On 27 March, the RTE Guide will be published with a new look and feel. The redesign is just one
part of the plans that RTÉ Commercial Enterprises Limited (CEL) - publisher of the Guide - has in store to reinvigorate the brand and develop new business.
Prior to the relaunch, RTÉ CEL Publishing invested in
two waves of national consumer research in the last
eight months and carried out an extensive reader
satisfaction survey in the magazine.
"We know what works and why the RTÉ Guide remains the
best selling magazine in Ireland with half a million
readers each week," says CEL general manager Muirne
Laffan. "Building on that strength, our redesigned RTÉ
Guide will improve even more on the elements that work
and also deliver on the emerging needs of the Irish
magazine reader.
"In today's sophisticated lifestyle market, the
proliferation of media choices, fragmentation of
audiences and transformation of the "traditional" home
environment require a consumer-oriented, market-savvy
approach. We are confident that the new RTÉ Guide
responds to these challenges."
Ray Walsh, managing editor of RTÉ CEL Publishing, says
that the new RTÉ Guide will be a more useful and more
enjoyable read. "We've introduced new sections and a
completely new flow to the magazine by moving the
listings to the back of the book and combining the
features and lifestyle parts of the magazine. The new
flatplan allows us to be much more creative with the
flow of sections and it also offers more attractive
advertising environments.
"We will be building on our unique position at the heart
of the entertainment industry, to provide information
and interviews that no other Irish magazine can offer.
We will continue our policy of only printing interviews
that we have conducted ourselves. We will also continue
our policy of never buying syndicated material."
According to Paul Crosbie, Commercial Manager of CEL
Publishing, "the new RTE Guide is a more exciting
communication vehicle for advertisers as it opens up a
wider reach of audience. We have created a more
marketer-friendly environment, particularly for
cosmetic, health, entertainment, travel and retail
advertisers. With 145,921 audited sales and 500,000
weekly readers, the Guide should be considered on any
media schedule. Research demonstrates the close
relationship that readers have with the RTE Guide, which
has been illustrated by the response to promotions,
competitions and surveys over the last 12 months. The
new RTE Guide will deliver an even closer engagement for
advertisers to leverage.
"The relaunch will coincide with a significant
advertising campaign, using mostly TV, radio, print and
outdoor media which we are confident will reflect the
new look and attitude of the RTE Guide. We are also
planning a number of direct marketing, promotional and
sampling drives, and investigating moving into new
markets so that the RTE Guide becomes ever more widely
available."
