Presented at IFRA’s Beyond the Printed Word conference, 2000. In Amsterdam
Generated by AI, Edited by Human

In his 2000 presentation at IFRA, Howard Finberg posed a provocative challenge to the newspaper industry: Would online classifieds cannibalize existing revenue—or spark new growth?

Titled “Classifieds: Cannibalism or Growth Impetus,” the presentation offered a strategic lens through which newspaper leaders could reimagine their approach to classified advertising in the digital age.

We Need to Ask New Questions

A major theme of the talk was that the industry’s framing of digital as a threat had limited innovation.

“We need to ask new questions—not just how to protect our print classifieds, but how to meet new needs, with new tools, in new ways.”

Finberg emphasized that sticking to legacy assumptions—about products, readers, or revenue streams—would leave newspapers ill-equipped to respond to fundamental market shifts.

Digital as a Growth Platform

Rather than view digital classifieds as a problem, Finberg argued they could be a platform for innovation. Features like self-service listings, immediate publishing, and searchable databases made online classifieds far more user-centric than their print counterparts.

…Point of Linkage

In a slide titled …Point of Linkage, Finberg made a critical argument: that online classifieds should not simply replicate print listings, but connect users to solutions.

“We’re not in the business of selling columns of type—we’re in the business of linking buyers and sellers.”

This redefinition of purpose—from publishing ads to solving problems—signaled the need for newspapers to retool everything from design to internal structure.

Strategic Takeaways

• Digital and print must be treated as complementary but distinct
• Usability and customer control are essential
• Classifieds should be treated as products, not just sections
• Innovation requires separating digital from legacy constraints

2025 Retrospective

From today’s vantage point, Finberg’s IFRA presentation stands out as both visionary and urgent. Many newspapers failed to act on his insights, and as a result, lost a dominant revenue stream to faster-moving digital competitors.

His insistence on asking new questions, focusing on user value, and treating classifieds as dynamic, product-driven platforms was more than strategic advice—it was a call for cultural transformation. The presentation made clear that the real danger wasn’t cannibalization—it was stagnation.

Finberg’s “Cannibalism or Growth Impetus” remains a case study in how industries can miss their moment—not from lack of foresight, but from fear of self-disruption.

Related Posts

• The 2000 Outlook for Newspapers — Industry executives reflect on advertising, classifieds, and emerging digital strategies.
• CNI’s Web Strategy Meeting (1999) — Internal planning for digital transformation, including ad product innovation.