Whether you are on the buying or selling side of the print advertising equation, we all ultimately answer to the same person - the end-user, also know as the consumer. 

People who get wrapped up in sales too often forget that advertising only happens when these end-users want to buy the stuff that is being advertised. No sales means no revenue for the advertiser and no revenue means no advertising, in most cases.

So it is worth noting the apparent difficulty that one of the gods of direct selling - QVC - has run into recently. Last week QVC laid off 700 employees in a cost saving measure. No one, except people who live alone with lots of cats, usually admits to watching QVC but I will (and I own no cats). And in the weeks and months to follow, I suggest you do too.

Here is why: No one is better at selling than QVC. They sell stuff that no one really needs but they do a masterful job of knowing what people want. It will be very instructive to see how they adapt their product offerings and approach to a rapidly degrading economy.

People involved in the selling or buying of print have a lot to learn from QVC. The solutions they come up with to battle the downturn may just offer a road map for the rest of us on what consumers are buying and how to sell it.

A recent MediaWeek article entitled "Buyers Want Newspaper to Reinvent Model" discusses new methods newspapers have been using to meet the needs of buyers, and echoes some of the same sentiments we've heard from our advertisers here at MediaBids. For example, many of our advertisers typically request value-adds like online exposure with their buys. In response to this, publications are now posting print offers on our site with online space included as an integrated online/offline buy. Many newspapers have focused on presenting these integrated buys more frequently to their advertisers. Additionally, as the article outlines, some newspapers have started publishing e-newsletters on single topics and other newspapers are utilizing mobile opportunities to try and improve the overall success of their publication.

Here at MediaBids, we're presenting another option for newspapers and magazines in the print ad sales arena, in the form of our Per-Inquiry Advertising Program.We are currently working with  a small number of national advertisers who are paying for their print ads based on response. Newspapers, magazines and more can simply request an ad for these advertisers and we'll send them creative within 2-3 business days. Publications get paid based on the response their ads generate. Some advertisers participating include Vonage, Dish Network and DirecTV. Details of the program and forms to request ads can be found here: http://marketing.mediabids.com/ppi/index.html