I’ve heard that The Age today came out inside a tabloid wraparound for the Melbourne Cup – confusing many customers. Luke from my newsagency tells me:
Dozens (literally) of customers have been confused by this and have been ready to walk out of the shop thinking that there are no Ages. Everyone is confusing them for the Sun and being disappointed. Vice versa, a lot of people are throwing $1.10 at the counter and walking out with Ages.
Some people are excited that The Age has gone tabloid, then disappointed when they open it and it is still broadsheet.
I suspect the reaction encountered at my shop is not dissimilar to elsewhere. It sounds like a Melbourne Cup promotion gone wrong. Newspaper customers are habitual, they like their newspaper just so every day. The Age pushes the envelope – today with the tabloid wrap-around look and other days with their awful post-it type note ads in the middle of the masthead.