This image is an ad from The Advertiser from News Corp. in Adelaide – Friday 9, page 36. The ad is promoting a subscription to the newspaper App and a bunch of magazines. It’s a compelling offer that appears set on cannibalising the print product.
I wonder how retail and distribution newsagents feel about this?
While the magazine range offered is limited, it could be enough to get some to stop purchasing the paper from their usual outlet.
The ad also appears to be encouraging existing Subscribers to ‘close’ print home delivery and convert it to digital only.
This ad was in the metro edition – it is targeting metro customers. Newsagents ought to be concerned about this in my view.
A newsagent colleague who alerted me to this ad noted:
Metropolitan Newsagents in Adelaide are beginning to realise that even the local crew, despite denials, are actively working to erode Distribution Newsagents core business.
What else are they expected to think given the actions of ANPL at a time when we are seeing plummeting HD numbers.
News needs to do what it needs to do to survive the extraordinary disruption to print. However, it ought to be transparent with newsagents about its plans. I am certain the company has timelines it could share which would help newsagents make more informed capital investment decisions.
The best indicator newsagents have of News’ intentions is ads like this.
Should read the Ink1 article in the Australian page 17. The founder estimates that only 1to 2% of readers online pay for it’ to read news so it seems. also goes on about advertising on phones compared to desktops to. If this is some of the problems they have, why cut papers? it doesn’t make sense
There is nothing in this digital advertisement that gives me any confidence or belief that News Corp is serious about arresting the decline in HD print Subscribers.
On the contrary, every indication is that it appears to be asking HD print subscribers to ‘convert’ to digital.
If there is an element of HD print within Advertiser+, then why use the phrase convert. Is there so much shame in their own product that they can’t bring themselves to use a phrase that includes the word ‘print’? such as ‘add value to your HD print copy by signing up for ………
C’mon guys be inclusive of print whenever you want to offer up digital products. Why the reluctance?