Scott Ward, Account Executive for the Washington Business Journal, recently shared how he brought in a long-term contract with a luxury home builder who had never advertised in his publication. Ward, who has worked for the paper for more than nine years, calls on residential real estate prospects frequently but explains that his biggest challenge with this prospect was positioning the paper as a strong contender against a daily newspaper with more than 60% market penetration. "When a paper has a 60% penetration, advertisers consider it a 'must buy'. To get on the schedule was not easy because of our competitor's domination in the market," states Ward. The luxury home builder was marketing high-end condominiums in the million dollar price range.

Using The Media Audit, Ward made his case to the agency representing the home builder, including the Account Executive, Planner, and the Media Buyer. While the paper's reach was significantly less than its competing daily rival, Ward was able to communicate that the paper had an unparalleled reader profile when it came to high income, a 96% home ownership rate, above average home values, and net worth of more than $2 million. As a result, he won the business. Since then, the home builder has placed more than 14 full pages of advertising in the publication with great success.