sign in sign up
<<
Home , Calkins Media, Daily American, LNP (newspaper), Pittsburgh Passion, The Beaver County Times

This week's spotlight is on Press And Journal's PSU Guide

For the past seven years, the Pr ess And Jour nal (Middletown) has been producing its PSU Guide as a way to introduce Penn State University students, as well as faculty and staff, to businesses in the greater Middletown and Central areas.

The publication allows area advertisers the opportunity to reach a demographic to which they may not normally connect.

Copies of the publication are distributed to incoming freshman students during orientation, and are also placed in every apartment on campus, as well as in all off- campus housing. Several hundred copies of the Guide are also handed out during an annual community event held the first week of classes.

The Guide's content is generated by Press And Journal staff and features local information of all kinds - recreation, shopping, entertainment and services. The goal is to provide new and returning students with a valuable resource guide that covers everything from health information and car repair/servicing, to the best walking and hiking trails in Central PA, that they can use throughout the year.

For more information, contact Julianna Sukle. This week's spotlight is on Made in Somerset County e-store

Originally conceived more than 10 years ago to be an actual retail location within the publication's office, www.madeinsomersetcounty.com is an e-commerce store that sells items made in Somerset County, along with the 's (Somerset) branded items, including their published books.

The store is something unique and exciting that the publication manages locally. The Daily American stocks the items, handles all transactions and ships the orders. There are also display cases in the paper's lobby, and walk-in customers are welcome.

This is a non-traditional revenue stream, and a way to promote the media company and market area. Items sold on the site range from clothing and jewelry, to homemade candy, gourmet food and arts and crafts.

Daily American Advertising Director, Tom Koppenhofer says of the store, "We have a great team behind Made in Somerset County and we are always adding vendors and items for sale to keep our inventory fresh and appealing."

For more information, contact Tom Koppenhofer. This week's spotlight is on ' and Garden Show

The Beaver County Times is hosting its largest and most popular event of the year - The Times' Home and Garden Show, on Saturday, March 24. Community members have the opportunity to visit with 60 exhibitors, watch interesting demonstrations from local home and garden experts - including Penn State Master Gardeners, engage with local animal handlers, meet a well-known disc jockey - Jim Krenn, make a children's craft, and perhaps most popular of all, win the chance to spend one minute in the exciting "money machine." The Easter Bunny will also make a special appearance at the event.

To give back to the community, the Times invites the local Humane Society to staff the concession stand with all profits going back to the organization. In addition, representatives from the Humane Society will bring rescue dogs to the event in hopes of helping them get adopted.

Affordably priced tickets for the event are sold at the Times' building, as well as at key sponsor locations including West-Aircomm and Home Depot and online. In past years, more than 1,200 people have attended the show.

The Home Show is promoted on the Times' website, through a special section on the Sunday before the event, as well as through a fly sheet single-page insert in the on the Thursday before the show.

Revenue for the event is generated through exhibitor booths, sponsorships, ticket sales and advertising.

For more information, contact Amy Miller. This week's spotlight is on Caregiver Central PA Guide

Caring for an aging friend or relative has many rewards, as well as many challenges. Having been down this path themselves, the owners of And Journal (Middletown) wanted to create a guide that would be a useful tool for caregivers. As a result, the Caregiver Central PA Guide was created. The publication includes a local resource directory for services such as cleaning, medical devices and legal issues, a list of help lines, a summary of national support services, plus some interesting senior-related articles.

The annual directory is inserted into the Press And Journal's sister publication, Woman, because of the demographic audience it reaches. Research indicates that the typical caregiver is an employed woman, age 49, who is caring for her 69-year old mother - a perfect match for Woman's readership.

For more information, contact Louise Sukle. This week's spotlight is on

In response to the recent changes on Facebook, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association has developed a marketing campaign reinforcing that news media organizations in Pennsylvania always report honest and credible news from dedicated journalists. It is the bedrock of what we stand for today, and will stand for always. We will never compromise on our core principles given to us via the First Amendment.

Help us remind readers that across the Commonwealth are the place to find facts and real news by running the editorial written by PNA President Mark Cohen, along with the corresponding ads. The editorial includes references to some award-winning stories, but if you would prefer, feel free to replace these examples with some from your own publication.

The ad campaign materials include two series of three customizable print and digital ads. An overview of the campaign package can be viewed here.

Thank you for supporting this important initiative. Download the available ads.

This week's spotlight is on The Philadelphia Inquirer's Eagles Celebration

For fear of jinxing the Eagles' chance at a Super Bowl victory by planning too m uch too soon, the staff of The Philadelphia Inquirer lim ited their conversations to "what if" scenarios. On Sunday afternoon, m em bers of the production staff gathered at their printing facility to watch the big gam e with fingers crossed, preparing the press to quickly share the news of the best possible outcom e. Watch the video.

Shortly after m idnight, the front page of Monday's Inquirer special "keepsake edition" rolled off the press reading, "At Last!".

A half-m illion extra copies targeting single-copy sales were produced to m eet the anticipated dem and. In addition to the regular distribution sites, 14 pop- up locations were added throughout the city.

Traffic to the Philly.com web and m obile sites was up over 200% on Monday, as opposed to an ordinary Monday, and five tim es the typical num ber of digital subscribers signed up.

On Thursday, Philly.com will publish an interactive look at the entire Eagles season, from week one to Super Bowl Sunday, com plete with player profiles, hundreds of gam e photos and perspective from our team of Eagles beat writers and colum nists.

On Friday, the day after the Eagles Super Bowl parade, The Inquirer will release their "com m em orative section." In addition, a 160-page hardback book com m em orating the Eagles' season, currently available through presale, will ship in m id-March.

