Easy Pay Southern Style

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Easy Pay! Southern Style

• Melanie Coker
• The Ledger
• Lakeland, Florida

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Market Profile The Ledger

• Market is primarily Polk County
• Households (2002) 195,800
• Population (2002) 504,900
• Average Household Income 48,000
• Median Adult Age 49 years
• 1 in 4 adults in manufactured homes

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Market Profile The Ledger
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Market Profile The Ledger

• Some Polk Employers
• Publix Supermarkets 7,500
• 20 store locations
• Wal-Mart 2,500
• 8 store locations
• 4 are super centers
• GEICO Insurance 1,700
• The Ledger (NYTRNG) 400

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Market Profile The Ledger

• Extreme Seasonality
• Visitors from October through Easter
• Swing averages 21,000 copies
• Daily Net Paid Low 60,695 (July)
• Daily Net Paid Peak 81,869 (Feb)
• Baseball Spring Training in February
• 30 miles east of Tampa
• 40 miles west of Orlando

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Market Profile The Ledger

• Daily Net Paid

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Market Profile The Ledger

• Sunday Net Paid

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Program Objectives

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Program Objectives
• Convenience for customers
• Reduce renewal decision
• Target full price customers
• Offer flexible terms
• Reduce billing and associated costs

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Successes

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Successes
• Increased overall number of customers paying by
  credit card from 5 to 10 of home delivery
  subscribers in last 2 years

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Credit Card Payments

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Successes
• Increased overall number of customers paying by
  credit card from 5 to 10 of home delivery
  subscribers in last 2 years
• Increased Easy Pay! within the mix of credit card
  payers from 51 to 83

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Credit Card Users Convert to Easy Pay!

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Successes
• Increased overall number of customers paying by
  credit card from 5 to 10 of home delivery
  subscribers in last 2 years
• Increased mix of credit card payers on Easy
  Pay! from 51to 83
• Saved 2,740 in billing for 2002 and 3,726 for
  2003

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Challenges

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Challenges
• Overall payment by credit card is between
• 7 and 10 of subscribers

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Credit Card Payments

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Challenges
• Overall payment by credit card is between
• 7 and 10 of subscribers
• Low credit card usage among seasonal visitors

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Challenges
• Overall payment by credit card is between
• 7 and 10 of subscribers
• Low credit card usage among seasonal visitors
• Successful moving credit card payers to Easy Pay!
  but not as successful attracting new credit card
  payers

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach
• Inbound calls asking for the sale

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach
• Inbound calls asking for the sale
• Bill stuffers in invoices and renewals

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Bill Stuffers/Inserts

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Bill Stuffers/Inserts

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach
• Inbound calls asking for the sale
• Bill stuffers in invoices and renewals
• Online where customers must opt out

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach
• Inbound calls asking for the sale
• Bill stuffers in invoices and renewals
• Online where customers must opt out
• Offers mailed to customers known to pay by credit
  card

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Gift Incentive

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Gift Incentive

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach
• Inbound calls asking for the sale
• Bill stuffers in invoices and renewals
• Online where customers must opt out
• Offers mailed to customers known to pay by credit
  card
• Reminders mailed when card expires

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Approach
• Inbound calls asking for the sale
• Bill stuffers in invoices and renewals
• Online where customers must opt out
• Offers mailed to customers known to pay by credit
  card
• Reminders mailed when card expires
• Press Pass incentive for monthly, 26 and 52

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Press Pass

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Conclusions

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Conclusions
• We are converting existing credit card payers to
  Easy Pay! but how can we do better?

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Conclusions
• We are converting existing credit card payers to
  Easy Pay! but how can we do better?
• We are slowly improving the number of credit card
  payers but how can we accelerate?

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Easy Pay! The Ledger

• Conclusions
• We are converting existing credit card payers to
  Easy Pay! but how can we do better?
• We are slowly improving the number of credit card
  payers but how can we accelerate?
• Retention is assured but is this a
  characteristic of credit card paying customers?

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Easy Pay! Southern Style
Thank You

• Melanie Coker
• The Ledger
• Lakeland, Florida

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