, the presi-dential election campaign was fought mainly on the Internet and also gave newspapers the long-desired boom for their online activities. But the real winners were the search engines with their “pay-per-click” business model that generates massive turnovers without labour-intensive editing. Since it has become clear that the Internet attracts large amounts of money, the news publishing companies have been seeking business models in order at least to secure their regional markets – see Local Search5.

1.3 Cross-media advertisingBut it is not just the Internet itself that draws away major advertising spend

5 See also IFRA Special Report 01.2007 (IFRA07).

from other media. The Internet is far more powerful in combination with other types of advertising: Wherever the customer happens to be, he is reached by an advertising message tailored to match his profile: In the morning by the newspaper, on the way to work via the car radio and billboards or via the free newspaper distributed on public transport, in the office via online and e-mail services, and in the evening via TV advertising. The more a media house offers this mix, the more attractive it is for the advertiser.

For this reason, cross-media is of interest to the entire advertising indus-try: radio and TV stations have also long used their popularity to provide wide-ranging online offerings and market their series and casting shows also with print publications, posters or organised mass events. Even telecoms offer online news and entertainment. In Germany, with “Einkauf aktuell”, the postal ser-vice is entering the direct advertising market with printed flyers.

Fig. 3: Google Adsense attracts advertising spend to the internet.


7

1.4 USP: the printed daily newspaper

In order to survive in the face of such competition for the advertising spend, newspapers must think in the cate-gories of the advertising industry. It lives from constantly new ideas that stand out as far as possible from the rest of the competition by having some unique characteristic. For advertising specialists, this “Unique Selling Point” (USP) is vital.

Fortunately, news publishing com-panies have such a “USP”: the printed daily newspaper. No TV or radio station,

no online provider, no telecom service provider offers such a platform that reliably guarantees millions of con-tacts daily. Only the newspaper can offer creative minds the combination of online, broadcast, events and daily newspaper.

IFRA has repeatedly published examples of cross-media marketing in recent years. This Special Report shows the contribution that can be made today by printing and the mailroom to further expand the important role of print in this media mix. Anyone who today has a modern, efficient printing

plant at his disposal does not even have to make major investments. Mostly it is just a case of making optimum use of the existing installations.

But these versatile types of advertis-ing will only experience a genuine breakthrough if the news publishing industry is in a position to offer them on a large scale. It is not a matter of competition between newspaper A and newspaper B in city C, but rather competition between the newspaper as such and all the other advertising carriers.


8

The Internet constantly produces new terms that in most cases are quickly adopted by the classical media in order to give themselves a modern image. Therefore, if our social life today is determined by “Web 2.0”, it would seem logical for newspapers to sell themselves as “Newspaper 2.0”6. That is not the old, outmoded grey left-over from yesterday’s everyday life, but rather something that is new, modern – a “must have”.

2.1 Address all the sensesBut the advertising industry needs well-founded arguments as to why the printed newspaper must still be given due consideration. The media planners working at the agencies have always used all possible channels to address their target audiences. “Advertising for all the senses” is the guiding principle: for the eyes, ears, touch, though also smell and taste.

According to (NIC06), the relevance of the senses for buying decisions in the packaging area can be expressed in the following percentages:

■ Sight 58 % ■ Smell 45 % ■ Hear 41 % ■ Taste 31 % ■ Feel 25 %

For as long as newspapers constituted an essential element of an advertising campaign, the publishing houses never had to bother about how the experts at the agencies planned a campaign. But media buyers are also expensive specialists; thus the agencies seek

6 See Michael Heipel in the invitation to IFRA Expo

2006: Technology, creativity and future-oriented

business models for “Newspaper 2.0”.

partners who offer them cross-media packages: TV, radio, Internet, mobile services, promotion, outdoor advertis-ing – and print.

Many daily newspapers can provide all that – the more popular video and audio podcasts on the display screen or on mobile receivers become, the more it is possible even to take the place of radio and TV. Newspapers have at least three USPs:

■ They occupy all niches in their region of distribution and have at their disposal especially valuable contents. ■ The newspaper is read mainly early in the morning. In countries with home delivery, families discuss what to buy that day at the breakfast table. There-fore the newspaper offers the best possibility to anyone wishing to get his advertising message to his target audience at that time. ■ Only news publishing companies can produce a daily print product with blanket coverage. No competing medium can offer this media mix.

2.2 Receptive young readersNaturally, newspaper buying habits have changed. For a time it was taken as an incontrovertible fact that fewer and fewer young people read the news-paper and at sometime in the future they would no longer be reached as a target audience. Fortunately, that has not happened. It can be observed in the countries in which free daily newspapers are offered. There, young people are especially receptive readers. The main effect the Internet has had is that no one wants to pay for content

anymore. According to an American study carried out in 2006 (SIR07), it is mainly the 18 to 24-year-olds who express an above-average trust in the daily newspaper.

Free newspapers are naturally more dependent on financing operations through advertising. As a result, they must make special efforts to cater to the expectations of their readers and advertisers. The fact that regular daily newspapers are available free of charge is undoubtedly a further revolution, though one that at present overburdens most news publishing companies, especially outside the main areas of population. Suffice to say in this con-nection: providing optimised printing possibilities for ads goes hand in hand with optimising work processes, which in turn reveals potential for achieving savings.

2.3 The daily magazineNewspaper 2.0 is in line with another trend among both readers and advertisers: lifestyle shapes both the appearance and the content. The old newspaper presented everything for everyone. Topicality was the absolute priority – and on some occasions also the excuse for half-hearted routine. Today, the trend is towards the daily magazine7. This is reflected not only in the move towards smaller newspaper sizes, but above all in the range of topics covered and the presentation. In many newsrooms, the wish for more lifestyle articles has long been registered: topics are dealt with inclusively and presented in a cross-media way, enhanced with

7 See also IFRA Where News? Report no. 7 (IFRA08a).

2 Trends in newspaper advertising


9

an array of additional elements. Colour and modern make-up software open up whole new possibilities for the editorial layout.

This makes it all the more important for the advertising department to raise the value of its part of the publications of a news publishing company, both design-wise and content-wise. IFRA has organised many conferences over the years focusing also on the cross-media aspects of advertising. It is essential in this context to fully utilise all the tech-nical possibilities.

Fig. 4: Example Österreich and Life& Style magazines


10

Newspapers have invested significantly in “heavy” equipment in the recent past and today they are mostly in a position to print a major part of their product in colour. Likewise in the mailroom: they can process major volumes of inserts. Those who are duly equipped will not have any real difficulties with the special types of advertising described here. In any case, it is essential to bear in mind that the investment cycles are becoming increasingly shorter. Anyone wishing to satisfy the demands of the advertising

industry must continually retrofit the latest technical equipment.

Such demands for investment con-front individual, small-sized news pub-lishing companies with problems that are almost impossible to overcome. For-tunately, many medium-sized printing operations, thanks to a highly motivated team, have shown themselves to be especially innovative and are there-fore able to seize their opportunities also in the future. But it will be difficult to keep pace with larger production

operations that work with industrial-scale production processes. Looking after large customers presupposes both a corresponding sales team and exactly repeatable quality. Technical add-on installations can only be used efficiently where there is a high degree of capacity utilisation. Therefore it is logical for growing numbers of publishing com-panies to consider cooperation agree-ments, also bearing in mind that such a combined operation is better able to offer out-of-the-ordinary ad formats.

3 General preconditions for special types of advertising


11

The trend towards the “daily magazine” leads to tougher competition between the different print products. News-papers want to win back advertising that they lost decades ago. In their efforts to do so, they can benefit from the vast experience of the magazine publishing companies:

■ Magazines have long been produced in commercial printing plants that are designed to achieve optimal results. Investments in peripheral facilities can be better planned and synergy effects mobilised with the logistics of a commercial printing plant. ■ Magazine publishing companies have for decades been financing market studies that reflect both the wishes of the producers of branded articles as well as the mood of the consumers. These studies are of relevance also for newspaper publishing companies.

This research highlights the value of out-of-the-ordinary types of advertis-ing. The Ipsos organisation in Mölln, acting on behalf of the Bauer Verlag, analysed special types of advertis-ing in magazines (IPS04), focusing on inserts, multi-page stitched-in inserts, glued inserts (postcards), product samples and sticky notes – all types of advertising that can today be carried by printed newspapers. It is highly likely that the results can be applied also to newspapers. The following are some incentives:

■ Especially attractive was an “inter-active insert” that was considered appealing by 89 percent of the test participants. ■ Three-quarters of all women found scented samples interesting.

■ Two-thirds like inserts because they can be kept and taken along when shopping. ■ Eighty percent of those surveyed actually pick up product samples, and most test them. ■ Twenty-seven percent of the surveyed persons have at some stage taken the product sample with them into a shop.

