Times tops poll for business readers

by John Reynolds, Media Week 03-Sep-08, 14:45

LONDON - News International's The Times, The Sunday Times and Times Online continue to attract more business executive readers than their daily, weekend and online rivals, according to the Ipsos Mori British Business Survey 2008.

The three NI offerings attracted more readers than any other titles within their specific markets, despite The Times posting a dip in its readership since the last BBS survey in 2005.

The BBS 2008 survey reveals that The Times averaged 330,000 daily business readers, slightly down on the 339,000 it registered in 2005.

However, The Times remains well ahead of its competitors, with nearest rival, The Daily Telegraph attracting 187,000 business executive readers each day, down from 202,000 in 2005. The Times also claims 83,000 so-called C-Suite readers, namely board level executives holding positions such as chief executive and chief financial officer, which NI said was 38% more than the FT.

The Financial Times secured the third-biggest business executive readership, of 179,000, up from 174,000 in the BBS 2005 survey, while the Guardian's average daily readership stood at 172,000, up from 162,000 in 2005.

Across the Sunday market, The Sunday Times led the way, averaging 453,000 business readers, ahead of The Sunday Telegraph on 169,000 and The Observer on 147,000.

News International also maintained its dominance of business executives' eyeballs online. Times Online attracted 269,000 business readers in the latest survey, up from 167,000 in 2005, placing it substantially ahead of Telegraph.co.uk, which secured 155,000 readers on average per day, followed by Guardian.co.uk with 193,000 and the FT.com on 199,000.

Meanwhile, readership of The Economist increased by 19% compared with the 2005 BBS survey. In other findings, 76% of The Economist's readers had either set up a company in the last 12 months or been involved in key company decisions.

Last month, it emerged that the Telegraph Media Group withdrew as a financial backer of the Ipsos Mori survey, claiming it lacked credibility.

The British Business Survey (BBS) is recognised as a key source of market and media insight into British business men and women. It surveys approximately 1.55 million social grade AB individuals of professional and management status.