The INDEPENDENT, November 16, 2011
Know why Google thinks print
ads are the smart way to go?
It appears that advertising
has gone full circle finally. The
Internet connected us with the
world but disconnected us from
our target audience in local
markets. Even Google agrees!
If you are not taking advantage
of local print advertising for
your business you are missing
huge opportunities, right now.
Business owners focused
on translating an advertising
campaign into greater profit
need to ask themselves:
“Where are my target buyers?
What is the best medium to
reach them? And can I afford to
launch an effective campaign
using this medium?”
During a panel discussion
recently at the Newspaper As-
sociation of America’s annual
convention in New York, Goo-
gle Print Ads Director Tom
Phillips commented “We think
there’s all kinds of value there
that’s really untapped,’’ Phillips
said of the print editions of
newspapers. “We actually think
it’s an underappreciated medi-
um.”
Phillips argued that it’s mis-
leading to compare the number
of readers of a print paper to
the number of unique visitors at
a paper’s Web site. “Readers
of the [print edition] are reading
that newspaper 20 minutes
every day,” he said. “Not cover
to cover, but they’re reading a
lot of pages. [That represents]
a lot of impressions, a lot of
news, a lot of information flows,
a lot of marketer exposures.”
If you are a business think-
ing of advertising in The Inde-
pendent do a little market re-
search for yourself. There are
three easy research tech-
niques: First, ask people that
you know in town if they read
The Independent and whether
they read the entire paper. Sec-
ond, call some of the advertis-
ers you see in The Indepen-
dent and ask them how it’s go-
ing for them. Third, go to any of
the coffee shops or restaurants
in town where The Indepen-
dent is distributed and watch
people read the paper.
This is not rocket science, it
is just good common sense. If
you want to target the audience
for your business, the local pa-
per is a perfect medium. Be pa-
tient and make sure your ad
copy focuses on benefits and
features. Last and most impor-
tant, have a consistent pres-
ence where people see your
brand on a regular basis and
build local brand equity. More
in the next issue on “brand eq-
uity”.
For more information on ad-
vertising in The Independent,
email clark@the-inde pen-
dent.net .
Page 5
Vernonia council approves ordinances
Vernonia’s city council had a
full agenda for the November 7
meeting. Council authorized
City Administrator Bill Haack
the go-ahead to publish a Re-
quest for Proposal to find an
engineering firm for the waste-
water project. The city is wait-
ing for the results of some
drilling to determine the soil
composition between the sew-
er lagoons and the river, to help
determine the type of waste-
water system to use, but is lin-
ing up the engineering firm now
to be ready to start the next
phase of the project.
Council discussed two plan-
ning issues, before sending
both back to the city planner,
Carole Connell. One was a re-
quest for an extension on the
use of an RV at Vernonia Com-
munity Church; the other was a
request from a resident to
graze his horses on an un-
paved right-of-way to keep
grass down. In both cases,
council wanted more informa-
tion from the planner before
making decisions.
Ordinances 878 and 879
had second readings by title
only, with approval by council.
Ordinance 878 establishes the
Budget Committee and re-
scinds the previous 1924 ordi-
nance. Ordinance 879 rescinds
852, which was approved after
the 2007 flood to allow usually
non-permitted placement of
temporary structures (the
FEMA trailers, etc.).
The city received a Warning
Letter from the Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ)
as a result of the broken sewer
force main on Riverside Dr.
earlier this year. “The Depart-
ment does not intend to take
formal enforcement action,” the
letter said, as a result of the
discharge of an estimated
8,000 gallons of sewage into
the Nehalem River.
Council went into executive
session (closed to the public) to
discuss employment issues,
real estate transactions and le-
gal counsel issues. They took
no action when they returned to
open session, adjourning at
9:50 p.m.
In other business, council:
• approved a discounted rate
for use of the Vernonia Com-
munity Learning Center for a
12 week Hebrew Language
Class,
• approved a plan to cut
some trees near the caretak-
er’s house at the airport. Pihl
Logging will fell the trees and
the Vernonia Freewheelers will
cut the wood and clean up,
• authorized Haack to create
a Health Reimbursement Ac-
count (HRA) and a Voluntary
Employees’ Beneficiary Associ-
ation (VEBA) for non-union city
employees,
• passed Resolution 28-11
changing the fees at the ceme-
tery, primarily due to pass-
through charges from contrac-
tors,
• set November 9 and 14, as
dates to hold goal setting work
sessions.
The next regular council
meeting will be on November
21, starting at 7:00 p.m., at city
hall.
Columbia county
election results
Suzanne Bonamici (D) and
Rob Cornilles (R) were the big
winners in the 1st District Con-
gressional primary, in both Co-
lumbia County and statewide.
With statewide voter turnout
at 44.17 percent, Bonamici
took 65.26 percent of the
statewide Democratic vote,
which includes 52.63 percent
of the Columbia County Demo-
cratic votes.
Cornilles won 72.70 percent
of the statewide Republican
ballots, including 66.52 percent
of those cast by Republicans in
Columbia County.
The election results will be
certified by the state later this
month.
Bonamici and Cornilles will
face off in a Special General
Election to be held January 31,
2012. Ballots will be mailed
January 13-17. The winner will
replace Congressman David
Wu, who resigned earlier this
year.