It follows that anyone planning special types of advertising and considering the necessary investments can obtain valuable assistance for their decision- making from experienced organisations.

4 Tougher competition in the print sector


12

Ads used to be square-shaped, because saving time when doing the layout had top priority. Working with standardised boxes is the quickest way to fill up a page. On the other hand, it is very dif-ficult for any one ad to stand out from a largely uniform puzzle, and attracting attention is a major objective of an advertising business.

In fact, already in 2004, a survey con-ducted by ZMG (Zeitungs Marketing Gesellschaft mbH & Co. KG) in Frank-furt am Main revealed that nearly all newspapers in Germany offer special ad formats (ZMG05). Thus creative advertising specialists are able to think up something to make their ad stand out from the rest.

But in practice many publishing companies hesitate – and it is certainly necessary to consider not only the form and production possibilities, but also the changes in a traditional corporate culture.

5.1 Editorial and advertisingOne of the conditions for a free press is the strict separation of editorial and advertising material. Editorial

independence, something that was fought for over decades, is not some abstract value by itself, but is impor-tant also from the business point of view. Readers continue to attach a high degree of credibility to editorial articles, whereas claims made in advertising do tend to one-sidedly praise the advertiser and are accordingly viewed with a certain scepticism by the audience. The express wish of some customers to present their message in an editorial environment is due to the fact that they want to escape this image.

If newspapers were to indulge this wish and combine advertising and edi-torial material, the readers would soon find out. This would then not only destroy the intended advantage for the advertising, but also permanently damage the credibility of the editorial content. The readers would hardly be willing to part with their money for such a newspaper. Notwithstanding all willingness to accommodate, the separation of editorial articles and paid material must remain recognisable.

5.2 Borderline formsThere are borderline cases that can per-haps be accepted at a stretch, because at least the experienced reader is able to clearly recognise the distinction. For example, in the English-speaking regions there is the “advertorial”, a mostly multi-page product in the style of the newspaper concerned. Even phonetically, the term closely resembles the classical “editorial”. At very least, upon close inspection the reader must be able to recognise that the contents are not independent, but instead reflect the views of the party who placed the ad order.

In the German-speaking regions, advertising revenues are also successfully generated with borderline products. Familiar in this context is the “Kollektiv” – i. e. special pages produced to mark specific occasions, with contents presented in editorial style and ads of the participating busi-nesses. On this basis, several decades ago the highly respected Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung developed so-called house inserts that focus on a specific topic in each case, e. g. golf or

5 New forms stand out

Fig. 5: Example of an “advertorial”, a supplemement of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.


13

the development of a branch of indus-try. For such purposes, not only large-sized ads are sold but also high-profile writers are signed up – not members of the newspaper editorial staff, but representatives of the particular sector being dealt with. These products, for which the advertising department is responsible, have their own publisher’s imprint and operate as “insert to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, a fine distrinction to the “inserts of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” for which the FAZ’s in-house newsroom is responsible.

Other borderline cases are ads includ-ing prize games. A popular approach is to somehow include the solution in the editorial text – for example as intentional misprints. Because an editor cannot really be expected to approve of such treatment of the con-tent, advertisers sometimes supply the accompanying material themselves. But then these texts are usually published outside the regular editorial part.

5.3 Ads stand outIt still occurs that ads appear that are intended to look like editorial articles and at most include a half-hidden notice that they are, in fact, “advertisements”. But that is really no longer in step with the times. After all, ad designers have many more layout options than the page designs of daily newspapers. To begin with, they can create space: e. g. with a lot of white space, an unusual column arrangement, eye-catching elements and typography that stands out. Today, these creative advertisers have at their disposal new ad formats with which they can ideally present their subjects. A first-class product does not have to compromise, it stands out from the uniform grey of the news-paper – it is a special format.

5.4 Rate structures and other obstacles

The biggest challenge in relation to special formats is the rate structure that is no longer simply based on the traditional mm prices for text ads. Although many special formats are published as following matter on more than two pages and thus satisfy the

criteria, it is necessary to negotiate with the customers to find out how much they are willing to pay.

This report cannot undertake to define new rate structures, especially as the future will see the marketing of special formats in a cross-media package with other advertising carriers. This overview is intended to give marketing people and their national associations impulses for actively pro-moting the print side.

For as long as the technical instal-lations at newspapers continue to differ greatly, there will also be problems for national campaigns. Advertising agencies that plan on a nationwide scale are hardly willing to adjust their campaigns to suit each individual regional newspaper. Although they are prepared to go to major lengths for an extremely good campaign, they cannot be expected to carry out adaptations for newspaper A and newspaper B. As long as new types of advertising can be used only with individual pioneers on the publishers’ side, this market will be very slow to develop.


14

This chapter describes special formats that can be produced on modern newspaper presses without technical adaptations.

6.1 Tabloid6.1.1 Easy-to-manage tabloidNewspaper presses have always been capable of producing not only in the full-page format (broadsheet) but also in the tabloid format. The changeover is simply carried out in what is for printers an everyday operation. Tabloid pages are always arranged in twos on a broad-sheet plate, so that no special plates are required. Whereas the imposition schemes in mixed production may per-haps take some getting used to, that should not prevent ad-sellers from actively marketing tabloid solutions.

It is still necessary to accustom the advertising customers of classical broad-sheet newspapers to tabloid formats. This is due on the one hand to the image of tabloid newspapers. In coun-tries where broadsheet is associated with quality newspapers, tabloids are considered low-quality journalism products. This view has changed greatly in recent years – at very latest since the London Times has also been published in the tabloid format, this format has been regarded as trendy, easy to manage and magazine-like. Thus advertising in the tabloid format also makes a good impression.

6.1.2 Difficult pricingAs always when tabloid products are introduced, the publishing houses must rise to a special challenge: pric-ing. There are studies which claim that a full-page tabloid ad achieves the same effect as a full-page broadsheet ad. That may be the case if the news-paper does in fact change completely

to tabloid. In a mixed product environ-ment, the reader sees both formats side-by-side and then the difference is as with TV sets: the bigger picture makes a greater impression.

The usual approach is that the news-paper offers a special section that is produced separately in tabloid and inserted in the mailroom. However, this not only involves a certain additional investment of resources in production. Above all, the customer is banished to a specific topic-related environment, clearly removed from the most current environment of the main product. But if the content of the tabloid section exactly matches that of the product, the smaller format in most cases offers better possibilities to present advertis-ing effectively. The price for this section is then defined separately from the main product.

Somewhat more complictaed is the creation of “false tabloid” inserts within the main product. In this case, it

is possible to simply cross-print a loose quarter sheet in the middle of a section to obtain four tabloid-sized pages on which the advertiser can present his product at will. However, the detach-able sheet feels a bit thin. For this reason, some newspapers print two loose quarter sheets side by side: This produces an eight-page tabloid insert in the middle of the main product, ideal for presenting the special offers of a supermarket.

But there is one drawback to this solution: With today’s standard collect production, the two quarter sheets are positioned not only in the third or fourth sections, but also further up front, i. e. in the first or second section. Such an arrangement involving eight ad pages would dramatically upset the logical structure of the newspaper. Therefore it is necessary to accept the publication in sequence of four standard editorial pages as loose sheets.

6 A question of format

Fig. 6: A tabloid insert in the main product.


15

6.2 Flying pagesQuarter sheets can be used for more than producing “false” tabloid inserts. It is possible also to laterally move the web path of the quarter sheet, so that this ribbon is folded lengthwise. The term “flying page” is used to describe this type of insertion. The sheet wraps one section of the newspaper with two printed half-pages and creates high-profile advertising possibilities throughout the newspaper. Here also, in collect production, these half-pages appear in two sections. Therefore the advertising department has the oppor-tunity to sell the customer a truly wide-ranging offer in which the advertising can be spread over a total of eight, half-page positions. Advertising of this type makes a powerful impression. But if the customer only wants a single “fly-ing page”, it is naturally possible also to use the reverse side as well as he remaining positions for other ads or even editorial articles.

If the customer wants two half pages, but no flying page, it is necessary to vary the width of the reels. A ribbon is then only one-and-a-half or three-and-a-half pages respectively. This naturally means more reel handling work that will be worthwhile only in cases where this type of production is used frequently.

But despite all this, these in-between widths can also be used for a type of ad that is quite popular among advertisers: The half page can be used also as an outer ribbon to cover only a part of the front page.

Last but not least, the half page per-mits attractive offers in tabloid news-papers. In this case, the wrap appears across the page, therefore covering the bottom half of the newspaper.

6.3 In great demand: the front page

Special forms were developed for advertising positions that are in great demand in the newspaper. Above all, the front page is highly sought. The history of the newspaper includes examples in which the front page was covered exclusively with classified ads. Today, it is naturally news that dominates the front page, though even “serious” newspapers offer ad possibilities on the front page.

