HONOLULU — The annual Mega-Conference, the only major newspaper industry conference of 2018, selected the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Oahu’s sole daily newspaper owned by Oahu Publications, Inc., as the winner of its Innovation Award.
The Mega-Conference, held Feb. 26-28 in San Diego, selected the Honolulu Star-Advertiser for the creation and successful execution of its Digital Billboard Network, a new type of digital out-of-home broadcast system.
“As Hawaii’s largest media company, OPI recognized the challenges and impact that new technology has had on the media landscape for media outlets and advertisers,” said Dennis Francis, president of Oahu Publications, Inc. and publisher of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “We leveraged our strengths to provide online video content that was relevant to consumers and advertisers, and as a result, created a new profit center using the latest DOOH technology that generated over $1.2 million in annual incremental revenue during its first year.”
“Our DBN clients are excited about the results they’re experiencing with the new digital technology that provides them with an innovative out-of-home advertising option that is measurable, engages customers and creates awareness of their products and services,” continued Francis. “The daily audience of the entire DBN now rivals that of a local radio or television morning show and statistically, the system is among the top five broadcasters in the state of Hawaii.”
As a result of the DBN SiteView screens, single copy sales of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser have increased significantly and there are plans to expand the Network to more locations. With the decline of traditional broadcast media audiences, many of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s existing advertising clients, as well as a new client base which makes up 85 percent of its DBN clients, now utilize the DBN system to broadcast their existing television commercials or new content that OPI creates.
With nearly 900,000 views in January, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser DBN system proved that innovation and the creation of valuable marketing products that generate new sources of revenue are paramount to not only surviving in challenging times, but growing and thriving, Francis added.
OPI publishes a collection of daily and weekly newspapers, including The Garden Island, Hawaii Tribune-Herald, West Hawaii Today and USA Today Hawaii Edition. Their portfolio of products includes MidWeek, TGIF, Street Pulse and 21 publications ranging from visitor and in-room hotel publications for Hilton Hawaiian Village, Castle Resorts and Disney Resorts Aulani, to magazines such as HILuxury, 101 Things to Do, and Go Kailua and Go Kapolei targeting local residents.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s circulation ranks 11th in the nation and OPI’s newspaper penetration in Honolulu ranks No. 1 in the nation with 38.6 percent of adults reached by the daily newspaper and 48.4 percent on Sunday. Between OPI’s three daily newspapers and their affiliated websites, over 75 percent of Hawaii adults are reached by the company each week.
With a newsroom of 80 professional and veteran journalists, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser remains a resource for quality journalism in newsprint as well as digital formats. Local retailers, including INspiration Furniture, City Mill, Longs Drugs, and Foodland continue to find success through advertising with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser which also boasts a strong automobile section and a robust real estate focus for its readers.
