Enhancing Local Coverage

Challenge: A top-ten newspaper was losing readership to weekly suburban newspapers. The challenge was to stop the erosion and increase circulation.

Research analysis: Today’s readers are looking for strong, relevant local coverage. That’s what they want from a newspaper and if they don’t get that local coverage from their large daily newspapers, they’ll go to other sources.

Recommendation: Institute an aggressive “localization” effort – bring the news to the neighborhood and community level.

Result: Circulation erosion has slowed, and new subscribers are signing on. But even more heartening is the increased impact the newspaper is having on local issues, and the awareness within neighborhoods and communities that the paper is paying closer attention to local issues.