The most preferred position is the “ear space” directly beside the flag. Individual publications have now changed their masthead and

Fig. 7: A flying page, designed as an events programme.

Fig. 8: A flying page in a tabloid newspaper.

Fig. 9: A half-cover.


16

Fig. 10: Front pages with ads positioned beside the newspaper title.

Fig. 11: Front pages with thumb corner.

Fig. 12: The Welt am Sonntag issue of 4th August 2001.


17

per ma nent ly reserved the space for the ear space ad. Others highlight the immediacy of the offering concerned by placing the advertising message vir-tually over the masthead, partly cover-ing it.

Also popular are small corner ads on the bottom, right-hand side of the front page. They are positioned where the newspaper is opened. The term “thumb corner” is generally used to describe these ads.

Other types of front page ads have turned out to be less successful. For example, on 4th August 2001 the daily newspaper Die Welt was published completely in blue – an AOL promotion to mark the start of the German foot-ball national league season. At the

same time, the Volkspark stadium was renamed the AOL Arena. AOL claimed that Die Welt had “already at an early stage made the networking of online and offline news its concept” as the reason for this action that since then is generally regarded as having been ill-considered.

Advertisers also want to use the front page for large-sized ads. In an extreme case, the ad acts as a “wrapper”, with only the newspaper title visible. Thus, for example, a DIY market that had booked the four outside pages of the first section presented itself below the masthead of the Solinger Tageblatt. The editorial front page was published as page 3 on the inside. This model also remained an exception among paid

newspapers, but shows that nothing is impossible.

In April 2008 the quality title Welt am Sonntag was published with a large-sized ad on the front page – the question is how a newspaper can retain its retail sale (EUR 2.50 copy price) circulation. Advertising freesheets undoubtedly have it easier here, which is why this con-cept is marketed more often and seem-ingly with success. The Bundesverband der Anzeigenblätter (BDVA), or federal association of free newspapers, refers to this type of ad as “Chinacover”.

Aside from such variations, ads on the front page have a special function: Because their size in the flag or as thumb corner is limited, they are intended to attract the interest of the

Fig. 13: Advertising as a “cover” (Chinacover) and ads on the inside, Solinger Tageblatt issue of 27th March 2003.


18

Fig. 14: Advertising on page 1 and 2.

Fig. 15: Advertising on the front page.


19

reader to further information inside the newspaper. Like the newsroom that also wants to announce as many in-depth articles as possible, many front page ads refer to advertising messages on the inside that the reader should not miss. As a matter of principle, front page ads should be sold best of all as a part of wide-ranging campaigns. They are a very specialised business that should also be managed by especially experienced customer advisers.

This applies also for one of the most impressive advertising possibilities of all: the double-truck ad in a broadsheet newspaper.

Fig. 16: Double-truck ad.

Fig. 17: L-shaped double-truck ad.


20

6.4 Double-truck as posterA double-truck ad is printed across two sequential pages.

In the middle of a section, where the left and right page are in sequence, there are no limitations imposed by the type area of the individual pages. Instead, it is possible to print across the inside margin. The extra space in the inside margin is traditionally calculated as an additional column.

A printed double-truck produces an impressive, poster-sized area: In the Nordic format, this is about 80 x 60 cm, therefore approximately corresponding to the A1 format. The fact that this is a two-page-spread means that the sheet can be removed and put up on the wall as a poster. It is especially attractive if the poster is printed in an upright format.

Double-trucks achieve the maximum effect only in broadsheet newspapers, as the poster effect is lost in the tabloid format. Besides this, a non-stitched tabloid newspaper offers only one positioning possibility – exactly in the middle – whereas a double-truck can be booked for every section in a broad-sheet newspaper. This ensures that a customer finds a suitable environment for his ad, together with an appropri-ate topic.

Printing double-trucks is by no means new. However, in the past there used to be long lead times due to the need to have the double-width plates pro-duced externally. It caused a problem for the news text if the ad made use of the width but not the height of the page, so that right in the middle of the news part of the newspaper there were suddenly pages that had to be filled with standing matter. Although full-page ads can make a pleasing wall decoration, readers tend simply to skip

over such ads. Therefore a combination is called for: the space-filling double-truck ad embedded in the editorial news part. Modern prepress divisions are able today to produce plates for printing double-trucks within the normal production times.

A double-truck ad is extraordinarily effective if it uses irregular column heights. In such a case, the text

resembles a landscape, with mountains and valleys.

6.5 Tunnel and island adsThis option offers many attractive variations. Besides the classical double-truck across the full width of the two-page-spread, so-called tunnel formats can be positioned that are surrounded by text on three sides. Therefore the

Fig. 18: Mountain and valley ad (ZMG05).

Fig. 19: Tunnel ad (ZMG08).


21

ad is positioned cross-ways over both pages in the middle. It does not have to be at the foot of the page: The motif can be moved also to the middle of the page, in which case the text flows around it.

While double-truck and tunnel ads are possible only on the innermost pages of a newspaper section in each case, text-surrounded island ads can be positioned anywhere from the first to the last page. They are published also completely framed by editorial articles. Theoretically, they are nothing other than the familiar full-position ads, but are neither limited in format nor do they pretend to be a part of the edi-torial offering. On the contrary: Island ads can loudly present advertising – not only on editorial pages but also in the classified part where they appear in an environment of suitable all-copy ads. An island ad stands alone and dominates the page and can easily overwhelm the regular strip ads or corner ads at the bottom of the page. Of course, they

can also be given different shapes: they do not always have to be square.

6.6 Steps and L shapeTraditionally in many countries the ad overflow is not laid out as a solid block, but instead with different column heights, whatever way it turns

out. What remains are mostly relatively shapeless leftovers, accurately referred to as a “news hole” – a hole that has somehow to be filled with editorial material.

In contrast, consciously designing dis-play ads in a stepped shape produces a genuinely attractive page structure. It

Fig. 20: Island ad (GAZ).

Fig. 21: More examples of island ads (full-position ads).


22

inspires the fantasy of both advertisers and the newsroom as well as making an attractive impression on readers. This can act as a real eye-catcher when arranged in pyramid shape in the middle of a page.

The L-shaped ad can be regarded either as a simple step or an extended strip ad. Thanks to multiple variations, L-shaped ads have become highly popu-lar in recent years. Originally they were organised around two side margins: a strip ad at the bottom is enhanced

by one or two vertical columns at the outer side margin. In this way, the ad typography can be easily made com-patible with customary editorial layout practice.

In the modern form, which is especially attractive for advertising, both arms of the L can be moved to the side: then the vertical part no longer appears at the edge, but in any text column – or the horizontal arm moves upwards from the bottom side margin. In these cases, the design of the edi-torial page is strongly influenced. The greater the optical prominence of the ad is, the more the editorial offering will disappear in the grey environment.

6.7 SponsoringPages with a generously designed layout offer a satisfactory solution for all concerned. Fixed blocks are common practice, e. g. for weather forecasts or stock exchange reports. Naturally, it is possible to position an ad above these editorial areas. The fact that these boxes usually appear in a fixed space every day makes them especially suit-able for a particular type of advertis-ing: sponsoring. This can be confined to a brief message (“Stock data sup-plied by the savings banks and Hessen-Thüringen regional bank”), but can be

booked also as a series of display ads. Ever since the public broadcasting cor-porations started linking editorial trans-missions with messages from sponsors, any doubts concerning the conformity of this type of advertising with the press laws have been dispersed.

But there are limits to what the general audience accepts as regards sponsoring. Modern design software allow fantastic effects with trans-parency: thus in a “shadowprint” ad the motif is placed in a semi-transparent way over an article. Although it appears in a pale shade, the reading flow on newsprint is greatly impeded, and the acceptance by the audience drops. For example, there was a storm of protest and cancellations of subscriptions when the Bitburger beer brand, known world-wide as a sports sponsor, published its typical beer bottle as the background to the regional football results.

6.8 MultiplicatorsSince it became possible for ads to move around the page, there have been practically no limits on inventiveness. This effect is strengthened considerably if the campaign is extended to multiple positions within an issue.

Today, twin ads on opposite pages are published not only as one corner ad

Fig. 23: Sponsoring.

Fig. 22: L-shaped ad (ZMG 08).


23

each on the outer left and outer right corners of the pages, but also in the inside columns. Other than a tunnel ad, they remain in the type area and can appear on any desired neighbouring pages. In the recent past, island ads have been published frequently as twins.

Naturally, such ads that belong together can also be distributed thoughout different parts of the news-paper. Advertising people are happy to be offered the possibility of distributed ad placement, with the argument, for example, that advertisers do not

just book one spot on TV but instead address the audience in different situations. Newspapers have also learnt from new TV formats. Similar to the news streamers that run along the bottom of the screen, newspapers print “ticker ads” as a narrow band running across several pages.

