Supporting local business

DC Thomson has always championed local businesses and now, as we all face the uncertain and unprecedented challenges brought about by coronavirus, it’s a more important role than ever before. Of course, in order to carry on our normal work in this area, we – like lots of other companies across the country – are having to adapt to whole new ways of working. Our advertising teams are now working remotely from home, and the team in Dundee has been getting the hang of swapping a daily in-person meeting with three virtual Microsoft Teams catch-ups a day – but it’s not just to talk shop. They’re also swapping cooking tips, sharing memes, and chatting about their days – basically, o̫ering friendly support whilst also helping each other through IT changes and other new work demands. The company as a whole is also working hard to support all employees – no matter where they’re logging in from – through weekly wellness reminders and guides to working from home like a pro. From encouraging virtual co̫ees with team members to advice on setting up a desk properly, these are full of helpful wee tips to make this transition as smooth as possible. Working with businesses That’s how we completely understand the pressures local business owners are facing – we’re dealing with some of the same pressures, too. So as well as keeping our teams connected, we’re also extending the support to businesses around us. Our advertising teams are used to supporting the communication needs of local businesses, helping to put their messages in front of the audiences they need to reach. And we plan to carry on doing the same over the coming weeks and months. We want to make sure we’re here to help as they make adjustments and that we’re ready to support them as they put the work in to bounce back once this is all over. Michael Barclay Head of Newspaper Advertising “We’re having to change the way we work so that, as a business, we’re following current coronavirus advice from the government,” says Michael Barclay, Head of Advertising for DC Thomson newspapers. “But we’re also changing up how we normally work with advertisers because we want to be there for local businesses during this challenging time. We want to make sure we’re here to help as they make adjustments and that we’re ready to support them as they put the work in to bounce back once this is all over.” Last week, we announced that we’d be o̫ering local businesses and the voluntary sector free-of-charge opportunities to share information across our print, digital and social networks. As part of this, we’ve been getting in touch with businesses we have longstanding relationships with to see how we can help, whether it’s letting the public know about major changes you’ve had to make or just reminding everyone not to forget about you if you’ve already had to temporarily shut. Tayside Decorators are one such company that has enjoyed the bene̬ts of plus years of working with DC Thomson titles. “It’s local and hits the right customers for our business,” says company director David Anderson of these bene̬ts. “3auline, our sales rep, always has good advice for us.” 3art of this advice now, as they’ve temporarily closed to follow government advice, was to pause their advertising with us – they’ve now done so, but look forward to working with us again once business returns to normal. Black’s of Brechin, who have worked with DC Thomson for ̬ve years, have found themselves in a similar situation. “We have had to completely close our business and furlough all sta̫. We now have zero income but still have the usual overheads of electricity, insurance, telephones, etc,” says AnnMarie Black, business owner. “3auline has been very supportive and understanding over the last few weeks. When things return to normal (whenever that might be!) we will make a point of publicly thanking 3auline (and DC Thomson) for her quick response to our request to put our account on hold. 3auline’s calming words were very comforting on what was a pretty bleak day! “We can’t wait to get back to business as usual and to exploring what the new ‘usual’ might be. We are looking forward to having a renewed enthusiasm for our business and our customers and we hope to be able to do this with DC Thomson by our side!” 3lus, the DC Thomson advertising team has also been collaborating with clients who have helpful advice to o̫er our readers. We’ve got some exciting features already online or in the works, including expert advice on looking after your pet from Parkside Vets and ideas to keep you moving during lockdown from Live Active. As for our plan going forward, Michael Barclay adds: “We’ve all had to make unprecedented changes already and as the situation continues to unfold over the coming months, we may well have to make more – but we’ll be here supporting local businesses along the way.”