Standard revamp to pioneer cashless payment system

by Steve Barrett, Media Week 02-Oct-07

The Evening Standard is investing £8m in a relaunch of its street vending operation and a news-paper refresh, both of which went live yesterday.

It has reaffirmed its commitment to a paid-for product and confirmed it
will not increase its cover price over the next 12 months.

The £8m will fund a rebrand of the street furniture used by

Standard vendors and the Eros cashless reward card that launched last

week. About £3m will be spent to promote the changes under the
strapline 'Know What London's Thinking'.

Andrew Mullins, managing director of the Evening Standard, said: "We
have no intention of giving away the Standard. We will be cashless and
convenient - but not free."

Sixty of the Standard's 300 on-street sites will display the new livery
from Monday - 200 should be revamped by November. Ninety of the new
units will contain update-able 32-inch LCD screens - six went live
yesterday. The Standard has booked CBS Outdoor's digital escalator
panels at key interchange points for the next 52 weeks.

The revamp will enable the Standard to monitor buying trends and
increase the sales data it generates - and communicate with buyers
accordingly.

"Quality newspapers are relatively price inelastic," said Mullins. "Over
time, the Standard's price point will go up - but not in the next year.
We need to increase circulation and get the Standard back on media
schedules."