The People told to up its game as display ad revenue suffers

by John Reynolds, mediaweek.co.uk 28-Oct-08, 07:30

LONDON - Trinity Mirror's Sunday tabloid, The People, is bringing in average display ad revenue of just £50,000 per week - prompting media agencies to demand that the publisher ups its investment in the title if it wants to get back "on their buying schedules".

The paper, which has a cover price of 85p, is bringing in three times less revenue than red-top rival the Sunday Mirror and about six times less than the News of the World, according to Nielsen Media Research data seen exclusively by Media Week.

The statistics reveal that The People pulled in an average of just £67,000 display ad revenue per issue, at rate card value, between 1 October 2007 and 28 September this year.

Industry sources said that, on average, the Sunday popular titles, using a conservative estimate, are trading at a discount of about 30% on their rate card value. Over the same period, again at rate card, the News of the World pulled in £404,000 in ad revenue per issue, while the Sunday Mirror generated £161,577. The Mail on Sunday averaged £991,173.

One media buyer said: "The People is not on buyers' radar and it has been a secondary source for years. It needs investment in editorial and more of a push behind it on the news-stand."
Another said: "Trinity Mirror needs to shut it or sell it. It is tough enough as it is out there and we need a reduction in the number of national newspapers."

The People, which, according to the data, carries an average of 6.6 pages of display ads per issue compared to The Mail on Sunday's 46 pages, has seen its circulation drop. According to the latest ABCs, The People registered a circulation of 625,580 in September, a fall of 13.37% year on year.

It lags behind the Sunday Mirror, which had a circulation of 1,315,906 last month, and the News of The World with 3,242,085. But it is ahead of its other red-top rival, Daily Star Sunday (382,251) during September.

Trinity Mirror declined to comment. News International did not return calls as Media Week went to press.