Advertising space on Telegraph

[AriAgresti]

Hey there, I am new to the platform. I own a sustainable swimwear startup doing swim shorts out of recycled plastic bottles. Cash flow is very difficult and I have been in business for about a year without any real revenues. My product is very seasonal so I can understand that being the case.

I have been contacted by a publishing agency called APL Media, which works on the Telegraph for lifestyle content. They have proposed a small space (1/12) into a two pages section that advertises Ethical and Green living. It will feature 10 other brands in different categories doing different things that have to do with sustainability and being more eco-friendly.

They have offered a non-negotiable price of £1000 (rather than 4K) to feature and I am really puzzled on what to do. It is a lot of money for a small company like mine but at the same time I feel like I do not want to lose out on the opportunity?

Any advice or even similar experience would be so helpful. Thanks a lot

 

[Fagin2021]

Leaving aside all other considerations - and there are many - the first thing you need ask yourself is...

Is the typical reader of the Telegraph (aka The Tory Party Newsletter) the sort of person likely to buy swim shorts made from recycled plastic bottles ? Or indeed, likely to buy swim shorts at all ?

Answer that and you've (partly) answered your question.

As an aside, I was once contacted by a nice young lady from Vogue magazine who wanted to do an advertorial for my jewellery business. I had to tell her that my best customers were middle-aged men in the North of England buying anniversary gifts for their wives. If she'd been calling from 'Meat Pie Monthly' or 'Whippet and Ferret Fancier', we could have done business.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

They have offered a non-negotiable price of £1000 (rather than 4K) to feature and I am really puzzled on what to do. It is a lot of money for a small company like mine but at the same time I feel like I do not want to lose out on the opportunity?

Any advice or even similar experience would be so helpful. Thanks a lot

How many pairs of shorts do you have to sell to get your money back?

 

[AriAgresti]

Hey there! Well, your answer did put a smile on my face on a difficult day. So I have to thank you for that.
Putting my political views aside, my product does need an affluent clientele but you are right on the fact that I am not sure Tories will be likely to buy vibrant and colourful swim shorts.

I will have to sleep on it I think. When these things come across your way you are always keen on thinking that it might be the last time it ever happens. Well, I do want to hope is not.

 

[AriAgresti]

How many pairs of shorts do you have to sell to get your money back?

Around 20

 

[Fagin2021]

Hey there! Well, your answer did put a smile on my face on a difficult day. So I have to thank you for that.
Putting my political views aside, my product does need an affluent clientele but you are right on the fact that I am not sure Tories will be likely to buy vibrant and colourful swim shorts.

I will have to sleep on it I think. When these things come across your way you are always keen on thinking that it might be the last time it ever happens. Well, I do want to hope is not.

Don't be fooled by their sales spiel. You will always be able to get a substantial discount off their rate card. It's never 'non-negotiable'.

If you decide to advertise tell the rep that you're tempted to go-ahead but his/her price is a bit more than your budget. When he/she asks 'what is your budget' just say "I wasn't looking to spend more than £500 so I'm afraid I won't be able to take up your offer". See what he/she says.

Incidentally, I think @Lucan Unlordly meant 'how many do you have to sell to break even' ie net profit.

 

[MOIC]

Any exposure is good . . . .if you can afford it.

You might get nothing, you might get a group buyer looking at your products.

What sales (if any) do you hope to achieve from advertising in The Telegraph?

If you do decide to go with it, I would offer 25% of what they have asked for. They approached you.

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Around 20

Yes I thought the answers were good and definitely not sure it is worth the investment. There is the old saying you need three consecutive ads before someone actually reads it.

If you only need to sell 20, this would suggest they retail at £100 and that may be your other problem.

Finally I would try Facebook or Google and target environmental supporters.

 

[Mark T Jones]

This is a variant of the standard marketing question 'does xxx medium work?'

The answer, always, is it depends.

Mostly it depends on

Your target audience
Your message / offer
Your marketing strategy

If you're responding to an inbound call, it's unlikely to be central to your strategy, but it could be a fun diversion to test things.

One thing I can guarantee- you will get lots of calls from people selling advertising

 

[Fagin2021]

One thing I can guarantee- you will get lots of calls from people selling advertising

This!

