Readership
The Melbourne Observer enjoys a loyal readership of more than 50,000 people every week, who pay for their copy of the newspaper every week.
This means every reader has an investment in reading the Melbourne Observer from cover to cover ... and they do!
This is not a suburban throw-away!
First published in 1969, the Melbourne Observer focuses on building readership in the important, bigger-spending Baby Boomers and Beyond demographics.
As a weekly paid-circulation newspaper, with distribution across all suburbs of Melbourne, the Melbourne Observer provides an economic way for businesses to reach customers and potential clients.
Readers are also spread across country Victoria, where the newspaper is on sale at major newsagencies in centres including Albury-Wodonga, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Gippsland, Mildura, Shepparton, Warrnambool. The Melbourne Observer features a special Victorian Rural News feature.
The Melbourne Observer family of websites attracts 2.1 million hits annually. Each edition of the newspaper can be read free, in PDF format.
Loyal Weekly Readership
The Melbourne Observer is available for purchase at approx. 400 newsagents every Wednesday morning. Click here for a full list (PDF).
The Melbourne Observer is on sale at $2 per copy, and many readers choose to have their copy delivered fresh to their letterbox by their newsagent.
Other readers purchase their copy from their local newsagency, with a large number choosing their newsagent's 'Putaway' service.
Mark Fletcher, of the Forest Hill Newsagency, and independent publisher of the Australian Newsagency Blog, tells of the newspaper's sales success, from his point-of-view:
"I look carefully at shopping basket data for my newsagency and others and an particularly interested in the basket depth achieved from newspaper customers. The industry average in suburban (high street and mall) newsagencies is 65% to 70% of newspapers being sold alone. The Melbourne Observer, a weekly newspaper aimed at the older reader, is sold alone 35% to 40% of the time. It's an add-on sale in many cases and the traffic driver leading to more business in others. Our Melbourne Observer sales are at 80 to 100 a week and in a challenged newspaper marketplace this growth has to be appreciated. Theirs is a niche publication which serves the niche extremely well. It's more efficient in terms of inventory, real-estate and labour than half the magazines I sell. I'd note that my sales team reckon the Melbourne Observer customers are happier than most!" (Feb. 24, 2006)
Melbourne Observer Sales Success
"Melbourne Observer - weekly newspaper/magazine - a sell out again." (Dec. 3, 2005)
'Melbourne Observer achieving stellar sales success'
"The Melbourne Observer is a weekly tabloid geared to the older demographic. Our sales continue to rise. It's an example of a niche community newspaper delivering what its readers want. No harm in that. What I like about is that MO extends our connect with its demographic and these customers are loyal. I'm happy to promote it." (Nov. 10, 2005)
'Melbourne Observer - a newspaper success story'
"We used to sell two or three copies of the Melbourne Observer, a weekly tabloid newspaper. Now, we're selling between 60 and 100 copies a week. This jump in sales has occurred in the last two months. It has happened as a result of the product being re-worked to better connect with a specific demographic. It helps that the local talkback station discusses the newspaper regularly on the overnight shift. Melbourne Observer customers are not your usual newspaper customers so we’re seeing some welcome additional traffic." (Sept. 1, 2005)
Demographics
The Melbourne Observer, a paid-circulation newspaper (not a throwaway), is strong in the 30-39, 40-55, and 55-and-over age groups.
At $2 a copy, the Melbourne Observer delivers an audience with a higher-than-average disposable income.
The consistent popularity of the monthly Travel features (especially the number of repeat advertisers) is proof the spending ability of Melbourne Observer readers.
Strategic Radio Links
The Melbourne Observer has a strategic link with the 3AW Overnighters, Australia's highest rating commercial radio program (Midnight-5.30am, weekdays). The Melbourne Observer operates the www.Overnighters.com.au website for Keith McGowan's Overnighters 3AW radio program, which attracts the largest commercial radio overnight audience in Australia (source: Nielsen Media Research).
The Melbourne Observer is also featured in its own half-hour radio program on 3RPH (1179 AM) for the vision impaired, at 9pm Wednesdays. This supports strong 'brand awareness' of the newspaper title.
These radio connections reinforces the 'brand loyalty' of readers to a strong established newspaper title. And that means an active platform for advertisers who include the Melbourne Observer in their marketing schedules and promotions strategies.
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