MoS and Sunday Mirror gain from NotW closure
The Mail on Sunday and Sunday Mirror enjoyed significant reader gains in the immediate aftermath of the News of the World closure, but a ‘Sun on Sunday‘ has a strong appeal, according to new research by Kantar Media.
The vast majority of former News of the World readers (86%) will choose another title, rather than dropping out of the Sunday newspaper market as some commentators have predicted, Kantar says. A quarter (26%) of people who had read the News of the World in the past four weeks indicated that they will read the Mail on Sunday most often from now on, 24% will choose the Sunday Mirror with 14% choosing The People and 7% opting for the Daily Star Sunday.
Only 11% suggested they would migrate to any of the quality titles. These are newly released findings from Kantar Media who polled 1,001 Sunday newspaper readers on Monday 18 July.
The research shows that this weekend’s claimed readership of The Sunday Mirror has increased 50% from that recorded on the previous week. The data also indicates a significant increase in readership for The Mail on Sunday, up 38% from last weekend.
The survey followed a period of aggressive marketing activity among rival newspaper groups in the wake of the final edition of the News of the World on 10 July. Tactics included increased print runs, promotions and price cuts (the Mail on Sunday reduced its cover price from £1.50 to £1).
The survey suggests that readers are rapidly adjusting to a post News of the World era. The majority of former News of the World readers who bought another title this week are likely to buy again next Sunday.
Liz McMahon, director, customised solutions at Kantar Media, said: “The Sunday newspaper reading habit is deeply engrained with the British public and shows little sign of being diminished by the closure of the News of the World. These survey results provide an initial snapshot of how readers have responded to the new Sunday newspaper landscape, but we expect further changes in reader allegiances as the marketing activity subsides and, potentially, new Sunday titles emerge.”
When asked about new Sunday newspapers that may be launched in the future, 49% of respondents said that they would consider buying the Sun on Sunday, if it were available, and 71% said that they would consider a similar Sunday tabloid from the publishers of the Daily Mail.
“The data suggests a remarkable openness on the part of readers to changes in the popular Sunday newspaper market,” McMahon continued. “The early signs are that, even without the News of the World, the overall size of the market will be relatively unaffected while publishers continue to invest in attracting and retaining new readers. We see opportunities for publishers to develop successful new Sunday titles, but they will require careful positioning and clear differentiation to avoid the long-term cannibalisation of existing Sunday newspaper audiences.”