For m ore inform ation, contact Amy Buckman. This week's spotlight is on LancasterOnline's Pete Eats Lancaster

Developed as a community engagement project, 'Pete Eats Lancaster' is a video series by LancasterOnline that allows readers to nominate their favorite restaurants and dishes by category in Lancaster County. The votes are tallied and the top four restaurants are then visited by LNP's video production team and pitcher, Pete Andrelczyk.

Andrelczyk was a natural fit for the series as he loves to eat and is well- known in the community. The series has grown since its early 2017 inception and now has a loyal fan base.

The topics covered so far include pizza, burgers, barbecue, cheese steaks, doughnuts and wings. The series, sponsored by a local appliance store, includes an eight-week promotional package.

Pete Eats Lancaster lends its success to giving readers ownership and a return on their votes with videos that are both informative and entertaining. Keeping the videos short has also been a key to the series' success; the videos get more than 20,000 views when posted on the LNP + Lancaster Online Facebook page.

To learn more, contact Claudia Esbenshade. Fly Eagles Fly!

Champions bring out the creative in all of us. This is our time, PA, to not only rally around the , but to also grab new revenue streams. Don't forget to offer these must-have rev generators to your advertisers and readers!

Commemorative front pages Power Pages - full-page commemorative images Shirts printed with commemorative images Wall plaques Daily player posters Trivia games with sponsors Ticket giveaways Discount on the color green (for advertisers) Cheer cards Coffee table Championship Book Reader story submissions and fun videos Championship/Super Bowl coverage widget on home page - stats, player profiles, archived content, countdown clock Playing cards with player profiles Super Bowl Box Pool

What is your news media organization doing to prepare for the big game? Please email your Super Bowl-related initiatives to Jane Hungarter. This week's spotlight is on Lawyers Among Us - Advocates. Champions. Neighbors.

In partnership with the Bucks County Bar Association, the Bucks County Herald (Lahaska) developed a publication titled 'Lawyers Among Us - Advocates. Champions. Neighbors.' that promotes the many good works, projects and programs offered by the Association and its members.

Readers of were asked to nominate outstanding lawyers who give back to the community for 12 category awards. A panel consisting of Herald staff and distinguished members of the legal community judged the more than 60 entries received based on the comments provided by Herald readers. The nominees who exemplified the highest standards of commitment and contribution were then recognized in the publication, and honored at a corresponding event that featured Michael Smerconish. More than 100 people were in attendance.

In addition to the revenue generated from the two local businesses who sponsored the evening event, law firms, financial organizations and other local merchants purchased advertising space in the publication.

For more information, contact Joe Wingert.

This week's spotlight is on PA Media Group's Video Marketing Summit

The PA Media Group, comprised of PennLive and The Patriot News (Harrisburg), recently hosted a video marketing seminar designed to educate marketers about the importance of including video in their overall marketing strategy. The event featured a speaker from Google Marketing Solutions who shared eye- opening statistics about the popularity and projected growth of video content. A panel discussion included experts in production, digital strategy, and video marketing who offered their insights, and answered questions.

Industry reports estimate that by 2020, 82% of all Internet content will be video - which allows advertisers the opportunity to tell a story on an emotional level with the use of sight and sound. A successful video marketing campaign should include a combination of :06, :15 and :30 ads.

Held at the conference center on a local college campus, more than 100 people attended the event, including representatives from the education, automotive and healthcare segments. For more information, contact Carol Volkman. This week's spotlight is on

For the second time, the is selling a "Pizza Deal Card" that entitles the purchaser to receive a large two topping pizza from each of the eight restaurants that is participating in the promotion. A total of 250 cards are available for purchase at a cost of $39.95 per card.

The pizza shops that are taking part do not have any out-of-pocket cash outlay. They simply provide one pizza to each cardholder that visits their restaurant. The card is intended to drive store traffic and help participants gain some new customers.

Each participant's logo and location is included in the Mirror's print and digital ads that promote the card - an advertising campaign valued at over $10,000. In addition, each restaurant receives a $2,500 advertising package to use as they'd like within six months.

All of the pizza deal cards were sold the first year the Mirror ran the promotion, bringing in $10,000 in revenue. The publication expects to sell out again this year.

For more information, contact Tracy Brooks. This week's spotlight is on The Elf on the Shelf & Window Decorating Contests

To engage readers and offer advertisers a unique opportunity to connect with consumers, LNP (Lancaster) hosted two holiday-themed contests in December - The Elf on the Shelf Contest and the Window Decorating Contest - the fourth year for both.

To help Santa keep track of who is doing what this holiday season, readers were invited to submit a photo showing how they creatively displayed their personal Elf, being naughty or nice, as part of the Elf on the Shelf contest. The pool of entries was narrowed down to 25, and beginning today, readers can vote for their favorite photo through December 22. The winner will receive a $100 Toys "R" Us gift card. An exclusive contest sponsorship that included print, desktop and mobile banner ads, along with social media promotion, was sold.

LNP readers were also encouraged to take in the sites of the beautifully decorated windows in downtown Lancaster and vote for their favorites as part of the Window Decorating Contest. Judging categories included Best of Show, Most Creative/Innovative, Best Use of Store Merchandise and Best at Night. One lucky winner received a Downtown Lancaster prize package. To showcase this contest, LNP ran a full-page ad on the Sundays before and after Thanksgiving that promoted the holiday events happening in downtown Lancaster, and included the details of the contest. The information about the contest was surrounded with discounted ads from businesses in the city done in collaboration with the Lancaster City Alliance and Lancaster Office of Promotions. Businesses were also offered other opportunities during the contest to advertise at discounted rates.

