Marketing Option Assessment - Advertisements in Newspapers

In general, newspaper advertising is too expensive for restaurant businesses – so unless you have a large marketing budget, this may be tough to do in a meaningful manner.

The good news is that most newspapers seem to offer a specific value priced spot on Friday/Saturday meant for restaurant businesses to advertise in - e.g. "Wine & Dine" section in the Bangalore Times (supplement to the Times of India) every Friday. A single ad in this section will cost you about 8000 bucks. The Times offers some discounts for running a 7 week/13 week series. Deccan Herald and the Hindu offer cheaper options.

If you are looking to use this medium, you should stick to the newspaper where a lot of other restaurants advertise in – definitely worth the premium you will be paying over less popular newspapers. There is a strong reason why a lot of restaurants advertise in a specific newspaper – typically higher circulation, resulting in better visibility and potential business from the advertising spend.

I would highly recommend newspaper advertising if you believe you have a unique product offering – it is probably the most effective way to get a lot of people to know about your product quickly. I would also recommend a series of ads over a 4/6 week period rather than a single ad for this medium to really work for you.