MRG Conference: Trust Me, I’m A Newspaper

Neil Sharman of News International had the unenviable task of convincing Friday morning’s MRG delegates that people trust the Sun.

Research conducted amongst advertisers, media planners, editorial and core readers, began with three hypotheses: that readers trust their newspaper; that this creates a positively pre-disposed environment for advertisers; and that the benefits can be maximised by advertisers who understand the variuos strands of this relationship.

Although a show of hands demonstrated a distinct lack of trust towards the Sun among conference delegates, Sharman argued that its readers do trust it. They trust it to deliver what they expect, to make them smile and they have a unique personal relationship with it.

He went on to say that although the news changes daily, the tone of the paper remains consistent. Readers are actively seeking points of interest, including adverts, and if they choose to consume them, will do this with undivided attention.

Sharman concluded by challenging the conference to shift from perceiving newspapers purely as a vehicle for audience delivery, readership and CPTs to optimising the impact of advertising using insight into reader’s relationships with their paper.

Report by Julie MacManus in Munich