Issued by: Sky Blue Media


And that the South Coast Fever has the highest exclusive readership figures in its distribution area, more than four times more than its nearest competitor, the South Coast Herald.

More than 18-thousand face-to-face interviews were done from May to September 2007, and the results show that the South Coast Fever has 16 000 exclusive readers who do not buy the other paper, as opposed to 4 000 exclusive Herald readers who do not read the Fever. This means that advertisers have a considerably bigger captive audience.

Other findings are:

• The average issue readership of the South Coast Fever is 49 000, 32% higher than the South Coast Herald.
  
• The vast majority of South Coast Fever readers keep the publication for at least a week, with 40% keeping it longer.
  
• The South Coast Fever has a 32% higher average issue readership than the South Coast Herald, 49 000 (55%) as opposed to the Herald's 37 000 (41%).
  
• Almost 6 in 10 (57%) of South Coast Fever readers feel that they ‘can't do without' the South Coast Fever, and the Fever has the highest loyal readership on the South Coast by far.
  
• Readers of the South Coast Fever are more inclined to read every issue, indicating a greater loyalty.
  
• The South Coast Fever covers both ends of the market comprehensively with a total readership of 49 000, 45% of which is in the LSM 8-10 group (22 050), and 48% in LSM 5-7 (23 520), which means the advertisers can reach all communities on the South Coast through one paper.
  
• South Coast Fever readers find advertising very useful to help them make purchasing decisions - particularly advertisements in newspapers.
  
• More shoppers are reached using the South Coast Fever than the South Coast Herald - on average 29% higher.

“I am absolutely delighted,” said Fever Publications' MD, Greg Orsmond, after studying the findings of the research. “It is something we have known all along, and now we have the proof. The Fever team has to be applauded for this outstanding achievement.”

Orsmond pointed out that the latest ABC audited circulation figure of the South Coast Herald had entered a downward trend when compared with the year-on-year figures on the last ABC reporting, which backed up the research findings.

“The South Coast Herald's readers are decreasing rapidly because the number of people buying it out of habit is diminishing. It is not attracting new readers who move into the area to live and do business.”

The South Coast Herald's core reader base consists of readers who are considerably older than the South Coast Fever's expanding all-readers base. Basically what this means is that this older South Coast Herald readership, very loyal out of habit, will not deliver satisfactory returns on advertising investment. The reason is that the profile of the core South Coast Herald readership does not fit the profile of the majority of shoppers on the coast. Because the South Coast Fever core readership is a lot younger, with a shopper profile showing maximum household spend, advertisers will see a better return on their advertising, in turn positively influenced by the growth this segment of the market is experiencing nationally and locally.

Orsmond stated that the South Coast Fever nevertheless caters for everyone on the South Coast, enabling advertisers to connect with the rapidly expanding middle class. “The South Coast Herald has an excellent product produced by very competent personnel aimed at a select niche market (the older reader), selling only approximately 17 000 copies per week (of which a large number are given away free). Yes, the South Coast Herald is the ‘thickest' paper on the coast but, put very simply, the South Coast has outgrown the Herald.

“On the other hand, the Fever has deliberately positioned its product with just under 39 547 copies per week verified free distribution by the ABC for the last reporting quarter (April - June 2008), to cater for the new market the South Coast has developed,"
Orsmond added.

“Advertisers should note that the South Coast Fever does not discount its product to compete, but gives advertisers a well positioned product to serve the entire community and consumer base.

“It should be an advertiser's first and only choice of advertising vehicle based on unemotional factual evidence, as has been proved by the latest research. These research results come at a time when advertisers should be placing their advertising wisely, based on sound marketing principles.”

The Fever publications, comprising the South Coast Fever, the East Griqualand Fever, the Mthatha Fever, the Uvo Lwethu Fever, the Isolomzi Fever and the Zululand Fever, are all free sheets distributed to communities in KZN and the Eastern Cape.

These free community newspapers offer their readers breaking local news that forges a strong sense of community and ensures that readers are well informed. Fever Publications concentrates on developing the emerging readers in the emerging markets in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Visit our PRESS OFFICE: Sky Blue Media is an associate of the powerful Witness Group of Companies and Media 24. This alliance empowers Sky Blue Media with the infrastructure and resources to be the highly effective marketing vehicle it has become. Brands, companies and NGOs are able to effectively deliver crucial messages to their intended target markets through the Sky Blue Media stable.- more....

[29 Sep 2008 11:05]

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