Fairfax Debuts Compact Version

Fairfax is launching its compact version of Melbourne’s The Age and Sydney Morning Herald as the company tries to step up its readers’ numbers. This is the first time that Fairfax has moved into a more compact size after a long history of publishing broadsheets.

Garry Linnell, the editorial director of Fairfax Metro Media, said the company expects that more readers would buy the tabloid size. He added that although readers may be surprised with the new size, circulation should spike in the long term.

Steve Allen, a media buyer and director of Fusion Media, said advertisers appear unsurprised with the change. He added that it would take at least a week to see the reaction of advertisers. Allen also said that current advertisers are already present in the regular sections so there is really no difference in the size.

Fairfax has moved into the direction of compact newspapers to differentiate the brand from its competitors like Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph.

Despite the change in size, however, Fairfax’s advertising rates remain the same. The company said that because the size is more compact, readers are more engaged with the advertisements. It also pointed researches on brain-scanning and eye-tracking.