News Limited company Advertiser Newspapers sent this note out to newsagents yesterday apologising for the two hour delay in distribution of The Advertiser as a result of problems with the placement of an ‘AD Note’ on the front page of the newspaper.
This is the first example of a stuck on ad bringing newspaper production to its knees. I am shocked that they allowed the delay to extend to two hours. Is the ad revenue from this one ad that important that their employees, newsagents, other retailers and consumers suffer?
Delivering newspapers later in the day puts drivers at more risk as there is more traffic.
I’d be interested to know if News Limited will compensate newsagents and their newspaper distribution employees for the impact of the two hour delay.
It’s interesting to note that the publisher explains that the delay was not due to flat wrap process or press problems before explaining that placing a stuck on AD Note was the cause.
Click on the image to see the letter sent to newsagents.
I am amazed that they actually sent out this note. Usually in Vic when NewsLimited papers are late, they pull out the old faulty/delayed printer excuse, when in actual fact we hear from other sources that the workers are on a “slow strike”.
Like Steven, I’m surprised you got anything, and yet, from the publishers point of view they will say they were being honest with their agents.
Maybe they were, but bloody hell, why would it take 2 hours to work out that they cant stick a Post It Note on a newspaper. My 2yo nephew could show them how.
Leanne Jones should be feeling very embarrassed by the whole episode, and her conveyance of the message.
it suprises me that with a product that is so time critical, that there is still these errors made. was there someone on site who can make the decision not to worry about the note ad because its delaying the dispatch time?
we have had 2 or 3 instances this year where there was a production issue with the fin review, and they held back dispatch of all the papers till it was ready. with the papers not arriving to me till about 5am….
the delivery run then has to wait till my wife gets to the shop after dropping one at school and i do the run with the 2 year old in the back.
Disrespectful of newsagents and all who were affected too Peter.
It is a pity that the ADVERTISER thinks he is so important he is happy to kill the product to get his message out.
A mature approach in the future surely would be to enable the newspaper to cancel the ad placement if it affects production. Who is in charge here?
On reading this I realise I am not being clear – to rewrite:
It is a pity that the CLIENT placing the AD thinks he is so important that he is happy to kill the product to get the message out.
(confusing when the name of the newspaper is the Advertiser !)