Brandon Erlacher

Development and implementation of audience targeting tools on SNG-wide websites:

-Registration/Paywall prompts and conversion based on specific audiences;
-Recommendation widgets to drive internal traffic;
-CTA (call to action) technology via pop-ups and messaging within widgets;
-Real-time dashboards of audience behavior;

By implementing audience-targeting technology, we developed a hybrid paywall model to drive revenue from a small group of the most dedicated website… Show more

Development and implementation of audience targeting tools on SNG-wide websites:

-Registration/Paywall prompts and conversion based on specific audiences;
-Recommendation widgets to drive internal traffic;
-CTA (call to action) technology via pop-ups and messaging within widgets;
-Real-time dashboards of audience behavior;

By implementing audience-targeting technology, we developed a hybrid paywall model to drive revenue from a small group of the most dedicated website audience. This allowed us to maintain an open website to maximize ad revenue impressions from infrequent visitors. In just three months, we gained nearly 1,000 paying digital subscribers at a 23% conversion rate by only targeting less than 1% of our traffic — all while maintaining our network ad revenue. Show less

Created a local data warehouse that stores transactional data from several legacy front-end systems: VisionData, CircPro, SBS, Google Analytics, Social Analytics and MailChimp. This data has been visualized utilizing Tableau and is consumed regularly by SNG executives, managers and sales executives via an online interface. My analysis allows forecasting and modeling to optimize operations and provide real-time information for instant decision-making, thus eliminating the need to train and… Show more

Created a local data warehouse that stores transactional data from several legacy front-end systems: VisionData, CircPro, SBS, Google Analytics, Social Analytics and MailChimp. This data has been visualized utilizing Tableau and is consumed regularly by SNG executives, managers and sales executives via an online interface. My analysis allows forecasting and modeling to optimize operations and provide real-time information for instant decision-making, thus eliminating the need to train and navigate multiple, clumsy software systems. Show less

Erlacher was one of 23 senior level executives to participate in the Local Media Association's annual Innovation Mission conducted June 1-6, 2014. The week-long study tour included extensive visits with LinkedIn, Google+, Paypal, Ebay, Buzzfeed, The New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, The Wall Street Journal, Simulmedia, Gatehouse Media, RussMedia and CBS Local Digital.

As a result of attending, Erlacher will be enhancing the strategy at his company on multiple fronts including… Show more

Erlacher was one of 23 senior level executives to participate in the Local Media Association's annual Innovation Mission conducted June 1-6, 2014. The week-long study tour included extensive visits with LinkedIn, Google+, Paypal, Ebay, Buzzfeed, The New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, The Wall Street Journal, Simulmedia, Gatehouse Media, RussMedia and CBS Local Digital.

As a result of attending, Erlacher will be enhancing the strategy at his company on multiple fronts including content marketing (native), SEO, self-service display advertising, leveraging LinkedIn for branding/recruiting, culture and more. He was also an attendee of the 2011 and 2013 Innovation Missions and credits those experiences with an ROI well into the six-figures for his company.

The Innovation Mission attracts the most progressive, forward-thinking local media executives in the industry. As a member of the LMA board of directors, Erlacher has been instrumental in helping to craft the annual agenda and identify top goals for the week. Show less

Envisioned and developed a morning radio show for an under-performing, simulcast, local AM radio station and rebranded the station “Truth Radio 1340.” It is on air as well as streamed live online, and is also available via Tune-In, iHeart, Aha and HTML5 on mobile. Segments of the show are made available on-demand on the website. The advertising package created to monetize this new idea included radio spots, print ads and online impressions relying on the strengths and reach of all the media to… Show more

Envisioned and developed a morning radio show for an under-performing, simulcast, local AM radio station and rebranded the station “Truth Radio 1340.” It is on air as well as streamed live online, and is also available via Tune-In, iHeart, Aha and HTML5 on mobile. Segments of the show are made available on-demand on the website. The advertising package created to monetize this new idea included radio spots, print ads and online impressions relying on the strengths and reach of all the media to deliver a great ROI for clients trying to maximize reach to the valuable local audience.

