Telegraph eyes Guardian lead with online revamp

by Gareth Jones Marketing 17-Oct-07

LONDON - Telegraph Media Group is refreshing telegraph.co.uk in a bid to make it the UK's leading national newspaper online.

The publisher has approached a number of digital agencies with a brief to overhaul the website as part of a strategy to leapfrog Guardian Unlimited.

Telegraph.co.uk is the UK's second-most popular national newspaper online, attracting 2.1m unique users in August, compared with 2.7m for guardian.co. uk, according to Nielsen//NetRatings.

Earlier this month, Telegraph Media Group revealed plans to hire Paul Cheesbrough, the BBC controller of digital media, as its chief information officer, responsible for boosting online performance.

Telegraph Media Group has invested heavily in the expansion of its website. In September, it launched Telegraph TV, which makes fashion, sport, business news and travel videos available to users online.

In August, the group revamped its football coverage and rolled out a social network to capitalise on the Rugby World Cup.

It recently appointed Propellernet as its search agency of record, with responsibility for driving web traffic.

Telegraph Media Group denied it has a brief out with agencies.