About Us

Newspaper business strategy
Name of publication: ‘The Learner Newspaper’
Publishing Company: The Learner Group (U) Ltd
About the proposal / Abstract :
The local market for education-centered newspapers is still virgin as there are not
so many newspapers publishing education-tailor made content.
The Learner will change the face of Uganda’s journalism, taking keen interest in
the education sector, bringing schools to the heart of development by breaking the
barriers to effective communication and dialogue.
The newspaper is set to be a rallying point for the schools to communicate, share
experiences, ideas, testimonies, and network with other sections of society.
We publishinformation that is learner-centered or human-interest stories, stories
that identify with the education sector. The approach is school-based journalism;
let the learners themselves feed us with the news, tell their own story- stories that
reflect their lives and surroundings.
We set to be the number one platform that offers dynamism, something new and
fresh, and more importantly something that will spur schools to greater horizons in
the search for answers and solutions.
The Leaner seeks to impact the society positively in a way that no media house has
done. There are learners and education stakeholders who have impressive inspiring
stories to tell but they have been limited. The structuring of the mainstream media
hasn’t offered this chance and space- The Learner offers this!.
Vision of ‘The Learner’
The vision of ‘The Learner’ is to be the leading media platform in the country and
the region that is set to authoritatively ignite a revolutionary perspective in
education sphere by emphasizing the values and principles that underpin the world
of education.
Mission: The Learner aims at transforming the face of national and regional
education journalism by bringing communities to the Centre of development.
What need are we addressing?/ Goal
The Learner seeks to cement the missing link between the schools, media and
government by providing critical objective and school-centered journalism.
Target audience
The Learner’s audience is the students, schools, education sector and all
stakeholders directly and indirectly interfacing the sector.
Editorial Policy
We operate under an independent editorial policy, setting out to serve society
without any bias or influence from various stakeholders. We carry out our mandate
with sound journalistic principles; accuracy, fairness, balanced views backed with
facts and among others with the aim of accelerating development.
Scope of editorial
1. News in the education world…..what’s happening around schools
2. Profiles….learners, teachers, educationists, policy makers in education, etc.
3. Historical pieces….personalities, events, that seek to educate.
4. Past papers…..guide to learners
5. Profiles of schools
6. Sports in schools
7. Opinions related to education, innovation, etc
8. Religion in the scope of education
9. Science & technology
10.Health in the scope of education
11.Career guidance
12.Culture in the scope of education
13.Student leadership
14.Societies/clubs
15.Pictorials of activities around schools
How we started
The Learner started as a vibrant and compelling publication in humble
circumstances.
We base ourselves on UNIQUINESS, SIMPLICITY, APPEAL AND STYLE.
The success of the publication is dependent on the following pillars;
1. Strong Editorial Team
2. Strong Sales, Marketing & Advertising Team
3. Strong Circulations & Distribution Team
4. Production, Graphics, Layout, Design, etc
The above four components are dependent on each other.
Revenue from target audience
The product is a cutting-edge product appealing to people of all age groups; the
youth/teenagers, adults, professionals, experts, business people, policy makers.
Much as we are producing it specifically for the School Community audience as
outlined above, giving it 75% of the coverage, we also accommodate other sections
of the audience.
We need other market sections such as the business community for propelling our
advertising and sales revenue. Newspapers generate 75% of their revenue from
adverts and sponsorships, and 25% from copy sales.
The Consumer
How do we maximize copy sales at our selling points…which are basically,
schools newsstands, supermarkets, bookshops, etc.?
The solution to the above lies in this one compelling question by the end
user/consumer: “Why should I spend money on buying The Learner and not any
other product, or buy another product but be forced to buy The Learner as well?”
“What’s it that I will be missing if I didn’t buy The Learner?”
Product development
• Our product is defined by simplicity and appeal
• Gripping/striking design….unique style sheet
• Sharp and gripping content….strike to the heart
• Human-interest stories….inspirational, value adding
• Learner-oriented products i.e. pullouts
• High interactivity…powerful platform for discourse
• People-centered…appeal to 5 senses- let the reader see it, feel it, touch it,
smell it, hear it, etc, while holding the paper and reading it!
• Unique in-house style…reporting and content processing
• Concepts that provide solutions to advertisers.
Riding on strong Editorial
The Learner is a paper that was initiated by high-profile media personalities with
proven credible media record. We begun off by Striking, Hard-hitting and gripping
content mainly about school communities, though cautiously as we seek to
redefine the face of journalism based on professional journalistic principles:
accuracy, fairness, balanced views and analysis, independence, facts, etc.