For more information, contact Michelle Fisher. This week's spotlight is on The ELF Fund

In 1983, Bradford was hard hit by the economic recession which gripped most of the country. People were out of work, jobs were scarce, and some residents were having trouble meeting their basic needs. There was concern that parents may be unable to afford Christmas gifts for their kids.

The Bradford Era wanted to help, so they organized the first gift drive. As a result, children all over Bradford received at least one gift from Santa Claus - or in this case, an "elf". For this reason, the program became known as The Era's Less Fortunate or ELF Fund, and has continued to grow for 34 years.

Each year, the names and wish lists of needy children and senior citizens from the area are collected and written on a tag that is hung on one of the many Christmas trees displayed at local retail locations. Participating community members select a tag, and purchase a gift. More than 500 recipients will have something under their tree this holiday season thanks to the generosity of their neighbors.

In addition to providing financial support for the ELF Fund, The Era runs articles and ads about the program during the holiday season, serves as a drop-off point for the gifts, and participates on the organization's Board of Directors.

For more information, contact Ruth Bogdan.

*Today's Promotional Spotlight did not feature the link to the Pet Brag Book contest page. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused and have added the link below.

This week's spotlight is on Holiday Pet Brag Book

The Republican-Herald (Pottsville) is inviting readers to submit a photo of their furry, feathered or scaly friend enjoying the holiday season, that will be featured in their upcoming Pet Brag Book. Some lucky winners will also receive a prize such as a gift card for dining, or certificate to use at a local pet-related retailer.

Although this is a new initiative, the publication has done similar feel-good pieces/contests before, which have been very popular with their audience. The goals of the contest are to promote and generate support for local businesses, engage the community, and secure sponsors.

For a minimal investment, advertising sponsors receive a 300x250 web ad on the contest page that links to their website or Facebook page, mentions on all promotional ads that run in newspaper, as well as their name and hyperlink included on the contest invite email.

For more information, contact Aimee Eckley. This week's spotlight is on Small Business Saturday

To highlight local businesses during the busy Thanksgiving weekend holiday shopping kick-off, The Sentinel (Carlisle) has partnered with the Downtown Carlisle Association to promote Small Business Saturday®- an annual shopping tradition dedicated to supporting small businesses and celebrating communities across the country. Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday® is celebrated every year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Local merchants are invited to showcase their business in a special advertising publication that will be inserted on Thanksgiving Day, and on Small Business Saturday®. The 12-page broadsheet, which includes ads from more than 50 businesses, will be used as a jacket around the numerous Thanksgiving Day inserts. The publication also contains holiday song lyrics, and will be re-purposed and distributed by the DCA during their annual Christmas Parade and Light up the Night celebration.

For more information, contact Kim Kamowski. This week's spotlight is on It's a Wonderful Life Festival

Downtown Indiana is even more festive and beautiful during the Christmas season thanks to the generosity of the Lucy Donnelly Memorial Fund. Established in 1994 to honor Lucy Donnelly, former publisher of The and longtime advocate for downtown Indiana, the monies raised by the Foundation are used to beautify the downtown area by outlining the buildings on Philadelphia Street in white lights. For 20 years, Indiana has celebrated the start to the holiday season with the Lucy Donnelly Holiday Parade and It's a Wonderful Life Festival kickoff on the Friday evening before Thanksgiving. Each year, the crowd increases in size for this holiday tradition, and the parade gets a little larger. Family-friendly activities, including roasting marshmallows, free hot chocolate, free crafts for the kids, music, free hayrides, a performance by the Indiana Junior High School Spirit Band - followed by a parade and tree lighting, round out the evening. To close the evening events, the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life," is also shown at the local theater. The Festival brings about 5,000 people to downtown Indiana.

The celebration is appropriately named as Indiana is the birthplace of Jimmy Stewart, Hollywood's Christmas classic film star of "It's a Wonderful Life," and also has the honor of being the Christmas Tree Capital of the World. Mark your calendars to join the fun that begins on Friday, November 17.

For more information, contact JD Grantz. This week's spotlight is on Holiday Sweepstakes

The Williamsport Sun-Gazette is hosting a holiday sweepstakes promotion that offers local retailers a unique opportunity to connect with consumers. Depending on the advertising package selected, merchants supply a prize that readers register to win, and in return, they receive a variety of print and digital ads, along with email and Facebook marketing opportunities, to highlight their business from Nov. 3 - Dec. 13.

Ads promoting the sweepstakes will run in/on the Sun-Gazette's print, digital, email and Facebook page. The goal is to drive consumers to a central website to register to win the different items, including the grand prize of $1,000 plus a trip. Each participating retailer receives a minisite that will include information about the prize they have provided.

The sweepstakes is estimated to generate more than $12,000 in revenue for the Sun-Gazette.

For more information, contact John Leeser. This week's spotlight is on

For more than 30 years, the Tribune-Review (Greensburg) has provided holiday meals and children's books to needy families in the area through their Operation Santa Claus program.

In partnership with SHOP 'n SAVE grocery store and the Salvation Army, groceries are purchased at cost, and volunteers from the community pack and distribute bags of non- perishable items to over 5,000 families who would otherwise go hungry during the holiday season.

To raise money for this worthy cause, the Tribune-Review runs ads and coupons asking readers for donations, hosts a summer golf outing, and sponsors the very popular Soup for a Claus event. Participating restaurants in the Greensburg area each partner with a local retailer to distribute their soup at the retailer's location on the first Saturday in November - a festive way to kick-off the holiday season. The Tribune-Review provides all of the supplies necessary to heat and serve the soup. More than 500 partakers in the soup crawl purchase a $10 ticket, which allows them to sample recipes from approximately 17 different restaurants. The fundraising initiatives, in total, generated more than $90,000 last year to purchase groceries.

