
The title, which publisher News International (NI) vows will have a greater ‘family feel’ than the Saturday edition of The Sun, will launch this Sunday with a probable 2.5m print-run, ahead of a major marketing campaign in the coming weeks.
Commercial executives at NI are meeting media agencies to discuss advertising opportunities in the title, which is expected to have a cover price of £1. However, the price of the first issue is set to be less than 50p.
Although many brands have already committed media spend to other titles, Sky is expected to run an ad to support its Formula One channel.
Morrisons confirmed it is likely to run campaigns in The Sun on Sunday in the coming weeks, while Tesco said it is reviewing the situation. A Ford spokesman said it was ‘looking into the possibilities’ for advertising in the paper.
The majority of brands contacted by Marketing expressed no reservations about advertising in the title. However, a spokesman for energy company Npower said: ‘It was only after careful consideration that we decided
to cancel advertising in the News of the World. We will give careful consideration to whether to advertise in any replacement.’
The 84-page Sunday paper will include Fabulous magazine, which has been running in the Saturday edition of The Sun since the News of the World’s closure.
It will also feature a 32-page Goal supplement, as well as regulars such as Bizarre and Dear Deirdre.
Sources have told Marketing that the Mail on Sunday will not drop its price. It is understood that Trinity Mirror (publisher of The People and Sunday Mirror) and Northern & Shell (Daily Star Sunday and Sunday Express) are considering price promotions.