CityNews flogging Floriade

Well would you just look at what was on the counter today at the retail outlet I work in…could it be that CityNews is having problems selling ads in their special Floriade “supplement”?

(Apologies for the creases, it was a slow day)

Now having been working at the news magazine when they brought out their special supplement on the Canberra Theatre’s 40th birthday, I’m pretty sure this Floriade one will be much the same — a section in the middle of the book so that it can be called a lift-out and a chance to sell a fourth front page in the paper (also probably inciting loud arguments among the paper’s staff).

For those that can’t read the above graphic, this year’s supplement includes “a map of Floriade and the city area” (like the one in the Canberra Times this weekend?); “stay on and enjoy”, highlighting the best (advertising) places to stay; “food and wine guide”; “regional experiences” and “what’s on”.

This side has more detail about what to expect for your money, but the other side gets straight into the sell (and this was actually what was face up when I spotted it).

So, over 40,000 copies delivered all over the place? How many of these do we think get read? And interesting that they distribute them throughout train stations and in Central in Sydney, thereby getting to people ahead of the CT, who I’m pretty sure are sponsors of the event in some kind of official capacity.

Now just to make sure you can actually read the price schedule and be duly horrified at the amount people are expected to pay for the privilege of space in this rag, here it is bigger.

Five hundred bucks for a 13cm x 7cm ad squished in on a page with 10 others in a paper that a dubious number of people read (yes I realise it says eighth-page, but it wouldn’t surprise me if CN could get 11 of these on a page)?

Now I know very little about advertising in papers so this could be a perfectly reasonable price, but somehow I doubt it. I also have doubts that they’re targetting the right people seeing as all the shop I work for’s advertising is arranged by its Brisbane head office and very little gets done in Canberra. And no one working with me today knew what the sheet was doing there.