Portfolio strategy continues to pay-off for APN

Portfolio strategy continues to pay-off for APN

The New Zealand Herald stable of newspapers has increased circulation across the week by 4%[1] in the latest Audit Bureau of Circulation numbers released today.

Auckland’s best-read Sunday newspaper, the Herald on Sunday, has solidified its position in the market with an audited sale of 91, 076[2], while the Monday-to-Saturday New Zealand Herald has maintained its place as the dominant daily in New Zealand with sales of 201,2542, more than twice as many as its nearest daily competitor.

Compared to the same period 12 months ago, the Herald stable is now selling 48,0001 more copies per week.

Publisher APN says the result vindicates the company’s strategy of presenting a portfolio of publications to meet the needs of both readers and advertisers.

CEO Ken Steinke said the addition of the Herald on Sunday and community magazine The Aucklander meant that APN’s publications now reached all sectors of the Auckland market.

“For example, we can now say that more than 84%[3] of Aucklanders reading a weekend newspaper are reading either the Weekend Herald or the Herald on Sunday, “he said.

“ Across the week, the New Zealand Herald reaches more than 44%[4] of readers while The Aucklander reaches 46% of Aucklanders.”

Combine an average issue of the New Zealand Herald with the Herald on Sunday and the Aucklander and not only will you reach 68%3 of Aucklanders your reach will have a strong skew to high income households. Reach into households with an income over $80,000 is 76%3 and the higher the income the stronger the reach.

The Herald on Sunday’s success is being reflected in advertising bookings, which reached a record level in October.

The Herald on Sunday was launched in October 2004 and has Auckland’s highest Sunday newspaper readership at 217,0003. Total readership for the newspaper is 349,0003.

The paper’s first audit for the period April to September shows a settled result about 10 per cent down on the initial launch period. The launch period was characterised by huge trial and the result also included some subscribers who took up an introductory launch offer, APN says.

Herald on Sunday publisher Rick Neville says the introductory offer has run its course and all home subscribers are now fully-paid.

“After just one year, the Herald on Sunday is one of New Zealand’s biggest circulating newspapers and it’s very much here to stay. The feedback from readers and advertisers is that the paper’s news content is going from strength to strength.”

Mr Neville says the newspaper has demonstrated a unique ability at handling late-breaking news.

“A good example was the Bali bombings on October 2. Even though news of the bombings didn’t come through until 1am the Herald on Sunday still managed to provide its readers with full coverage, the only Sunday newspaper to do so.

“And at the election, the paper updated pages throughout the night to give readers the latest and best possible coverage.”

The latest example, he said, was the All Blacks UK tour where the Herald on Sunday is publishing a special Sunday morning edition for its Auckland retail market.

“The Herald on Sunday provides an opportunity for Herald advertisers to reach a quality audience on the seventh day, as well as a platform for new advertisers to reach Sunday readers,” Mr Neville said.

About APN New Zealand

APN News & Media is a successful broad-based media company that publishes New Zealand's leading metropolitan daily newspaper, The New Zealand Herald as well as the Herald on Sunday. Launched in October 2004, the Herald on Sunday is a compact format quality newspaper with a North Island readership.

In addition to the New Zealand Herald and the Herald on Sunday, APN publishes nine daily newspapers outside Auckland, including the Bay of Plenty Times, Hawke’s Bay Today, Rotorua Daily Post, Wairarapa Times-Age, Wanganui Chronicle, and the Northern Advocate. It also publishes the consumer magazine The Aucklander and the community newspaper the Christchurch Star.

A division of APN National Publishing, NZ Magazines owns an expanding range of magazine titles, including The New Zealand Listener, The Women’s Weekly and Crème Magazine.

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