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Cheap copy paper ad covers newspaper masthead

smh-090311.JPGI was shocked at Sydney airport this morning to see this ad from Staples offering copy paper for $1.99 a ream covering the masthead of The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.  The Fairfax advertising department have once again accepted payment for the trashing of what was a venerable brand.  I feel for the editorial people in Fairfax.

I have been banging on here about these masthead covering ads for a few years and generating little interest from newsagents.  Today, I have received more than 25 emails and text messages from newsagents about this Staples ad.  It has hit a nerve.

Staples is the old Corporate Express.  The US stationery giant purchased Corporate Express last year.  Staples is, in my view, the best stationery retailer I have ever seen.  I have been in more than 30 of their US stores and have been impressed almost every time.  Check out their website, it’s brilliant.  In fact, while Corporate Express still trades in Australia under that name, they are using the Staples name for their renewed onlne push – hence this ad.

Staples has excellent strategies for connecting with big businesses and small businesses.  It is in the small business space where they could do some damage to newsagent stationery sales.  Again, check out their website.

Newsagents – the stationery business you thought you had is not guaranteed … now more than ever. 

Copy paper for $1.99 is a shock and awe price.  Hopefully, newsagents will now take notice of Staples and of these insidious post-it type ads which are damaging newspaper brands.

I bet that newsagents are ripping the Staples ad off their newspapers.

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newspaper masthead desecration

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  1. Herewegoagain

    Totally agree Mark.
    The equivalent is woolies allowing product into their store telling customers to purchase “it” cheaper at Coles. They would NOT let it happen..

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  2. MAX

    1. All my sticky notes were taken off.

    2. Herewegoagain – 100 % agreement from me. I use the same argument when those subscription stickers or flyers fall out of the magazines and papers.
    Would Woolworths stock a can of baked beans with a sticker saying you can get it cheaper at Coles ??

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  3. PETER

    yep, all my yellow stickers fell off before the stock was in the stand….

    poor staples, paying for the premium ad, then having it not make it to the consumer

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