SYDNEY: The Australian iPad app sold an incremental one million dollars worth of advertising at launch, chairman and chief executive of News Limited John Hartigan has revealed.
In his opening address to the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers’ Association (PANPA) annual Future Forum Conference in Sydney today, Hartigan said the paper has just kicked off a new sales round for the app.
“We have just begun the second round of advertising which should net us even more. All this while The Australian’s content is available for free, through the iPad’s web browser,” he said.
Hartigan said the company's recent experience with the app proved people who don't pay for apps don't use them as much because they don't value them as highly.
“In the app world, people value quality content, are willing to pay for it, and appreciate it more, having paid for it. This is exactly the experience we have had with our iPad app for The Australian. We rushed it out after being asked to partner Apple in the iPad's Australian launch. We had six weeks to get it up and running … And yet, sales exceeded our expectations.”
Hartigan delivered a wide-ranging speech on the future of publishing and newspaper journalism, in which he called for greater collaboration between journalists and technology specialists in the newsroom.
“We have to think of ourselves not just as media companies, but as media and technology companies. In my view the lines between media and technology will continue to blur until they are almost indistinguishable. I don’t mean that we’re going to start building devices. But we are going to have to get much better at developing digital products.
“Our editorial staff have to be genuine partners with our technologists. They need to treat each other as equals. So that editorial staff – journalists, photographers, artists and designers – work hand in hand with our developers to make the most of each platform.”
Hartigan admitted News Limited had made a mistake in chasing Google trafffic, suggesting publishers should develop targeted niche offerings, rather than products aimed at mass audience.
“Our competitors are people who are challenging journalism aimed at mass markets. And replacing it with well targeted, low cost, specialist news and information services,” adding later, “and in chasing Google traffic – which we later learnt wasn't worth it – we had to forgo great headlines in favour of SEO”.
Hartigan said News Limited had also learnt some valuable lessons from the Rupert Murdoch's recent and highly controversial decision to deploy pay walls at The Times and The Sunday Times in the UK.
He said the move, which unofficial sources have since claimed has led to a halving of the site's audience, told the media company five things audiences “love most about the new websites now they are behind a pay wall”.
Hartigan listed the five learnings as follows: sports reports, supported by podcasts and interactive graphics, spectrum galleries, live chats with key columnists and journalists such as Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkrson, The Sunday Times' culture planner, and breaking news.
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