While GC&M’s journalists would like to think they have spent the past 40 years holding up a mirror to the community, our advertisers have helped complete the picture.
Their ads tell us where we shopped, what we bought, who the big players in town were, and how much our tastes have changed.
They also remind us of the price of things.
What did a leg of lamb or a tube of toothpaste cost 40 years ago? How much were tickets to the Maleny Show, and what were the main attractions? Do you remember dropping off a roll of Kodak film to be developed, and what that cost?
These advertisements take us back in time. Some look simple now, some quaint, and some are gloriously daggy. But they capture the rhythm of local life in a way few other things can.
Of course, the job today is much the same: attracting eyeballs. GC&M News remains strong in print, while our digital advertising has grown through sponsored content, website campaigns, newsletters and the analytics to help justify every dollar advertisers spend.
But the belief behind it has not changed. If readers trust us, they are more likely to trust the businesses who advertise with us. Many advertisers have stayed with us for years because of that trusted relationship, and we have never taken that loyalty for granted.
