Associated sets up digital sales unit for Mail Online

LONDON - Associated Newspapers is setting up a specialised digital sales unit for its flagship online newspaper brand, Mail Online.

Currently, one digital sales team handles advertising across Associated Newspapers' entire digital network, including Mail Online, Metro.co.uk, property site Findaproperty.com and financial website Thisismoney.co.uk.

The new digital sales team is thought to be five strong, hived off from Associated Northcliffe Digital's 15-strong sales team. A decision on who will head the division is still to be made, while the move will not lead to any job losses.

The strategy to establish a dedicated digital sales team for Mail Online mirrors the set-up at other national newspaper sites, with Guardian.co.uk, The Sun Online, Times Online and Telegraph.co.uk all calling on their own dedicated digital sales teams.

It comes as the group launches a test version of a redesigned Mail Online, which attracted 18.04 million unique users to the site in April, a 93% year-on-year increase, positioning it as the third most-popular website behind Telegraph.co.uk and Guardian.co.uk.

Mail Online's test version of the site boasts a new website masthead and a new Mail Online brand. It has also built a new content management system and web publishing platform. Mail Online is also thought to be planning several new web channels and features.

One media buyer said: "Associated needs to push Mail Online as a stand­alone entity as, perhaps, it has not been pushed as a network before."

The restructure is understood to have been driven through by Stephen Miron, Mail Online and The Mail on Sunday managing director, and Andy Mitchell, group commercial director at Associated Northcliffe Digital.

The latest overhaul follows a restructure at the division last year, under which Associated Northcliffe Digital scrapped its Digital Integrated Media division and created two new support divisions, digital display and commercial partnerships and digital services to newspaper sites.

Associated Northcliffe Digital is a growing part of parent group Daily Mail & General Trust's business, with revenue increasing by 46% to £86m across its core classified portals in jobs, property and motors, in the year ending 30 September 2007

Associated Northcliffe Digital declined to comment.

Mediaweek
2 June 2008