The sun has set for the New Day as Trinity Mirror’s newspaper is to close on Friday (May 6), a mere nine weeks after its launch.
Poor sales were cited as the key reason for the New Day’s rapid demise, which was marketed as a competitor to the i.
Justin Taylor, UK MD at Teads, believes another reason for the general failure of print relates to certain publishers missing opportunities in audience monetisation, especially at a time when the bulk of reading is done online.
“Effectively monetising those online audiences is now the number one priority for publishers,” he comments.
“They need to find a way to deliver online advertising that works for brands, without alienating their readers.”
The future of news
With print circulations dropping and advertising revenue decreasing, the pressure is on newspapers to get to grips with audience monetisation or risk heavy losses.
The ‘New Day’ set a target for circulation of 200,000 copies per day. A £5 million TV ad campaign was launched to aid things along, but by the time of its closure the publication was managing sales of just 40,000 a day.
It’s said that 25 permanent staff members have been let go while others have made their way across to Trinity Mirror’s flagship title, The Mirror.
While the New Day struggled to make ends meet, embracing new advertising trends and responding accordingly has worked for some of the older news outlets. Last year PerformanceIN reported that many are using performance ad options, embracing platforms like Outbrain to bring new streams of revenue into the business.
On the case of the New Day, Taylor adds that its failure to launch a dedicated website online was a “big statement” to the industry.
“Focusing on Facebook for digital distribution was a brave step, but ultimately misguided.”
Offering guidance for other outlets, Taylor recommended personalisation with adverts, and a focus on formats that engage users.