The Guardian’s First Edition newsletter, which began last month, offers readers a closer look at one important topic or news event every weekday morning, alongside a selection of the day’s key stories from across the Guardian.
Written by Archie Bland and Nimo Omer, the newsletter goes beyond an urgent summary of the headlines to feature original reporting and a sharp analysis of global news events, built around a sense of conversation and community, say the publishers.
The marketing campaign centres around the tagline ‘scroll less, understand more’, positioning the newsletter as an antidote to doom scrolling. According to the Guardian, the bold and bright creatives invite readers to cut through the noise and find clarity with First Edition, helping to better understand the day’s top stories and learn more about the world.
The promotional activity, which runs throughout May, includes: train card panels on the London Underground, Glasgow Subway, Manchester Metrolink and Liverpool Rail; high impact digital screens in busy London train stations, such as Liverpool Street, Cannon Street and Blackfriars; audio ads running across politics, news, education and learning podcasts, and paid social and search activity to help people easily find the First Edition sign up page.
The out-of-home train card panels feature QR codes to allow people to quickly scan and sign-up to First Edition, while the digital screens are day-parted with two bespoke designs to cater to both morning and evening commuters.
Joel Midgley, head of brand, Guardian News & Media, said: “It’s an exciting time for Guardian newsletters as we take marketing activity beyond our own channels for the first time to showcase our new offering. This campaign for First Edition is informed by the very same insight behind the newsletter itself: many mornings get off to a hectic start, with push notifications competing with the school run and much more. We’ll be finding new subscribers when they most need First Edition: on their daily commutes at travel hubs nationwide. We hope to drive many new sign-ups, offering readers a deeper understanding of the news alongside a daily dose of the main headlines.”
In addition to paid activity, the Guardian is also running activity across its own social channels, online and in print, as well as host reads within its top podcasts such as Today in Focus, Politics Weekly UK and Politics Weekly America.
You can subscribe to the Guardian’s First Edition newsletter here.
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