For more information, contact Lindsay Berdell. This week's spotlight is on Holiday Shopping Expo

The Conshy Courier is hosting its second annual holiday shopping expo on Small Business Saturday®, November 25. More than 75 vendors ranging from crafters and home businesses, to cooking lesson providers and home builders, will display their goods and services at one location. A kickoff rally/breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. - 9 a.m., and the first 250 shoppers to arrive will receive a goody bag that includes coupons, treats and more from local businesses.

Working in partnership with American Express, those who attend the event will also receive a Shop Small® Passport that includes a list of businesses in Conshohocken that will be offering a special incentive, such as a discount, for those who visit that day. Each time a shopper stops by a participating location, they will receive a stamp on their passport. At the end of the day, the passports will be turned in and entered into a raffle for prizes that include gift certificates.

The Conshy Courier is running print, digital and social media ads on its media properties, and has posted signs around town to promote the event which drew close to 1,000 holiday shoppers last year.

For more information, contact Teresa Parris. This week's spotlight is on O-R Plus

To further increase the value of a newspaper subscription, the Observer-Reporter (Washington) introduced O-R Plus, a rewards program for their subscribers. Special offers from local merchants can only be accessed by subscribers on the newspaper's website and app, as part of a reader retention strategy.

In addition to posting discounts to local restaurants and retailers, the platform is also used to promote O-R events. Tickets to several recent O-R sponsored events, including opening night at the Washington Community Theatre, Wild Things games, the Corks & Kegs event in Washington, and the Pony League World Series, were given away.

O-R Plus is promoted through a series of print and social media ads. In addition, as part of a circulation sale subscription drive, the top deals from O-R plus were printed on a wallet-sized card that was used as an incentive for those who do not go online.

For more information, contact Matt Miller. This week's spotlight is on

The (Stroudsburg), along with its sister GateHouse Media publications, is running a Home Town Cook'n Recipe Contest. Readers are invited to submit their own original Thanksgiving recipes from one of four categories - soups, vegetable dishes, cakes and cobblers, or non-turkey entrees.

The first round of judging will be done by a team of GateHouse editors and food writers. During the second round, the finalists' recipes will be prepared by the Culinary School and judged based on taste, visual appeal, and creativity.

The winners from each of the four categories will receive a $500 American Express gift card, and the grand prize winner will receive a culinary trip of their choice to New York City, New Orleans, or Napa Valley. All entrants will receive a premium membership to Cook'n®, plus a free digital cookbook.

The contest is being promoted through print and digital ads, and Facebook posts.

For more information, contact Stephanie Fairbanks. This week's spotlight is on Community Giving Special Section

For the past few years, The Courier-Express/Tri-County Sunday (DuBois) has released a special section in November titled "Community Giving." In partnership with their sister publications, The Progress (Clearfield), Jeffersonian Democrat (Brookville), and -Vindicator (New Bethlehem), the newspapers identify and highlight charities and nonprofit organizations from the local area.

Each feature includes general background information about the organization, along with a photo and personal story from one of their volunteers. By answering questions such as "why do you volunteer?", "what benefits does the organization provide to the community?", "do you need any particular skills to volunteer?", and "what would happen if the organization didn't exist?", readers gain the unique perspective of seeing the charity through the eyes of a volunteer.

An accompanying information box about the organization includes details about where to donate, how to volunteer, and steps to follow to use the charity's services, if needed.

For more information, contact Joy Norwood at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Observer-Reporter's TV Weekly

It had been more than 10 years since the Observer-Reporter (Washington) included a television book in their newspaper. After receiving many reader requests to reconsider this decision, the publication recently relaunched TV Weekly, and it's been a win-win for everyone.

Working in conjunction with PNA affiliate member Advantage Newspaper Consultants to sell advertising space in the publication, approximately 40 local advertisers committed to a 52-week contract yielding the Observer-Reporter more than $200,000 in advertising revenue. Circulation revenue also increased by more than $450,000 as the cost of all subscriptions was increased by $.50 to compensate for the addition of this premium product.

The Observer-Reporter receives the television listing pages from Gracenote which include spaces to place the local ads.

For more information, contact Matt Miller at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Little League Baseball® World Series

Each August, Williamsport is buzzing with activity as players, families and friends arrive for the Little League Baseball® World Series. The William sport Sun-Gazette has a long-standing tradition of supporting the event by producing several fan-favorite keepsakes, including a special Little League Extra newspaper wrap, a Little League Scrapbook, a series of trading pins, posters that highlight the trading pins, and a complementary pin trading booklet.

For the duration of the series, the front of the newspaper's sports section is wrapped with a special page, titled Little League Extra, that focuses on the day's events, and includes other interesting content. A strip ad is available at the bottom of the page. This wrap is then repurposed as the front cover of that day's newspaper which is sold at the venue.

The Grand Slam Parade, complete with each team riding on their own float, kicks off the event. Information about each team, along with photos from the parade, are used to create a Little League Scrapbook that is available for purchase. Blank pages for autographs, and advertising space on each page, rounds out the publication.

The Sun-Gazette also designs a series of unique trading pins that are offered for sale. A corresponding pin trading booklet is produced and distributed, free-of-charge, at the parade. Three full-page collectable posters that include images of the pins are inserted in the newspaper during the week of the event.

