Spectrum staff posts extraordinary ad revenues
The ad sales revenue collected by the yearbook staff at Shaler Area High School, Pittsburgh, Pa., is no small chunk of change. In fact, the annual ad drive conducted by the Spectrum staff has been at or near the $60,000 mark each year for more than five years.

Faith Jack, the yearbook business adviser, said the success of the ad drive can be attributed to the unique practice of having the senior class sell ads. A kick-off assembly gets each year started and heated sales contests in each senior homeroom become very competitive.

“Having the seniors sell ads gives them ownership in the yearbook even if they’re not on staff,” Jack said. “It gets them involved and gives them the feeling that it’s their book. In turn, I think they appreciate it more when it comes out.”

Several prize incentives help boost participation, Jack said. Each senior who sells $20 or more in ads receives a prize. Some of the prizes include a senior pin or key chain, pizza and movie coupons, t-shirts, frisbees, mugs, wallets, and gift certificates to popular stores.

With this system in place, Jack said no other fundraisers are needed. She said collecting nearly $60,000 on average from ad sales each year has increased opportunities for the Spectrum staff.

“It allows us to do a lot of innovative things with the yearbook,” she said. “In addition, the staff doesn’t have the pressure to raise money themselves and can better concentrate on their deadlines.”

This year’s senior ad drive resulted in revenues of $62,815 for the 2000 Spectrum, according to Jack. That allowed the staff to run all the senior pictures in color, use more color throughout the yearbook, increase the number of pages and purchase several add-ons for the cover.

Unique incentive program utilized by Memories staff
There have never been too many slackers on the Memories yearbook staff at Scott City High School, Scott City, Mo. If Adviser Jeanette Mastin has her way, there never will be.

In an effort to bolster the quality and quantity of work completed by each staff member, Mastin has instituted a unique system of accountability. For the past two years, the staff has printed a list of pages by each staff member’s name in the colophon.

Mastin said the system is meant to serve as a reward for a job well done, but also as an incentive to work hard and produce quality pages.

“I thought it would be a good way to give the kids who work hard the recognition they deserve, and on the flip side, give the ones who might try to slide by a little incentive to work harder,” she said. “The staff really bought into the idea and has been excited about doing it.”

Staff members are informed at the beginning of the year that the list will be published in the book, Mastin said.

“It has made a big difference for us,” she said. “Overall, each staff member has gone a little further to develop their pages. And, those who didn’t think they would have to work hard, have really been inspired.”

Mastin said the system has also benefited the staff in recruiting new members. Not only does it help weed out those who are not willing to put in the effort, but she said it also clears up any misconceptions about the amount of work each staff member is required to do.

Television ads help Tempo staff sell more yearbooks
Banking on the effectiveness of television advertising, the Tempo yearbook staff at Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace, Wash., has launched an effort to increase book sales.

Adviser Ray Johnson, who also teaches broadcast communications at the school, said he encouraged his yearbook staff to take advantage of the school’s television and radio equipment to promote their publication.

“I realize not every staff is going to have access to the kind of equipment needed to produce their own TV ads, but it can be a great tool for those who do,” Johnson said.

The yearbook staff produced a series of three commercials for the school’s morning television program. Johnson said the spots, which featured humorous story lines and catchy themes, aired three times a week for about a month.

“We were able to increase yearbook sales and I really think the TV ads made a difference for us,” he said. “It worked by putting our message out to a captive audience in a repetitive manner.”

Johnson said in previous years the staff was selling about 800 books to a student body of 2,000. Sales increased to more than a 1,000 after using the television ads to promote the yearbook.