Fairfax Continues to Connect Audiences With Quality Brands

28 October 2011

Fairfax Continues to Connect Quality Audiences With Quality Brands
Nielsen Consumer and Media Insights Survey (Q3 10-Q3 11).

The latest results from the Nielsen Consumer and Media Insights survey show Fairfax continues to offer the best solutions for connecting quality audiences with quality brands.

Fairfax Media chief executive Allen Williams is pleased with the results, which show growing audiences engaging with brands across newspapers, magazines and online.

“We’re constantly innovating to respond to consumer needs across all channels. There is a myth that digital competes with print. It is actually an extension of it, and that’s where the future is. Digital complements print,” Williams says.

“Fairfax metropolitan dailies – The Press, Dominion Post and Waikato Times - recorded a strong result from the same time last year, with a combined readership of 550,000 aged 15 plus. It really demonstrates the strength of our brands across the national network.

“The quality of our content is also reflected in the results with our newspaper reach increasing in higher socio-economic audiences. It’s interesting to note that 320,000 people in the top socio-economic group choose to read a Fairfax metropolitan paper on an average day. That’s an increase of over 11 per cent from this time last year.

“Audience quality is very important to us so the results are good to see,” Williams says.

Key findings from the survey show the Dominion Post brand with a 12.4 per cent year on year growth across its print and online audience.

In Christchurch, The Press has also grown its brand audience across print and online by 13.8 per cent year on year.

In print, the Sunday Star-Times continues its national dominance as the only Sunday paper that has increased its audience year on year, registering a readership of 540,000 15 plus.

In the Auckland region, Fairfax suburban papers recorded a strong result on a typical day reaching 671,000 people 15 plus, ahead of the daily newspaper offer in Auckland. Over 72 per cent of Aucklanders chose to read a Fairfax suburban across the week.

Fairfax magazines continue to reach over 2.2 million New Zealanders 15 plus. Lifestyle brands such as NZ House and Garden, Cuisine, and NZ Life & Leisure Fairfax Magazines provide category leading opportunities for our advertising partners.

The reach into premium audiences remains key. International research shows magazines outperform TV in both increasing brand awareness and driving positive shifts in purchase consideration and brand favourability.

stuff.co.nz maintains its position as New Zealand’s number one news site in the latest September 2011 data from both Nielsen and Comscore. The website’s page impressions grew 27 per cent, ahead of the wider market that grew only 6 per cent for the same period.

Continued growth across channel audiences point to a positive future as Fairfax continues to invest in, and take advantage of, new technologies such as IPTV and mobile applications.

Fairfax Media connects with 84.5 per cent of all New Zealanders aged 15+ everyday, equivalent to 2.9 million people.

www.fairfaxmedia.co.nz

ENDS

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