The sizes of these free forms can, of course, also vary. Satellite ads can sur-round a central island ad all over the page. Instead of a solid step ad, a series of small ads are distributed diagonally on a page: On just a small space, the impression is effectively given that this is an advertising page of the customer concerned. For this reason, such forms are also much better suited for the classified ad section. The dominating impression is easily lost on editorial pages – and on top of that the editorial layout is usually disfigured.

Fig. 24: Shadowprint ad (GAZ).

Fig. 25: Twin ads.


24

6.9 Fantasy with special shape ads

Newspapers with very creative custom-ers and an efficient layout department can go even further and offer “special shape ads”. Such ads then no longer have a fixed geometrical shape, but are published instead as a gigantic, sil-houetted image around which the edi-torial matter or classified ads flow as copyfit matter. However, this type of ad should only be positioned on pages for which there is sufficient time available at the prepress stage. The considerable

investment of resources required for such ads is rewarded by a high level of image-enhancing attention that in this case benefits not just the advertiser, but also the publishing house.

One example of the successful use of special shape ads is the Polish news-paper, Gazeta Wyborcza. Since the Agora publishing house emerged in 1989 from the opposition to the old regime, its flagship Gazeta Wyborcza is regarded as one of the outstanding symbols of freedom and progress: Creative experiments and unheard of

new approaches are an important part of how its sees its role. Today, Agora is the national media group. It defends its leading role with innovation in all media. This makes it the natural partner of the major advertisers for the deve-lopment of new campaigns.

6.10 Ads instead of inserts, multiple-page ads

Today’s printing technology makes it possible to offer large retail chains multiple-page, full-colour ads. The com-panies take advantage of this possibility

Fig. 26: Ads distributed over several pages.

Fig. 27: Special shape ad (GAZ).


25

because then they must no longer pro-duce and supply inserts separately. The publishing houses save on storage space as well as personnel in the mail-room and can compensate for losses in advertising elsewhere. However, agreeing the pricing for such multiple-page ads involves tough negotiations. But such creative offerings can make a

newspaper so attractive that especially the big customers eagerly seize upon them. It is in this context that offerings become important that go beyond the conventional production process and are not limited to print.

6.11 Cross-media in printThe advertising industry has always run campaigns of this kind through the

different media. Today, the newspaper ad can take on new tasks. For example, it can guide the reader directly to more in-depth information in the Internet or create a direct link via the mobile phone.

Of course, it would be considered totally “uncool” if a potential customer would have to manually enter an Inter-net address or dial a phone number.

Fig. 28: Other ad forms.

Fig. 29: Multiple-page ads.


26

Common practice now is to establish the connection by means of a simple click. The technology for this is sup-plied, for example, by the Finnish devel-oper UpCode Ltd. – and right away a connection to the advertiser realised. Latest information or order possibilities appear on the display, i. e. everything that makes mobile transactions so comfortable. However, not all mobile phones are suitable. At the time of writing this report (summer 2008) the module is available for the Symbian, UIQ and Java mobile operating systems. While that covers most well-known manufacturers, it does not include the Apple iPhone.

It is worth noting that UpCode is of interest to newspapers not only for offering advertisers an additional stimulus. The newsroom can also use

Fig. 30: On 3rd October 2008, the anniversary of German reunification, a special edition of the Bild-Zeitung was published with a single advertiser (VW).

Fig. 31: Simple digital patterns are photographed and provide an interactive connection between advertiser and mobile.


27

it to cross-link its products and offer readers comfortable links to news and services. The publishing house becomes a portal for downloading music or buy-ing tickets.

Also in widespread use is the QR (Quick Response) code. With “Voice

QR”, it is planned to enhance it with the capacity to carry two-seconds-long text messages (the mobile phone is pointed at the code and a brief audio message is delivered through the mobile loud-speaker) (PAP08).

Other processes exist in Asia, e. g. LogoQ from A.T. Communications CO, Ltd. in Japan that works with a much finer screen and also recognises colour patterns. If the manufacturer has its way, the LogoQ dotcode will appear not only in newspapers, but everywhere: on posters, in public transport or on con-sumable goods.

6.12 3D offers new dimensionsThe advertising industry has benefited also from the tireless experimentation of the Asian market with 3D effects. In much the same way as has been done for decades in film and on glossy paper, individual images are now being shot stereoscopically and overprinted in a slightly displaced way in newspaper printing. The desired impression is then obtained by looking through a cor-respondingly polarising viewer. Without this viewer, however, the motifs look quite horrible – though that could, of course, be the desired effect among a certain audience. It is up to every-one to decide for himself whether to

Fig. 32: Other examples of 2D code.

Fig. 33: Examples with stereo glasses.


28

consider this a special type of joke or a catastrophic printing error. In any case, the level of attention for these motifs is high.8

8 Additional information on this topic is available in

(GEE06), (TORO1).

6.13 Print with animationUp to now, animated objects were unknown in printed ads. Here also, Asian artists are coming up with new types of solutions. For example, motifs have been printed in newspapers that at first glance appear quite ludicrous. The trick is to superimpose a foil that

is simply printed with a line screen and acts like a Fresnel lens (Lenseless lenticular). When moved, the printed image seems to be animated: eyes open – eyes closed. The optical stimulus was developed in conjuction with the animation artist, Koji Yamamura.

Fig. 34: Animation, foil with black strips is moved back and forth across the image (see video at http://www.iframagazine.com/downloads/26).


29

Beyond standard production with con-ventional newsprint and inks from the tanker vehicles, material manufacturers offer products for special wishes. High-quality paper, brilliant inks as well as scents allow advertisers to leave a last-ing impression.

7.1 Printing paper7.1.1 Tinted newsprintSince 1893, the Financial Times in London has stood out from its com-petitors by using salmon-pink news-print. In the meantime, business news-papers worldwide have copied what is obviously a recipe for success – not only in print but also as the basic pink

colour is intended to indicate busi-ness competence also in Internet presentations.

Other newspapers have also experi-mented with different coloured paper: yellow (that flags “Yellow Pages” for freesheets), bright red, bright green or bright blue. All these newspapers aim literally to attract attention at almost any price. Alone due to the com-paratively short production runs, tinted newsprint costs more than standard qualities. But what attracts the buyer’s attention at the newsstand tends to be disadvantageous to the newroom and advertiser: There is no real white any-where in images, so that the contrast is

limited and the colour space of images is shifted in a way that is almost imposs-ible to predict. Especially for colour ad motifs, tinted paper is not beneficial, unless the processing of the motif is matched to the publication concerned. Such an investment of resources may well seem justifiable for the Financial Times, with its extensive reach among a highly attractive target audience, but for most newspapers any use of tinted paper can be considered only for special jobs where the objective is more to grab attention than aesthetic appeal. Otherwise there are no special requirements for printing or handling in the mailroom.

7 Gloss and scent upgrade the newspaper

Fig. 35: Examples of the use of tinted newsprint.


30

7.1.2 Improved, coated paper qualities

Much more attractive for advertisers is coated paper. Up to now, this was a domain of the commercial presses that use additional dryers to evap-orate the mineral oils contained in the ink. Such add-on heatset systems are much to costly in classical newspaper printing – technically, financially and above all time-consuming given the tight daily production schedule. With newsprint, these oils must penetrate the absorbent paper. Coated paper qualities, with their non-absorbent sur-face, are obviously less suitable for this type of production.

Despite this, tests were carried out in the 1990s involving commercial paper qualities. The report by Ewald Beivi (BEI99) of the Swiss Omya Plüss-Staufer AG shows under which circum-stances coated paper qualities could be printed also on newspaper presses. Inking was reduced as far as possible, but still the overall runnability of coated paper proved insufficient for practical application. There were many different types of problems, ranging from ink accumulation and linting on the rubber blankets, ink accumulation on the cen-tral cylinders, up to smearing after the fold and smearing after bundle delivery.

In reaction to this, the paper indus-try developed special paper qualities designed for use on newspaper presses and these can be run today more or less smoothly.9 The material, referred to as “value-added coldset” (VAC), is a matt coated paper. It reduces the gap between commercial web printing (with dryer) and the coarser newspaper printing. The material has a core of

9 See also IFRA Special Report 1.20 (IFRA01).

conventional absorbent newsprint. The relatively heavy coating of the surfaces appears very smooth, but is permeable for the thin binding agent contained in the ink. Thus it penetrates the core, the ink pigments build up on the coating. The individual dots retain their sharp outline on the surface. As a result, the smooth surface allows a clean printing with a fine screen. The ink set-off on the press stays within tolerable limits.

