Sections March 2000

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SectionsMarch 2000
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Agenda

• Five key Issues
• How have publishers reacted?
• Sections Database

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Sections Research

• Ocean Consulting Beck Consultancy

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Sections Research

• Desk research
• Audit of regional dailies

• In-depth case studies
• Sunderland Echo
• Eastern Daily Press
• Yorkshire Post
• Newcastle Chronicle

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What is a section?
A printed product incorporating a collection of
focused elements (editorial or advertising) on a
single theme or themes which carries its own
masthead, and can be separated from the main
paper.
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Background

• National press now multi-section brands
• Significant regional press development
• EDP - 12 sections Monday to Saturday
• National quality local content
• Higher Saturday cover price
• 12 sales on a Saturday

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Background

• Regional evenings - less strong on Saturday
• 4 out of 10 morning newspaper readers read before
  9.30am
• Saturday evenings must be available early
• Strong enough to stimulate repeat purchase

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Five Key Issues
1. Lively regional market
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Five Key Issues
1. Lively regional market

• Idea generation
• Reader demand
• Revenue implications
• Product development
• Branding
• Investment
• Launch plans

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Five Key Issues
1. Lively regional market
2. Product and sales variation across the week
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Regional Daily Sales

• Index mean Mon-Sat

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Variation in sales across the week

• Why readers read

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Five Key Issues
1. Lively regional market 2. Product and
sales variation across the week

• 3. Product development
• Develop main paper
• Develop sections

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Intentions to carry out sections read
/- UK mean
Source Consumers Choice IV
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Five Key Issues

• 1. Lively regional market
• 2. Product and sales variation across the week
• 3. Product development
• Develop main paper
• Develop sections

4. National quality with local content
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National quality with local content
12 v M-S
2.4 v 99
10 v 99
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Five Key Issues

• 1. Lively regional market
• 2. Product and sales variation across the week
• 3. Product development
• Develop main paper
• Develop sections
• 4. National quality with local content

5. Indexing and sign-posting
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Indexing and sign-posting
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Indexing and sign-posting
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Indexing and sign-posting
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Indexing and sign-posting
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Sections Database
Source Newspaper Society
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Summary

• Significant regional press sections development
• Regular readers buy for local news
• Sections - more appeal to casual buyers
• Product and sales variation across the week
• Saturday - problem for evenings
• 2 development options
• 1. Develop main paper through more local news
• 2. Sections strategy
• Clearer indexing and sign-posting
• Sections database