Viveat Susan Pinto
Media

Battleground Mumbai: Dailies woo with more pages, new sections

TOI recently introduced a section called Times Nation, HT promises a 40-page issue with regular supplements, while DNA will hit the stands with over 40 pages of content

In the next few months, readers in Mumbai will be bombarded with a deluge of pages from new entrants – Hindustan Times and DNA. Both the papers promise to be thick issues with something for everybody.

HT, according to market sources, will be a 40 page-issue with additional supplements on six days, while Sundays will see a 14-page magazine called HT Brunch.

DNA intends going a step further with an over-40-page issue for Mumbaikars. According to sources, DNA will be the thickest of all papers with pages in the region of 50 and above.

In terms of new sections, The Times of India has taken the lead launching Times City, Times International and Times Trends. The latter (Times Trends) is of two pages contained in the eight-page Times International pullout. These were launched over the last few months.

Two weeks back, the paper introduced the approximately 5-6 page Times Nation. With these sections, TOI, which is priced at Rs 4 on weekdays and Rs 5 on Sundays, not only appears interesting, but is easily navigable as well.

Evidently, the Old Lady of Boribunder is in no mood to allow rivals to destabilise her position in the key market of Mumbai.

As Jaisurya Das, MD and principal consultant, Xanadu Consulting Group, says, “Building value at the same price is a long-term strategy as opposed to dropping price, which is good as a penetration strategy. When you build value, there is room to increase advertising rates as well as the cover price.”

At the moment, both HT and DNA are wooing readers with attractive subscription offers in a bid to penetrate the Mumbai market. HT, as reported earlier, is available at 97 paise per copy for those who opt for a year’s subscription at Rs 348. The cover price of HT from July 1 – that is when the paper is scheduled to hit the stands – will be Rs 3 on weekdays and Rs 4.50 on weekends.

DNA, meanwhile, will be priced at Rs 4, when it launches around July-end/August. However, the paper will be available at Rs 2 for six months for those who subscribe to it. For such people, other allied benefits will include an entry into the DNA Founder-Partner Club, which entitles members (or subscribers) and their families to special privileges throughout the year. © 2005 agencyfaqs!

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