The Virginian-Pilot Advertising: Services

Ad Design Services
As an advertiser, we offer our award-winning and experienced staff of graphic designers teamed with a photographer to help you create advertising that sells. Our graphic designers have won awards from the Virginia Press Association, READY and ACME ad contests. Check with your Pilot Account Representative for assistance in this area.

Photography
Our photographer utilizes the latest digital camera technology that allows immediate selection of your photographs for advertising and the convenience of computer disk storage capabilities. Check with our Pilot Photographer, Bob Allen, for additional information.

Co-op Services
Maximize the use of your co-op dollars to grow your advertising budget. We can help persuade manufacturers to give you advertising funds, even up to 100% reimbursement in some cases. We handle most of the paper work and will even send you a co-op bill with tearsheets for quick claim package processing so you get that money sooner. For additional information contact your Pilot Account Representative.

Marketing Services
Helping you define, find and reach more customers in South Hampton Roads, this team can provide you with information to better understand the marketplace. From economic indicators and consumer purchasing habits, to readership and media schedule analysis, we can help. These services and more are free to advertisers. Just talk with your Pilot Account Representative for the information you need.

Messenger Services
This service is available for advertising material pick-ups within the Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake cities. Talk with your Pilot Account Representative or call (757) 446-2427 or (757) 446-2428 to utilize this service.

Billing Services
This department makes every effort to make sure you are current with your advertising spending. Invoices are sent out the first of each month and payment is due by the fifteenth of the following month. This service also issues co-op and memo bills to help you get your co-op money fast. If you have questions about any advertising invoices you receive, please call the appropriate number below and a representative will help answer your questions:
     Retail Advertising: (757) 446-2717
     Classified Advertising: (757) 222-3875

 

Electronic Tear Sheets
Our advertisers have the benifit of using our exciting new electronic tearsheet service, E-Sheets®. The many benefits of the service, include:

  • The ability to view your ad online, as well as the entire page on which it appears
  • No more waiting to receive tearsheets via the mail
  • Ability to download the page to a pdf document for printing or emailing
  • Ability to view other pages in the section to verify placement
  • Quick search capability for previous insertions by name, date, or ad number
  • Ability to receive multiple email notifications when an ad publishes with a direct link to your ad and the page it appeared on
  • Electronic pages are generated at the same time they are output to press, ensuring valid proof of publication

To Log On

  • Go to http://ts.pilotonline.com
  • Your user ID is your Virginian-Pilot account number, followed immediately by _VPT. For
    example, 01234567_VPT.
  • Your password is your account number by default. Once logged in you may change your
    password.

To Search for Ads

  • After you logon, you will be at the Search screen.
  • Select a date range on the left and search criteria on the right.
  • The results of your search will be displayed in a search summary in list view.
  • To see these results in a grid view, click on the grid view link at the top of the page.
  • In list view, you can view the individual ad by clicking on the ad number.

To View a PDF of your Ad

  • Click on the “Download PDF E-Sheet” link on the search summary page.
  • When you click on this link, the PDF of that ad will automatically download and open in
    Acrobat Reader. (If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can click on the Acrobat
    Reader icon at the bottom of the login page which will take you to Adobe’s site. From there,
    follow their instructions on downloading and installing the reader, which is free.
  • Depending on the speed of your internet connection, downloading your tearsheet to PDF may
    take just a few seconds to a minute.

To Search for Pages

  • In addition to searching for specific ads, you may search for pages of The Virginian-Pilot.
  • Click on the link at the top of the page that reads “Pages”.
  • Select a date range on the left and search criteria on the right.

Receiving an E-mail Notification that an Electronic Tearsheet is Available

  • You may set your account to notify you when an ad published and the
    electronic tearsheet is ready.
  • Click on the “Update My Contact Info” link at the bottom of the search screen.
  • Type in as many e-mail addresses as you like, separated by a comma in the e-mail address
    field.
  • Click on “Save”.

To Change your Password

  • Click on the “Update My Contact Info” link at the bottom of the search screen.
  • Type in a new password with a maximum of eight characters.
  • Click on “Save”.

Measuring your Ad using the Ad Ruler

  • Click on the “Download Ad Ruler” link at the top of the page.
  • Follow the instructions for downloading and installing this Acrobat Reader Plug-in.
  • Once installed, the ruler is always available on your Acrobat toolbar.
  • To use it, click on the icon in the tool bar and drag the ruler over your ad on the screen.