The scoreboard does not lie
A Local Focus is a Caxton Local Papers and Spark Media initiative to focus business decision-makers attention on the local newspaper market, which has remained resilient through the testing times of the pandemic. In the last quarter of 2020, an average of 4,885,614 local newspapers were distributed regularly.
Local papers now constitute the lion’s share of newspapers distributed in South Africa: 79%. Their health and ongoing relevance indisputably counter the dominant doom-laden narrative about the demise of newspapers frequently bandied about media agencies and marketing departments. Both the latest and the historic trend data, released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC), are testimony to the unique position that local newspapers have in the media landscape. Their distinctive distribution model and special role in the lives of household decision-makers gave them advantages when the Covid-19 crisis struck, curbing mobility, creating fear of contact and hurting pockets. A combination of their close understanding of their communities’ needs and agility allowed local newspapers to innovate during lockdown.
As South Africa works towards recovery, it is clear that businesses cannot afford wasted marketing investment. Kantar’s Business Compass shows that marketing, trade marketing, media and research budget cuts across the board were more frequent and deeper in South Africa than the global benchmark. It shows that businesses recognise the need to change or be changed.
Businesses are reviewing how best to communicate with their consumers and how to optimise their media budgets; it is time to destroy myths and dispense with faddish tendencies in media decision-making and ensure that effective campaigns are delivered during this time of rebuilding. The following articles provide the business decision-maker with the insights and information to understand the valuable role that local news brands play in consumers’ lives and on effective media schedules.
Rejuvenation of local print media
Spark Media 7 Jul 2020
What is the ABC?
The ABC is a not-for-profit independent industry body. Its main objective is to provide and certify accurate and comparable circulation figures across a range of media. It provides measured certainty to the process of buying and selling of advertising.
Read the full report here.
Spark Media, a division of Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers Ltd, is South Africa’s largest print and digital media solutions sales company. It represents Caxton’s 115 local newspapers and 58 local websites, providing location-targeted content for brands and ad agencies at scale in 120 economically-active communities. It also produces ROOTS, SA’s leading urban, community-level quantitative survey that provides unequalled demographic and behavioural information on local consumers.
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- Local media still going strong27 Jun 10:13
- Spark Media ‘leaps into local’ with comedian Themba Robin14 May 14:53
- Spark Media ‘leaps into local’ with new digital ad offering29 Feb 09:52
- New advertising opportunities for retailers as load shedding changes consumer purchase patterns30 Jan 09:45
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Multichannel advertising a necessity to meet SA shoppers' current needs 24 Feb 2025 Local media still going strong 27 Jun 2024 Magazines: ABC Q1 2024: Notable growth 23 May 2024 Newspapers: ABC Q1 2024: The slow steady downward trickle continues 23 May 2024 Spark Media ‘leaps into local’ with new digital ad offering 29 Feb 2024 New advertising opportunities for retailers as load shedding changes consumer purchase patterns 30 Jan 2024