Compared to standard newsprint, the coating naturally means a higher grammage. This gives the material a generally higher-quality feel – the sur-face feel convinces specialists and non-specialists alike. The coating appears pure white and therefore allows a much greater colour contrast. The fact that it is also matt is especially welcomed by viewers – who frequently prefer it to LWC paper with its glossy and reflective effects.

Most advertisers, and indeed readers, highly appreciate the matt, pure white surface of the prints. Special features, such as travel pages or inserts to

mark special occasions, quite simply enhance the ad effect. For readers, the higher-quality product is not just more attractive, it also signals that it should not simply be disposed with the rest of the newspaper.

Research into the technical para-meters has been conducted for years. Recommended are matched inks, the acidity of the fountain agent must be carefully controlled, the tolerances in the ink/water balance are tighter. For this, ink feed can (and must) be reduced by 15 to 20 percent – never-theless a higher ink density is achieved. All this makes it clear that the prepress process must be carried out with an especially high degree of precision in order to ensure that the finished effect does in fact do what it is supposed to.

Moreover, improved, whiter, higher-grammage paper qualities can attract more attention.

7.1.3 Other paper qualitiesThe Main-Post daily newspaper in Würzburg distributed its issue of 12th

Fig. 36: Example of standard newsprint, matt coated newsprint.


31

March 2008 in a cover consisting of brown wrapping paper (100 percent recycled packaging paper, 90 g/m²) printed with four colours, produced on a KBA Commander CT press. Clothing retailer C&A used this new advertis-ing idea to address the readers in an targeted manner.10

7.1.4 Transparency with a deeper meaning

With newsprint, the ink must absorb quickly into the fibres as otherwise the printed image will smear during the long path through the printing couples and web leads. But transparent paper has a hard, closed and low-absorbent surface, so that its main characteristics are in strong contrast to the conditions of newspaper printing. In addition, transparent paper also reacts strongly to atmospheric fluctuations.

Despite these problems, the paper producer Schoellershammer succeeded

10 For more information on this topic, see (UNG08).

in developing a transparent material that can be used on newspaper presses and therefore opens up wholly new possibilities. This reel paper, called “Transparent GLAMA Press”, consists of FFC bleached chemical pulp and is now supplied not only in white but also in various colours to suit the motif behind it.

The cooperation with the printing centre of the Süddeutscher Verlag in Munich, where test series lasting several weeks were carried out to try out the variables of printing and colour on a MAN Colorman (ten-cylinder satellite) under operating conditions, proved to be invaluable. Thus the prepress stage must ensure minimum ink layer

Fig. 37: Improved, whiter paper.

Fig. 38: Colour-printed, brown paper.


32

thickness in order to prevent smearing. Total coverage should not exceed 170 percent.

There are special aspects to be taken into consideration also for printing. Conventional automatic splice preparation units transfer water-soluble adhesives that are unsuitable for the water-repelling transparent paper. Consequently, the splicing must be prepared manually. Due to the smooth paper surface, slipping can occur during reel change in belt-driven autopasters. Therefore conically-driven units have the advantage here. As little water as possible must be used in printing – but that should be the aim also with normal

Fig. 39: Examples of transparent paper.

Fig. 40: Examples of colour transparent paper.


33

paper. In order to prevent smearing on drive rollers, turner bars, formers and in the folder, the transparent web must always be guided between two news-print webs.

Under suitable printing conditions, it benefits the finished product that the motif on the transparent paper already overlays with the printed page under-neath: The transparent cover must be opened to see the deeper meaning of the motif. For example, Volkswagen presented its Coupe/Cabrio Eos on transparent paper with a closed roof in a thunder storm. Turning over the cover brought out the sun – and the Eos appeared with an open roof.

Many publishing houses now use the material. Although the printing con-ditions differ depending on the press configuration, if the procedure is duly managed the result will be satisfactory in all respects. The advertising indus-try gains powerful attention-grabbing effects, not only due to an attractive transparency but also with a remark-able feel as well as a special sound of the paper. In addition, the combination of this material and the large size of a daily newspaper achieves an effect unequalled by any other print product.

7.2 Ink7.2.1 High-gloss extravaganceInk manufacturers are also playing a major role in the experiments aimed at achieving special advertising effects. On the one hand, they develop special recipes for the aforementioned types of paper, a kind of mixture of newsinks and commercial printing inks. On the other hand, the colours are not limited to today’s regular four process colours. Corresponding to the customer’s “house colours”, advertising using special inks can achieve a good effect again today.

Already during the monochrome newspaper era, spot colours could be used to obtain a high level of attention. At latest since the 1930s, the rotary presses had been equipped with additional half-deck units. Their ink fountains were filled manually with any desired “house colour” of the customer concerned.

With today’s printing towers, the use of spot colour inks is no longer so simple, because the towers are usually equipped with eight printing couples, each designed for four (process) colours on both sides of the web. At present-day production speeds, manual filling would be next to impossible. The “spot colours” are mixed from process inks, even if this means tolerating certain colour deviations.

If it is desired to use additional colours for special effects, at least one printing tower must be equipped with ink troughs that allow individual fill-ing. In most cases, such facilities are not provided on all printing towers, so that the use of special colours is con-fined to one web.

The question was how to print four-colour motifs and additional special colours on a standard newspaper press. The radical solution is to guide the web through a second printing tower; with preprints, it is only seldom that the complete capacity of a rotary press is used. The drawbacks are obvious: Certain register differences must be

Fig. 41: Fluorescent inks.

Fig. 42: Metallic ink, here combined with tinten

transparent paper.


34

tolerated, and in countries with legally stipulated press manning levels the costs are increased significantly.

Of course, the additional printing tower can be avoided if special colours are offered only as a substitute for one of the process colours and not as a fifth colour.

7.2.2 Fluorescent inksWhere art designers and printers work hand in hand, the result can be highly attractive motifs, especially if “neon colours” are used to give the news-paper a fluorescent note. These colours achieve the best effect in large-image motifs on ultra-white paper. Depending on their composition, they can appear fluorescent and thus develop a radi-ating luminance. As solid colours, they act similarly to the popular highlighters and effectively highlight individual ad elements.

But the fluorescent colours can be used also in a screened manner, as a substitute for the standard process colours magenta, cyan or yellow. In this way, the effect with fluorescent

colours can be used also for small-sized advertising elements, while the remaining page makes a practically normal impression. Fluorescent colours can therefore be positioned relatively flexibly within a newspaper issue.

7.2.3 The refined, metallic lookFor a more refined look, metallic inks can be used. In the experience of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, however, this only makes sense on special paper. The metallic look is especially effective on transparent paper. It is recommended to use metallic inks on large-sized motifs.

7.2.4 Ink for the nosePaper and ink are able to communicate not only visual and touch sensations, but can also activate the sense of smell. The smell of printing ink is already charac teristic for newspapers. That is above all the view of those who come into direct contact with fresh ink in the printing plant. Newspaper men belong-ing to the old school, who used to lay out pages by hot-metal composition and were surrounded for hours by

open platen presses and inked-up ink-ing rollers, are hooked on that smell.

For the advertising sector, however, the smell of printing ink does not project a positive image for promot-ing a brand. In contrast, other scents have been high on the wish-list of the advertising industry for decades. Even without the benefit of in-depth psychological studies, everyone knows how seductive scents can be. Wherever we happen to be, we are drawn in. Whether in the cosmetics department of a shop or at the window of a bakery: we follow our nose and go straight to the counter.

Accordingly, the advertising indus-try looks out for media that activate exactly this spontaneous drive. By their very nature, the electronic media run up against limits in this context.11

11 Although laboratory tests are, in fact, being carried

out to combine TV receivers with scent deposits so

that a broadcast signal releases the desired scent, it

is easy to imagine that this could lead to a

remarkable mixture of smells.

Fig. 43: Example scented inks.


35

How is it possible to get the dosage of the scents just right so that they appeal to the taste of the advertiser? The print medium works with a proven form that has long been used in magazines: A sample product is glued-in. This is poss-ible today also with newspapers (see Chapter 12).

But is is also possible to seal the scents in microcapsules and apply them during the printing process – this can be done also in newspaper printing. It is then up to the customer whether the scent is released or not: By rubbing the indicated scented strip, the enclosed scent capsules are opened and the scent is released. Schubert International, a company that has developed Scentific scented varnish since 1996, pioneered this process in the U.S.A. and Germany.

In the meantime, microcapsules of the scents of various manufacturers12 are available in almost every desired nuance. The range extends from all possible flowers to foodstuffs, such as marzipan or pineapple, up to per-fume and commodities. Whether roast chicken, disinfectant or the smell of burning – even the special smell of a dental practice can be ordered in microcapsules.