The public will applaud us for our bravery to get to the truth and bottom of some of
the most controversial issues; we will quickly build a name and set the agenda; we
will be viewed as a ‘light that shines in the darkness.
A non-compromising Editorial Policy sets the agenda of The Learner as a credible
publication and by so doing buildsa sound reputation and loyalty among the
various sections of the audience.
Editorial Team & Independence
The Editorial Team of The Learneris composed of competent editors, writers,
reporters, researchers, investigators, photographers, who work in a coordinated,
swift and efficient manner. The Editorial Team is accorded flexibility to work in an
independent way, not being directly influenced or directed by The Learner Board
of Trustees or some people to run or not to run particular content. The decision to
run or not to run particular editorial content is reached at through consensus among
the editorial team, including, where need be, members from other sections. The
Chief Editor, Managing Editor and/or Editor have got exclusive rights to run or not
to run a particular story basing on: sound judgment that the said story; a) is of
crucial public concern, and b) the story will boost copy sales and attract more
subscription for the paper.
The Learner Board of Trustees also reserves the right to decide on particular
content only if; the content has potential to negatively affect their investment.
Marketing, Sales & Advertising
This is the lifeline of every media outlet. Publications and electronic or digital
media thrive by sound systems and strategies of sales, marketing and advertising.
A highly progressive media outlet is directly dependent on the given set of
strategies it has in place to pull business.
Startup media outlets like The Learner need a powerful force of a combination of
business strategies to aggressively attract business and revenue in the short,
medium and long term. This force is;
1) Strong, Competent and Aggressive Marketing Team.
2) Radical/hard-hitting ideas that quickly turn around advertisers and sponsors;
in this case, some of the ideas we consider are; a) specific product
developments for various sectors i.e schools, NGOs, govt, banking,
telecoms, beverages, tourism, fashion, real estate, tour and travel, etc; b)
clear-cut marketing concepts for corporates, NGOs, faith-based
organisations, hotels, saloons, car dealers, transporters, real estate,
construction companies, oil companies, etc….what’s it that we can offer
them that others are not offering? Are we in position to address their feltneeds in a manner that others are not doing?
3) Providing a solution to the above set of businesses to help them unlock their
business potential. They should look at us as partners that are adding value
to their business other than just seeming to take away money from them.
Composition of Marketing Team
The marketing team has a defined structure composed of the Head of Sales,
Marketing & Advertising. The head of the department, above other functions;
1. Must establish a marketing structure
2. Aggressively hunt for business
3. Recruit the sales, marketing, advertising team
4. Provide leadership to the team
5. Prepare daily reports
6. Guide his team through periodical meetings
7. Make follow-ups on the potential clients
8. Initiate marketing strategies
9. Set revenue targets for the company
10.Prepare proposals to potential clients
11.Be keen on important events when advertisers would need to pass their
information to the public, e.g. Independence, Labour Day, Women’s Day,
etc.
Selling the product
The selling points for our product, The Learner, are essentially the schools,
newsstands, supermarkets, bookshops, churches, mosques, schools, government
departments, NGOs, etc.
Product awareness
The first step will be to carryout definitive brand/product awareness among our
target audience and other sections of the market as well.
How do we go about product awareness?
1. Widespread and efficient circulation and distribution of the
paper…enhancing display of the paper.
2. Powerful online presence…website, facebook, twitter, digital media, etc.
3. Availing complimentaries to selected targets e.g advertisers.
4. Media reviews on radios, TVs
5. Partnering with other companies or organisations in Promotions,
corporate events.
6. Swap advert deals with other media e.g radio, TV.
7. Partnering with SMS platforms to send regular updates/news chips about
the product on people’s mobile phones.
8. Promotional materials like stickers, key-holders, T-shirts, caps, calendars,
cards, umbrellas, tyre covers, etc, bearing Times brand.
9. Engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility through products/concepts
like Newspapers in Education (education pullouts)
10.Outright advertisements through billboards, TVs, Radio, Internet, flyers,
Digital Media, etc.
Revenue targets
We project revenue targets basing on;
1. Resources available to sustain the project
2. Circulation coverage of the paper
3. Number of copies per issue and volume
4. Frequency of publication; daily, bi-weekly, weekly, monthly, bi-monthly,
etc?
5. Rate of subscription
6. Copy sales
7. Adverts available
8. Sponsorships
With all the above factors, therefore, The Learner can set ideal revenue targets.
Adverts & Copy sales Revenue

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