Sometimes word of mouth is a more effective way of promoting a paper than a print ad. That's why some alternative newsweeklies send street teams out to bars, movie theaters and cultural events to hand out freebies and stir up interest in their papers. When they dispatch their street teams to public places, alt-weeklies like NUVO and Boston's Weekly Dig are relying on a centuries-old marketing technique the music industry revived.
Readers who are young (but not too young) and active attract peddlers of drink to alt-weeklies, and it shows in all the ads promoting liquor, beer and clubs. To compete with radio for those coveted ad dollars, some AAN papers cosponsor pub crawls, beer fests and jazz festivals—any event that involves good times and a bit to imbibe. Regional and national purveyors of alcohol are taking notice.
The City Council President posed for a photo with a bong in his hand and another Council candidate was the lucky recipient of a lap dance during a candidate forum sponsored last week by "Seattle's cheeky weekly." The Seattle Times also reports that candidates who appeared at the forum "faced serious questions" about local issues, and that Jack Pageler, who stood in for his wife, veteran Councilwoman Margaret, "suffered the indignity of being called 'Margaret' repeatedly by Dan Savage (pictured), editor of The Stranger and master of smackdown ceremonies."
