Piaras Kelly PR - Public Relations in Ireland

War grows out of the desire of the individual to gain advantage at the expense of his fellow man - Napoleon Hill

The figures are out and Herald AM has drawn first blood. Independent Newspapers’ freesheet distributed 66,047 copies, while Metro Ireland only gave out 55,196 copies. While Herald AM may be claiming a victory, it is worth noticing the difference between the pair in terms of how many locations each was distributed from. Herald AM had an average distribution network of 114 locations during the month, whereas the Metro was given out in 91 locations.

Like I said before, the battle between the freesheets will ultimately come down to distribution. Herald AM had the upper hand in this respect because of their parent company’s previous distribution network before being a newspaper salesman was beneath the average Irishman.

However if I was in Herald AM, I’d start to get a little worried. The Metro has been advertising for Irish journalists for some time now and as they begin to come aboard we’ll see a shift in the content the publication currently to offer. The 50/50 split between recycled news from the UK & Europe and Irish news will gradually shift to stories from the Emerald Isle. Then the paper will begin to resonate with its audience.

So while it may be first blood to Herald AM, the paper hasn’t struck a killer blow. While I initially thought this would lead to the demise of its twin publication, the Evening Herald, I think the likes of the Star and the Mirror have a lot more to be frightened about.

Technorati Tags: Ireland, Metro, Piaras Kelly, Herald AM