THE TIMES on Saturday and market research

George BrockProfessor and Head of Journalism

City University LondonMedia Research conference, Cairo, April 2010

Once upon a time…

1960s: 2sections, 74 pages

Early 1980s: 1 section, 28 pages

…and in 2006

2 2006: 12 sections, 470 pages

ns

2006: 7 sections, 378 pages

THE TIMES on Saturday 2007

Late 1980s

• Saturday: lowest circulation of the week• Print advertising market growing• 1987: Daily Telegraph expands Saturday

edition• The Times, Guardian and Financial Times

follow over next few years• Target: 15-20 circulation “premium” on

Saturdays

Choices

• How long should the articles be?• News vs features balance• How large a package?• How many pages?• Balancing advertisment-led and reader-led

UK newspaper market

• “national” newspaper competition• High readership per head• c 70% of income from advertising• High single copy sale• 1990 onwards: colour advertising grows• Sunday papers = magazines

What difference does research make?

• Reader research has limits– Self-knowledge has limits– Newspaper relationship/feelings complex

• Ad research data probably more important– Certifiable, verifiable accuracy crucial

• Consumer spending patterns most important of all

Key takeaway

•The best research is that which is most completely integrated across all parts of the business

What did we find?

• More reading time • Unexpected: Saturday and Sunday not the

same• Less internet face time• Opportunity to be distinctive• Online spinoffs

75% like to plan ahead & always have a well stocked

medicine cupboard

62% regularly take

vitamins & mineral

supplements (vs 40% TGI)

28% have health

insurance (vs 18% TGI)

23% have periodic health

check even when feeling fine (in line with TGI)

Newspaper readers are active health seekers

BMRB Healthcare Sept 2009: women aged 20-64. Total sample 2371

What did we find?

• More reading time • Unexpected: Saturday and Sunday not the

same• Less internet face time• Opportunity to be distinctive• Online spinoffs

To recognise and exploit a new opportunity, you need…

• An assumption, a hypothesis, a hunch• Commercial basis• Content• Research to check and define• If possible, a “killer app”.

What kind of research?

• Anthropological • Open to all (e.g. at design stage)• Trends more important than number

detail

1961 1975 1985 1995 20000%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%Sports, walking Socialising Eating out, cinema, pubs Shopping

% of waking hours spent neither at home nor at work excluding travel time, by activity

The growth of consumer leisure

Issues

• Weekend vs weekday • Friday vs Saturday vs Sunday• Online + print• No weekend free papers (yet)• Different design, writing, production talent

required (i.e. there are costs)• Magazinification

Newsines

19911992

19931994

19951996

19971998

19992000

20012002

20032004

2005

Sunday Times Saturday Times

Times/ST ad revenue growth

One last statistic

• In 2004, the Saturday edition of The Times took 40% of the paper’s weekly display advertising income.

•www.city.ac.uk/journalism/

•www.georgebrock.net