Perceptions of the brand value of different newspapers may have to be reconsidered in the light of recent developments in the UK market according to the World Association of Newspapers (WAN).
Last autumn saw the launch of a tabloid version of the
The Independent, a move which resulted in increased sales of the title in October and November (see
Publishers To Assess Changing Shape Of Newspapers). News International has since followed suit with the introduction of a ‘compact’
Times which will be available outside the original London trial zone from next week.
Early signs are that the reputation of both newspapers has remained intact and readers appreciate the convenience of a smaller format. Publishers in Europe and the United States are becoming more supportive of tabloid-sized newspapers and the thought persists that the broadsheet could be in an irreversible decline.
“The mythological tradition that somehow big represented best, has now been blown away,” said Jim Chisholm, Director of the Shaping the Future of the Newspaper project for the WAN.
“Our industry has been hijacked by the notion that tabloids somehow suggest tacky, and that magazine formats suggest comic strip, even though both research and experience have shown that readers clearly differentiate between content quality and product format,” he opined.
He concluded: “Who in truth wants a newspaper that can only be read on a table, is too big to read on the train or plane, and requires the eye to exceed the scanning ability as it subliminally identifies what to read?”.
