Launched as a sub-brand of The Independent, i quickly exceeded its circulation target of 150,000, and brought in significant advertising revenues. Crucially, there was little cannibalisation of The Independent or any other newspaper.
The success is partly down to its well-thought out format and the owners' conviction there is real demand for it. At the same time, the two-phase marketing campaign and a push for distribution through retailers were vital.
The campaign's first phase from launch in October 2010 to January 2011 began with outdoor ads and a radio campaign on LBC. This gave insights into the launch, and showed that the campaign had been too cryptic by not telling potential readers and retailers what the new paper was and what it stood for. This was tackled in phase two, with an above-the-line campaign by McCann Erickson using Jemima Khan and Dom Joly on TV, print and digital.
Meanwhile, the distribution drive was also a key factor in success. On the first day of launch, i was stocked in 37,000 outlets nationally. Within three months this had been boosted to 44,000. This was the result of strong engagement and building relationships with retailers.
The Independent has shown newspapers still have mass appeal provided they offer real choice. The judges were impressed with the growth of i without cannibalising sales of The Independent and said the campaign showed 'a really brave use of insight'.
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