This concept provides value to both sides of the business (radio and print.) Highly collaborative in its design, it has opened doors to future partnership ideas, efficiencies and business opportunities. Show less

The Elkhart Truth started building a digital news team during the summer of 2013 — essentially, a staff that paralleled our legacy news staff. In the aftermath of a deadly late-night shooting at an Elkhart supermarket, we scrapped our initial approach and created a real time news desk.

5 full-time digital journalists, staffing RTD from 5 AM to midnight weekdays and mid-morning through early evening on weekends. Reporting staff covers some shifts. Staff directed by managing editor… Show more

The Elkhart Truth started building a digital news team during the summer of 2013 — essentially, a staff that paralleled our legacy news staff. In the aftermath of a deadly late-night shooting at an Elkhart supermarket, we scrapped our initial approach and created a real time news desk.

5 full-time digital journalists, staffing RTD from 5 AM to midnight weekdays and mid-morning through early evening on weekends. Reporting staff covers some shifts. Staff directed by managing editor. Content planning utilized real-time data and predictions from analytics. Their major responsibilities are as follows:

-Generate unique digital content.
-Curate elkharttruth.com and other company websites.
-Aggregate local and national relevant content.
-Break news.
-Engage users, grow audience, enhance Elkhart Truth brand through social media.
-Cultivate, manage community contributors.
-Drive engagement and traffic via links, relevant story choice and social media to company web sites
-Continuously curate/create/aggregate content to drive our recommendation algorithm

A new workspace was created to focus the staff on the right metrics, create energy and impact culture in a high traffic part of the building. We made it a point to carve out a unique space in the newsroom, with a hardwood floor and a high-top table. Two 55-inch monitors constantly display Google Analytics and Chartbeat, so the entire staff can see the result of editorial decisions and use data to drive journalism. Digital staff monitors police scanners. Show less

I was one of 17 senior level executives to participate in the Local Media Association's annual Innovation Mission conducted June 2-7, 2013. The week-long study tour included extensive visits with Facebook, Google, Twitter, Plug and Play Tech Center (start-up accelerator), The McClatchy Company, San Francisco Chronicle, The Denver Post, AdTaxi, Emmis Radio, BIA/Kelsey and FiveStars.

Created a full-service digital agency created in response to the changing needs of small and medium sized businesses in the South Bend/Elkhart DMA. Its primary products include SEO/SEM, reputation management, direct marketing (email, newsletters), social media management, contests, event marketing, website and mobile design and display (banner, retargeting, rich media). Earned Google AdWords certification in April 2013. After a successful start, he merged the agency with Federated Interactive… Show more

Created a full-service digital agency created in response to the changing needs of small and medium sized businesses in the South Bend/Elkhart DMA. Its primary products include SEO/SEM, reputation management, direct marketing (email, newsletters), social media management, contests, event marketing, website and mobile design and display (banner, retargeting, rich media). Earned Google AdWords certification in April 2013. After a successful start, he merged the agency with Federated Interactive in January of 2014. Show less

Utilizing MailChimp, niche content and notification tactics for end users, I developed a newsletter strategy to grow engagement and drive traffic to our suite of local websites. With a baseline of four newsletters in December 2016 with 9,700 subscribers, we grew to a suite of 17 newsletters in just over one year with nearly 18,000 subscribers. We implemented a print subscriber email acquisition and retention program, which resulted in a near-zero cost of attaining new subscribers as well as… Show more

Utilizing MailChimp, niche content and notification tactics for end users, I developed a newsletter strategy to grow engagement and drive traffic to our suite of local websites. With a baseline of four newsletters in December 2016 with 9,700 subscribers, we grew to a suite of 17 newsletters in just over one year with nearly 18,000 subscribers. We implemented a print subscriber email acquisition and retention program, which resulted in a near-zero cost of attaining new subscribers as well as much-reduced retention costs through consistent customer service messaging and reminders. Show less

Spinning up efficient audience-targeted products was a strategy I employed to respond to the current disruptive media environment. These publications use a variety of channels, including WordPress websites, newsletters, newspaper and magazine. All are mobile responsive and compliment the main website. They provide outlets for cross-recommendation tactics to increase TOS, engagement and pageviews per session and increasing our monetization chances.

