Daily Mirror Cuts Cover Price

The recently relaunched Daily Mirror has today sparked a new price war by cutting its cover price to 20p, a move which has been followed by News International’s Sun.

Trinity Mirror announced the price cut, which is the second phase of the paper’s brand relaunch (see Mirror Drops Red Top For New Look), on Saturday. News International responded yesterday saying that it would match the move by reducing the price of the Sun from 30p to 20p.

According to Trinity Mirror, the move is part of a wider integrated strategy to build the Mirror brand by attracting younger readers and encouraging existing readers to buy the paper more often.

The monthly ABC figures for April show that the Daily Mirror, which has moved to distance itself from its red-top competitors and reposition itself as a more serious paper, has seen circulation decline by 4.9% year on year to 2,108,530. The Sun has also seen circulation decline over the last twelve months, slipping 4.1% year on year during April to 3,351,648.

Trinity Mirror claims that it has moved away from “short-term circulation boosting initiatives” and hopes to increase sales of the Daily Mirror with a new ad campaign featuring TV and 48-sheet poster activity. The paper’s editor, Piers Morgan, said: “Now there’s no excuse for anyone to buy any other title. Its simply the best paper at the best price.”

News International is no stranger to price wars and its decision cut the cover price of the Times in the early 90’s prompted fierce competition from the Daily Telegraph.

Trinity Mirror: 020 7293 3000 www.trinitymirrorplc.uk News International: 020 7782 3922 www.newscorp.co.uk

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