News brands Mediahuis Ireland
National newspapers
Belfast Telegraph
Irish Independent
Sunday Independent
Sunday Life
Sunday World
The Herald
Regional newspapers
Bray People
Drogheda Independent
Enniscorthy Guardian
Gorey Guardian
Irelands Own
New Ross Standard
Sligo Champion
The Argus
The Corkman
The Kerryman
Wexford People
Wicklow People
Daily reach
2,478,000 people
1 in 2 residents
of Ireland
Number of subscribers
65,626
100% digital
Revenue
199.7 million euros
Strong growth in digital subscribers
Mediahuis Ireland saw continued strong growth in digital subscriptions in 2022. Independent.ie, BelfastTelegraph.co.uk and the regional content and ePapers together had more than 65,500 subscribers, meaning more than 30% year-on-year growth.
Strong digital journalism and a host of new initiatives are behind these great results. Better monitoring of subscriber out-flow resulted in an increase in save rates of more than 50%, while introducing new payment methods brought additional online sales. Continuous improvements in email marketing led to the best result ever, with 60% more new subscribers than in 2021.
In November, the new hybrid paywall was launched. This not only helps the company achieve its ambitious targets on first-party data, it also helps reach more readers with strong subscription offers.
ADvance: towards a future-proof sales organisation
With the ADvance project, Mediahuis Ireland aims to build a future-proof sales organisation. ADvance makes clear choices on where and how to compete while seeking to build a better sales structure.
An initial fact base analysis showed that the customer base consists of two layers. A top layer accounts for a very significant proportion of ad revenue, while the lower layer is characterised by a high volume of low-value transactions. This involves high costs and weighs on both the organisation and the operational approach.
In terms of structure, a new, leaner sales organisation was chosen. Management has invested heavily in new talent in order to seize all the market opportunities and drive growth. The new YourAdNow self-service portal targets the lower value end of the market. High-performing systems, processes and training should ensure a better customer experience.
A key strategic focus is the investment in resources and capacity to increase the digital share of ad revenues, to meet customer demand for strong audio and video advertising. An new programme was developed to capture insights on customer perceptions, attitudes, behaviour and needs. This programme is the basis for planning commercial activities in 2023 and beyond.
Podcast success continues
Mediahuis Ireland’s podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. The Indo Daily, with its focus on stories about people in the news, continues to build a loyal following. At the first Irish Podcast Awards, it won silver for Best Daily Podcast and bronze for Best Documentary. The podcast regularly tops the News charts in Ireland and is consistently in the top 10 of the general charts. Initially targeting 60,000 listeners a week, it has since broken the 100,000 listener mark.
Also at the Irish Podcast Awards, The Big Tech Show won the Business Podcast of the Year award, while Karl Henry’s Real Health, a podcast highlighting all aspects of health and well-being, took silver in the Best Health or Wellbeing category.
Crime World by Nicola Tallant continued its incredible growth, with more than 6 million plays in 2022. The podcast frequently tops the Irish charts and was nominated as Podcast of the Year at 2022 NewsBrands Awards.
Mediahuis Ireland’s sports podcasts, The Left Wing and The Throw-In, have expanded their content over the past year with great success. The BelTel, the new podcast from the Belfast Telegraph, was launched in mid-2022 with high-quality content production..
New site for Reach Group: focus on sustainability
Reach Group, the distribution and retail service company that is part of Mediahuis Ireland, has consolidated its operations from three locations to one new 80,000 square feet office/warehouse. The site has more than 7,000 pallet spaces for stationery, books and packaging products destined for retail sales.
It is close to the two main printing plants, with easy access to Dublin and the country’s major transport arteries. Merging operations in one location means significant cost savings as all deliveries leave from a single point and the existing distribution network is better utilised.
The building has a class A energy certificate. The air-conditioning system has an AA rating and controls the ambient temperature from central units. Energy-efficient appliances have been installed in the kitchen and rainwater is recovered for use in the bathrooms. All vehicles in the warehouse are electrically powered and the site has 10 external charging points. Installing solar panels will further improve energy efficiency.
Editing and coordination Maud Dekker, Frank Jaspers, An Steylemans Final editing Sally Tipper
Photography Management Committee Lars van den Brink
Graphics Pepijn Barnard
Graphic design Nandan Lemmers, Yannick Mortier Art direction Anne-Marije Vendeville | www.mediahuis.com | 2023
