Associated Offers Newsagents Cash To Convert Readers

Associated Newspapers is enticing newsagents to convert readers of the Sunday Express to the Mail on Sunday by offering cash incentives for each reader that makes the switch. A direct mail campaign has been launched by the group targeting those who have papers delivered to their homes.

The newspaper group is reacting to comments made recently by Sunday Express editor Rosie Boycott. She said she would arrest the decline in sales of the paper, which dropped in the latest ABC results (see National Newspaper ABC Round-Up – September 1999), by allowing it to find its own level. Circulation director of Mail Newspapers Mike Newman said: “We picked up on her passivity by launching an active campaign asking retailers to support our title.”

As part of the campaign free copies of the Mail on Sunday will be sent to 18,000 newsagents to give away to both those who have a subscription to the Sunday Express and to its casual readers. Mailshots will offer the newsagents a sliding scale of bonuses depending on the amount of readers they convert. They will receive ten Air Miles if they respond to a phone number on the mailshot and up to £20 cash for each customer who takes out a permanent subscription to the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

In the latest results from the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) monthly circulation figures for the Sunday Express for September had dropped by almost 3% since the previous month to 977,146. Circulation figures for the Mail on Sunday rose by 3% to 2.3 million.

Associated Newspapers: 0171 938 6000