When I advertised Lucire with The New Zealand Herald and did not get the promised positioning 100 per cent of the time (the newspaper claimed that we would not get a promised positioning in 1 out of 10 cases), I asked its advertising department if foreign media like the Herald had something against New Zealand-owned publications. The reply from the ad rep, perhaps misunderstanding the question, or perhaps suffering a Freudian slip, or perhaps stating the truth, was they supported foreign-owned publications.
   I wrote back to say that we were the New Zealand-owned publication, and they were foreign. In case the rep didn’t know that. There was a chance she didn’t. I don’t recall if she ever replied, but whatever the case, we stopped giving advertising to a newspaper that could not honour its promises.
   I often call the Herald the Irish newspaper, for you can trace the ownership back there. And I bet the newspaper today is wishing it was a bit more supportive of the home crowd, on the announcement that its parent could eliminate 70 New Zealand jobs, and place editing and design with Australians.
   I didn’t want the money I put in to the newspaper to go to foreign-owned media, which had a clear conflict of interest in wishing to see a New Zealander do well. Today, I believe the Irish showed that they have even less interest in supporting Kiwis. Evidently the decision APN has taken is driven by money. Well, if they didn’t piss advertisers off, maybe this announcement need not have come to fruition today.
   I know where the union can target some of its wrath. Posted by Jack Yan, 08:23  permalink

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