Increase Sunday readership.

Challenge: A major market newspaper was posting steady declines in Sunday readership. What was happening?

Research analysis: Reading the Sunday newspaper had been a market tradition. In the past, no one missed the Sunday paper. But today, changing habits meant that many people are getting the news, when they bothered at all, from television. Busier schedules have cut the time people are willing to spend with a huge Sunday edition.

Recommendations: Improve the Sunday edition by making sure that volume is not more important than content. Specifically, we worked with the newspaper to help them make sure special interest sections are meaningful to targeted audiences. Then, we recommended a new marketing program to make sure that these audiences…past, present and future…understand there is something in the Sunday paper just for them.

Result: Steady improvement in Sunday circulation figures. But, just as important, new interest in the redesigned sections.