National media making a move into the local news and content arena should give “tremendous encouragement” to the regional press industry, marketing expert Sir Martin Sorrell told local newspaper executives, advertisers and agencies.

The Newspaper Society’s Home Truths conference stressed that developing media channels should focus on readers’ local outlook, something being picked up on from outside the industry.

Sir Martin

He discussed how other media are reacting to this local relevance, saying: “What is happening to national media? What are they doing?

“Well if you look at what ITV is doing for example with Friends Reunited, if you look at what Google is doing with Local Google, they are trying to invade the local and regional spaces, moving from a national platform to a local platform.

“So I think that from that, even from the new media, you see tremendous encouragement to what you’re trying to do, because they are trying to invade the local or regional spaces.”

Johnston Press chief executive Tim Bowdler agreed that the regional press should react to changes in lifestyle and technology.

He said: “Throughout the industry, local publishers have taken active steps to develop their product offerings in order to ‘follow the consumer’.

“This has included the launch of numerous new publications including lifestyle magazines, community newsletters, local directories, advertising-only publications and a vast range of special interest publications. There has also been growth in related channels to market, such as local exhibitions.

“The consequent layering of our markets has enabled publishers to package advertising for selected groups, or to extend their total market reach.”

He explained that local press websites offered an increasingly wide range of content from news and events to classified advertising listings and more – including information and services not available in the newspapers.

“Based on the strengths of our local brands, we are successfully extending our reach and brand recognition into the digital arena, and delivery via an increasing range of channels, both tethered and mobile,” he said.

“Have no doubt that the rate of investment in digital publishing will continue to increase rapidly with the clear objective of providing local communities with the leading local digital platform to complement our strong local print brands.”