Editor Says Readers Returning To The Standard

The editor of the Evening Standard, Veronica Wadley, has claimed that readers are coming back to the title having tried the afternoon free papers currently available in the capital.

Wadley was talking to the Guardian as the Evening Standard launches a new advertising campaign using the slogan ‘There are papers. Then there are Standards’.

Wadley said of the campaign: “It really reflects the confidence that we have in the Evening Standard being a paper that’s worth paying 50p for.”

The Evening Standard is currently locked in battle with the two afternoon free papers, the London Lite and thelondonpaper.

At the last ABCs, for December, the Standard suffered a month on month drop in circulation of 3.4%, or 9,353 copies in actual terms, leaving it with a total figure of 263,095 (see London Lite Closes Gap On thelondonpaper).

Meanwhile, thelondonpaper and the London Lite recorded circulation figures of 410,898 and 400,692 respectively.

Wadley said: “We have had time to see the effects the free papers have had, and clearly they have had an effect; but we also have a lot of very loyal readers who are staying with us.

“People are coming back to the Standard after looking at free papers, trying them and realising that the Standard has a lot more to offer.”

She added: “We have more stories, we have greater depth, we have comment, we have more information, and we have a later edition.

“Our West End final is off stone about 4pm, while the free papers are off stone at about midday.”

Associated Newspapers: www.associatednewspapers.com