The Birmingham Mail has joined a growing list of regional newspapers launching campaigns aimed at beating the recession.

But whereas others have focused on the local economy, the Mail is going straight for readers’ wallets by running an on-going series of money-saving features.

The Trinity Mirror title’s ‘Recession Buster’ supplements will give daily money-saving tips on everything from food to fashion, gadgets to mortgage deals.

Mondays’ shopping pages will include supermarket deals, offers on mortgages and savings accounts and a bargain fashion item.

The Family Life column on Tuesdays and Saturdays will feature money-saving offers from High Street retailers and restaurants while Wednesdays’ stories will focus on travel with suggestions for budget breaks instead of luxury holidays.

Staff have also been instructed to include copy on cheaper hotels and restaurants if they are sent on any high end press trips.

All things gastronomic will come onto the radar for Thursdays’ Recession Buster articles in the food and drinks section whereas Fridays will be all about entertainment in the What’s On supplement.

All print stories will be carried on birminghammail.net with links to online vouchers and offers and the campaign is also asking readers to get in touch with their own money-saving tips.

Executive editor Stacey Barnfield said: “As the recession takes grip, the Birmingham Mail reports on job losses across the Midlands on an almost daily basis.

“It’s quite apparent that our readers are really feeling the pinch and income uncertainty is a major issue.

“We felt anything we could do to help readers save cash, from advice on where to find a few pence off a jar of coffee, to reducing substantial amounts on mortgage payments, is the least we can do in the current climate.

“We’re also trying to lift the gloom, and have applied a new approach to travel features, which show how you can find sunshine getaways for less, or enjoy fine dining at half the price in our weekly food and drink supplement.”

The Bolton News ran a similar campaign called ‘Beat The Crunch’ during November and published money off coupons everyday.

Celebrity chef Paul Heathcote also cooked four money-saving recipes on camera which the Newsquest title carried on its website.

Other campaigns currently being run by regional newspapers aimed boosting their local economies include:

Comments

All Subbed Out (11/02/2009 14:14:39)
Unfortunately the most obvious money-saving measure most Birmingham Mail readers are likely to adopt these days is to stop paying 40p a day for a paper that is so poorly staffed, thin and uninteresting that it is no longer a must-read part of their day.

Bootless & Dizzy Eyed (11/02/2009 21:39:06)
I would like to completely endorse the comment from ” all subbed out”. The Birmingham Mail is simply rehashed PA copy. The only time I ever glance at it is on the interweb.Why pay ?