New alliances are being forged as the Manchester Metro war enters
its fourth week. Manchester Metro News and its parent title, the
Manchester Evening News, have entered into an informal partnership with
North-West radio station, Century 105.4.
The station has live links to the papers’ newsroom to preview the
contents of the day’s editions and its breakfast presenter Andy Crane
has a column in Metro News. Joint advertising sales strategies are also
being discussed.
MEN ad director Mark Rix said: ’We are looking to identify sectors where
we don’t traditionally do well and which we can exploit to our mutual
benefit. The holiday sector is certainly one and sports retail is
another.’
However, Rix insisted the two media would also continue to sell to each
other.
Century is sponsoring MEN’s ’Century of Sport’ series, which each day
features two pages of famous sporting events of the 20th century. In
return, MEN is using Century to advertise its shopping vouchers
promotion for the opening of the new Marks & Spencer store in Manchester
city centre.
In a ’make peace, not war’ message, Rix said: ’It proves you don’t have
to fight with the local media. We can work together.’
