At a time when attention to advertising is declining, new research from Novus Media shows most people act on marketing in community newspapers. The study reveals that almost all readers take measurable action after seeing advertisements in their local papers.
“The study found that up to 97% of readers take action after seeing products or services advertised in their local paper. Whether it’s visiting a store, making a purchase, or recommending a product to friends, local press is a powerful catalyst for consumer behaviour”, says Esmé Smit, general manager at Novus Media. The high action rate is particularly notable among the food, groceries, and clothing sectors.
This data point highlights the enduring influence of hyperlocal print media, particularly for retailers seeking foot traffic and sales conversion. By contrast, an experiment done by Guardian journalist Owen Gibson revealed that he saw 250 adverts from over 100 brands in 70 different formats in just 90 minutes. How many adverts could he recall without aided prompting? Only one.
For marketers and media buyers, the most compelling aspect of community newspapers is their demonstrated ability to generate consumer action:
- 52% of readers purchase products advertised in newspaper inserts
- 54% go online to look for more information
- 54% visit stores based on local paper advertisements
- 38% save inserts for future reference
- 38% recommend advertised products to others
- 81% of respondents prefer receiving advertising inserts in their newspapers over post-box distributions
- 82% consistently check these inserts, with two-thirds doing so weekly.
A trusted family member
“The newspaper is part of the family,” says Neil Tapinos, sales director at Novus Media. “It stays on the dining room table. The family can read about hyperlocal content close to home, which is highly relevant and means something to them personally.
This intimate connection between community newspapers and their readers creates a level of trust rarely seen in other media, say Smit and Tapinos. The research revealed that local newspapers ranked as the second most trusted medium after radio, but first for relevant and practical information.
The study is conducted every two years to uncover fresh market insights, explains Smit. “One constant across all our surveys is the strong reader engagement and the clear actions they take, whether it’s visiting stores or keeping the inserts for future reference,” she says.
Locals activate shoppers
“The types of actions vary,” says Tapinos. “People will either immediately get in their car and go to the shop, go online to investigate the product more, or have a neighbour around for tea and talk about what they saw: ‘Did you see Nescafé Gold at this price?’ What’s different about local media is that it creates conversation and behaviours that drive action.”
Novus Media, a division of Novus Holdings, acquired 38 local titles from Media24 at the end of 2024. This represents a combined weekly print readership of 3.2 million. The local newspapers have 922,500 social media followers.
The demographic profile of community newspaper readers explains part of this effectiveness. “Our average reader age is in the 40s,” Smit notes. “It’s the middle-income, family-oriented audience that we serve. They’re still part of the aspirational market and the acquiring market, a very captive and attractive buyers’ audience.”
Engaging content
“Readers still spend 32 minutes on average with their community paper — an engagement time that digital platforms can only dream of, where five to 10 minutes is classified as average,” Tapinos says.
This extended engagement translates to higher advertising impact. Papers typically remain in households for four to five days, with a pass-along rate of three to four people per edition. The predictability of delivery also creates anticipation for advertising content.
“What stands out across all our research is the uniqueness of our content. Our newspapers arrive in the home as a trusted, friendly presence because we deliberately avoid sensitive content, hard news or sensationalism. Instead, we focus on delivering content that is genuinely valuable and relevant to the whole household. This approach fosters a strong connection with our readers and reinforces the role of our newspapers as a positive, reliable resource in their daily lives,” says Smit.
Hard news burnout
Mainstream news outlets worldwide are grappling with “news avoidance”. Global audiences are deliberately limiting their news consumption due to negative impacts on mental health and well-being.
International research from Reuters Institute showed 39% of respondents now selectively avoiding news due to overwhelm, negativity, or distrust. A Guardian investigation revealed a growing “switch-off” phenomenon, with some readers disconnecting entirely: “I can’t cope with it any more. It’s just too much,” one reader told the news brand.
While mainstream news struggles, Novus’s findings reveal growing trust built on familiarity, because editors and journalists at local newspapers are community members, not distant figures.
Local newspapers resonate
The content mix has an uplifting, practical focus with recipes, community events, school sports, and local business spotlights that bring the community together, unlike the divisive headlines that make up hard news.
The high trust factor stems from genuine community integration. “The editor lives in the community, is part of the WhatsApp groups and is known to the readers. The journalist might be your neighbour or your neighbour’s nephew. Even the person who delivers the newspaper is probably well known,” Tapinos explains. “It’s not just someone writing on Twitter [now X] about something that’s happened. Trust is generated because you can attribute the news to someone in your community that you know.”
Smit adds that this trust manifests in remarkable ways: “People rely on us to get the facts right. They will see something on social media and then call us, email us, or comment on our social platforms to validate what they’ve heard. In smaller communities like Paarl and Worcester, if they’ve got a problem with the municipality or roads, they phone the local paper because they get a response.”
Enabling local businesses
While national retailers have long recognised the power of community newspapers, Novus Media has recently expanded its focus to support small businesses. A new service is helping community firms through digital transitions by creating digital shopfronts, social ads and digital marketing. This creates a virtuous cycle that strengthens both local commerce and the paper itself.
This local business enablement approach includes special editions for business milestones or community events. The approach has been so successful that it now represents a significant portion of Novus Media’s direct revenue.
“When we’re getting repeat business from people who own small businesses, who are giving up their hard-earned money to put into marketing, you must know it’s having results for them,” Tapinos adds.
So for media buyers, local isn’t just lekker, it works, and community newspapers continue to demonstrate their unmatched ability to drive consumer action through trust, relevance and genuine community connection.
Charles Lee Mathews is a senior editor to MarkLives MEDIA and a senior writer to MarkLives.com, as well as co-founder of The Writers, a writing consultancy.
