Recession is Theme in BBJ Book of Lists Ad Copy and Count
The ad headlines of the 2009 Birmingham Business Journal acknowledge that the economic downturn has arrived, but more telling evidence may be found inside.
In the inside front cover, Alacom Finance points out that “Recession is just another name for opportunity.” On the back cover the Reznick group offers “Straight talk for an uneven economy.”
Ad copy is far from hard evidence, though. Indeed it’s hard to find an economic expert to trust these days. But one way to measure the economic health of a business community might be the ad counts of its leading publication. Here in the Magic City, the Birmingham Business Journal is the only true business rag. And every year its biggest publication is the Book of Lists.
For some, the Book of Lists is like a bible, an indispensable desk reference of sales and sponsorship prospects, of business allies and enemies. Every January, fans thumb through the new issue and retire last year’s with its feathered pages and highlighting. With devotees like this and a full 12-month shelf life, the pitch for advertising in the book has historically been an easy one, especially during the good times.
Now that times have toughened, the Book of Lists pitch may be falling on deaf ears. See, when publications can’t sell their quota of ads, they have a few choices. They cut the overall page count. They run public service ads. Or they run ads for themselves, called house ads.
It appears that the BBJ took door number 3 for the Book of Lists. The unofficial count is 31 house ads on more than 15 pages, and that may be generous. There’s a full page order form for Books of Lists in other markets. And a full spread dedicated to the 2009 editorial calendar. Even the inside back cover, a premium advertising position, is a full-page house ad. There’s also a full-page ad by sister publication The Sporting News.
We wish the BBJ the best of luck in the recovery and hope its advertisers will continue to see value in the publication. The business community certainly needs its reporting.
Recession is just another word for opportunity, right?