Read all about it!

2018 has seen the newspaper industry face some of the biggest challenges in its history…on top of the challenges it faces on a daily basis! In any case, stocking a quality publication can be a significant footfall driver for retailers, so we’re taking a look at Ireland’s biggest titles to see why you need them in-store and vice versa…

Brand Central

17 September 2018

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While online may have become a globally influential way we gather and consume current events, newspapers are still a cultural touchstone relied upon by millions for their daily influx of knowledge, analysis and relaxation. Meanwhile, for retailers they are a major generator of margin and footfall, with essential newspaper purchases contributing to all manner of adjacent spending such as snacks, cigarettes, lottery and groceries. With that in mind, we caught up with the minds behind Ireland’s best-known and best-selling newspapers, to learn about their approach to news, to marketing, their relationship with the retailers they rely upon and more…

News sells!

The Irish Daily Mail and The Irish Mail on Sunday have performed well over the last 12 months, and continue to offer readers great value in a competitive market. With both titles increasing their cover prices, this has resulted in the retail sales value (RSV) remaining unchanged against the same period last year with more than €22m going through retailers’ tills.

Rewarding news display

The move away from multiple copy sales means that all sales recorded are genuine and solely through retail. This commitment to the trade ensures that DMG’s marketing investments can be more focused and will reward retailers for increased sales. It is important for the news industry that retailers maintain a good display to ensure multiple copy purchase of titles. The group has actively encouraged retailers to increase their facings of The Irish Daily Mail and The Irish Mail on Sunday. This was evident during the recent Pope Francis Coin promotion; retailers who confirmed the extra facings saw their sales increase by twice as much as the headline sale. Improved displays will lead to increased sales and thereforemore cash in the till.

All told, August was a fantastic month for DMG titles, with sales increasing by 6% for The Irish Daily Mail and 4% for The Irish Mail on Sunday against the previous month. Further incentives to encourage improved displays are planned, and will hopefully lead to further sales growth.

Sponsorship and readership offers

The Mail has continued to proudly invest in excellent quality sponsorships, including longstanding relationships with the GAA, FAI, The Curragh and more. It is also Platinum sponsor of the ShelfLife National C-Store Awards, which acknowledges the best convenience stores in the country. The 2018 C-Store Awards take place on 28 November in Dublin’s Citywest hotel. These sponsorships contribute to the brand recognition and sales of The Irish Daily Mail and The Irish Mail on Sunday.

The Daily Mail’s special offers are very popular among readers as shown by some recent promotions. Both the Free First Aid Kit and Free Pope Francis Commemorative Coin Offer performed extremely well with regular purchasers, making a positive impact on retail sales. Also popular are the regular Health & Fitness supplements, the Ireland Road Atlas and regular recipe magazines.

Research indicates that Daily Mail readers enjoy this content, thus it is central to retaining readership. The Mail says it will never stop trying something new and remains confident that future promotions will bring further success.

Quality news content

Editorial content is a major factor as to why Daily Mail readers are so loyal to the newspaper’s titles. In a world which seems to have been overtaken by digital platforms, it is always pleasing to see news content driving sales. This hasbeen the case when Daily Mail titles recorded sales increases throughout the Belfast Rape Trial, the UK Royal Wedding and, most recently, the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland. This is proof that news does sell and is an important driver for when shoppers pick up their daily newspaper.

Star of the show

The Irish Daily Star sold 46,808 copies per day in the period Jan – June 2018 (Source: ABC), all of which are counted as active purchases due to the paper’s policy of not “bulking copies”. All of the audited figures are actual newspaper purchases, with none given away free in hotels, bars, cafes etc.

The newspaper has an even male/female audience split, with a readership profile that skews quite young. The Daily Star is the number-one choice among 25-34 year-olds in the “daily popular read” category (Source: TGI 2018). As for circulation, the Star agrees that it is essential to promote the newspaper in order to drive sales. “Consumers exercise discretion in their spending now more than ever,” says Maggie McIntyre, circulation & marketing manager for The Irish Daily Star. “It’s vitally important for us to continue to give value to retain readers by rewarding their loyalty and to continue to attract new readers.

“We continue to invest heavily in offers that enhance the readers’ experience of the product,” McIntyre says. “Price-conscious consumers are always at the forefront of our minds, therefore we focus on regional and group retail price promotions.

