Suppose you work in the Marketing Department of a mid-sized accounting firm in San Francisco. The marketing manager stops by your office early one morning with news that three high-level CPAs from a competing firm just jumped ship to your team. This is big. These first-rate resources will allow your firm to go head-to-head with the national accounting firms. When word gets out about this new talent, your boss expects a huge jump in business. It is crucial that you reach out to large businesses to let them know that there is a new accounting firm in the game.

Most of the ads placed by your company until now have been with local media. Your boss wants to reach a wider audience. He believes it is time to advertise in The Wall Street Journal. He does, though, have some questions. (1) Should you advertise in only the western region of The Wall Street Journal? Or (2) How about the U.S. edition? (3) Should you include the online edition? (4) In any case, what is the deadline for next Monday’s edition? (5) What sizes of ads are available for purchase, and at what cost?

Write a memo to your boss giving the necessary details about placing an ad in the Wall Street Journal. Provide as much information as you believe is necessary to make a sound decision, covering

(a) Circulation

(b) Rates

(c) Specifications, and

(d) Demographics