5.4 Are the Department's existing distributing practices effective in attracting new readers?
5.4.1 Findings
Salute! is a client's newspaper that is published and distributed four times a year. The majority of the distribution is mailed to recipients (over 87 percent receive the hard copy version) who are in receipt of a benefit or service. The Client Survey found that 75 percent of respondents reported receiving all four issues of the paper in the last year. The survey also indicated that a significant number of respondents were not aware of the available modes they could request to receive the paper, eg., large print, audio, and electronic. The survey findings suggest that the Department may want to find out why some peoples are not receiving the newspaper.
The majority of front-line and client-service staff reported that seniors value uniformity/routine, they build they lives around the predictable. With the irregular scheduling of the distribution of Salute!, some people become concerned about when they can and should expect the next issue. As mentioned earlier this has contributed to increased calls and workload for front-line staff.
Salute! is also sent to external and interested stakeholders. By sending Salute! to DND bases, other Veterans organizations, members of Parliament, and the RCL, the Department is effectively attracting new and potential readers and program eligible people.
VAC has bi-lateral agreements with DND's Maple Leaf and the Wing Command newspapers to place a specified number of pages per issue in their newspapers. These efforts also have the potential to attract new readers.
Salute! on-line can be accessed through the VAC website. Staff report however that it is difficult to navigate and not user-friendly. With the changing recipient demographics, the Department will need to improve its Internet access to Salute! and provide more options for existing and potential s exposure to the Newspaper.
It is acknowledged that between 10 percent and 20 percent of all Canadians do not have Internet access or know how to use it. This is particularly true for the elderly, and people living in rural areas. Therefore the use of national and local papers to tell 'good news' stories, use of television and other media to promote activities for and about Veterans are additional examples suggested by staff to attract new readers.