“We consider the retailer at all times by maintaining cash margins for them on the original price for the duration of all price promotions,” McIntyre adds. These offers are promoted with heavy newspaper and radio campaigns, making sure that the paper attracts new customers, reward existing readers and ultimately increase newsagent footfall.

“We don’t just stop there,” McIntyre continues. “If we have an important story or an exclusive scoop, we make sure to advertise it on the morning of publication, so it’s at the front of readers’ minds, especially those less regular readers.”

Benefits

The Star has a higher cover price than other tabloid titles. This delivers the highest cash margin to the retailer, but it also means the paper needs to work harder and give more than its competitors to retain those high levels of readership. “That is why we continuously invest in the product to make sure we have higher paginations, the best added-value Star Chic magazine, poster promotions and the best Irish columnists,” McIntyre says. “We always support editorial scoops and promotions with heavy media advertising campaigns.”

It’s also worth considering what titles retailers give prominence to on their newsstand. In 2017, The Star Newspaper Group delivered more than €5m profit to the retail sector in Ireland. The Star delivers on average 35c per copy, which is more than its tabloid competitors The Mirror, The Sun and The Daily Mail. This should be considered when displaying these titles on the newsstand each morning.

Online content

Buzz.ie was launched in February 2016 as Ireland’s new sport and entertainment website. Since then it has grown from a standing start to one million-plus unique users each month. Sport, entertainment and breaking news have been key drivers in the growth of Buzz.ie. Coupled with the use of the newspaper to advertise items of specific interest to readers, the site is expected to continue from strength to strength.

“At The Star,” Maggie McIntyre says, “we believe that one of the biggest challenges we face is the way in which people consume news. Access to online, mobile devices and the huge consumption of news via social platforms all allow people to view news throughout the day. Another key change that newspapers face is reduced spending by the reader; people now buy one newspaper instead of two or three.

Take a fresh look

Selling almost 1 million newspapers per week, Independent News & Media (INM) dominates the Irish newspaper market. The latest ABC audit of newspaper sales in Ireland report the Sunday Independent is Ireland’s largest selling newspaper, with 63% of the quality Sunday market (176,580 copies). The Irish Independent accounts for 48.3% of sales, with 87,673 copies.

The Sunday World boasts sales of 130,083 per week, while The Herald holds 16.2% of the daily market with 31,946 copies. The strong performance of INM titles comes amid continued innovation and investment to meet readers’ expectations and create revenue for newsagent partners nationwide.

Throughout its 113 year history, the Irish Independent has developed a reputation for being a trusted source of information in tune with the needs of its readership. In these changing and challenging times, retaining that credibility is vital.

With that in mind, the decision came to refresh the look and the way the newspaper talks to its valued readers. Every section of the newspaper has been redesigned to create a more contemporary paper, right down to the font on the page. At the same time, the ideals of the Irish Independent, to be the trusted source for readers, remains the same. A fresh newspaper, same trusted writing.

Sunday share

The Sunday Independent continues to be Ireland’s bestselling newspaper with 62.9% of the quality Sunday market share. The newspaper remains on the pulse of the Irish nation, evolving alongside the habits of its readers. The Sunday Independent launched a range of magazines across 2017 and 2018 aimed at runners, walkers and cyclists, in addition to a series on mental health. The renowned property andbusiness supplements remain on the forefront of national and international markets, with exclusive analysis and statistics.

The paper’s success is attributed also to its wealth of talented writers, including Ciara Kelly, Brendan O’Connor, Maeve Sheehan, Gene Kerrigan and Niamh Horan and more.

In a time when independent, authoritative and fearless journalism is needed more than ever, the Sunday Independent remains a fundamental voice for the Irish people, and is a prominent, must-have product for Irish consumers.

Every side of Dublin

The Herald’s commitment to quality, trusted journalism continues to make it Dublin’s best-read daily newspaper. Published six days a week, The Herald boasts a diverse range of columnists including broadcasters Colette Fitzpatrick and Adrian Kennedy, “girl about town” Holly Carpenter, Amanda Brunker, Anna Nolan and the Dubliner’s Diary with Melanie Finn.