The microcapsules can be used in the inline process not only in offset but also flexo, rotogravure or screen printing. Tests carried out in normal newspaper production show that scents can be used there also. In any case, care must be taken when printing not to open the microcapsules during processing. At commercial printing plants, they are

12 e. g. Schubert International, Siegwerk (Aromit).

processed in a separate printing unit; usually the microcapsules are mixed into the printing varnish. In newspaper presses, it is recommended to mix the capsules into the final ink in order to expose them to as little pressure as possible. After all, it must be ensured that they do not burst while in the press.

As always, success depends on patient fine-tuning. It is also of para-mount importance to get the dosage right. Manufacturers recommend about 3 g/m³ on uncoated paper. It is inter-esting to note that the capsules have a very long life. One sample that is avail-able to IFRA dates back to 2006 and still functions perfectly: The fine scent of roses smells as fresh as on the first day.


36

The expenditure for high-quality paper and high-quality ink is worthwhile only if a corresponding investment of resources is made also at the prepress stage. The decisive precondition is hav-ing a team of colleagues who identify totally with the project. They must learn the theory and be willing to implement the knowledge on the installations at their operation. IFRA has provided support in this respect for many years: There are special programmes for par-ticipants in the IFRA Color Quality Club in which all production processes, from the photographer up to the printed newspaper, are analysed and optimised.

But quality consciousness by itself is not enough to overcome the limits of conventional newspaper printing that, as it is known, can be established by measurement in simple categories:

■ The size of the colour space deter-mines which colour shades are possible, ■ The contrast is a yardstick by which to judge how many shades are dis-tinguishable between the brightest and darkest areas, ■ The resolution and lines per cen-timetre determine the richness of detail, ■ The screen influences how the eye distinguishes the smallest elements of the printed object.

The ISO 12647-313 standard, which is the basic rulebook for printing specialists and is naturally also very useful when dealing with advertisers’

13 ISO 12647-3:2005 (E): Graphic technology – Process

control for the production of half-tone colour

separations, proofs and production prints – Part 3:

Coldset offset lithography on newsprint, 2005-10.

See also (IFRA05) on this subject.

complaints, includes a technical description of these parameters. But anyone who offers his customers exquisite advertising possibilities must do more than just satisfy the standard.

Ringier Print AG Adligenswil in Switzerland undertook such a sys-tematic project together with BASF Drucksysteme GmbH (now Flint) in Stuttgart, Germany, and the paper group UPM-Kymmene Corporation (Helsinki, Finland). In a series of offset print samples, six coldset editions were also produced that covered the entire range of newspaper printing:UPM supplied three types of paper:

■ UPM News C with 45 g/m² ■ UPM Brite 68 C with 52 g/m² ■ UPM matt with 60 g/m²

BASF supplied two inks: ■ Newsking TOP ■ Newsking Space, an ink with especially pure colour pigments.

Depending on the type of paper, dif-ferent screens were selected: 48 l/cm

for the standard paper grades and 60 l/cm for the 60 g/m² paper.

In these tests for the first time the Novaspace technology, familiar from high-gloss sheet-fed printing, was combined with coldset web printing. Nova space enlarges the colour space by up to 30 percent. In order to show up these possibilities, the standard prints were produced using the standard ICC profiles, while in the case of the Newsking Space ink the accompanying Hyperspace profiles were used for maximum effect. Otherwise the tech-nical conditions, such as the press (nine-cylinder satellite), plates, rubber blankets or fountain solution, were standard.

Altogether in the course of this evalu-ation not only coldset newspaper prints were produced, but the entire range of offset investigated. Prepress, printing, paper and ink specialists participated. The results, carefully compiled in folders with printed samples, are now available to demonstrate impressively to printing plants and their customers

8 More colour space

Fig. 44: Printed sample.


37

what is possible today. Flint (FRA08) assured that Newsking Space can be supplied for coldset presses. However, because of the major effort involved at the prepress stage, it is more suit-able for commercial-type printing jobs and less so for standard newspaper production.

In the opinion of the experts who participated in this project, the efforts invested have led to a situation in which customers can be made an offer that could perhaps generate new orders. The knowledge gained also results in improved work processes and therefore a measurable increase in productivity.


38

In many image motifs, the conventional coarse newspaper screen not only irritates but also a lot of information is lost. Electronically-generated screens can bring about a clear improvement here. The objective is, also in news-paper printing, to obtain “photo-real-istic results with maximum detail repro-duction and at the same time smooth solids and homogenous gradations”, according to Axel Springer in Berlin, for example, where the Agfa :Sublima screen technology is used to improve images and ads. Whereas the tonal range is limited to 3 to 85 percent in conventional screen technologies, :Sublima achieves 1 to 99 percent. The cross-modulated screen technology combines the advantages of con-ventional and frequency modulated processes, ensures a stable transmission of the highlight and shadow areas as

well as reducing moiré. :Sublima is in use today at newspapers from Belgium to Singapore.

Several members of the IFRA Color Quality Club achieve comparable results with the QM screen Sandy Pro-fessional of the firm of SandyScreen AG in Basle (Switzerland). This can be used to obtain a resolution in news-paper printing of up to 60 lines/cm. Thanks to a precise dot gain control, dot link-up is almost eliminated, the printed image has a harmonious and fresh appearance.

This optimised screening process requires neither special plates nor special press features. The only decisive condition is optimal processing. The greatest problem for newspapers is that in most cases they receive all types of different copy at the very last minute.

Special image processing programs, designed for the extremely short news-paper production cycles, must be used in order as far as possible to get all details from the copy. No compromises are permitted in this connection: Any slips are especially visible in an environ-ment of first-class images. This calls for well trained personnel who identify closely with the specified quality standards. But the vast numbers of images and ads can only be managed using a process that is both reliable and automated. For this application, Agfa supplies the :Intellitune image optimis-ing software, SandyScreen analyses and optimises with its Tintorello program.

Used correctly, the screen improve-ments deliver results that, based on their rich detail alone, are perceived as extraordinary advertising in the news-paper medium.

9 Fine screen


39

The possibilities described thus far pre-suppose only a modern rotary press that supplies four-colour printing with a very good register and guarantees production in accordance with ISO 12647-3. Since these presses have been controlled electronically, it has become possible to exactly set and repeat the printing parameters. That benefits ads above all: The values for a given motif can be reproduced at will with a high degree of precision.

However, it is perfectly understand-able that, when formulating their quality demands, advertisers do not compare today’s newspapers with those of bygone times, but instead take what they know from other print products as a yardstick: They see magazines or advertising brochures that are also pro-duced in long print runs but that offer much more intensive colours. Therefore if newspapers aim to supply exceptional ads, they must be willing to adopt new printing processes.

On the one hand, the new presses must be configured for newspaper production, meaning that the press can be set-up with more than 100 broad-sheet pages within an extremely short time and changed over within minutes without interrupting production. Con-ventional commercial presses with their gigantic drying systems are unsuited for this.

On the other hand, daily newspapers want to use a special offer of high gloss and rich colours to attract readers and advertisers who undoubtedly expect a commercial printing-type result. This objective is referred to as “semi-commercial”.

10.1 Rotogravure ensured brilliance

For 50 years, attempts have been under-taken with brilliant inks to make the newspaper attractive for advertisers. At that time, publishing houses that, besides newspaper printing, also offered rotogravure production for magazines, had the idea to print news-print reels by the rotogravure process and re-wind them on to reels. The motif was repeated endlessly, like on a wallpaper web. The preprinted reels were then used as normal reels on the newspaper press. This process, referred to as HiFi Insetting, seemed to offer a unique standard of printing quality – but the logistics with the reels printed externally proved to be less favour-able in practice. Last but not least, prohibitive ad rates ensured that the demand from the advertising industry was very limited.

10.2 Combination of two worldsPrinting plants that offered both com-mercial web offset and newspaper printing paid attention that the formats matched. In this way, they were able to produce special prints in the news-paper format on the commercial reel for special occasions. In the expectation that this mixed form would be received positively by the general public, some printing plants installed a commercial press in a line with the newspaper press and connected both mechanically by a common folder. One ribbon of the com-mercial reel then ran directly with the webs from the newspaper press into the folder. This production method came to be known as “Hybrid Printing”.

However, before the introduction of shaftless drives and electronic controls, this combination was con-sidered to impair production. The main obstacles were incompatible production schedules for newspaper and commer-cial jobs, material handling or the main-tenance of aggregates built with com-pletely different designs. But the teams also thought and worked in ways that differed too much.

