Cunning Communications is at it again with one of their “stunt” product launches. The free tabloid METRO will launch Wednesday morning in New York City and “News Liberation Front” protestors are expected to appear at the city’s major daily newspapers. The group, carrying banners that proclaim “News for Nada,” “Keep News Free” and “Free News Now” will picket the New York Times, New York Post and the Daily News claiming news should be free. It all starts at 7AM in front of the New York Times.
Thursday morning the METRO ForeheADs (forehead advertising) will bring the message to commuters and students in Washington Square.
This is a big deal about nothing. Newspapers don’t expect to get rich off subscription costs but off advertising dollars. It’s not about preventing news from being free by charging subscription costs. It’s about creating and “agreement” between publisher and readers. A commitment of sorts on the part of the reader. Advertisers like to know that readers have, among other things, an interest, expressed financially in most cases, before the dump millions into a newspaper. of course, while Cunning already knows this, they also know that this will be a successful, publicity generating stunt for their client.
