2. Project Description
This acquisition campaign uses our respected journalists to demonstrate The News Journal commitment to LOCAL news
coverage from experts who live here and know Wilmington and Delaware better than anyone else.
Emphasis on personalities offers flexibility to a wide range of topics, content areas, and print and digital media
throughout the year.
Target Audience: Boomers and GenX (i.e. 40+), Upper middle class to “1 percenters”
Behaviors: We are talking to a consumer who is prideful about living in Delaware. They’re deeply rooted and have deep
pockets, i.e. “old money” from Dupont family heritage and other influential. They are investors, Wall St. Journal readers,
supporters and avid patrons of local arts and culture, i.e., theatre, art museum and performances at the Grand Opera
House. Resistant to change, they are quick to react to the changes that have been made to The News Journal both in
price and content.
Primary Message: We own local news coverage.
Interview Summary
Meet Esteban Parra, our breaking news reporter:
• Has been in Delaware for 20 years
• Finds the quality of breaking news more important than quantity
• Uncovers what’s behind the story, follows up on past stories of there isn’t new news happening
• Tenacious and doesn’t take no for an answer
• Loves it when his stories affect change
• Enjoys meeting new people, trying new things and learning something new every day
• His super power: DETERMINATION… he is never satisfied and always strives to do better work and find more to
every story
Meet Maureen Milford, our business and legal news reporter:
• Has been with The News Journal since 1975 – carries some cachet and has access to some highly placed people
• Reputation for being trustworthy, fair and enthusiastic
• Covers complex topics like land deals, state transportation, similar stories that require investigation
• Takes pride in simplifying complex issues and doing the necessary investigation in order to make topics
understandable; likes to feel like her readers are getting something for their money
• Her job gives her a “license to learn” and she uses a scholarly approach when it’s time to break down information
• Enjoys reading, painting, sculpting, home projects and spending time with her family
• She’ll keep going as long as it’s fun
• Her super power: INTELLECTUAL DISCIPLINE… gets a kick out of putting in the time necessary to solve the puzzle
3. Simply Focus
Overall Feel:
• Clean, Strong
• Typography and colors will be determined
based on mood and direction, but they
will work together with the imagery and
copy to complete the design.
• Humor/Outrageous?
Simply Focused
Our reporters are straightforward and so is this approach. Similar to what we have done for personality campaigns in the past, photography
will be very simple, yet powerful. Minimal effects. Not flashy, but strong. Flattering, but no frills. Design will be simple and clean, allowing
the photos and words of our reporters to speak for themselves. Maybe we use humor or outrageous situations to engage the audience.
Simple shots of the reporters give us flexibility to cut out their images and then drop them into any background or setting we decide.
Hard at work in the newsroom/community
• Local settings: courthouse, police station, emergency
room, research library, theatre or gallery, sports venues.
• Selective focus on just the person with the background
location blurred
• With a solid background, absence of background
Incorporate props specific to each writer’s topics:
• Gavel, Scales of justice
• Magnifying glass
• Sporting equipment
• Fork and knife, menu
• Opera glasses, playbill, comedy & tragedy masks
Message Tone:
These are your Delaware experts. Esteban is in the community every day
looking for news and sharing it via twitter, Facebook, Instagram and his
articles. Maureen’s reputation precedes her and a lot of doors to the bigwigs
are open to her. This isn’t true for just anybody. Trust them to explore every
angle and get to the heart of local issues. Count on them to bring you the
news you can use – topics that affect your day and have the power to
change your family’s future.
4. Illustrated Ideas
Overall Feel:
• Soft, Playful
• Illustrated icons telling the story of each writer
• Possibly hand-letter the headline and main text
to keep a unified look to the design.
This option is a touch more playful. The photography is still fairly simple, but this concept explores how we could
incorporate illustration to depict each person’s content focus, local traits/iconography/buildings and aspects of
their personalities. Backgrounds could be blank and nondescript or they could be local settings. Illustrations could
showcase icons related to what the reporters cover and tell the story of what they do and who they are.
Message Tone:
There’s more to our reporters than meets the eye. At first glance, each of them is an everyday
citizen of Wilmington. When you look deeper, you start to see what’s making the gears turn: a
passion for reporting Delaware news. You know they love it – they’ve been at it a long time.
And they’re going to keep at it, because they know that it’s important to see what’s at
work behind the scenes of this community. Their community. Your community.
5. Overall Feel:
• Slick, polished, larger-than-life
• Local-focused, action-based headlines
• Streamlined copy/movie poster lingo
• Maybe the headline is some sort of pun on a
popular movie title.
In a world full of information saturation, one reporter searches Delaware to uncover the truth. Let’s turn
our star reporters into movie stars! A legal thriller starring Maureen Milford as she uncovers an unfair
local land deal. An action-adventure stars Esteban Parra stars as he chases down corruption in city hall.
Let’s make real life larger than life and connect our journalists to a totally different medium. Photography
is more fun; poses are more powerful and commanding with high contrast between light and dark for
more drama, with plenty of finishing and retouching for a movie poster effect. Emphasis will be on the
“star” but the backgrounds will be important, too. Skylines, cityscapes, iconic buildings or landmarks
that relate to what each person covers. We may use props. Wardrobe direction will likely be involved.
Message Tone:
Delaware is action-packed! Follow our star reporters through the intrigue, suspense and
plot twists of local issues. These local leading ladies and leading men are also leading the
way to a more informed future for our readers. Enjoy the stories and discover how each
writer, and each citizen, is a character in the daily dramas of Delaware.
6. Overall Feel:
• Bright, colorful, fun
• Photography is dynamic and action-oriented
• A multi-frame story – telling an origin story of our
local super heroes, or depicting how each transforms
from everyday Wilmington citizen to super hero.
• Mix of copy-heavy frames and image-driven frames
or big, bold cover layout
Pow! Our super reporters just got to the bottom of another case and exposed another villain to save the day.
Their super powers? Esteban will tell you his super power is Determination. We bring you Mr. Determinator.
Or something. Maureen will tell you her super power is her ability to Simplify Complexity. She is The
Simplifier. (We can explore all sorts of names). Bam! Friendly family guy by night, pavement-pounding
breaking news reporter by day. Thwack! She enjoys home improvement projects on the weekends, but
during the workweek she bucks up on business law so you don’t have to.
Message Tone:
What unites our individual super heroes? Love of this community. Passion for doing
what’s right. Sharing knowledge and exposing the truth. Trust from our readers. Telling
stories that bring about positive change for the citizens of Wilmington and Delaware.
Using local scenery and references within the story will help reinforce the fact that we
are the most trusted source for local news and information.