As a point of interest, I set up a website and ran a Google & Microsoft Ads campaign focused on the keywords 'Sustainable' 'Ethical' 'Environment Friendly'.

Nothing wrong with the actual products but the results were very disappointing. It could be that I did a rubbish job, or it could be that people often pay lip-service to sustainability but not when they have to put their hand in their pocket.

So don't bank on sales if your swimwear is much more expensive and relies on 'green' credentials to overcome the difference.

 

[Fagin2021]

Any exposure is good . . .

Tell that to Frank Bough.

 

[MOIC]

Tell that to Frank Bough.

You're in your 60's . . . . .at least!

 

[Mark T Jones]

This!

As a point of interest, I set up a website and ran a Google & Microsoft Ads campaign focused on the keywords 'Sustainable' 'Ethical' 'Environment Friendly'.

Nothing wrong with the actual products but the results were very disappointing. It could be that I did a rubbish job, or it could be that people often pay lip-service to sustainability but not when they have to put their hand in their pocket.

So don't bank on sales if your swimwear is much more expensive and relies on 'green' credentials to overcome the difference.

'Green noise' is a term I heard and rather like.

The majority of consumers like to be aligned with good causes, but will seldom vote with their feet when asked to expend money or effort.

As you say, 'green' will attract customers from near identical non-green offers, but it isn't a market in its own right

 

[Fagin2021]

You're in your 60's . . . . .at least!

Damn - outed.

 

[Annoying Donkey]

There is the old saying you need three consecutive ads before someone actually reads it.

That's a myth perpetrated by advertising salespeople...

 

[Newchodge]

Around 20

£1,000/20=£50. Do you really make £50 profit on each pair that you sell?

 

[Mark T Jones]

That's a myth perpetrated by advertising salespeople...

Sometimes

Although repetition is part of brand awareness

 

[Annoying Donkey]

Sometimes

Although repetition is part of brand awareness

Never..., for a small business on a limited budget...

Brand awareness comes automatically when you make many sales.

Op needs to identify who their customers are and figure out who already has a list and make that list an offer.

e.g. perhaps Greenpeace. Emphasise the green credentials and offer a percentage of profit to be donated to Greenpeace. Be generous, you're building a list of buyers who you can then sell to over and over. How many people on Greenpeace's list? 3 million people? Even at 1% return, that's 30,000 sales.

Instant profitability and perhaps instant brand awareness...

 

[Ian J]

Yes I thought the answers were good and definitely not sure it is worth the investment. There is the old saying you need three consecutive ads before someone actually reads it.

In the dim and distant past I ran a local newspaper and for run of the mill ads that was definitely true

 

[Chris Ashdown]

What age are the trunk' wearers likely to be i.e you target buyer

 

[MOIC]

My advice to get more sales . . .

Approach every vegan site you can, and ask them if they want to stock your swimwear, or request a reciprocal link on their website.

But first. . . make sure your prices are competitive. RPET is not expensive.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

What about relative cost?

So let's say you were to set up your own YouTube channel. You run a series of vids showing how to make your office greener. Less plastic consumption etc... Shoot it all on your iPhone.

Then you slap this all over Linkedin etc... completely free of charge.

And at the end of all your vids, you show this has been sponsored by a green swimwear collection.

Would it be worth spending zero on this or £500 for a one-off piece in the Telegraph? Which would be better?

 

[tyuo]

Hey there, I am new to the platform. I own a sustainable swimwear startup doing swim shorts out of recycled plastic bottles. Cash flow is very difficult and I have been in business for about a year without any real revenues. My product is very seasonal so I can understand that being the case.

I have been contacted by a publishing agency called APL Media, which works on the Telegraph for lifestyle content. They have proposed a small space (1/12) into a two pages section that advertises Ethical and Green living. It will feature 10 other brands in different categories doing different things that have to do with sustainability and being more eco-friendly.

They have offered a non-negotiable price of £1000 (rather than 4K) to feature and I am really puzzled on what to do. It is a lot of money for a small company like mine but at the same time I feel like I do not want to lose out on the opportunity?

Any advice or even similar experience would be so helpful. Thanks a lot

Hi, did you ever go through with this? Did you receive any results if so?