The Orange County Register’s paywall differs from the general trend in the industry, which has seen The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and other dailies around the country begin to charge for online content.
Most of the publications still allow some free access to local, unique content on a limited basis—a set number of stories per week, for example.
The Register has built a “hard paywall,” which allows online readers to see stories from wire or syndicated services but keeps all local coverage off the table for anyone who doesn’t have a subscription.
Another difference: The Register is charging the same amount for online and print subscriptions—about a dollar a day. Most publications charge less for digital content than for print.
Subscribers who pay to get over the Register’s hard wall every day of the week will get some perks: free tickets to sporting events and $100 vouchers for advertising that can be directed to charities of choice.
The hard wall also applies to partial subscriptions such as Sunday-only and Thursday-through-Sunday deals, so online content availability matches the subscription schedule.
Nonsubscribers can get one-day access for $2.
The reaction so far is mixed, with “some cheers from [current] subscribers” as well as “jeers from online readers who were annoyed at having to pay for something they have grown accustomed to getting for free,” according to Eric Morgan, the newspaper’s communications manager.
The hard paywall surprised Ken Doctor, a former newsman and author of Newsonomics: Twelve New Trends That Will Shape the News You Get. Doctor called it “the biggest enigma of the Register plan” in an article published on the Neiman Journalism Lab website.
The foundation of the Register’s business model is creating more value for loyal subscribers, said Morgan, who noted that the daily has added various features, as well as staff for existing sections of coverage.
“If you’re a subscriber-focused institution, and your focus is serving subscribers and providing them exclusive and valuable information, and are supporting that focus by making substantial investments into content areas that your subscribers find essential to their lives, there’s a lot of value in that,” he said. “Like any business, some will support and agree with investing in this value, and some do not.”
The Register wouldn’t reveal how many people paid to jump over the paywall in the first week.
“As a privately held company, we do not disclose (subscription) numbers,” Morgan said.
McCann Launched
Ingrid Otero-Smart, president of Costa Mesa-based ad shop Casanova Pendrill, has added new duties as co-manager of newly launched McCann HumanCareHSP, which specializes in Latino consumer healthcare marketing.
“Hispanics have an informational void when it comes to healthcare and are actively seeking information,” Otero-Smart said. “HumanCareHSP represents a significant opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to provide this much-needed information and garner trial and loyalty by this growing population segment.”
Andrew Schirmer, a managing director of New York-based McCann HumanCare, will share the reins with Otero-Smart. Both McCann and Casanova Pendrill are owned by Interpublic Group, also in New York.
The two shops have partnered in the past on projects for pharmaceutical clients, including GlaxoSmithKline and Boehringer Ingelheim.
“What really changes the game for us now is that it is no longer just about doing a TV spot in Spanish and hoping that is all you need,” Schirmer said. “We can use mass communications to gain attention and awareness in Spanish with the appropriate messaging and motivation and then move the consumer into a more interactive and engaging ecosystem through digital means, as well as certain off-line channels.”
Casanova Pendrill has a number of accounts, including the U.S. Army, the California Lottery, General Mills and Denny’s Corp. Otero-Smart will continue to serve as the company’s president.
The joint venture on healthcare marketing will be managed from Costa Mesa, although the account team will be based in Casanova Pendrill’s New York office to be closer to McCann HumanCare and the many pharmaceutical companies based on the East Coast.
“We hope, though, that we will be able to attract some West Coast business, as well,” Otero-Smart said.
TBN’s “Holy Land” Tops Vote
Costa Mesa-based Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Holy Land Experience was named Best Theme Park Holidays Event of 2012 by About.com readers.
A survey of visitors to the website placed the Orlando, Fla., venue’s monthlong Christmas program ahead of Christmas at Disneyland, which came in fourth.
“We’re thrilled to be chosen by popular vote to receive this awesome honor,” Mike Everett, the general manager of Holy Land Experience, said in a statement. “Christmas has always been a very special holiday season for us, and every year we go all out with millions of festive lights, music, dramatic productions and dynamic worship services … all to make the celebration of Christ’s birth an unforgettable experience.”
