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Things to Do in Fort Wayne and Beyond

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Marketing & Advertising

Advertise in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana’s Ultimate Guide on What to Do

About Whatzup

Founded in 1996, Whatzup is a free-distribution arts and entertainment weekly newspaper serving Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana. As the region’s most comprehensive entertainment guide, Whatzup provides local event calendars, articles, and local music and movie reviews to its readers. Whatzup is operated by Sweetwater, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Whatzup‘s print edition audience, combined with over 20,000 unique visitors per week online at Whatzup.com and through daily email updates, is a valuable marketing tool designed to reach adults with disposable income who are interested in dining, arts, and entertainment throughout the region.

Whatzup distribution map 2023

Distribution

Whatzup is distributed once per week at more than 200 strategic locations in Allen, Whitley, Noble, Huntington, Kosciusko, DeKalb, and Steuben counties. High-traffic areas are targeted, from clubs and restaurants to supermarkets and coffeehouses throughout the area. Residents can easily pick up the newspaper and plan a full evening of entertainment.

Who reads Whatzup?

Whatzup’s readership is primarily made up of individuals between 25 and 54 years of age (58 percent of total readers).

52 percent are women and 48 percent are men.

What do they read?

The readers specifically look at entertainment options and goods/services when reading the advertising in Whatzup, making the publication different from others whose advertising interrupts the editorial content. Whatzup readers have disposable income and are looking at the publication as a buyer’s guide on how to spend their money on dining, entertainment, and more.

Print ad sizes and rates

Whatzup is a weekly publication distributed regionally every Thursday providing a full rundown of arts and entertainment news and events in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana.

Print ad size (4-color)Open rate12x rate26x rate52x rate
Full page10.25" wide x 10.375" tall$915$762$726$660
35 tall6.07" wide x 10.2" tall$636$530$505$459
12 wide10.25" wide x 5" tall$527$439$418$380
920 square6.07" wide x 7.6" tall$499$415$395$355
25 tall3.98" wide x 10.2" tall$463$386$367$334
310 square6.07" wide x 5" tall$369$306$290$264
14 wide10.25" wide x 2.4" tall$319$266$253$230
15 tall1.89" wide x 10.2" tall$283$236$224$204
15 square3.98" wide x 5" tall$283$236$224$204
320 wide6.07” wide x 2.4” tall$216$180$172$156
110 tall1.89” wide x 5” tall$152$127$121$110
110 wide3.98” wide x 2.4” tall$152$127$121$110
120 tall1.89” wide x 2.4” tall$80$67$64$58
NightlifeDirectory Listing*n/an/a$25$21

* Nightlife listings are 80–85 words and fit into a space one inch high by two columns wide. Copy can be modified once per quarter. Nightlife listings also include a venue page on Whatzup.com where the advertiser controls the content.

Whatzup accepts only CMYK, 200dpi, press-ready PDF files without bleed and trim for print-ready ads. No other ad file types will be accepted. All spot colors, LAB colors, and RGB colors must be converted or removed from artwork prior to submission. All images included in press-ready PDFs must be 200dpi or greater to ensure quality reproduction. Advertiser assumes all liability with respect to the integrity and compatibility of supplied digital files. Publisher will not be responsible for ad reproduction if advertiser-supplied materials do not match specifications.

Deadlines

Print publication dates: Thursdays
Space reservation deadlines: Mondays — 10 days prior to print publication date

Deadlines for text and art for ads designed by Whatzup staff: Mondays — 10 days prior to print publication date
Deadlines for ready-to-print ads: Noon Friday prior to publication date

Discounts

Charitable/Not-for-profit Discount: 25%

These deadlines and discounts are for print advertising only.

Web ad sizes and rates

Whatzup.com is the premier local online calendar of events for things to do in Fort Wayne and Northeast Indiana.

Featured Event Listings

  • Bold border

  • Colored background

  • Larger, bolder text

  • Bold button for ticket sales

  • Sticks out among other listings

Rates

$70 — One-week Rate
$10 — Combo Rate: rate when purchased in combination with print publication (same ad, same calendar week)
$40 — Pickup Rate: rate when purchased in combination with print publication (same ad, different calendar week)

Banner Ads

• Designed for advertisers whose entries would not otherwise appear on a calendar

• A digital billboard (1035×128 pixels for desktop and 300×250 pixels for mobile)

• A link to the webpage of advertiser’s choice

Dates: All web listings and ads run from Monday before the Thursday print publication through the Sunday after publication.

Rates

$140 — One-week Rate
$20 — Combo Rate: rate when purchased in combination with print publication (same calendar week)
$80 — Pickup Rate: rate when purchased in combination with print publication (different calendar week)

Email

Daily email updates deliver the very latest listings of arts and entertainment events to thousands of people each morning throughout the region.

Whatzup’s daily email blast, “Whatzup Today,” is distributed each morning to more than 3,000 subscribers. The email contains all of the day’s events and includes a ticket giveaway.

Advertisers may purchase a separate email blast to Whatzup email subscribers for $200, subject to availability. The email includes a subject line, a display advertisement, and a live link to the webpage of their choosing.

Payment Terms

Credit card or Net 30 Days. Unpaid balances are subject to a monthly finance charge of 1.75% (21% APR).