MemoStick: The peel-off, self adhesive advertising message for newspaper/magazine industry

In the fight for a consumer’s attention and his wallet advertisers have an increasingly wide variety of tools from the traditional and static to the electronic and possibly exciting. But despite the gee-whiz nature of the possibilities that electronic communication offers, there is no substitute for the timely offer pressed into the consumer’s hand. The precisely targeted personalised direct mail piece proves that when relevant this is a uniquely powerful medium, but what happens when the advertiser does not have those all important personal details, is it possible to deliver a timely relevant offer to a known audience? The answer is yes, using a relatively young technology that is simplicity in itself and has proven itself to be highly effective.

The communications tool is a peel-off, self- adhesive advertising message that will restick to any surface, a medium that is so familiar that it can be overlooked. MemoStick is the technology that is used to apply the advertising message to a newspaper or magazine at production speed. The message is delivered directly to the consumer when buying the magazine or newspaper. If it relates to a redemption offer, there is no cutting of coupons; if to a web site, the message is easily attached to a new home on a computer monitor, telephone pad or fridge door. “It has a shelf life longer than the publication,” says Lee Whatmough, managing director of WRH Marketing UK.

WRH Marketing is responsible for the concept, labels and the machinery to apply the MemoStick and will help publishers, agencies and advertisers create and implement a campaign so that there are as few barriers to adoption as possible to what is a new medium for most. It is, however, proven overseas and Whatmough has a growing list of successful campaigns in the UK.

The MemoStick technology peels the individual labels from a stack and applies them to single copies of a publication as they pass on the production conveyor line. The standard label is a 73mm square, but within this the sky’s the limit. All sorts of weird forms have become MemoSticks, star shapes, flowers, cut-out cars, burgers and so on. Where a shape has not been used previously, WRH will create the die and cut out the shape needed. Booklets are possible as are examples printed on both sides and single-side coated papers. Sequential numbering, scratch and sniff and bar codes have all been carried on MemoSticks, Whatmough explains. The latest is one that actually carries a drop of product that will dissolve on the tongue so providing a taste sample for a new product.

The choices are so extensive that WRH, the owner of the MemoStick technology, has created a web site (www.memostick.com) that acts as a gallery of examples used around the world, a clearing house of best practice and design studio for taking an initial idea into a deliverable campaign. The site holds details on the hundreds of publishing sites and thousands of newspapers that are geared up to run the campaigns.

The appeal for these publishers is that MemoStick provides a way to make advertising in the newspaper more appealing, in addition for advertisers it offers an ad spot on a front page that would otherwise not be available. Certain markets have taken to the medium in a big way. The fiercely competitive Italian newspaper market has had advertisers joining waiting lists because the channel has proved popular and the publisher has not wanted to lose its impact by running MemoSticks on every day of the week. For some campaigns timing is everything. For the opening of a new McDonalds outlet in Australia, the fast food chain used a MemoStick on the front of the city’s paper, 16.9% of which were redeemed. For others the day of the week can be important as might the timeliness of the message. “What is important is that the offer is attractive and that it is easy to respond to,” WRH Marketing’s marketing director Bernhard Leicht. With the McDonalds example the burger chain was accepting the coupons a week later showing that consumers cared enough to keep their voucher longer than they would the newspaper.

It is undoubtedly true that selling a MemoStick campaign is not as easy as a conventional run of press insertion, another reason for the creation of the dedicated web site. WRH Marketing can manage all aspects of a transnational campaign from the site, for the launch of a new soft drink, chocolate bar or similar for example to tie in with a television advertising campaign.

In the UK MemoSticks have been used for the Subway fast food chain, for Toys R Us, for Liverpool City Council, appearing on both newspapers and magazines. Trinity Mirror’s NW2 operation based in Liverpool and using the print site at Oldham has been particularly active, adding MemoSticks to The Racing Post where a bookmaker will offer punters a £15 free bet to those signing up for an account.

The site is also responsible for printing more than 100 titles including Trinity Mirror’s local titles with the South Liverpool Merseymart being especially active. It has organised campaigns for a local jewellery business as well as national retailers. For the city council there have been messages about providing a free of charge handyman service for Liverpool’s pensioners and offers for those joining the gyms that the council runs as part of national efforts to combat obesity.

“With the handyman scheme, the council published a number that pensioners could call if they need a small bit of work done, fixing a dripping tap, cracked window or sticking door. Used in this way the MemoStick has quite a lot of value for someone using it,” says Whatmough. The MemoStick would be peeled off the paper and kept for when the number was needed.

Across the Pennines, the Huddersfield Weekly News ran a MemoStick for Subway, promoting a BOGOFF offer against a £3 sandwich.

MemoSticks have also appeared on magazines, Polestar being able to offer the service to publishers. The Observer has used the medium on a number of its Sunday supplements. On the Observer Music Monthly, the MemoStick on the cover promoted a download music service with a number of free downloads for every reader. The idea was that readers would attach the note to their computers to remind them to take up the offer without having to keep the magazine to hand.

WRH is convinced that this type of advertising has a lot of potential. The Swiss owned company produces equipment used in newspaper and magazine finishing departments around the world and is naturally a strong believer in the power of the printed word, equally recognising that in order to have a strong future newspapers must change. Under its XtraWin programme it has developed machinery that is designed to help printed publications remain relevant. MemoStick is an example of what is called ‘Front Page Advertising’. It is attractive, easy to respond to and convenient to remove and keep on the fridge. In the UK Whatmough wants to make using MemoStick just as simple to adopt as the message is for consumers. He explains: “The ideal solution is for advertisers to contact WRH Marketing. We can then organise everything to do with production and getting it into the publication. We know the production capabilities and circulations of every title across Europe. We can organise the printing of the messages and can talk to the publishers, arranging for the loan of the application device if necessary. The MemoStick is three-dimensional, interactional and redeemable.”