For more information, contact Diane Fedder at [email protected] . This week's spotlight is on Something Borrowed Pre-Owned Wedding Market

The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre) is hosting a special event for both brides and grooms-to-be on Sunday, Sept. 17. The Something Borrowed pre-owned wedding market offers newlyweds, DIY vendors, wedding planners, and others the opportunity to make some money from their gently used or handmade wedding-related items. Private party vendors pay just $25 for a table to sell items such as chair covers, votive candle holders, centerpieces, cake stands, photo booth props, etc. Engaged couples benefit from having the opportunity to purchase the supplies they need for their dream wedding at an affordable price.

Retailers with a storefront or e-commerce business are also invited to participate in the event for a fee of $125. A local bridal salon will display and sell their sample wedding gowns and special occasion dresses. An image of each of the available dresses is posted online so those interested can preview the choices before arriving.

A general admission ticket for the event is $5 online or at the door, and a limited number of early bird tickets that allow early entrance (and a better chance of snatching up the best items) are $15.

There is no out-of-pocket expense to The Citizens' Voice for hosting the event. Vendors will display their items on tables in an area of the newspaper building that is unoccupied. The event itself is being advertised in/on Times Shamrock-owned media properties, and signage is being printed in-house..

For more information, contact Steve Parulski at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Hometown Heroes Special Section

Each year, The Courier-Express/Tri-County Sunday (DuBois) produces a particularly robust special section that distinguishes itself from all the others. The m ost recent publication, a three-section broadsheet titled Hom etown Heroes, is no exception.

In partnership with their sister newspapers, The Progress (Clearfield), Jeffersonian Dem ocrat (Brookville), and The Leader-Vindicator (N ew Bethlehem ), the organizations asked readers to subm it photos and inform ation about their fam ily m em bers and friends, who currently serve, or have served, in the m ilitary. More than 100 im ages were shared, including m any from the local historical society that captured local troops returning hom e from various wars, along with parade celebrations. Readers proudly disclosed the details of m ulti-generational m ilitary service.

In addition to the pictures and corresponding stories, a short synopsis of each war was also included in the publication. Advertisers were also delighted to support such a m eaningful feel-good piece.

For m ore inform ation, contact Joy N orwood at [email protected] . This week's spotlight is on What's Your Philly Story Contest

To help drive subscription sales and revenue through their partnership with Newspapers.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer/Philadelphia Daily News/Philly.com is running a contest titled "What's Your Philly Story?" Readers are encouraged to go online to search the publications' archives through Philly.Newspapers.com to find a story, event, ad, etc. that pertains to either themselves or their family. When something has been found, the reader saves and uploads the item, and submits it along with a description that details their connection to it.

The grand prize winner of the contest will receive a 1-year subscription to Newspapers.com along with a custom framed reprint of the story of their choice (which helps to promote Philadelphia Media Network's reprint services), and two runners-up will be awarded a 6- month subscription.

When the contest ends, Philadelphia Media Network's native team will further develop the readers' submissions to use for promotional purposes on Newspapers.com.

The contest has been widely promoted through print and digital ads on the Philadelphia Media Network's properties, along with sponsored posts on Facebook, and email blasts.

For more information, contact Jaime Hutkin at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on The Express's (Lock Haven) Shop Local Program

To encourage area residents to support their local businesses, The Express (Lock Haven) launched a "Shop Local" program. Consumers are encouraged to visit participating merchants to pick up a card, and have it stamped at one of the 12 retail locations. When the card is stamped three times, it is placed in the drop box at one of the stores. One lucky card is selected each week, and the winner receives a $25 gift certificate from one of the eligible businesses. The grand prize winner receives $250 at the end of the promotion.

For an affordable investment of $450, the retailers who participate in this program receive a 3 col x 2" ad in the newspaper every Thursday for 12 weeks, along with a stack of cards to distribute to shoppers, a stamp and stamp pad, a drop box, and a flyer to post at their business to showcase their participation in the program.

For more information, contact Jordan McCloskey at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Taste of NEPA Contest

To celebrate the best local establishments for food and spirits, (Honesdale) is hosting the Taste of NEPA contest. Readers were asked to nominate their preferred places to eat and drink from over 100 categories. Those who submitted at least 25 business names were entered into a drawing to win $100.

From the more than 3,500 nominations received, the top five from each category were identified and listed on an online ballot. Readers can choose their favorites each and every day between August 7-20, and those who vote in at least 25 categories will qualify for a chance to win $100.

When the contest ends, the best of the best winners will be listed in a tab that includes "thank you for voting for us ads." They will also receive a certificate to hang at their location, along with much deserved bragging rights.

For more information, contact Michelle Fleece at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on The Local Prophet Promotes the Harry Potter Festival

If you've ever wondered what Butterbeer really tastes like, or want to watch someone catch the Golden Snitch in a high stakes Quidditch match, mark your calendar to attend the annual Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill on October 20-21. While you're there, be sure to pick up a copy of The Local Prophet, a free newspaper produced by the Chestnut Hill Local, that contains interesting information about the festival, local advertising, and for some extra magic - special effects.

The Chestnut Hill Local has been involved with the annual Harry Potter Festival since day one. For the first event, the newspaper developed a four-page publication called The Local Prophet (a nod to the newspaper in the Harry Potter books called The Daily Prophet) to hand out to those in attendance. Since that time, it has grown to 20-pages, and is strongly supported by local advertisers. Last year, with the help of an augmented reality app, readers were able to scan photos in the publication with their smartphone to have images move around on the page, and allow music and video to begin to play.