10.3 New markets for hybrid printing

Despite all this, hybrid printing is today riding the crest of a wave. Sensors and circuit boards control the shaftless single drives as well as the inking or web lead. The best example is the newspaper market in the wealthy Per-sian Gulf states, where it is well known that there is a strong demand for luxury products. In this region, it is considered normal today to produce parts of the newspaper by hybrid printing. Several printing plants have installed hybrid configurations with genuine commer-cial presses such as the MAN Color-man. For example, the Khaleej Times in Dubai produces almost 70 percent of the newspaper on coated paper and the plant’s general manager reports: “The advertisers only want high-gloss paper!” – despite the considerable surcharges.14

But simpler solutions are required before semi-commercial printing can achieve a breakthrough in less affluent markets. One possibility is to upgrade conventional newspaper presses with heatset.

14 See also www.iframagazine.com, article direct link

3508.

10 The printing press: the pivotal point


40

The Austrian newspaper Öster-reich, which is new in every respect, caused a sensation here. With a hybrid configuration, the publishing house emphasises its claim that this news-paper is at the same time a daily magazine. The newspaper Österreich is printed at Media Druck in Vienna on a largely conventional newspaper press (MAN Geoman), on which one of the four printing towers was connected to a conventional dryer. The fact that the design of the towers is otherwise identical means that the preconditions for newspaper-type production are satisfied. However, special inks must also be used in this configuration for heatset printing.

MAN has also equipped presses belonging to the Colorman series in a similar way. A special example for this is installed at the Roularta Media Groep in Belgium, in which a heatset superstructure was installed on each of the four printing towers. This requires an enormous amount of space. Such a configuration makes sense in cases where a printing plant, besides

news paper production, also has other big jobs in its portfolio that ensure utilisation of the press during the day.

The first KBA Cortina equipped with a dryer is also installed in Belgium, at De Persgroep. It is designed for the regular printing of genuine magazines. This makes Belgium the pioneer of colour in semi-comm ercial quality. A similar installation is scheduled to go into operation at Morsø Folkeblad in Nykøbing Mors (Denmark) at the begin-ning of 2009.

Other manufacturers also report a boom in hybrid presses for semi-commercial use. KBA puts the share of new orders at about one-third of single-width presses and up to 15 percent of double-width installations. Goss cites the trend for printing oper-ations to increasingly chase outside orders; the less the capacity of a press is used for actual newspaper printing, the more important it becomes for the configuration to offer additional printing possibilities. In the same vein, WIFAG considers semi-commercial extensions to be essential: “It is now no

longer possible to run a press efficiently with the core product of the daily news-paper”, is how WIFAG puts it.

Currently, however, it is still rather unsettled which quality criteria apply for “semi-commercial”. The combina-tion of newspaper press and newsprint with special inks and drying should produce better results than standard newspaper printing, but for advertisers it must be clear what added value is guaranteed them for the surcharge. For this reason, IFRA is working on devel-oping a definition of the parameters with the following conditions:

■ web offset (coldset with vertical web lead) ■ the use of a dryer and corresponding inks ■ choice of three paper qualities (standard newsprint, SC paper and LWC paper).

An IFRA Special Report15 was published recently on this topic.

15 See IFRA Special Report 04.2008 (IFRA08).

Fig. 45: Example of a newspaper, of which a part is printed by the heatset process on LWC paper.


41

10.4 New designsManufacturers are now working full out to design a completely new press generation. But these new presses will also be based on conventional news-paper presses and therefore satisfy the most important operational demand: To set up a product consisting of more than 100 broadsheet pages within a very short time and to change-over repeatedly without interrupting operation.

Because heatset superstructures are more than 10 m long per ribbon, they cannot be considered for a newspaper press with a high page capacity. This is where extremely compact aggregates with UV light open up new possibilities. In this process, special inks without conventional solvents are used that cure within fractions of seconds when exposed to UV light.

For some time it has been poss-ible to experience UV dryers in prac-tical use. After a pioneer installation at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Eltex-Elektrostatik GmbH in Weil am Rhein

(Germany) developed the INNOCURE process to market maturity. Thanks to web speeds of more than 12 m/s, the dryers match pace with high-speed newspaper presses. The length of just 1 m allows integration into printing towers, without exceeding the spacial dimensions of a conventional news-paper press. In the case of a four-high tower (blanket/blanket printing), the UV system is used as a dual chamber dryer that is simply positioned as a fifth printing couple on top of the press. In a satellite configuration (blanket/steel cylinder), UV dryers are positioned in the centre of the tower: One system each is used for the front and reverse side of the web. The front side is dried before the ribbon enters the reverse side satellite.

At Herold Druck in Vienna, two Eltex Inert UV dryers have been built into an existing MAN Colorman and are already used regularly in production. In summer 2008, Le Monde, in cooperation with WIFAG, presented a comparable press. Until drupa 2008, UV dryers played a

negligible role in newspaper presses, but they now seem predestined for newspapers wanting to offer their advertisers something special in every-day operation.

IST METZ, Prime UV and GEW are further suppliers of UV drying systems in newspaper printing.

10.5 The fifth colourWhen considering an extension of the printing towers, it would be a logical step to integrate a fifth printing couple. As required, it could be used for special effects, such as metallic inks, scents or varnish and therefore for finishing the insert in running production. A KBA Colora in a five-high tower configuration has been installed at Independent Newspapers in Dover, U.S.A.

10.6 Imprinting by ink-jetIn the 1980s, ink-jet systems were installed that were fast enough to singly address each individual news-paper copy in the copy stream – of

Fig. 46: Example of a newspaper produced using the UV process.


42

course, in a typographically primitive form. Since then there has been the wish to position individual imprints in every single newspaper copy. This starts with batch numbers or binary codes and extends up to large-sized, last-minute advertising.

The technical solutions are gradually coming on to the market. Whoever feels that he has the necessary pioneering spirit should not waste any time in offering his advertisers exciting possibilities permitted by this technology.

10.7 The perforated ad: the super coupon

It has been common practice for decades for clever consumers to cut out coupons from the newspaper and plan their hunts for bargains. Ad positioning systems have long been optimised to ensure that these coupons are as far as possible placed on the margin and that

vouchers on the front side do not clash with those on the reverse side.

But because cutting out is considered troublesome and the standard coupons have a “humdrum” appearance, the Main-Post in Würzburg, in cooperation with clothes retailer C&A came up with a genuinely impressive variation: The page with the zip fastener. By chance, press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer,

also based in Würzburg, happened to have a suitable design in the drawer, so that the idea could be quickly realised. With this type of advertising, referred to as “Zip ‘n’ Buy”, a third-of-a-page-wide, upright ad is perforated along the inside edge on the front and reverse side, so that the ad can be detached without having to use a scissors.

Fig. 47: KBA, 5/5 printing (photo: KBA).

Fig. 48: The super coupon is detached by a simple pull. A perforation blade at the newspaper press supplies the zip

fastener.


43

Naturally, this perforation only makes sense if the advertiser books both the front and reverse sides. That is not a problem with the C&A ads. In the initial phase in Würzburg, C&A used the reverse for a prize game: Participants could fill in their address and win shop-ping vouchers. According to C&A, the level of acceptance of the perforated ads was overwhelming.

KBA states that Zip ‘n’ Buy can be retrofit also to other manufacturers’ presses. The system is positioned before the former. Using a movable perforating blade, the continuous “zip fastener” can be printed in a variable width on a broadsheet newspaper page. This does not adversely effect the printing speed.

Because it may not be easy to find two customers on the same day, the zip fastener is most likely to be used in double production, if necessary in a preprint. Naturally, in collect production even more things can be done with the zip fastener in the parallel section. For example, KBA suggests offering serialised novels or a pull-out editorial index. It is also possible to imagine

special collector objects, such as new types of travel supplements or celebrity cut-outs for young people’s pages. This encourages the passion for collecting things, something that nearly every-one succumbs to sometime and for some is not just a temporary fad. Even in another 100 years, there will still be trophy-hunters.

10.8 Gigantic: the dual double-truck

Existing presses can also be retrofit for large-scale presentations. Innotec Graphic Equipment Corp. in New York supplies a two-page-spread centre fold system that can be integrated into double-width presses. This can be used to fold an entire ribbon to fit into the

Fig.: 49: Perforated ad as a detachable exhibition hall plan.

Fig. 50: Example of a perforated ad (WIR).


44

newspaper, a practice that is known otherwise only from inserts. Folding-out is intended not only to arouse curiousity but also present something very special.

In the case of newspapers, this something special is really gigantic: A double-width web, printed with a single motif, is 1.6 m wide. It is poss-ible to print an eight-page broadsheet insert with a single motif or a wall-sized poster bearing the image of a Formula 1 hero – or its main sponsor. The

newspaper Folha de Sao Paolo in Brazil also uses the “Duplo” fold in tabloid format for 16-page inserts produced with a special fold16.

For commercial printers, folding variations are their daily business. Newspaper printers must first become accustomed to new terminology. Depending on the setting of the centre

16 See also (NEU07), (UNG08).

fold, one speaks of a double gate fold or a double-width double gate fold, coupon fold, two-page-spread fold, or plow fold. Detachable sections are also possible.

