The East London Fever’s circulation increased dramatically from June 2013 with print orders having increased by 10 000, a massive 25% increase from 40 000 to 50 000 copies. The local title’s reach has extended and it is now distributed in South Africa’s second biggest township, Mdatsane. The footprint created here is significant, it is the only freesheet in the area with a weekly penetration of 9 000 copies. It now forms part of the biggest local newspaper group in the Eastern Cape, EP Newspapers, and will soon carry the Express brand.
“South Africa is made up of a myriad of different communities each with their own dynamics, activities and values. Local newspapers play a unique role in strengthening the social fabric of our society in a targeted, insightful way. They are seen as an integral part of the community where relevant advertising is a part of the mix together with credible news on the local community, schools, social and cultural events, best buys for the week etc. We are constantly looking at ways to improve our offering and the growth in print numbers for East London Fever will give advertisers access to the maximum number of targeted customers thereby getting more shoppers in-store and securing maximum profitability.” said Evan Smith, Ads24 Local Titles Business Manager.
The delivery day for the East London Fever has been moved up to Wednesday rather than Thursday, so readers have to wait one less day into their week to get their local news. The East London Fever is the first freesheet in East London to come out in the week and is hand-delivered door-to-door, only about 4000 copies are for bulk distribution.
Other changes to the publication are that editorial and production of this 12-page local title have been centralised to Port Elizabeth. The editor is Bettie Giliomee, is a PE Express and PE Express Indaba expert. The new look, feel and layout is more in line with an EP Newspapers product offering.
