Brand Health Check: Time Out

The title, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last month, is under the cosh, with its competitors' numbers constantly on the rise. ABC figures reveal that weekly sales for the first six months of 2008 were down more than 12% year on year to 76,356, a considerable drop from a weekly sales peak of 92,577 in the second half of 2006.

This slide came despite a major re-launch of Time Out's London edition in January, which placed greater emphasis on food and lifestyle editorial and extended the TV and radio listings. It also added digital content, including pod-casts and downloads.

Yet with sales on the decline and advertisers becoming more frugal, the magazine is clearly in need of more than just a facelift. Gaining awareness outside the capital would be a good start, and Time Out's group head of marketing, Catherine Demajo, admits that targeting a wider audience would be in the title's 'best interests'.

Can Time Out save itself by offering its print edition for free? We asked Martin Smith, head of planning at Saatchi & Saatchi, and Sue Unerman, chief strategy officer at MediaCom, for their thoughts on the listings magazine's future.

Diagnosis   Two industry experts on  how Time Out can win back the capital

Martin Smith head of planning, Saatchi & Saatchi

If people aren't reading Time Out, it's because they don't think it's worth reading, not because they don't think it's worth paying for. Removing the cover price won't fix that.

Part of the problem is that the bread and butter of what Time Out offers - listings - can already be found in abundance in free newspapers, flyers, 'what's on' websites and courtesy of your like-minded mates on social networking sites. Creating a listings-based Time Out website won't help this and could further commoditise the brand.

For me, the real problem comes from the fact that people have far less free time than they did when Time Out first launched, and much more to fit into it. So if all Time Out does is remind people of all the fun things they could be doing if only they had the time and weren't too knackered, then it's an unwelcome source of stress and resentment.

My solution would be to look at the content, not the price, and re-engage with what Time Out could offer people on a more emotionally satisfying level than functional listings - preferably content that doesn't leave me feeling like a loser because I haven't done all that London has to offer.

Remedy

• Help readers live London vicariously as well as practically. Content should leave them feeling as if they have eaten at that restaurant or been off their face in that club.
• Structure content around moods or needs - ideas for when readers are knackered or want to let off steam, rather than by activity type.

• Offer more than listings online. Think about how to help the reader experience London in five-minute hits during little snatches of downtime.

Sue Unerman chief strategy officer, MediaCom

Time Out had a bad headline about its circulation. Big deal.

The magazine's subscription figures are enviable and relatively stable. There is no longer anything innovative about free distribution. The more exciting sector of the magazine market is one that can deliver an upmarket readership who actually care about the product enough to pay three quid a week for it.

The product is still strong, and differentiated. The wit and humour of the London edition is unrivalled. Are you aware that Ken Livingstone is Time Out's gardening correspondent? Have you seen its advice about lies to tell tourists: 'The District Line is London's take on the Japanese bullet train - whisking passengers across London in 15 minutes. Hold tight.'

London is the hero of the magazine and, as far as cool, upmarket, London-lovers are concerned, the title really has no competition. As a free listings publication, however, the competition, both online and off, is immense.

My advice would be not to have a knee-jerk reaction to a bit of bad circulation news, but to focus instead on building the brand among readers and advertisers, and developing an international sell for the title for city travellers worldwide.

Remedy

•  Build the brand using its wit and knowledge of the world's best cities.
• Develop an exclusive community of online readers.
• Drive subscriptions using partnerships with other brands seeking access to Time Out's exclusive readership.
• Raise the price, but add value offers.
• Generate PR with Time Out fans - seek out the celebrity Londoners who grew up with the magazine