New Zealand Herald Experiences Strong Year on Year Growth

Thursday 28 February 2019

28 February 2019 – The New Zealand Herald has seen a fantastic increase year on year in readership to 453,000 readers, and maintained its readership since the previous release, according to the latest Nielsen survey released today.

The Herald’s weekly coverage is 811,000, an increase of 42,000 readers from a year ago. The weekly overall brand audience is now at a record 1.661 million people.

The Herald’s performance continues to buck the trend of declining newspapers; All Metropolitan Newspapers are down 15,000 readers since the previous period while the Herald remains steady, going against the downward trend its competitors are experiencing.

The weekly magazines have achieved some strong growth. Tuesday Travel has gained 19,000 readers over the year to reach 284,000, while Wednesday’s fashion magazine Viva now has a readership of 223,000, an increase of 7,000 since last year. Time Out saw a 35,000 jump in readers to reach 267,000, and The Business readership is now at 262,000 following an increase of 16,000 readers from a year ago.

Earlier this year, the Herald announced it would be introducing BeWell magazine into its Monday issue, replacing Bite. Results for this new feature that brings readers more content that not only focuses on food and recipes, but travel, fitness and general wellbeing, can be expected in late 2019.

In Saturday’s paper, Weekend Magazine has seen readership grow to 306,000, an incredible 47,000 (+18%) readers up from a year ago. Just behind on 300,000 readers, Canvas has seen a huge 34,000 jump over the same period.

The Herald on Sunday remains the best-read and best-selling Sunday newspaper in the country with a readership of 313,000.

The Sunday magazines have seen an increase in the same time period; Spy had gained 15,000 readers from last year to reach 116,000, while Sunday Travel has 204,000 readers, up 7,000 year on year.

NZME Managing Editor Shayne Currie says the Herald continues to be a trusted source of news for a growing audience across print and digital.

“In an era where there is a lot of misinformation and multiple interactions with information sources each day, we are proud to bring clarity to what is happening in New Zealand and the world.

“Our readers rely on us to present not just the facts, but in-depth and expert analysis of events and stories.”

Many regions are also experiencing growth in their readership. The Northern Advocate is up 8,000 readers from last year with an audience of 37,000. The Rotorua Daily Post now has a readership of 17,000, a 1,000 reader increase over the past year. NZME’s largest regional paper, Hawke’s Bay Today, has maintained its 46,000 readership over the same period.

These results in the region are a testament to the Herald’s commitment to being New Zealand’s Herald, covering stories and issues that matter to Kiwis around New Zealand.

NZME Chief Commercial Officer Matt Headland says the growth across the NZ Herald, magazines and regional titles give advertisers the tools they need to effectively and efficiently deliver their message.

“The different publications of NZME allow us to create integrated and engaging campaigns. When we combine our publications with NZME’s radio and digital offering, we can drive engagement in a uniquely cohesive and successful way and regardless of whether the client is in Auckland or Bluff, our team is able to create bespoke campaigns that deliver. We have a strong sales team to help integrate commercial opportunities across this audience, and our regional teams are central to this.”

Source:

Nielsen CMI Q1 18 – Q4 18 AP15+, Last Year Nielsen CMI Q1 17 – Q4 17 AP15+

ENDS

© Scoop Media