Visuals – Designed to provide beautiful… Show more

Spinning up efficient audience-targeted products was a strategy I employed to respond to the current disruptive media environment. These publications use a variety of channels, including WordPress websites, newsletters, newspaper and magazine. All are mobile responsive and compliment the main website. They provide outlets for cross-recommendation tactics to increase TOS, engagement and pageviews per session and increasing our monetization chances.

Visuals – Designed to provide beautiful UX to explore photo/video journalism or create story packages that our primary website was not capable of supporting. Includes a website and newsletter.

Food – Showcases local cooking and dining to attract a niche foodie audience. Niche site built to include a quarterly magazine “Ate01” (the name is a play on the local 801 area code). Content is showcased online, weekly in the newspaper, in the magazine and with weekly newsletters. The platform is designed to support content marketing from advertisers and support user-generated content.

Go – This niche was designed to fill in the gap for free, easy-to-use calendars and stories on local entertainment opportunities. Event calendars scrape Facebook events and provide a reverse publishing option for the newsroom. The WordPress website includes content from the weekly entertainment tab (Go!) in the newspaper, a newsletter and email notifications.
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In 2015, the Standard-Examiner existed to put out a print newspaper. Some time earlier, the company had made a half-hearted effort to enter digital journalism by creating something it called the Jump Start Desk, but it was only staffed by 1.5 people, neither a trained journalist.

We scrapped that and built a real time desk, led by our digital news editor and staffed by four full-time digital producers.

Their responsibilities:

— Break news
— Generate unique digital… Show more

In 2015, the Standard-Examiner existed to put out a print newspaper. Some time earlier, the company had made a half-hearted effort to enter digital journalism by creating something it called the Jump Start Desk, but it was only staffed by 1.5 people, neither a trained journalist.

We scrapped that and built a real time desk, led by our digital news editor and staffed by four full-time digital producers.

Their responsibilities:

— Break news
— Generate unique digital content
— Aggregate content
— Curate standard.net
�� Engage users, grow audience, and enhance the Standard-Examiner brand through social media

Standard.net traffic and our social media audiences grew dramatically, but within two years the volume of content began to overwhelm the desk — and, at the same time, we saw an opportunity to grow.

Above all else, we needed someone who could help us expand our understand of existing and potential audiences. So we hired an analytics specialist.

We shifted two veteran reporters to the real time desk to provide feature material, designated a breaking news reporter, added a photojournalist to shoot quick-hit videos, assigned two copy editors to prepare all stories for digital publication, and asked a producer to help us develop vertical websites in WordPress, focusing on user experience.

Everyone on the desk performs a variety of essential tasks, which gives us speed and flexibility. At the same time, asking each journalist to play a defined role draws on their strengths, improving the quality of our work.

Led by our news editor, the real time desk provides coverage from early morning until around midnight six days a week, along with a solid eight hours on Sundays.

It has established itself as the heartbeat of the newsroom.
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Collaboration with local daily newspapers (in-spite of competition) to execute win-win operational advantages with printing, reporting and delivery. Current examples include:

-Outsourcing of printing and delivery to the South Bend Tribune
-Digital Marketing Services sales and fulfillment with local radio stations.
-A studio used for local over the air broadcasts on WNDU TV within our newsroom with our journalists serving as the TV correspondent

Other partnerships are… Show more

Collaboration with local daily newspapers (in-spite of competition) to execute win-win operational advantages with printing, reporting and delivery. Current examples include:

-Outsourcing of printing and delivery to the South Bend Tribune
-Digital Marketing Services sales and fulfillment with local radio stations.
-A studio used for local over the air broadcasts on WNDU TV within our newsroom with our journalists serving as the TV correspondent

Other partnerships are currently being discussed in the category of events and digital services.

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