Are UK newspapers struggling to shift ads despite the supposed thawing of the advertising climate?
To fill spots, some are now simply giving ad spots away for free. Two examples…
— The Western Mail is enticing readers to complete a market research survey with a prize draw for a full-page £1,400 colour advert in its business supplement.
— News international is giving away £10,000 of ad space to a charity picked as the winner of a contest run by Fundraising magazines and ad sales agency Rendham.
The ad-spend divebomb of 2009 may have stabilised in to less pronounced contraction – but print is forecast by ZenithOptimedia to be the only medium which won’t see a return to advertising growth…
This may be what we’re seeing now – some publishers happy to fill slots to keep inventory up, or swap direct custom for marketing leads.