Combinations with special materials offer especially attractive possibilities: Semi-commercial printing on calen-dered paper with drying was never before possible in this format. This will give anyone who says that a newspaper should look like a magazine cause to

Fig. 51: Dual double-truck.


45

reconsider: Alongside such a news-paper, conventional magazines seem rather dull.

10.9 Folding and stitching onlineThe trend is towards retrofitting for commercial printing also for folders. This will then mean that they are no longer limited to the simple production of broadsheet and tabloid newspapers.

In this case, a third fold facility is provided that can be used to make a comfortable-to-use magazine out of a Nordic format newspaper. In com-bination with the Berlin format, the third fold calls to mind the times when newspaper presses were used also for book production – “rororo”17 paper-backs became classics as a result.

17 Rowohlt Rotations-Romane, paperbacks published by

the German Rowohlt Verlag.

Online stitching on the folder is becoming increasingly popular. For example, for this application the Swedish manufacturer Tolerans AB offers its Speedliner, which is used in both commercial and newspaper printing. There are versions available both for ribbon stitching (below the former nose) as well as for section stitching below the collecting cylinder in the folder. Especially with tabloid newspapers, this permits pull-out sections.

Thus advertisers can have their inserts produced at short notice as part of the newspaper. Printing plants equipped for hybrid production must configure their folders in such a way that both printing processes – coldset and heatset/UV – can be run together in one folder. But they must also choose a configuration in which both printing processes can be used independently of one another.

The decisive point is that neither the magazine fold nor online stitching influence the production speed. The newspaper copies enter the mailroom at normal speed.


46

It is on the way from the folder to the loading bay that the newspaper really becomes an advertising carrier: All possible products are inserted or pasted-on in the mailroom.

The many inserting possibilities for supplements are not new. The challenge repeatedly confronting the advertising industry is how to use these inserts most effectively. This demands a con-tinual optimisation of delivery routes, so that nearly every newspaper bundle

can be addressed in a targeted manner for insert distribution.

What is new in the mailroom is that the newspaper itself can be given the finishing touches there. This is most evident when the stitched product is trimmed precisely on three sides. Ferag or Müller Martini, for example, offer state-of-the-art systems for this. A Müller Martini system is used at the Berlin printing plant of the Axel Springer publishing corporation. The

installation there consists of a News-Stitch stitching aggregate combined with the News Trim III fan trimmer. The result is precisely stitched and trimmed products that come very close to the ideal of a newspaper in the form of a magazine. Stitching in the mailroom has the advantage that also completely different products can be processed, not only the output from the news-paper press.

11 Stitched and trimmed


47

a roll of labels runs out and must be replaced at full production speed, such as can be seen at Ringier Print Adligens-wil in Switzerland, where a labelling solution developed by tesa Bandfix AG in conjunction with Lange AG is in use.

Last but not least, there is the matter of the newspaper packaging, which also offers advertising space. The Kleine

The use of all types of stickers, especially on the front page, is becoming increas-ingly popular. This begins with the yellow sticky notes. Ferag calls these Memostick, and newspapers such as the Rheinische Post in Düsseldorf have had especially good experience with them in so-called dialogue marketing. This is due undoubtedly to the impres-sion that here a special campaign has been launched that is being promoted at short notice. The publishing house is in a very good position to sell this stimulus in combination with advertis-ing inside the newspaper and naturally also in the online media. Advertising researchers talk excitedly about the “three-dimensional” appearance on the scene of these “eye-catchers” that, at least as far as the newspaper medium to date is concerned, comes quite unex-pectedly. Removing the sticky message is by itself a type of interaction, and if by doing so the reader gets a voucher, then that is half way to doing a busi-ness transaction.

Today, mailroom equipment manu-facturers are able to attach stickers to the front page without any major risk through wind-on stations and insert-ing drums. The possibilities here range from simple stickers up to massive postcards in the standard 15 x 10 cm format. They can consist of all poss-ible materials, scented, or include a hologram. Accordian fold-type stickers have also already been used. The Süddeutsche Zeitung alone offers nine different product variations for cards on the front page.

Advertising messages can also be positioned in the inside of the news-paper. This represents an incursion by the newspaper into the territory of the magazine and also permits the placement of product samples. At the

very latest since the Ipsos study (IPS04) it is known that such inserts constitute an important decision-making buying aids for exceptionally large numbers of readers.

It is simple to install a labelling system in a mailroom. But it must be ensured that any such system can keep pace with newspaper production – even if

12 Getting product samples directly to the customer

Fig. 52: Stuck-on cards.

Fig. 53: Memostick, booklet (GAZ).


48

Zeitung in Graz offers a sleeve wrap around the newspaper, naturally in con-junction with a multimedia campaign carried out by this media group whose activities extend far beyond the borders of its native Austria. Others package each individual newspaper copy for their advertisers in a transparent Poly Bag. However, at least in Germany, that calls to mind the competition: The Postal Service, which continues to enjoy a monopolist status in many areas, uses its distribution system to distribute direct advertising in the form of a pseudo-freesheet (“Einkauf Aktuell”) that is delivered to the home in a bag together with all different types of other flyers.

The more newspaper publishing houses use their technical possibilities for applications other than their news-paper, the better they can react to such competition. Complementary pub lications, especially magazine-like products that are not published daily, can reach special target audiences effectively and capture market niches for the advertising industry. The Axel Springer publishing corporation is com-pensating for the continuous drop in circulation of its Bild-Zeitung with an entire family of magazines under the “Bild” umbrella: Computer-Bild, Bild der Frau or Auto-Bild are among the strongest titles in their respective markets – because they are backed by the newspaper brand.

It takes constant innovation to pro-mote this awareness. Newspapers can attract the most creative partners here: the advertising industry. Together they can develop the products to secure not only the economic basis for the news-paper houses but also their reputation as a modern and important medium for today and tomorrow.


49

Publishing houses produce specimen books and corresponding brochures in order to better present their production and advertising possibilites to their customers.

13 Self-promotion

Fig. 54: Example Süddeutsche Zeitung (SON).


50

Fig. 55: Example Gazeta Wyborcza (GAZ).

Fig. 56: Example Axel Springer (SON).


51

(BEI99) Beivi, E.: Höhere Wert-schöpfung durch gestri-chene Zeitungspaiere, Forum für die Druckerei- und Verpackungsbranche anlässlich der 7. VSDI-tagung, Bern, Schweiz, Juni 1999

(FRA08) Dr. E. Frank, Flint, Telefonat am 17.06.2008

(GAZ) Non-standard advertisment formats, Gazeta Wyborcza

(GEE06) Geelong Advertiser, IFRA Zeitungstechnik, Oktober 2006

(IFRA01) IFRA Special Report 1.20, Value Added Coldset – How to run coated paper in a newspaper press, Darm-stadt, 2001

(IFRA05) IFRA Special Report 2.37, Revision of ISO 12647-3, Darmstadt, 2005

(IFRA07) IFRA Special Report 01.2007, White Paper on Local Search, Darmstadt, 2007

Reference literature

(IFRA08) IFRA Special Report 04.2008, Semi-Commercial – Proposal for e new print process standard, Darm-stadt, 2008

(IFRA08a) IFRA Where News? Report Nr. 7, The Future of Newspaper Printing Tech-nology, M. Lange, Darm-stadt, 2008

(IPS04) Ipsos GmbH Mölln: Aktion und Reaktion IV. Sonder-werbeformen in Zeitschrif-ten, April 2004, repräsen-tative Mehrthemenumfrage für den Bauer-Verlag

(NEU07) Discover new forms of advertising, IFRA News-paper Techniques, November 2007

(NIC06) Nicilay, K.-P.: Verpackung ist Werbung pur, Druckmarkt 45, Dezember 2006

(PAP08) Papier lernt sprechen, Spiegel Online, 15. April 2008

(SIR07) Myers Emotional Connecti-ons Study on the Emotional Connections of Media with their Audiences, in S. Sirach: Newspaper 2.0 The new direction of the printed newspaper, IFRA European Committee Meeting, September 2007

(SON) Sonderwerbeformen, Süddeutsche Zeitung

(TOR01) Toronto Star offers extra dimensions, IFRA News-paper Techniques, June 2001

(UNG08) Special ads don‘t stress production, IFRA Magazine, August 2008

(WIR) Wir können auch anders, Axel Springer AG

(ZMG05) Sonderformate in deut-schen Zeitungen, Eine Information der ZMG, Frankfurt am Main, Juli 2005

(ZMG08) Sonderformate in deutsche Zeitungen, Ein Überblick, ZMG, Frankfurt am Main, 2008


Empoweringthe News

Publishing Industry

Ifra innovative advertising

Design

Transcript of Ifra innovative advertising