To combat falling circulation numbers, the Manchester, UK Evening News began giving away 50,000 issues away downtown where circulation was weak while continuing to sell issues in the suburbs:
Before the experiment the Evening News was very much a suburban newspaper with only about 7,000 sales downtown. So, the thinking went, why not sacrifice those 7,000 sales and instead give away 50,000 copies downtown, but still be a paid-for where its circulation was by far the strongest – in the suburbs. All going well, according to the business plan, copies distributed in total would increase to around 180,000 and management was really looking to hit the 200,000 figure for the end of 2007. That never happened.
Six months ago the unofficial audited numbers had the newspaper at a total circulation of 180,900, free circulation at 98,455 and paid-for sales at 82,445. But in the latest official figures the ABC said the total figure now is 161,545, only 77,125 copies being sold in the suburbs at 40 pence each with another 84,420 given away downtown. So what has really happened over the two years is that the newspaper now gives away 60% more copies than it had originally planned and it is sells nearly half as many as before.
The Evening News is walking a fine line between circulation revenue and advertising revenue.
(hat tip BoSacks)
