Raising Cancer Awareness in Print and Online
As the fight against cancer continues, public awareness may be at an all-time high, in no small part because newspapers and free papers are making a difference at the local level. Newspapers and free papers across North America are eminently involved with the various forms of charitable functions for all types of cancer, but perhaps none is more visible than the efforts on Breast Cancer.
Metro has been supplying you with cancer prevention sponsorship ads, imagery and editorial for many years. Now, we’d like to help you move your cancer-fighting efforts to your Web site. If you call Client Services now at 1-800-223-1600, we’ll give you — free — the Breast Cancer Awareness Timely Features MicroSite from the August package or the Cancer Awareness MicroSite from the September package. Each is filled with valuable facts and timely information on cancer for your readers, and a variety of sponsorship options for your advertisers. Timely Features MicroSites give you a complete package to sell, promote and post your online cancer awareness MicroSites. Use the included Interactive Sales Site to let prospects know your ad rates and the position and size of their ads. Show them online or through an e-mail link, or through printed leave-behinds. Just add your information and you’re ready to go.
Grab the included Web promotion ads to publicize your upcoming MicroSite to both readers and potential advertisers. Plus, get collateral print material in the MCC Spec Ads & Covers Library that can give you ready-to-sell ad layouts for a companion print edition for a comprehensive effort in both print and online. Each ad has the same design as your online MicroSite for a visual continuity that cross-promotes each, print and Web, back to the other. Get full-page print layouts for multiple ad spaces in differing sizes — therefore, different price points to sell sponsors with large or small ad budgets — along with cover designs for companion print sections.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, two high-profile events that will draw major focus to your cancer awareness online MicroSite(s) and print efforts. If you have not yet partnered with a local chapter of the American Cancer Society or Canadian Cancer Society, or another cancer organization, now is the time to become acquainted. As you present what your print and online exposure can do, make sure to showcase the Photo Galleries feature included with each MicroSite. Upload photos of last year’s charitable events, such as fundraising dinners, fun runs and other sponsored activities, to demonstrate how you generate interest and excitement for yearly events.
The Plus Business Library can give you ideas of how other publications have approached cancer awareness promotions, including sections and pages. The Library also contains information on the Newspapers and Free Papers Fighting Cancer program (NFC/FPFC) sponsored by the Andrew E. Shapiro Cancer Foundation (AESCF). Participation in the program is showing the strength and ability of the publishing industry in raising awareness for the fight against cancer. See the Plus Business stories for information on recent award-winning NFC efforts recognized by the AESCF. Several Plus Business stories are included in this week’s Project (0816weekly_Cancer) for your convenience.
Here are a few additional suggestions:
Distribute pink ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness through your participating advertisers ahead of the October event date. In your companion print ads, ask readers to wear the ribbon throughout the month in exchange for the possibility of winning prizes. Have a photographer visit each advertiser, or have the advertiser photograph any patrons who are wearing the ribbon. Post the photos into a separate Photo Gallery on your Breast Cancer Awareness MicroSite. Ask consumers to visit the site to see if their photo is posted. All people featured in the Photo Gallery can win a prize donated by your advertisers, or become part of a pool from which to draw winners.
Print a wall calendar that can help raise cancer awareness all year long. Above the 12-month visual of 2011, print a month-by-month listing of local cancer awareness events, along with Web site and contact information for volunteers and donations. Sell sponsorship along the sides and bottom of the page. You can get a complete calendar image of the months of 2011 in this week’s Project or through the Images Library of MetroCreativeConnection. Be sure to print the Web address of your cancer awareness Microsite(s) to refer consumers to your online efforts.
Raise awareness by focusing on local survivors. Let them tell their stories in their own words in a printed section with sponsorship. This can show the strides that have been made in treating cancer and may offer a ray of hope to those who have family members and friends battling the disease. Adapt the full-page ad layouts provided to create a series of pages for advertiser sponsorship.
See this week’s Project for a wide selection of images, photos, headings, ads and editorial material for your cancer awareness promotions. Additional ads, headings and images will be arriving with your October MNS issue, and will be available in the MCC Libraries by the end of August. Why is Metro willing to give you a Timely Features Cancer Awareness MicroSite for free? Metro has always believed in the positive power of publications when they partner with their communities for a common cause like cancer awareness. We want you to see for yourself how you can make a difference in your community. In the process, you’ll experience the ease of use, tremendous value and benefits of utilizing the complete Timely Features MicroSites package for print and Web to quickly build your online content, grow ad sales and site visitor audience.
Visit http://mcg.metrocreativeconnection.com/publish/sections/microsites.php for more information on Timely Features MicroSites. Call and get started today.
Updated 08-23-2010
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— Melody Swink Aug 23, 05:50 PM #