Shaping the Future of the Newspaper STRATEGY REPORT ANALYSING STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PRESS INDUSTRY Volume 3 Nº 3 JUNE 2004 © WAN 3.3 Is small really beautiful? The number of broadsheets New switching to tabloid says it must be. With the help of many of the world’s top designers, we examine the Designs, benefits and the drawbacks of cutting your paper down to size — and what other New trends you can expect in the Formats next decade. www.futureofthenewspaper.com All the strategy reports are available to WAN members and subscribers at the SFN website A WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS PROJECT, SUPPORTED BY WORLD-LEADING BUSINESS PARTNERS: A LEADING COMPANY FOR NEWSPAPER PRODUCTION SYSTEMS. THE SWITZERLAND BASED INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION GROUP. A WORLDWIDE LEADING SUPPLIER OF MISSION-CRITICAL SOLUTIONS, SERVICES AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. ONE OF THE WORLD’S LEADING PRINTING PAPER PRODUCERS. THE LEADING NORWEGIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS, IT AND MEDIA GROUP. A GLOBAL LEADER IN SEMICONDUCTOR, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND DIGITAL CONVERGENCE TECHNOLOGY. © WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS 2004 VOLUME 3 REPORT Nº 3 NEW DESIGNS, NEW FORMATS CONTENTS Introduction 5 1 Size matters 7 2 The secrets of good design 15 3 Making advertising work 23 4 The shape of things to come 29 5 Responding to demand 55 3 JUNE 2004 SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE NEWSPAPER 4 VOLUME 3 REPORT Nº 3 NEW DESIGNS, NEW FORMATS Introduction NEWSPAPER design and format is now one of which are generally taken for granted and the most hotly debated issues in our industry. acquired free of charge, printed media expect their consumers to pay for their content. It On the one hand, there would appear to be an is therefore vital that newspapers, which epidemic of “tabloiditis”, with dozens of news- are proving remarkably resilient against a papers across the world moving from broadsheet bombardment of alternative information to tabloid, now often called the “compact” sources, and means of filling time, demonstrate format. On the other, newspaper designers are ever greater value both for money for time. all raising the need for more simply presented, more rapidly absorbed newspapers. This report provides insights from some of the world’s leading newspaper designers. In most societies people are seeking newspapers Their fellow practitioners offer examples of that are easier to read. Research universally good newspaper design. suggests that all things being equal, readers prefer smaller page sizes to bigger ones. But We examine best practice, not only in the evidence from hundreds of reformatting newspaper design, but in the important area projects in the past shows that conversion to of advertising design and presentation, and tabloid alone does little for newspaper sales. suggest a ten-step plan for those publishers planning a move to tabloid. More pertinent is the need to respond to readers’ demands for more and more specific Finally, we draw on the expertise of some of content relating to their own personal needs, the industry’s leading suppliers to examine while at the same time taking into account developments in content management, that they profess to have less and less time printing and newsprint. available to absorb it all. Whether you are a newspaper designer or editor, It is in this area that newspapers have a or a publisher seeking guidance in how to take chance to improve their appeal, value and your newspaper to a higher, more appealing therefore circulation. Unlike broadcast media, level, there is something in this report for you. 5 JUNE 2004 SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE NEWSPAPER 6 VOLUME 3 REPORT Nº 3 NEW DESIGNS, NEW FORMATS 1. Size matters By Jim Chisholm revitalised by its new owners, the Irish Independent News and Media. But as the Size, it appears, is big business in newspapers. tenth player in the UK’s notoriously cut-throat Across the world, more and more publishers market of ten national dailies, it has lacked seem to turning to tabloid. the marketing muscle to exploit its steadily The broadsheet is dead may be the correct improving editorial service. answer. On September 30, 2003, The Independent But whether to move to tabloid or not, is not appeared in London in both broadsheet the correct strategic question. and tabloid format. Retailers and vendors presented the two differently sized but in The newspaper world has been mightily terms of content identical products side by impressed with the recent results of The side, inviting the reader to choose between Independent in London, but while such a them. It was a brilliant move for a number transformation may have been beneficial in of reasons. Firstly, the simple commitment this case, the industry’s history is littered to consistency signalled to the