Sharing stories about staff in house ads

A new house ad campaign by Capital Press is a bit different than in the past.

Rather than try to entice people to subscribe, advertise or to buy something to support our Newspaper in Education program, the campaign focuses on how our newspaper has ties to agricultural communities.

In some cases, our staff shares how they grew up on or worked on farms in the past. Some of our staff still farm today, even while working different jobs at Capital Press.

Other staff volunteer to help out in their communities or give back to organizations they respect.

Other parts of the ad campaign show that Capital Press often gives back to communities in different ways, such as sponsoring events ranging from 4-H shows to charity banquets.

The pictures combines quotes, a bit of background, and pictures of the staff. The pictures include talking to farmers, being in Legislative buildings, riding a horse, visiting a farmers’ market, picking vegetables from their gardens and doing other such things.

Not everyone will be in an ad, but the campaign does give the newspaper a chance to show our customers who are the people that put this newspaper together. It includes editorial reporters, but also people in circulation, advertising and administration, and also highlights the contributions of our staff in other states we cover.

Perhaps the most rewarding part of this whole campaign is that it is not only our customers who might feel they get to know our staff better.

Even within our newspaper’s office we are getting a glimpse of another side of some of the people we may have worked alongside for years.

Who knew they had a farming background or what jobs people had before Capital Press, or why they wanted to work for this newspaper? It’s always humbling to learn about what people do as volunteers in the community when they aren’t at work. And what really comes through is everyone’s passion for agriculture, their respect for farmers, their pride of working for Capital Press, and their sincerity and desire to do their best for customers.

It will take a few months for all the ads to rotate through the various editions of the newspaper. We first concentrated on having the zoned editions focus on our staff who work in that state. For example, Washington has seen ads on Cookson Beecher, Idaho on Pat McCoy, and California on Ali Bay.

We may put all the house ads in one place on our website in case our readers want to see the ads all in one place. Hopefully, we’ll also receive feedback on what people think of this ad campaign.

The ads also give the contact information for these staff so people know who they can call in their area with story or photo ideas, or who to call for ads in their region.

Some examples of what our staff said in the ads:

“I was attracted to the opportunity because my dad and grandparents always had a CP laying around to read on Sunday morning. When I was little I would look at the pictures. As I grew up I started to read it. It seemed like a great way for me to use my degree in marketing while still being able to be in the ag industry that I grew up in and loved.”
Lindsey Harder, ad rep for eastern Washington, Northern Idaho and Montana

“We’re not writing news, we’re writing history.”
Cookson Beecher, reporter, Washington state

“I see a lot of people really committed and dedicated to provide their membership with the things they need — they’re trying to help their industry and help them understand the issues, and it’s impressive to watch because of their sincerity and commitment.”
Pat McCoy, reporter, Idaho

“I enjoy traveling off the beaten path, meeting unique people in the industry who have fascinating stories.”
Ali Bay, reporter, California

“Working on farms has given me more of an appreciation for farming and ranching.
As a teenager, working on farms in western Idaho gave me an appreciation for the hard work that is required on farms.”
Dave Wilkins, reporter, Idaho

“We like to talk to the customers to get their feedback so that we can provide them with a relevant, informative and useful product and better customer service.”
Terrie Reisner, circulation manager.


Agriculture