Johnston
Press has struck a deal with the Press Association for three annual and
bi-annual feature supplements that it hopes will boost national
advertising within the group.
PA will supply design and editorial
for the generic lifestyle publications which will go out with 25 of
Johnston’s daily and larger weekly newspapers.
They will have a combined distribution of over a million copies.
The
three titles are My Travel, launched this week, Food&Drink, which
is due for launch in April, and an over- 50s lifestyle title due in
October. Lloyds TSB Offshore has agreed to sponsor the travel title and
national advertising is being negotiated for the other titles.
The
Johnston newspapers chosen to carry the supplements have been picked
geographically to ensure the widest possible reach. The free 16-page
supplements will be identical throughout the country except for local
title branding on the front pages.
The 12-month contract follows
the success of a deal struck in September last year between Johnston
and PA to launch Parent and Child, a parenting title which was
distributed by selected newspapers across the group. The publication
will be continued this year. The deal is the first of its kind between
PA and a regional publishing group.
Peter Charlton, editor of
Johnston’s Yorkshire Post, said: “There are certain topics that the
smaller papers wouldn’t necessarily have the journalistic resources to
cover in detail, so the supplements will add value editorially.”
Although
editorially-led with light advertising ratios, the supplements cover
subjects designed to offer a strong platform to local and national
advertisers.
Jeanette Walmsley, advertisement director for
Johnston Press, East Midlands, said: “We’re keen to improve our
proposition to national advertisers and offering a common platform
across titles is a key part of this.
“Depending on the success of
the first series of supplements we will consider what other subjects
are appropriate for this model.”
PA’s editorial director Tony
Watson added: “Our aim is to provide quality supplements which editors
will be happy to have in their titles and which are attractive to
advertisers.”
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