The tablet pilot ended: People in Lapland ready to adopt the digital newspaper

Alma Media Corporation    Press release    31 May 2013 at 15:00 (EEST)

THE TABLET PILOT ENDED: PEOPLE IN LAPLAND READY TO ADOPT THE DIGITAL NEWSPAPER

The results of the tablet pilot conducted in sparsely populated areas in Lapland in April and May were encouraging for digital newspapers. The customers of the Lapin Kansa newspaper and Alma Regional Media residing beyond the reach of early morning deliveries who participated in the pilot were satisfied with faster delivery of the news. They also felt that reading the paper from the digital device was a clear improvement when compared to traditional print media.

Up to a third of the Laplander media Lapin Kansa’s subscribers are beyond the reach of the early morning deliveries and only receive the newspaper after noon. However, delivering the printed paper early in the morning is financially and geographically impossible in sparsely populated areas.

– We wanted to look into whether the digital newspaper could offer better and faster delivery of news to those residing in sparsely populated areas. Already approximately 95% of homes in Lapland have a fast 3G connection, so we believe that the time for adopting digital newspapers more extensively is ripe, says Matti Posio, Editor-in-chief of Lapin Kansa.

The tablet pilot for Lapin Kansa and Alma Regional Media was carried out during April and May in Äkäslompolo in Kolari municipality and in Lisma in Inari municipality. The pilot provided 50 customers residing in locations beyond the reach of early morning deliveries with a tablet device and the digital edition of Lapin Kansa for a period of six weeks. The test users gave feedback on the reading experience and possible technical problems, among other things. In addition, the aim also was to get new ideas for Lapin Kansa’s content development and online product development.

Readers of different ages and with different technical skills felt the adoption of the digital newspaper and reading it from the tablet was surprisingly easy. The pilot was experienced as exciting and inspiring, and it changed the daily rhythm of many participants.

– We are very happy with the results of the pilot. The media use of even the long-term subscribers of the newspaper changed during the pilot. The regional newspaper became part of the morning routines and chipped away at the time used watching television and listening to the radio, Matti Posio continues.

The pilot showed that for many readers a digital newspaper that can be read in the morning is a more appealing alternative than a printed paper delivered in the afternoon. For the people participating in the pilot, the speed of receiving the paper and content was more important than whether the paper was in print or digital format.

– Encouraged by the pilot, we want to offer more functional alternatives alongside the printed newspaper in the future and promote the chance of only subscribing to the digital newspaper to those living beyond the reach of early morning deliveries. Already during the summer, we will also offer the digital newspaper and a tablet in a combined package to people residing outside the reach of the early morning deliveries in Lapland, tells Matti Posio.

For more information, please contact:
Jaakko Sipola, Sales Director, Circulation Sales, Alma Regional Media, tel. +358 50 911 3508
Matti Posio, Editor-in-Chief, Lapin Kansa, tel. +358 40 7717828


Alma Media in brief

Alma Media is a media company focusing on digital services and publishing. In addition to news services, the company’s products provide useful information related to lifestyle, career and business development. The services of Alma Media have expanded from Finland to the Nordic countries, the Baltics and Central Europe. The company employs approximately 1,900 professionals (excluding distributors), of whom over 20% work outside Finland. Alma Media’s revenue in 2012 totalled approximately MEUR 320. Alma Media’s share is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. Read more at www.almamedia.com

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