The 3 P’s of Newspaper Marketing

 

On April 1, I will start a new position as Marketing Manager for Dag og Tid. Dag og Tid is a Norwegian weekly newspaper with articles about politics, society and culture. Last year, Dag og Tid received the renowned Free Speech Award (Fritt Ords pris).

When I leave the world of management consulting with its – I admit – attractive and flattering jet-set lifestyle, it is for two main reasons. First, I want to spend more time with my friends, family and kids (as long as they are small and still want me around). Second (and this is what this blog post is about), my new job at Dag og Tid is a great opportunity for me to work for something I strongly believe in. Being the digital marketing and social media nerd I am, I do not only see the amazing opportunities these technologies represent. I also see their dark side, the threat that ever-growing echo chambers pose to our democracies. To say it with Barack Obama’s words:

«Increasingly we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information – whether it’s true or not – that fits our opinion. Instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there».
Barack Obama in his Farewell Address 2017

This paves the way for increasing populism and radicalization. As a marketing manager of a high quality newspaper I can do my tiny part to counteract those effects, because Dag og Tid exposes its readers to a range of different perspectives and opinions. The content is selected not by an algorithm which looks for whatever you like and confirms your pre-existing beliefs, but by a responsible editorial staff who is trying the best they can to expose you to different perspectives and to fulfill their role as a «fourth estate» («fjerde statsmakt»).

One interesting aspect of working for a quality newspaper is that profit maximization is not its main objective – which of course has interesting implications for me as its marketing manager. Editor-in-chief Svein Gjerdåker explains this in more detail:

So what implications will this have on my role? Whereas most marketing managers have a marketing mix of 4 P’s to work with, I gladly hand over the responsibility for the Product – the content of the newspaper –  to the editor in chief.

When marketing a quality newspaper, the marketing manager hands over responsibility for the product – the newspaper’s content – to the editor-in-chief.

Working with those restrictions is a meaningful challenge that I am very much looking forward to. With fewer P’s, we will simply have to make smarter choices. And that will come down to a well-structured and data-driven approach to marketing. We will make large efforts to truly understand our readers and employ the latest technologies in marketing automation and AI.

 

 

 

A few thoughts on citizenship – duties and rights

Weekly trips to the United Arab Emirates broadened my view on what citizenship is about.

When I talk about citizenship, I usually focus on the duties which I believe are related to being a citizen. Like involvement, being open to other views and opinions, like voting. And I still believe – more than ever – that us following up on those duties is essential to protect our democracies in the age of digitalization, filter bubbles and increasing radicalization.

I am now on a project which involves travelling to the United Arab Emirates every week. And talking to the people I meet there did not change my perspective on citizenship, but it certainly broadened it. It made me focus not only on the duties, but also on the rights we enjoy (or not enjoy) as citizens.

The population of the United Arab Emirates consists of 10% local citizens and 90% foreigners. That in itself is an amazing number. And the fact that they live peacefully together, in mutual respect for the host country’s traditions and religious roots as well as the foreigners diverse lifestyles, makes it an exciting place to visit.

In my conversations I learned that there is no way for foreigners to become a citizen of the United Arab Emirates. No matter how long you’ve lived there, no matter if it’s been home to your entire family for decades. And the rules for non-citizens are terribly strict: If you lose your job, you have 30 days to find a new one. If you fail, you’ll have to leave the country. In companies in which government agencies are shareholders – and that applies to many – employees over the age of 60 are encouraged to retire. Strongly encouraged. And the 30-day rule kicks in again, forcing them to return to their countries that probably hasn’t been their home for decades. Or, even worse, they need to return to what used to be their home country but is now destroyed by war. Citizenship is an exclusive right reserved for the few locals. And so is the right to stay in the country.

“If I change my opinion, I’m weak” – Interview with Eva Sollie from EQ Institute about social media filter bubbles

 Why are some of us more susceptible to filter bubbles and radicalization on social media? That’s what I talk about with Emotional Intelligence therapist Eva Sollie from the EQ Institute. Feel free to listen to part of our conversation. (Norwegian)

 

 

Bursting the Filter Bubble – latest update

I’ve been studying the filter bubble effect for quite a while now and will publish an article about it in Norwegian newspaper some weeks from now. It’s an incredibly complex yet fascinating topic.

Bursting the filter bubble require technical skills – to reach the news feeds of those who are in a radicalized filter bubble – as well as skills in emotional intelligence to send a message which might make them reconsider. And there is an aspect of citizenship – whose responsibility is the filter bubble? Is it up to corporations like Google and facebook to solve this problem? Is it the job of politicians? Or do we private citizens need to make an effort?

Anyway, here’s an update on what I’ve been working on.

Continue reading “Bursting the Filter Bubble – latest update”

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg concerned about filter bubbles

At the election debate in Arendal on August 14th, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg voiced concern about the filter bubble effect. Solberg means that it threatens the public dialog and can lead to decreased trust and increased radicalization. I agree.

Stand by for more insights on the filter bubble effect in the days and weeks to come.

 

 

 

Diploma from EQ Insititute

I finally received my diploma from the EQ Institute. Left: Eva A. Sollie, head og administration and EQ therapist; Right: Heidi Glesnes, EQ therapist

On June 20th, 2017, I finally received my diploma from the EQ Institute – documenting a year full of learning, self-reflection, laughter and tears. Today I believe more than ever that emotional intelligence is the number one business skill for the age of digitalization.

Want to know more about emotional intelligence and the EQ Institute? Visit www.eqi.no.

Digital marketing seminar @ Implement Oslo

This week I invited my fellow students from the MSc class in Strategic Marketing Management to a seminar at the Implement Office in Oslo. The topic: The impact of digitalization on our area of expertise, better known as “Digital Marketing”. We shared experiences and learnt a lot from each other.

Roman giving us an introduction to Google Analytics – and best practices for how to measure RoMI with this amazing tool.
About 40 BI Master students showed about to learn and share.

To me the demand for such an event was quite amazing, considering that we all should be equipped with state-of-the-art knowledge by the end of our Master studies now. It’s just one more sign for how fast this topic is evolving and how hard it is to be on top of everything. This slide on data velocity (Auke Hunneman) says it all – look at the difference between the rate of data creation and human information consumption:

No wonder it’s hard to stay on top of digital transformation!

On behalf of our class, thanks a lot to Kristiane Aas Stormark for taking such good care of us, to Mante Kvedare and Harald Ihlen Møyner for being so supportive and sponsoring this event and to Finn Erling Røgenæs for a great and insightful introduction on the topic!

Click here to watch a minute of the seminar: https://www.facebook.com/HenrikHSlevigen/videos/10155276224738808/