The Manchester
Evening News is planning to expand distribution of its free Lite
edition from August after research showed that it is reaching the young
ABC1 readers who weren’t buying the paid-for paper.
And although
two per cent of those picking up MEN Lite no longer buy the main MEN,
this has been cancelled out by around two per cent who have been
prompted to buy the main paper by reading Lite.
MEN Lite was
launched in March to replace the MEN’s traditional late fourth edition.
Some 10,000 copies of the slimmed 48-page version of the MEN are handed
at key commuter points in the city centre from 4.30pm onwards.
In
August distribution is to expand into south Manchester Editor Paul
Horrocks said: “We’re very heartened by the positive response that this
market research has thrown up. It shows that we’ve picked up an awful
lot of new customers and 80 per cent of the new readers fall into the
ABC1 profile.”
Horrocks said that distribution of the Lite means
that the MEN can guarantee advertisers no fewer than 150,000 papers
will be distributed across the city each evening. The market research
company spoke to 329 city centre commuters and found that 57 per cent
of Lite readers are aged 15-34 and spend an average of 24 minutes on
the paper.!
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog