La Presse attracts new readers, strong digital ad revenues

After discontinuing its weekday print edition at the beginning of 2016, La Presse is seeing an impressive increase in weekday readership, particularly among younger adults, as well as strong digital ad sales.

In a new blog post for INMA, La Presse president and publisher Guy Crevier outlines how the media company is transforming its business model with a multi-platform strategy to attract new readers and advertisers.

According to Crevier, weekly readership numbers for the Montreal daily have jumped 30 percent, while advertising revenues for the paper’s website and the La Presse+ mobile app now account for more than 80 percent of the company’s total advertising revenue. A focus on digital has also helped La Presse attract a younger audience; 63 percent of La Presse+ readers are 25 to 54 years, compared to 46 percent for the print edition.

“In a rapidly changing industry – where growth is rare – our success stands out as a model for any news media company looking to embrace change,” says Crevier. “With La Presse+, we’re reaching a younger audience. We’ve preserved premium advertising rates, and based on recent polls, our ads are appreciated by 90% of our readers.”

Visit INMA to read the entire blog post.