Madison District website opens up advertising

Madison district opens Web site to advertisements
By Andy Hall
608-252-6136
ahall@madison.com
The Madison School District on Monday took the unusual step of
displaying advertisements on its Web page.

And more ads are coming to the district 's gyms and stadiums under a
two-year plan to raise $200,000 to ease its tight finances.

Bob Kloppenburg, Wisconsin manager of Sports Image, whose firm has a
contract to market the Madison School District to potential
advertisers, said Web ads are uncommon at schools in the 20 states
covered by his company.


• To view the ads The Madison School District 's Web site
Kloppenburg said he believes that with the appearance Monday of
pitches for private tutoring and a private college, Madison became the
first, or among the first, school districts in Wisconsin to display
Web ads.

The Middleton-Cross Plains School District recently installed ads at
its sports stadium under a Sports Image contract, Kloppenburg said,
and plans are in the works for ads at Green Bay School District
facilities.

The firm also is negotiating with Milwaukee Public Schools, said
Kloppenburg, who predicted that the state 's largest school system
"will come along " within six months as officials see the potential to
generate cash.

"It 's beginning to spread across the country as different schools or
districts deal with the budget crunch and turn to sports marketing, "
Kloppenburg said.

"They realize they 're sitting on somewhat of a gold mine with the
opportunity to reach out to businesses, and the businesses realize
there 's an opportunity to communicate directly with high-school-age
families. "

The Madison district has taken in more than $26,000 this year from
advertisers promoting themselves on the Web or at the district 's
athletic facilities.

Ads have been installed since August on scoreboards at all four of the
district 's main high school gyms and two stadiums. More space is for
sale at scoring tables.

Advertisers are subject to approval by the School Board under a policy
approved in July 2006, district spokesman Ken Syke said.

Sports Image was hired in January. The company receives a 20 percent
commission. The district receives the rest of the money after expenses
are deducted for producing ad signs.

The Web ads in the upper right-hand section of the district 's home
page alternate between pitches for Sylvan Learning, which describes
itself as North America 's leading provider of private tutoring for
children in grades pre-kindergarten through 12; and Herzing College,
which offers degrees in such areas as network technology, electronics,
programming and business administration.

Syke said Sylvan has committed to paying $4,275 for nine months of
ads, while Herzing is paying $2,850 for six months of ads.

Sylvan and Herzing both have operations in Madison.

"There are still opportunities for many others on our Web site, " Syke said.

The advertisers at athletic venues include a bank, car dealer, radio
stations, a driving school, restaurant and formal wear store.

Kloppenburg said Mondays have been busy because business people who
've seen the ads at weekend sporting events contact him to ask about
buying their own ads.

He and Syke said they 've received no complaints.

The most common reaction, Kloppenburg said, is, "Hey, our scoreboard
looks big-time now, " as the ads remind viewers of ad-drenched Camp
Randall Stadium or Lambeau Field.

School Board member Johnny Winston Jr., a leading backer of the ad
sales, said they seemed logical given the district 's need to cut $7.9
million from last year 's budget and forecasts for continuing
shortfalls.

"Hopefully, " Winston said, "it will pay off in future years to be
able to help offset some of the challenges that we face. "