Newspapers join to study their readers

Daily newspapers are joining together to pay for new research into the needs of their readers, as a new company tries to muscle in on the research market.

The Newspaper Advertising Bureau has decided to commission a nationwide study that will look at the role newspapers play in their readers' lives.

NAB research manager Carin Hercock said the study would not only survey existing newspaper subscribers, but lapsed subscribers and those who have never subscribed.

"

Some people may say they want to be informed, for example, but what we want to do with the research is find out why they want to be informed."

Newspapers are expected to see the results of the survey this year, and it will be shared with advertising agencies early next year.

The move comes as Australian-based Roy Morgan Research tries to muscle in on the New Zealand media market.

It is aiming to compete with research company ACNielsen to give readership data.



Several advertising agencies and media shops have accepted an offer of a 90-day trial of its newspaper and magazine readership data.

Ms Hercock said there were no plans to put the readership data up for tender at this stage.

The industry felt it already had a good understanding of quantitative data - such as how many people read newspapers, how they were employed and how old they were.

But it was keen to investigate more qualitative data.

The NAB would assess the Roy Morgan data to see how it differed from the ACNielsen information.

"We need to understand what's different about it so we can explain to advertising agencies who may look at using it," Ms Hercock said.

"Also, it helps us assess the effectiveness of the [ACNielsen] survey.

She said Roy Morgan did "some quite interesting things in other areas, so it gives us another source of information and lets us know if we are getting enough out of the current survey."

Ms Hercock said it was ultimately up to agencies to decide what use the Morgan data might be.