Supplements such as Striker, Dublin GAA, School Sports, Sports 72 and top racing supplement The Form, allow The Herald to promote and support sport acrossthe country from schoolboy level right up to county and professional games and races. The Herald strives to provide its loyal readers with money-saving offers including family days out, weekly discounts, retail offers, two-for-ones and more.

The Sunday you want

The Sunday World is Ireland’s biggest selling Sunday tabloid newspaper. For 45 years it has been the ‘People’s Paper’, bringing readers the most entertaining stories from across Ireland. It is the home of fearless crime reporting by award-winning journalists, including investigations editor Nicola Tallant and crime reporters Alan Sherry and Patrick O’Connell.

The Sunday World Magazine Plus is the FREE weekly glossy magazine that includes seven-day TV listings, exclusive celebrity interviews, all the latest fashion, top travel section, interiors, beauty with Aimee Connolly and recipes with celebrity chef Kevin Dundon.

The Sunday World also excels in expert sporting commentary from columnists including Pat Spillane, Paul McGrath and John Aldridge. Household names including Fr Brian Darcy, Daniel O’Donnell and Amanda Brunker are more of the factors which make the Sunday World what it is: the people’s paper.

The business of quality

The Sunday Business Post has maintained its position as the home of quality independent, business, economics and political journalism in Ireland. This is evident in the latest ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) figures, whereby The Sunday Business Post had an average circulation of 31,332 including print and digital. This is in line with the same period last year.

This strong performance, and the strength of The Sunday Business Post brand, illustrates that readers want to read quality Irish journalism. That quality journalism was recognised last year with journalists from The Sunday Business Post earning nine nominations at the 2017 Newsbrands awards, winning two.

The Sunday Business Post believes in quality content, strong opinion and rigorous analysis. Whether exposing corruption, challenging government policy or lifting the lid on the healthcare system, Sunday Business Post journalists ask the hard questions. The newspaper restated its position on this in its recent outdoor campaign it launched earlier this year. Featuring six award-winning Sunday Business Post journalists, the campaign asked the Irish public to ‘Think Again’.

The campaign ran nationwide for two weeks, consisting of 48 sheet billboards, metropoles, six-sheet billboards, bus shelters, orb screens and city boxes. The campaign was also supported by spots on TV3, TG4, radio and press.

The Sunday Business Post also continues to invest in print and distribution. In recent years, a surge in online subscriptions from the United Kingdom wasdetected. The next logical step was to make the newspaper available in print format in London. Since September 2017, The Sunday Business Post has gone from strength to strength in the UK, and has extended its distribution to other areas such as, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and many more. The Sunday Business Post is now available in just under 3,000 outlets in the UK every week.

Other elements of The Sunday Business Post business are continuing to grow. “The Post” and “Media Matters” podcasts are attracting a wider audience. The Business Post morning newsletter, which features daily content and the best journalism from Sunday is continuing to grow steadily in reach and popularity.

The Sunday Business Post offers an independent voice and, having recently celebrated its 1,500th edition, it will continue to show readers that in a world of “fake news” an independent voice and quality journalism is worth paying for.

As for retailer partners, The Sunday Business Post continues to maintain a strong margin in a tough trading environment. The support of retailers has been key in driving The Sunday Business Post’s strong performance; that is why it is as important as ever to ensure all newspapers are displayed prominently and properly. The group looks forward to continuing its work with retailers to maximise sales and explore further retail opportunities in the future.

Shining examples

In the period Jan-Jun 2018, three national newspapers recorded year-on-year growth — they are all News Ireland titles.

While some newspaper brands were considering pulling out of print, one year ago News Ireland demonstrated its commitment to investing in journalism with the launch of the print version of The Ireland edition of The Times. The move has resulted in an increase in sale of 83% from the existing international edition of The Times sold in Ireland

Meanwhile, the Ireland edition of The Sunday Times has retained its position as the number one quality read in Ireland, with The Irish Sun also experiencing growth.

The best of times

The Ireland edition of The Times has built on the success of the digital version, which was launched in Ireland in September 2015. The print edition features balanced, professional news and analysis from an experienced Irish team of up to 30 journalists. Led by editor Richard Oakley, talented journalists including Niamh Lyons, Ireland political editor; John Walsh, Ireland business editor; and senior reporters, Ellen Coyne and Aaron Rogan bring the country the top exclusives every day.

