Mirror set to merge print and online ad sales teams

LONDON - Mirror Group Newspapers is poised to restructure its advertising sales team, merging print with online, to boost revenue from its web platforms and offer clients new advertising opportunities.

The newspaper group is believed to be looking at fully integrating the advertising sales team of its print and website brands, with the newly configured unit expected to be in operation by June this year.

The move follows similar initiatives from rival publishers News Group and Telegraph Media Group in setting up multi-platform sales teams.

The Mirror initiative has been headed by David Emin, director of advertising at the group, and Paul Head, head of digital. In the new set-up, the group's advertising sales team will cross-sell the publisher's print, digital and mobile platforms.

Ad sales staff are currently being trained to sell across different platforms, both internally and externally, with I-Level Generator understood to have provided consultancy on the project.

The publisher does not currently offer clients any cross-selling opportunities between its flagship red-top and the group's digital properties, according to media buyers.

The advertising unit is split between a number of teams, including display, retail, magazine, advocacy and innovation.

The change in strategy has been welcomed by press buyers, although some have questioned how beneficial the move to cross-sell has been by newspaper publishers. Mirror Group declined to comment.

Meanwhile, media buyers have welcomed last week's redesign of the Daily Mirror, which features new fonts in the main paper and an overhaul of the Your Life section, which now appears with more colour.

Dan Pimm, head of press at Universal McCann, said: "The new headline fonts do look a bit Roy of the Rovers on the sport pages. But it appears to be introducing the new fonts on only the non-serious stories, which is a good way of easing in the changes."

John Reynolds
MediaWeek