market that with hundreds of examples where such a the product was the same, overcoming any move has had little or no impact on long-term implication that somehow tabloid represented circulation performance. a different set of values to broadsheet. The Independent, the United Kingdom’s The provision of both formats not only youngest and, in circulation terms, smallest minimised the risk of the new format failing, broadsheet has enjoyed a radical and but also encouraged the market to choose affectionate reputation since it was launched between them, thereby providing a perfect in 1986. piece of market research. Following a tough few years when the Coincidentally, it forced the retailers to paper lacked direction, it has been greatly present both versions to the market, thereby 7 JUNE 2004 SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE NEWSPAPER improving the newspapers’ presence at the higher volumes of advertising, and many of point of sale. its supplements have remained in broadsheet format. Since then, The Independent has opted for a solely tabloid format. But what the experience of both newspapers Sales results have been excellent, and while has shown is, that from the readers’ it is difficult to determine the base impact perspective any notion that tabloid is in some because of the various and ever-changing way tacky, has been rebutted. permutation of distribution and format. As George Brock, managing editor of The Suffice to say sales for the six months to Times, put it: “What’s happened to the March 2004 were 11 per cent ahead of the paper’s circulation since we launched the previous year in a market that was 3 per cent compact edition has shown us that we were down overall. needlessly nervous about reader reaction to No one seems to have been more impressed offering both formats.” with this move than The Independent’s most Meanwhile a third player in UK quality formidable opponent, Rupert Murdoch, owner market, The Guardian, has confirmed its of The Times, perhaps the world’s most intention to remain a broadsheet. “The tabloid famous broadsheet. Mr Murdoch’s alleged Independent and Times have shown that message to his own team in London was the format change can lead to a different simple. Copy what The Independent has done. type of journalism,” said Alan Rusbridger, And so The Times too launched a dual format editor of The Guardian. “Our key priority is strategy. to maintain the integrity of The Guardian’s Mr Murdoch has been determined to journalism, and we believe that will be dominate the UK’s quality newspaper sector achieved in the long-term through sustained as he does the popular tabloid sector. It has editorial investment and remaining distinctive been suggested that he had long wanted to in an ever-converging newspaper market.” convert the Times to a tabloid in an effort to Mr Rusbridger has a point. The attract a more populist audience, but feared transformation of The Times and Independent a backlash, that he was dumbing down one has taken the share of tabloid newspapers of the world’s great media institutions. The in the UK national market from 78 per cent success of the Independent’s experiment gave to 87 per cent. Differentiation is clearly an him the excuse he needed. issue. Mr Murdoch is a consummate newspaperman. In Australia, News Limited — belonging to Readers want tabloid, so they should have Mr Murdoch — is thought to have considered it. But even within his empire we learn the a tabloid Courier-Mail in Brisbane, but shied first lesson of transformation strategies. away because it feared a switch would leave Going tabloid is no panacea. Prior to its an opening for Fairfax to launch a Brisbane changeover, The Times was losing 8 per cent Morning Herald into the vacant broadsheet of its circulation a year. Today its year-on- space. year performance can best be described as “on par”, and its market share of the sector is Perhaps the most extraordinary outcome has declining. been the way newspapers around the world have responded to The Independent’s success. The Independent suits its tabloid clothes. To the World Association of Newspapers’ It is a lively newspaper with a young knowledge at least 20 major newspapers audience, a radical agenda and, despite its around the world, have announced that they relatively meagre resources, an excellent either intend to change, have changed or are team of writers. It’s straightforward modern looking seriously at such a move. design, with relatively low volumes of advertising, survived the presentation in Suddenly everyone seems to be talking about two formats. tabloid, or compact, as some sort of magical solution. A second lesson from The Times experience, is that heavy quotas of advertising have to The reality is that The Independent’s move is be handled well. The Times benefits from far simply another example in a 50-year tendency 8 VOLUME 3 REPORT Nº 3 NEW DESIGNS, NEW FORMATS The Independent: a British broadsheet that turned tabloid toward tabloid.