News Ireland’s investment in supporting the brand through extensive out-of-home and radio promotion as well as targeted media partnerships, including Pro14 Rugby, has helped to drive footfall in store.

Shine on

Latest circulation figures for the period Jan-Jun 2018, show The Irish Sun solidified its position as the bestselling daily tabloid in Ireland, increasing sale by +1% across seven days year-on-year (ABC 2018).

The Irish Sun’s focus on ground-breaking crime and showbiz exclusives, campaigning journalism and its commitment to value has ensured market leadership in the daily tabloid market. It is also Ireland’s most-read tabloid daily newspaper according to TGI.

With the highest readership in the mid/popular market

(TGI), including a strong youth readership, The Irish Sun focuses on the core pillars of sport, news, entertainment and value. At €1.10 Monday-Friday and €1.20 at the weekend, the paper is the best value in the market. Promotions and giveaways feature heavily in The Irish Sun including the annual SuperEuro promotion that offers a month of €1 deals from some of Ireland’s leading food and retail brands, driving strong awareness and footfall for retailers.

Leading with quality

The Sunday Times is Ireland’s leading quality newspaper, with a reputation for campaigning investigative journalism and for setting the news agenda. With ten sections each week and three magazines, The Sunday Times offers great value to Irish readers. It has the highest readership of any quality newspaper on the market (TGI) and boasts an affluent, engaged audience, notably within the business community, politicians and opinion leaders. The Sunday Times also delivers added value to readers across the year with a range of special supplements and free guides including, Rugby Champions Cup guide, property guides and the Rich List.

Benefits of trade terms

News Ireland values the retailers that sell its products day in, day out. That is why News Ireland pays the highest terms in the market, with a 27.5% margin on The Irish Sun and The Ireland edition of The Times. The recent increase of the cover price of The Irish Sun across seven days will deliver an additional €2.2 million through retailer tills over the next 12 months.

Sign of the times

According to TGI Republic of Ireland Survey 2017, the average daily readership of The Irish Times newspaper is 309,000. The Irish Times Magazine stands at 422,000 and the Home and Design supplement at the Weekend is 157,000. In addition to this, weekly readership of irishtimes.com (Republic of Ireland adults) is 526,000. When the above figures are de-duplicated the weekly total audience for The Irish Times is 954,000. The Irish Times now enjoys a market share of 34% of the Irish daily quality market.

As well as a well-received redesign of the Weekend edition, The Irish Times has seen its online subscriber base grow. This is a reflection of the manner in which readers are now consuming news across numerous platforms. It also reflects reader’s willingness to pay for a subscription to quality journalism such as The Irish Times. Home delivery has continued to grow as readers subscribe to both newspaper delivery and online content. Several packages are available for differing readers’ requirements.

Driving sales

The Irish Times underpins sales with regular promotions and marketing activities. Weekend radio and social media campaigns are proven sales drivers, and will run for the remainder of 2018. The paper also engages readers with promotions ranging from cash prizes to token collect promotions offering jewellery or holidays. These have also had a positive impact on newspaper sales.

These promotions only work with the support of retail partners in the placing of POS and engaging in till-point conversations with their customers. For that, The Irish Times expresses gratitude to all retailers up and down the country for their support.

Likewise, The Irish Times offers one of the highest cash margins of any Irish daily newspaper to retailers. When sold at the RRP, the retailer benefits to the tune of 47c per copy on weekdays and 70c at weekends. Meanwhile, in a recent industry development, The Irish Times has acquired the Landmark group of titles which include Irish Examiner, Evening Echo and a number of regional titles. This is a very exciting time for both organisations and will undoubtedly create opportunities to develop both groups in the short to medium term.

Challenges

Globally, the newspaper industry is in the most turbulent time it has ever experienced. New technology is seeing readers migrate to the vast range of digital platforms as well aschanges in consumer behaviour as they engage more and more with these new platforms. At the same time, the rise of the so called ‘fake news’ is a major concern for all in the media. It is vital that readers can trust their source of ‘news’.

In a recent survey of business leaders conducted by Behaviour & Attitudes, The Irish Times ranked FIRST for ‘trustworthiness and accuracy’ when compared to all other major news sources in Ireland. This is a testament to the resources and talent employed by The Irish Times in bringing ‘news’ to its readers on a consistence basis.

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