The planning tool, Locally Connected, shows regional newspaper websites have a more upmarket audience than their print versions and that more than three quarters (75.7%) of users of regional newspaper websites are from the AB socio-economic group and 16.3% more are C1.
Locally Connected extends the print JICREG tool, using ABCe data with research by research firm Survey Interactive, to provide robust data about the net reach of regional newspapers and their websites offer online.
The tool has been developed through a collaborative project between the regional publishers' trade body, the Newspaper Society, with JICREG, the Joint Industry Committee for Regional Press Research, and the ABC.
Publishers on board account for 70% of the regional media industry and inlcude Trinity Mirror, Johnston Press, Northcliffe Media, Newsquest, GMG Regional, Iliffe News & Media and the Midlands News Association. The Newspaper Society hopes all publishers will eventually be involved.
David Fordham, NS president and chief executive of Illffe News & Media, said: "The combined audience of regional publishers is bigger than any time in the past. Regional websites have 37 million unique users and more than 80% of adults read a local paper."
Locally Connected claims to provide advertisers with a "unique cross-media planning system" and will allow them to effectively target local communities across the UK in print as well as online.
.jpg)
.jpeg)