More than 10,000 copies of the newspaper are published, which includes many that are distributed throughout Philadelphia as a promotional piece for the event. Due to the popularity of the Festival, and the local advertisers' support of the event, The Local Prophet has been a non-traditional revenue generator for the Chestnut Hill Local. Wands up to that!

For more information, contact Larry Hochberger at [email protected] . This week's spotlight is on The Corry Journal Seat Cushions

Like those in many communities across Pennsylvania, the residents of Corry love their local high school football team - the Corry Beavers. To show their support of the team, The Corry Journal offered seat cushion ad sponsorships to local businesses. For the second year in a row, more than 40 business card-sized ads were sold for $200 apiece. Last year's cushions were well received by fans who were spotted using them at other Corry High School sporting events, once the football season ended.

Over 300 cushions, printed in the team colors of black and orange, will be distributed - for free, at the school's first home football game in September.

For more information, contact Tim Joncas at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Newsies and LNP

The LN P panel above serves as a prop for N ewsies-related selfies. All photographs by Andrew Albright.

Newsies, a popular musical based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, has been playing this summer at The Fulton, Central Pennsylvania's premier regional theatre and National Historic Landmark.

To create a more newspaper-related immersive experience for their patrons, The Fulton partnered with LNP (Lancaster). Theatre ushers dress as newsies and distribute two-section playbills, printed by LNP on newspaper stock, from their LNP branded news bags, to those in attendance.

In the grand rotunda of the theatre, ten 5'x6' panels, produced by LNP, highlight both the history of newspaper, as well as a description of what the organization is today. Some of the messaging touches on the contentiousness of politics that has always existed, including how newspapers are always in the middle of fighting factions - yet remain dedicated to presenting a full and honest picture of the county and people they serve. When the show closes, the panels will be repurposed for other events and organizations.

For more information, contact Mary Lorson at m lorson@steinm ancom m unications.com . This week's spotlight is on The Record-Argus' Discover Northern Mercer County

To help attract visitors to its small community, and educate local residents about the area's history and upcoming events, The Record-Argus (Greenville) produces an annual publication titled Discover Northern Mercer County.

The most recent edition focuses on interesting facts and urban legends related to Mercer County, including torpedo testing on Pymatuning Lake during WWII, the Underground Railroad that ran through the area, and locally produced TNT. Did you know that Mercer County is the birthplace of the parachute? It also features unique things to do that many people may not be aware of.

The publication is popular with local advertisers who want to help promote the area in addition to highlighting their business. It is inserted into the newspaper, and is also distributed at 50 area locations, including the Chamber of Commerce, campgrounds, convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, the local hospital and library, and real estate offices.

For more information, contact Jim Rust at [email protected].

This week's spotlight is on Pittsburgh Energy Forum Series

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has partnered with Peoples Gas to host a series of four consumer- friendly thought leadership events this year focused on energy, the environment, and economics that explore how energy is transforming the region, and how Pittsburgh fits into landscape and the future of energy. The topics of the events include, A Climate Conversation: Perspectives on Climate Change and Clean Energy, The Next Generation of Transportation, Powering the Economy with Innovation, and Energy's Impact on Culture and the Future. Guest speakers feature innovators, scientists, engineers and climate experts from Uber, RAND, Shell, Penn State, Carnegie Mellon University, and startups like Argo AI, who just received a $1 billion investment from Ford to build self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. Post-Gazette executive editor, David Shribman, serves as moderator of the events.

The series provides brand association with the Post-Gazette, and enhancements include video on post-gazette.com's PowerSource energy news page. Peoples Gas receives exclusive sponsorship recognition in all event marketing and advertising.

For more information, contact Tracey DeAngelo 412-263-1460 or [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Retro York

To share details about the history of the local area, the York /Sunday News has created a Facebook group, and dedicated page on its website, titled Retro York. Compelling content is posted throughout the day to educate readers about the history of the people and places throughout York.

Whether someone is interested in learning about local nostalgia, desires more details about a particular building, wants to reminisce about the former Two Guys department store that was a popular place to shop, or is curious to find out about a downtown walking tour, Retro York is the place to visit.

Since its launch in August 2016, 1,200 preservationists, historians, and community members have joined the Facebook group.

For more information, contact Jared Bean at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Notorious Beaver County

Some residents of Beaver County still remember the horrific 1977 murders of Bill and Nancy Adams, at the hands of Edward Surratt. Others have only heard about this incomprehensible tragedy that rocked the idyllic community. This is just one of 13 episodes about a string of notorious serial killings in Beaver County and the surrounding area that will be featured on ' new WebTV series, Notorious Beaver County, debuting today, June 21. Each feature is five to ten minutes in length, and a new episode will be released every Wednesday.

The genesis of this project came from the newspaper's success with a previous series on unsolved homicide cases, Cold Case Beaver County, which confirmed the public's interest in, and appetite for, crime genre stories.

Local law enforcement authorities were incredibly gracious, and provided support, to those involved in making this series by allowing access to important records and research materials. The new series is hosted by Beaver County native, and forensic criminologist, Dr. Laura Pettler.

For more information, contact Kristen Doerschner at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Bedford Gazette's Progress & Industry 2017

For more than 20 years, the Bedford Gazette has been producing a robust progress and industry guide to promote the services, and add to the economic development, of the local community. Working in conjunction with the Bedford County Development Association on this project, the publication is used as a marketing tool to bring new business into the area.

The theme of this year's edition, Risk Takers, Job Makers, Earth Shakers - Diversifying Bedford County, features articles written by both the Gazette staff, and members of the BCDA - along with ads from local businesses including, flooring installers, HVAC contractors, and realtors who want to attract the attention of those who are building, buying, or moving into the area. The businesses that are highlighted in the issue have the unique opportunity to tell their story in an impactful and positive manner - further reinforcing the quality of the companies in the region, and the benefits of becoming a part of the community.

