International Advertising Sales Team
If you are a foreign government, corporation, tourism entity, foreign airline or international organization, The Washington Post's International Advertising Department can assist you with your marketing needs using a variety of Post products. The people who read The Washington Post make business, legislative and policy decisions that echo around the globe — and they travel the globe, as well. Market research elsewhere on this web site further illustrates the newspaper's market advantage, and one particular study — the Washington Leadership Study — demonstrates how successful, and more effective than any other medium, The Post's reach is among government and policy influentials.
| Department/Title/Contact Name | Telephone | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| International | 202-334-6232 | ||
| Africa and Asia | Lois Segel | 212-445-5853 | segell@washpost.com |
| The Americas (Canada, Caribbean, Central/South America), the Middle East and Northern Africa Region | Diana Backlund | 202-334-7738 | backlundd@washpost.com |
| Europe (including Eastern Europe) and Turkey | Carlos Silva | 202-334-6936 | silvac@washpost.com |
| Russia and former Soviet Republics | Lois Segel | 212-445-5853 | segell@washpost.com |
Director, International Advertising: Amer Yaqub, 202-334-6232 or yaquba@washpost.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get a copy of The Washington Post in my market?
Despite its worldwide reputation and impact, The Washington Post is physically only sold in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, which includes Maryland and Virginia. A small number of papers are distributed in New York as well. Its internet site, washingtonpost.com, has allowed it to extend its reach to millions of visitors from around the world, however, and has quickly become one of the most popular news sites in the world.
Who owns The Washington Post Company?
The Washington Post is a Fortune 1000 publicly traded company which owns Newsweek as well as six cable TV companies in the U.S. In addition, the company has diversified into the growing educational preparation industry through its Kaplan subsidiary.
What services can my Washington Post representative provide?
Your Washington Post advertising representatives can work with you to better understand your marketing objectives, provide a customized proposal that integrates market research, case studies of successful advertising campaigns, help in designing ads as well as detailed information on the unrivaled reach and power of both our newspaper and our web site. Post reps can also leverage our rep network to help you locate a representative closest to your market for more assistance as well. We have over 30 rep firms worldwide.
Where can I get more information about advertising on The Washington Post 's Web site?
We have two advertising representatives exclusively focused on online and they are an additional resource: Please call or email Michael Clancy for inquiries from Europe (London: 44-1227379666; washingtonpost.com); inquiries from all other countries can go to Cathy Cox in Washington: 703-469-2623, cathy.cox@wpni.com).
How is The Washington Post newspaper priced?
The vast majority of our international advertisers qualify for the General Rate with the exception of tourism boards who get the Special Industry Rate instead. Regardless of rate type, we sell space in our newspaper on a column inch basis. For example, a full page is six columns wide (12”) and 21” high for a total of 126 column inches. The equivalent metric measurements are 30.5cm x 53.3 cm.
Obviously, your Washington Post rep would be happy to help you get a specific price quote but here is a simple example if you’d like to get an estimate yourself. For any quote, you will need to decide on the size of your ad, frequency, whether it will run in the daily or Sunday edition, position you would like it to run in and whether or it will be color or black/white. For example, in 2006, if a general rate advertiser wanted to run three half-page ads with color in the paper on weekdays, the gross cost would be 63 column inches (6 columns wide x 10.5 inches high) x $596 which equals $37,548 plus a flat $9,214 charge for color for a total cost per ad of $46,762 (gross). This estimate does not include premium costs for special positions or sections.
What is the difference between gross and net cost?
Agency commissions of 15% are allowed to recognized advertising agencies.
What positions or sections are best for international advertisers interested in The Washington Post?
Common positions for international advertisers include Main News, Business, Sunday Travel section, Public Policy/Advocacy premium positions in Main News (Federal Page), World News adjacency positions in Main News and Special Advertising Sections.
What other newspaper products does The Post offer?
Many international advertisers have found the Sunday Washington Post Magazine to be an attractive option for their media plans. We also launched a free daily newspaper called Express in 2004.
What exactly is nation branding?
Nation branding is any advertising or public relations effort by governments or corporations seeking to impact a country's brand. Every country has a brand whether or not it is actively thought of in that way. Whenever a country is mentioned in an article or conversation, it conjures up certain associations and images and influencing those perceptions is enormously important in today's competitive world. Governments worldwide are increasingly realizing how much a nation's brand impacts a country's economic and political prospects and are beginning to use the same tools that companies have been leveraging for years including, as one element, paid advertising. Of course marketing a country is different than selling a new soda drink but the principles are the same: attracting the attention of the target audience, communicating a specific, credible message and ensuring that the message is repeated enough times that it has impact. The Post's reach of both the influential audience in Washington and, through its website, influentials around the world is a ripe target for such efforts and our sales representatives can help show best practices in this emerging field.
