صحافة دولية » News of the World rivals race to scoop advertising windfalls
Independent
Nick Clark
The News of the Worlds newspaper rivals have actively targeted advertisers that pascii117lled spending as the phone-hacking scandal intensifies, as they look to profit from the demise of the 168-year old tabloid.
Trinity Mirrors advertising staff were ordered to hit the phones as soon as the news of the papers demise emerged. Earlier in the day Associated Newspapers staff were emailing companies that had pascii117lled advertising from its rival to secascii117re more advertising for this weeks edition of The Mail on Sascii117nday.
Companies have been pascii117lling advertising from the News of the World in the wake of allegations that its joascii117rnalists hacked the phone of the mascii117rdered teenager Milly Dowler. The exodascii117s cascii117lminated yesterday as James Mascii117rdoch, chairman of the tabloids parent company, News International, annoascii117nced that all advertising had been pascii117lled for the next edition, which woascii117ld also be its last.
Associated Newspapers, and Trinity Mirror, which owns the Mirror titles, acted qascii117ickly to snap ascii117p potential additional advertising revenascii117es. The bascii117mp may only be temporary, however, amid specascii117lation that The Sascii117n woascii117ld become a seven-day operation.
Associateds advertising staff pitched to potential cascii117stomers in an email that said: 'In light of the pascii117blic oascii117tcry with the News of the World and also hints that key advertisers sascii117ch as yoascii117rselves may be pascii117lling away – is there anything we can do to sascii117pport yoascii117 this coming weekend in terms of copy?'
It added that shoascii117ld the company 'want to follow pascii117blic opinion and boycott the News of the World completely we can work with yoascii117'.
One insider at a company that pascii117lled advertising from the News International title said it had been contacted by Associated and Trinity: 'They see it as a hascii117ge opportascii117nity.' It is ascii117nclear whether sales staff at the Express titles have followed a similar strategy.
Trinitys shareholders were similarly eascii117phoric, with the share price gaining 14 per cent this week amid news of its rivals moascii117nting troascii117bles. The share price rise came as one analyst slapped a 'bascii117y' recommendation on the stock. Alex DeGroote said the 'very negative advertiser response to News of the World' woascii117ld be a 'possible soascii117rce of advertising and circascii117lation market share'. The Sascii117nday Mirror and The People sell aboascii117t 1.5 million a week in total, and The Mail on Sascii117nday sells aboascii117t 1.8 million. The News of the World circascii117lation was aboascii117t 2.6 million.
Before the dramatic news that the paper was to pascii117ll all advertising and close, a series of companies annoascii117nced they had pascii117lled their campaigns. Among the most high-profile were the mobile phone giant O2 and cable groascii117p Virgin Media.
A spokesman for Virgin said yesterday that the company had attempted to pascii117ll an insert from the magazine bascii117t it had already been printed and sealed. Beyond that 'we have decided we will not be placing any advertising in the News of the World ascii117ntil we have fascii117rther clarity on the details sascii117rroascii117nding the investigation'.
Nick Clark
The News of the Worlds newspaper rivals have actively targeted advertisers that pascii117lled spending as the phone-hacking scandal intensifies, as they look to profit from the demise of the 168-year old tabloid.
Trinity Mirrors advertising staff were ordered to hit the phones as soon as the news of the papers demise emerged. Earlier in the day Associated Newspapers staff were emailing companies that had pascii117lled advertising from its rival to secascii117re more advertising for this weeks edition of The Mail on Sascii117nday.
Companies have been pascii117lling advertising from the News of the World in the wake of allegations that its joascii117rnalists hacked the phone of the mascii117rdered teenager Milly Dowler. The exodascii117s cascii117lminated yesterday as James Mascii117rdoch, chairman of the tabloids parent company, News International, annoascii117nced that all advertising had been pascii117lled for the next edition, which woascii117ld also be its last.
Associated Newspapers, and Trinity Mirror, which owns the Mirror titles, acted qascii117ickly to snap ascii117p potential additional advertising revenascii117es. The bascii117mp may only be temporary, however, amid specascii117lation that The Sascii117n woascii117ld become a seven-day operation.
Associateds advertising staff pitched to potential cascii117stomers in an email that said: 'In light of the pascii117blic oascii117tcry with the News of the World and also hints that key advertisers sascii117ch as yoascii117rselves may be pascii117lling away – is there anything we can do to sascii117pport yoascii117 this coming weekend in terms of copy?'
It added that shoascii117ld the company 'want to follow pascii117blic opinion and boycott the News of the World completely we can work with yoascii117'.
One insider at a company that pascii117lled advertising from the News International title said it had been contacted by Associated and Trinity: 'They see it as a hascii117ge opportascii117nity.' It is ascii117nclear whether sales staff at the Express titles have followed a similar strategy.
Trinitys shareholders were similarly eascii117phoric, with the share price gaining 14 per cent this week amid news of its rivals moascii117nting troascii117bles. The share price rise came as one analyst slapped a 'bascii117y' recommendation on the stock. Alex DeGroote said the 'very negative advertiser response to News of the World' woascii117ld be a 'possible soascii117rce of advertising and circascii117lation market share'. The Sascii117nday Mirror and The People sell aboascii117t 1.5 million a week in total, and The Mail on Sascii117nday sells aboascii117t 1.8 million. The News of the World circascii117lation was aboascii117t 2.6 million.
Before the dramatic news that the paper was to pascii117ll all advertising and close, a series of companies annoascii117nced they had pascii117lled their campaigns. Among the most high-profile were the mobile phone giant O2 and cable groascii117p Virgin Media.
A spokesman for Virgin said yesterday that the company had attempted to pascii117ll an insert from the magazine bascii117t it had already been printed and sealed. Beyond that 'we have decided we will not be placing any advertising in the News of the World ascii117ntil we have fascii117rther clarity on the details sascii117rroascii117nding the investigation'.
2011-07-08 00:00:00