Copies of this resource guide are inserted into the newspaper, distributed at the BCDA's Annual Breakfast, and are available at local advertiser locations.

For more information, contact Sherri Growden at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Press Enterprise's Word Search Book

The Press Enterprise (Bloomsburg) recently released its first advertiser-sponsored Word Search Book. Due to the popularity of the various puzzles that are published each day, the newspaper wanted to offer puzzle enthusiasts a standalone piece that had shelf life.

Recognizing that puzzles are especially popular with the adult 50+ population, advertisers offering products and services targeted to this audience were asked to sponsor a word search that contained hidden terms related to the nature of their business. The newspaper's staff searched each potential advertiser's website, identified key words related to their business, and designed a prototype puzzle, which was then presented. Being proactive reduced the work required of the advertiser, and made it easier for them to agree to participate. A corresponding ad from each sponsor was published next to their puzzle.

For more information, contact Sarah Kile at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Storytellers Project

To increase reader and community engagement, the /Sunday News recently introduced its Storytellers Project series. Journalists and community members tell true, first-person stories on a selected theme in front of a live audience.

The first event, titled "Stories About Stories," was held in March at York's downtown Central Market. Seven local journalists shared fun or poignant stories about their reporting. More than 150 guests purchased a $10 ticket to attend. Two additional Storyteller events will be scheduled throughout the remainder of the year.

For more information, contact Scott Fisher at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Beaver County Times' Let Us Play

Athletic scholarships for women simply didn't exist until a senator from Indiana proposed Title IX, which was a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972. It said no person on the basis of sex could be excluded from participation or benefits of any education program receiving federal assistance.

Marking the 45th anniversary since Title IX was passed, the Beaver County Times recently launched the web TV series Let Us Play: Women in Sports. It highlights four incredible female athlete game-changers from the area who tell their stories about the personal challenges and prejudices they faced, and what it took to overcome obstacles to make their names in athletics.

To quote Hannah Daman, a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Passion, and one of the women featured in the series, "Women can do anything men can do. They can jet ski. They can play baseball. They can be astronauts. They can be marathon swimmers. You can be whatever you want to be, as long as you have the desire to go there."

For more information, contact Marina Weis at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Fixing York

With the goal of improving life in York, as well as the city's future, the York Daily Record/Sunday News launched a Facebook group called Fixing York PA. Group members are invited to post content on a wide variety of topics, including whom to contact to resolve a particular issue in the city, to share information about an upcoming event, offer a review of a local restaurant, list a home for sale, initiate a political discussion, and more. A committee from YDR moderates the posts to maintain discourse, and will investigate and respond to the questions, when necessary.

In the course of two years, the group has grown to over 5,000 members - many of whom are Millennials. Feedback from the group confirms that it's the little things like this Facebook page that help residents feel more connected to their community.

For more information, contact Jared Bean at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on 's #ValleyMusicals Celebration

A night of festivity awaited local high school thespians as The Daily Item (Sunbury) presented #ValleyMusicals Celebration on Monday evening. Performers from thirteen area schools, who participated in the spring musical, along with their families, were invited to enjoy an evening of live stage performances, video clips from each musical, and an appearance from a local graduate who is a hair and makeup designer on Broadway, at the art deco inspired Campus Theater in Lewisburg.

In preparation for the event, a reporter and photographer from the newspaper attended each high school's spring musical. A summary of the show, along with a large photo of a principal actor, and a list of the students who participated in the production, was published in a corresponding tab. Those who attended the event received a preview copy of the special section, and all subscribers received the supplement in the following day's newspaper.

For more information, contact Patty Bennett at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo

The Sentinel (Lewistown) has taken a non-traditional approach to expanding its events division. At the suggestion of a staff member whose family is impacted by a gluten-free diet, the newspaper hosted its first Central PA Gluten Free Expo in 2013 in State College.

Due to the success of this niche event, the newspaper searched for another market in which to replicate the Expo, and found an opportunity in Philadelphia. The second Greater Philly Gluten Free Expo will be held on Saturday, May 20 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. The day will include a series of informational sessions presented by experts in the field, along with more than 85 vendors who will answer questions, offer samples, and provide gluten-free products. The goal of the event is to provide people with celiac disease, gluten sensitivities or those who feel better eating gluten-free, with access to information, companies, and products that can make their life better.

Last year's event was an unequivocal success with over 2,200 people in attendance. Revenue was generated through tickets sales, sponsorships, and vendor participation.

To host a successful niche event like this, involve someone from your staff who has a deep understanding of, and passion for the topic, in order to make the right connections and secure exhibitors. Build the event as something that you would like to attend yourself.

For more information, contact Matt Bolich at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Town Hall on the Media

It's making front page news in the digital era: Assaults on the First Amendment - Facebook and Twitter as news arbiters - Erosion of public trust in the media - The 'fake news' phenomenon.

To address these issues, PennLive/The Patriot- News (Harrisburg), WGAL-TV, the Press And Journal (Middletown), and PNA, are hosting a town hall event focused on the importance of real journalism in the "fake news" era on Monday, May 8 at the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the HACC Harrisburg Campus. Linda Beck of Harrisburg Area Community College will open the meeting with advice for all news consumers. PNA President, Teri Henning, will moderate a panel of industry experts from PennLive/The Patriot-News, WGAL-TV, the Press And Journal, and Messiah College's Media Lab who will discuss how to navigate the news amid an information industry in disruption, and answer questions and offer insights on the challenges and opportunities of this new information age.

