The Newspaper Society is launching a new monthly newsletter to help increase awareness of the regional press amongst advertisers and agencies.

Regional Press Update will include news on the latest industry developments and data on the regional and local press, keeping advertisers informed about what they have to offer.

The first issue contains news and updates on JICREG data, a listing of the advertisers that spend most in the regional press, industry research and facts and figures on readership and ad revenue.

Marketing director Robert Ray said: "The regional press is the intelligent choice for advertisers, since it offers a wide range of highly targeted products that reach people when they are at home, with the leisure time to consider their purchase.

"Regional Press Update aims to keep advertisers and agencies in touch with the latest developments in the industry, so that they are able to make good use of the valuable opportunities that are offered to them by the regional press in communities across the UK."

Regional press publishers are working hard to increase their range of offerings to advertisers and widen the reach of their products, launching a wide variety of products that are tapping into new audiences that may not have bought the main newspaper.

These include websites, SMS messaging, lifestyle supplements, niche magazines and in some cases, even radio and local TV stations.