How important is nation branding to a country's success?
It's no coincidence that the US owns 53 of the world's top 100 brands* even though many of those products are made or even designed outside the U.S. Whoever controls the brand yields the highest revenue in the value chain and the lack of branded products in lesser developed countries constrains their growth. Sources: *Fortune, August 1, 2005; Interbrand Survey
Despite an increasingly interdependent, boundary-less world, a country's image still has dramatic impact: In a Fast Company-IMB Business School poll in February, 2006, 43% of Americans agreed that they'd be less likely to buy a computer from Chinese-owned Lenevo than from its predecessor IBM even though it is the exact same product! All things being equal, the product, service or country that has the stronger positive brand awareness will reap the most economic and political advantages.
Simon Anholt in his book Brand America includes an even starker example: "In the early 1990's, Americans bought lots of Toyota Corollas (which were quite expensive) and not very many Geo Prizms (which were quite cheap) even though they were exactly the same car and made in the same factory. American consumers believed the Japanese cars offered better value than American cars, so they bought the Toyota."
Why is nation branding important in Washington, D.C.?
The decisions made by Washington's influential leaders have global impact on an almost daily basis. This network of power goes beyond the political class and includes the many thousands of people who work in Washington, D.C. for America's leading associations, media companies and think tanks.
Why are newspapers the best vehicle for nation branding campaigns?
Newspapers are uniquely suited for the job of building relationships between readers and country brands because research shows that influentials rely on newspapers the most for an understanding of world events, public affairs and trends; 62% of newspapers readers said they do nothing else when reading a newspaper, which is extremely high in today's multitasking world. Source: Newspaper Association of America Study, 2005
Paid public policy messages also are extremely effective in generating action among Washington leaders with 70 percent stating that they take action in direct response to an advertisement including discussing the issue or topic, going on the organization's website or sending to a colleague. Source: 2005 Washington Leadership Study, QSA Research & Strategy
In an opt-out media world (TiVo, satellite radio, ipods etc.), newspapers are the last opt-in mass media and the only place readers go because of the ads not despite them.
Why is nation branding most effective in the Washington Post?
The Washington Post reaches more than 10 times as many adults in Washington as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today and nine out of ten Washington leaders.* It offers an editorial environment conducive to country messages. Please contact your Washington Post advertising representative to obtain a copy of a report on the "The Top Ten Rules for Nation Branding" culled from over a decade of best practices in this emerging field.
*2005 Washington Leadership Study, QSA Research & Strategy.
The Washington Post web site extends this reach to 8 million monthly unique visitors, 80 percent of whom live outside the Washington area and 1.5 million outside the U.S.
How can I wire transfer funds?
Please send wire transfers to: Sun Trust Bank, Attention: Wire Transfer Department. Also include the following: (a) Beneficiary: The Washington Post; (b) Contact person at The Washington Post: Eileen Hogan (202-334-7815); (c) Your advertising account number with The Washington Post; (d) The Washington Post's account number and (e) our ABA routing number. Items c, d, and e can all be obtained through your Washington Post sales representative. The physical address for the bank is Sun Trust Bank, 1445 New York Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20005.
Who are some of the advertisers in International?
Select advertisers include:
Travel: Aer Lingus, Air France, Air Jamaica, Air New Zealand, Alpine Tourist Commission, Australian Tourism, Austrian Airlines, Alitalia, Aruba Tourism, Atlantis Resorts, BMI, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, European Travel Commission, Dubai Duty Free, Fairmont Hotel, German National Tourism Office, Hong Kong Trade Development, Iceland Air, Irish Tourism Board, Lufthansa, Mexico Tourism, Ontario Tourism, Rail Europe, SAS Airlines, Scottish Tourism Board, South Africa Tourism, Virgin Airlines
Corporate: Alcatel, Airbus, Areva, BNP, BP, Bombardier, DaimlerChrysler, EADS, LG, Rolls-Royce, Royal Bank of Scotland, Samsung, Shell, Toyota, UBS, Vodaphone, Volvo
Country Special Sections/Branding: China, Cyprus, Greece, Hong Kong, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Liberia, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine
Writers/Salespeople needed!
Do you want to write or sell our periodic advertising sections about various countries? The Washington Post International Advertising Department is looking for writers and salespeople interested in writing for and marketing our country profiles. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in international affairs, foreign language fluency and willingness to travel. Please submit resume and cover letter to yaquba@washpost.com. Qualified candidates will be contacted when appropriate opportunities arise — no calls, please.
