saturday newspaper editions in uk
TRANSCRIPT
THE TIMES on Saturday and market research
George BrockProfessor and Head of Journalism
City University LondonMedia Research conference, Cairo, April 2010
Once upon a time…
1960s: 2sections, 74 pages
Early 1980s: 1 section, 28 pages
…and in 2006
2 2006: 12 sections, 470 pages
ns
2006: 7 sections, 378 pages
THE TIMES on Saturday 2007
Late 1980s
• Saturday: lowest circulation of the week• Print advertising market growing• 1987: Daily Telegraph expands Saturday
edition• The Times, Guardian and Financial Times
follow over next few years• Target: 15-20 circulation “premium” on
Saturdays
Choices
• How long should the articles be?• News vs features balance• How large a package?• How many pages?• Balancing advertisment-led and reader-led
UK newspaper market
• “national” newspaper competition• High readership per head• c 70% of income from advertising• High single copy sale• 1990 onwards: colour advertising grows• Sunday papers = magazines
What difference does research make?
• Reader research has limits– Self-knowledge has limits– Newspaper relationship/feelings complex
• Ad research data probably more important– Certifiable, verifiable accuracy crucial
• Consumer spending patterns most important of all
Key takeaway
•The best research is that which is most completely integrated across all parts of the business
What did we find?
• More reading time • Unexpected: Saturday and Sunday not the
same• Less internet face time• Opportunity to be distinctive• Online spinoffs
75% like to plan ahead & always have a well stocked
medicine cupboard
62% regularly take
vitamins & mineral
supplements (vs 40% TGI)
28% have health
insurance (vs 18% TGI)
23% have periodic health
check even when feeling fine (in line with TGI)
Newspaper readers are active health seekers
BMRB Healthcare Sept 2009: women aged 20-64. Total sample 2371
What did we find?
• More reading time • Unexpected: Saturday and Sunday not the
same• Less internet face time• Opportunity to be distinctive• Online spinoffs
To recognise and exploit a new opportunity, you need…
• An assumption, a hypothesis, a hunch• Commercial basis• Content• Research to check and define• If possible, a “killer app”.
What kind of research?
• Anthropological • Open to all (e.g. at design stage)• Trends more important than number
detail
1961 1975 1985 1995 20000%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%Sports, walking Socialising Eating out, cinema, pubs Shopping
% of waking hours spent neither at home nor at work excluding travel time, by activity
The growth of consumer leisure
Issues
• Weekend vs weekday • Friday vs Saturday vs Sunday• Online + print• No weekend free papers (yet)• Different design, writing, production talent
required (i.e. there are costs)• Magazinification
Newsines
19911992
19931994
19951996
19971998
19992000
20012002
20032004
2005
Sunday Times Saturday Times
Times/ST ad revenue growth
One last statistic
• In 2004, the Saturday edition of The Times took 40% of the paper’s weekly display advertising income.
