As we know, newspapers and media companies are in a battle for their lives. Given the seriousness of the situation, you’d think media companies would make investments in their brand, but many are slow to the game (and when they finally get to the game, they’re not exactly ready for prime time, as you’re about to see).
According to USA Today—Gannett’s national newspaper—the ad above, along with print ads and a new logo comprise the company’s “first corporate branding campaign.”
Ads will appear in USA TODAY and Gannett’s 81 community newspapers and on its 23 TV stations and more than 100 digital properties, including Captivate, which programs TV-like screens in nearly 9,000 elevators and lobbies.
“We’re in a world that is highly complex, and what we want to do is put out something that is very simple and that people can remember,” CEO Craig Dubow says.
From the look of things, Gannett may have achieved simple, but they’re going to have to work much harder to become memorable.
By the way, the company generated $588.2 million in net income last year on $5.44 billion in revenue. Which leads me to believe they can afford to make better advertising.
