Media Compass – MRG Evening

Religious conversion theory and catastrophe theory were dramatically brought into play at the MRG on Monday night when Thomson Regional Newspapers, (the UK’s largest regional publisher) announced details of several new reader research techniques in their latest research into regional readership.(Media Compass).

Emphasising the need to move closer to the needs of the advertiser, speaker Alan Renwick (Market Development Manager TRN) highlighted the key initiatives from Swiss Cottage HQ.

Initial consultations with key national advertising personnel – clients, researchers, planners and buyers – had helped to provide fresh insight into the research mix (with additional informal canvassing planned for the future).

Significant areas of interest included an examination of how and why people read regionals, qualitative measurements and – a blessing to some – readership of different sections! Indicative of our multimedia age, the research investigated the “active and reactive motivations” of audiences across the media mix. So for instance: at one end television came out “relaxing” and “entertaining”, and at the other “Helps plan leisure time.” “Keeps me in touch” came out strongly for regional evening Newspapers.

Richard Asquith, Director of RSGB Media which carried out the research, expanded on the theme of market turbulence and introduced us to The Conversion Model – a new research technique to analyse readers’ commitment to their current paper and their potential to switch.

Drawing on a method used to assess religious and political loyalties, the findings of a national pilot study conducted in May 1994 profiled the “strength of commitment” across the national and regional press. Richard stressed the strategic value of the research for indicating which direction a paper should move in order to maximise its utility.