Market research conducted by the publisher found while readers said they loved the paper they sometimes just didn’t have the time to read it. So the guiding principles of the redesign were to combine the best of the old with a modern new-look that made the paper great ‘value for time’.
As well as introducing a cleaner page design, new modern typefaces, shorter stories and more news in briefs, each section of the paper now has colour-coded page straps to aid navigation.
All stories are tagged with the area they relate to and page leads have a ‘speed read’ summary so even the most time-poor reader can get the gist of the main news from just a short scan through the paper.
Other new features introduced include a range of columnists to bring in more local voices and opinion, a greater focus on the paper’s core area of Maidenhead and in-depth interviews by editor Martin Trepte with key authority figures about the important issues affecting the area.
Another development is the introduction of a redesigned leisure section, rebranded The Zone, to give readers the ultimate one-stop-shop for entertainment news, again in a simple to navigate format for ease of use.
Mr Trepte said: “In our research no one had a bad word to say about the Advertiser. Readers all liked it but some just did not buy it every week for reasons of time.
“In a climate of falling newspaper sales, our redesign has tried to address this issue by making the paper easier to navigate and a quicker, more satisfying read. Readers think the Advertiser is great value for money, now it is great value for time as well.”
Baylis Media chief executive Jeremy Spooner added: “The relaunch is supported by an extensive marketing campaign and represents a significant investment in the editorial content of our titles. As a leading independent publisher, Baylis Media places enormous value on editorial and this underlines our commitment to local news.”
Part of the new entertainment section will also be introduced into the Slough and Windsor Express series, which was acquired by Baylis Media Ltd in May 2008, to improve the titles’ leisure offering.
