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The Independent: January's circulation figures show an almost 2% rise, year on year.
The Independent: January's circulation figures show an almost 2% rise, year on year.

Independent redesign takes it forward

This article is more than 18 years old

The redesigned Independent was today hailed as a "next-generation newspaper" - but media buyers doubted that the new look would bring in extra readers.

"It's right up there and I wouldn't have expected anything different from the Independent," said Mark Gallagher, press director of Manning Gottlieb OMD, which negotiates with media owners to buy advertising space in papers and other media.

"It just seems a next-generation newspaper in feel.

"I don't think it's going to be a circulation driver. I don't think it necessarily encourages more readers, [but] it might confirm their loyalty."

Mr Gallagher supported the decision to axe the tabloid features section, Review, and fold the content into the main section. "With a broadsheet newspaper there's more inherent benefit in having separate supplements," he said.

"With a tabloid, I don't think there is such a necessity of having separate supplements."

The redesign is intended to give advertisers more flexibility, with the number of columns devoted to body copy increasing from six to seven.

Today's paper, the first of the redesign, retains the front page "issue-based" story with a question, "Iraq: is the tide turning?" but includes an index providing a summary of four key stories inside, which are grouped under election, news, world news and sport categories.

Inside, the old review section, which combined listings, general features and arts pages, has been incorporated into the main paper under a new title, Life and Culture.

The typeface has also been changed throughout, with a mixture of serif and sans serif fonts.

Headline fonts are Sun (serif) and Whitney (sans serif), while the body copy is in a serif face called Benton two.

The paper was redesigned by Cases and Associates, a consultancy from Barcelona.

The editor-in-chief, Simon Kelner, told readers in a letter that the paper was more "modern in appearance and more logical in structure".

"We have undertaken this change in response to readers, who felt that the convenience of a compact newspaper was compromised by the number of sections that pulled out of the middle.

"But I am aware that others among our readership liked the fact that the paper could be divided up neatly and shared."

Emma Dibben, acting head of press at Initiative, another media buying agency, said that she liked the look of the paper but criticised the signposting at the top of each page for being smaller and less distinct than previously. She also said that the redesign would not necessarily boost circulation.

Claudine Collins, press director at MediaCom, said she liked the redesign but added: "I don't think it will have a huge impact from a consumer point of view."

"Not too bad" was the verdict of Neil Allen, the head of press at MediaEdge CIA.

"When I saw the dummies I was worried about the back page because there wasn't much sport on it at all. They've cleaned it up a bit, but I still think it looks quite bitty," he remarked.

"Getting rid of the pull-out Review section was a natural progression after they went tabloid and in general the seven column change works. The big question is will it make people pick up the paper and I'm not sure whether people will actually notice."

Media buying agencies are unhappy that the redesign sees full-page adverts facing a rate hike of 17% because the new layout means advertising, which is determined on size of column centimetres, is across seven columns and not six. This brings the Independent into line with the Daily Mail, while the Times retains six columns.

Mr Gallagher said the 17% increase was "not something we are prepared to take to clients".

All media buyers contacted today said they had not locked in new rates but were negotiating with the paper.

"It's unfortunate that they didn't increase to seven columns when they went from broadsheet to tabloid. I understand that the commercial team wanted to, but it looks like that the editor changed his mind," Ms Dibben.

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