Times And Independent Join For Tabloid Research Project
The Independent and The Times have announced the creation of a detailed study into the creation of compact size newspapers, aiming to provide definitive research into the format to boost advertiser confidence.
The two newspapers are currently canvassing the UK’s major media agencies in order to hone the research brief and ensure that it meets with advertisers’ needs. Details of the final brief will be launched to advertisers later this year and the results should be released early next year.
Commenting on the research initiative Andrew Christie, group strategy director at Independent News and Media, said: “This study should yield invaluable insight into the opportunities offered by the compact format and how the two individual titles, working together for the first time, can highlight unique advertising opportunities. In short, it should become the bible for advertising in quality compacts.”
Stuart Corke, director of strategic planning at News International added: “This research will help to ensure that we can give our agencies and clients information that they can use to inform their planning decisions. We believe the compact format offers significant added value to our advertisers and this co-operation with The Independent will make fascinating reading for the whole industry.”
The co-operation between the two newspapers is a milestone in the development of compact titles. Both newspapers have seen notable changes to their circulation figures since launching tabloid editions, with the Independent putting its faith fully in the format and dropping its broadsheet edition earlier this year (see Independent Ditches Broadsheet To Go Totally Tabloid).
However, the Independent‘s success with its tabloid edition has not been matched by the Times. While the Independent has seen its circulation rise by 21.1% since the launch of its tabloid edition in September last year, the Times has seen a much lower increase of 6.2% since its tabloid edition was created in November.
Despite The Independent‘s success, however, it remains a long way behind The Times in terms of total circulation, with the News International-owned title currently commanding a circulation of almost 661,000, while the Independent sits much lower, at just under 265,000.
Independent: 020 7005 2000 www.independent.co.uk The Times: 020 7782 5000 www.timesonline.co.uk
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