For more information about the event, contact Cate Barron at [email protected], or register here to attend.

PNA members are encouraged to host similar events in your communities, emphasizing the role of the news media, efforts to gather and report accurate news, and the importance of a free press and the First Amendment. PNA and the PNA Foundation are available to help plan - and be part of - your event. We also have funds earmarked for these events and can help with associated costs. For more information, email [email protected].

This week's spotlight is on SWC Properties

Faced with lackluster real estate classified advertising business, the Herald-Standard (Uniontown) teamed up with a local independent real estate broker to form SWC Properties, a real estate company, to generate revenue, diversify income streams, and reignite real estate advertising. Utilizing the news media organization's portfolio of products, SWC distinguishes itself from the competition by providing homeowners with unprecedented marketing support that includes print, digital, social, and television. An accompanying website, HousetoHomeShow.com, provides a virtual tour of every home.

At the end of SWC's first year, the real estate lineage in the Herald-Standard quadrupled, as competitors had to increase their advertising spending to contend with the new organization. Three additional SWC offices have opened in neighboring communities that are also supported by properties.

In addition to its financial success, SWC provides a true testament to the power of newspaper advertising.

The Herald-Standard is franchising SWC Properties to other media companies, and consultation services are also available. For more information, contact Bob Pinarski at [email protected] or Scott Cavinee at [email protected].

This week's spotlight is on the on the Amazon Echo

The Morning Call (Allentown) partnered with the vendor Newscycle to develop The Morning Call Alexa Skill for Amazon Echo. Each day, a Morning Call newsperson records a three to five minute real voice sound bite of the day's headlines. Amazon Echo users can enable and add The Morning Call Alexa Skill to their Flash Briefing, and have their personal assistant read the news to them. Download a video demo.

The initiative was launched on Christmas morning 2016 with a full-page, full-color print ad in the news section, ROS online ads and other digital targeting, a targeted non- subscriber consumer email to 25,000 addresses in Lehigh and Northampton counties, and signs on coin-operated newspaper distribution boxes. The goal was to capitalize on all of the new Echos being gifted for Christmas and Hanukkah.

To help generate revenue, a "brought to you by" sponsorship is available. The participating advertiser receives 5-10 second audio pre-roll on every Flash Briefing, and logo placement in all marketing materials.

For more information, contact DJ Cleaver at [email protected] or visit themorningcall.com/echo.

This week's spotlight is on the Because Every Mom is Beautiful Photo Contest

The Times News (Lehighton) knows that every mother is beautiful. To showcase the special women in their local area, readers are invited to upload photos of the beautiful mothers in their lives, along with a description about them, as part of the newspaper's #1 Mom Mother's Day photo contest. The first-place winner will be awarded a $350 gift certificate to a fine photography studio, and additional winners will also receive lovely prizes.

Connecting with readers by allowing them to share their photos, and tell their stories, is the goal of the contest. It is being promoted in print, online and through social media. An email will follow to remind readers to vote for their favorite mother, and a photo of the winner will be published at the conclusion of the event.

For more information about the contest, contact Linda McDonald at [email protected].

This week's spotlight is on the Courier-Kiwanis Sesame Place Classic

For nineteen years, the Bucks County Courier Times (Levittown) has been a proud sponsor of the Courier-Kiwanis Sesame Place Classic. This annual 5K run (and 1-mile fun run and kids sprint) is held each May to support the Dick Dougherty Scholarship Fund - in memory of the longtime Courier Times sports editor. Scholarship funds are raised through the $30 registration fee (that includes a ticket to Sesame Place), as well as corporate sponsorships.

Courier Times sports writer Wayne Fish and communications director Amy Gianficaro work closely with race co-sponsor, the Levittown-Bristol Kiwanis Club, to provide fundraising and management support, along with volunteers at the race, which attracts approximately 800 participants each year.

Scholarships are awarded to both a male and female scholar-athlete, from sixteen Bucks County high schools, who excel academically and athletically, and represent the ideals of good community citizens. They are also celebrated in the newspaper for their achievement.

For more information about the race, contact Amy Gianficaro at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on Bucks County Herald's Area Guide Book

The Bucks County Herald (Lahaska) publishes a regular feature titled "Destination" that focuses on the history and makeup of one of the fifty towns that comprises its distribution area. Due to the popularity of these stories, the Herald is relaunching its Area Guide Book as a twice-a- year compilation of these pieces. Corresponding QR codes will allow readers to conveniently dive more deeply into information about each community, including a detailed map.

The revenue stream for this product is two-fold - including proceeds from both advertising sales and distribution sales. The book retails for $5.00, and is available to retail outlets at the wholesale price of $2.50. The first issue will be available in April.

For more information, contact Joe Wingert at [email protected]. This week's spotlight is on the Family Reading Festival

For the past 30 years, The Republican-Herald (Pottsville) has sponsored a Family Reading Festival. Authors from around the area are invited to attend, at no cost to them, or to the newspaper, and are able to sell their books at the event. Schools from throughout the county set up tables with activities based on a book theme.

Upon arrival, students receive a bookmark, pencil, and a bag for their activities. The school with the highest percentage of students in attendance receives an engraved plaque and bragging rights.

To add to the fun, a member of the newspaper's marketing department wears a rented costume of a book character. The local reading council reimburses the cost of the costume.

An area orthodontics office co-sponsors the event, and gives away a Kindle E-reader. Hundreds of children and their parents, and grandparents, attend this free event each year, so it's a wonderful opportunity for the newspaper to engage with future readers.

For more information about the event, contact Janet Joyce at [email protected].