Monday, March 23, 2009

Marketers celebrate Metro’s 10th birthday

For the past decade, it’s been making the daily commute bearable for millions of ‘urbanites’ up and down the country, and is now enjoying a landmark birthday. Last week, the Metro turned ten years old, celebrating with a showcase of iconic front covers and a glowing recommendation from none other than Gordon Brown, an increasingly prevalent advocate of Britain’s most successful free newspaper.

In light of the paper’s large readership, the PM has recently ordered that Whitehall is constantly stocked with copies of the Metro, recognising it as a key channel through which to connect and communicate with the voting public. Whilst Associated Newspapers have more than enough reason to celebrate such a glowing stamp of approval, it’s another industry that perhaps has reason to cheer the loudest.


The marketing and advertising industry has always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with newspapers, and this relationship is especially close when the publication in question is devoid of a cover price. But the Metro offers marketers something truly priceless – a captive British audience that would otherwise go ‘untapped’.


An estimated 3.3 million people spend an average of 27 minutes each morning perusing the Metro’s many pages (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7942017.stm). Research shows that a large proportion of these readers would not have bought a newspaper for their journey into work, meaning that marketers are literally able to reach millions of people with their ads, campaigns and communications.


So, happy birthday Metro – whilst the past ten years are currently the toast of Number Ten, it is in fact the marketing industry that is raising a glass to the prospect of another ten years…

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