Get to Know Metro: Jennifer Lydon
Many of the region’s most talented publishers, marketing directors, writers and editors work for Metro. Here is just one of the many members of the Metro family: Jennifer Lydon, Senior Account Executive.
Jennifer Lydon is a senior account executive that has been with Metro US for sixteen years. She grew up in Northeast Philadelphia and has lived two separate and very different lives over the past 50 years. Her experience as a husband, father of 4, and a friend to many in the Transgender Community has given her a very unique and interesting perspective in life. In her spare time she enjoys running, playing tennis and spending time with family.
You have been working in Philadelphia advertising for a while. What’s changed since you’ve been with Metro and where do you see the advertising industry going?
More than anything else, I think the consumer has changed. Over the past 15 years or so, people have been conditioned to process information on the fly, so today, content not only has to be inviting, but it also has to be current and delivered quickly. Advertisers now realize more than ever before that they have to get the immediate attention of the consumers, or they’ll simply be off to the next thing. Fortunately, Metro’s quick, interesting and timely approach accomplishes exactly what shrewd advertisers are looking for.
Philadelphia is one of the more competitive media markets around with a number of newspapers and magazines competing for readers and advertisers. What makes Metro stand apart from the rest?
As a grandparent, I can tell you first hand, that we are now a couple generations away from the time when people paid for their news and information. When Metro launched in January of 2000, the number one challenge for me was to overcome the fact that we were a free daily, it was unheard of at that time, most prospective advertisers assumed we were another alternative weekly or a community paper that would be tossed up on someone’s porch.
I can’t tell you how often I heard that we wouldn’t last…well 16 years later we now dominate the print scene in Philadelphia, with more circulation than the Inquirer and Daily News combined, and what’s more impressive than that, the latest Scarborough numbers show that our readership is up 29% from last year! We never allowed ourselves to buy into the whole “print is dead mentality” and that’s why, while so many other print vehicles are struggling, Metro continues to grow!
How do print and online advertising differ? And why should anyone consider doing both?
As Philadelphia’s most read newspaper with over 516,000 weekly readers, it makes a whole lot of sense for healthcare advertisers to place ads in our publication. Whether it’s a hospital’s branding campaign or a local dentist looking for a direct response, Metro delivers.
That being said, a metromedia digital campaign can do so much more for advertisers looking to reach a more targeted audience. For instance, we now have the ability to help the local Medical Spa target of women age 18 – 54 residing within a five mile radius of their location. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that I am now able to offer so much more to our current and prospective advertisers.
You’ve seen a lot of change in the market over the past sixteen years, why do you think Metro has thrived?
Since our launch back in 2000, Metro has led the way with innovative ad offerings such as front page banner ads, integrated center spreads and most recently our glossy cover wraps. We’ve always stayed a step ahead of our competition in finding fun and interesting ways to help print advertisers get their message across to an ever increasingly busy consumer. In addition to Metro, we now have the full capacity to successfully service our advertisers’ digital needs as well.
What I find most exciting about being part of the metromedia team is that we never sit still, we adapt and evolve as the landscape continues to change.
Contact Jennifer Lydon
215.717.2694
