In general reading a newspaper is not considered cool amongst students. If the i wants to become the biggest selling newspaper to students it needs to become cool. A brand that is considered cool is red bull, this is because they hold cool events and sponsor cool things. Red Bull sponsors snow boarding, skiing, extreme motor biking, F1 racing, rugby, ice hockey, and surf boarding.
There most recent red bull adventure was the Red Bull Fashion Factory it was launched for London fashion week hosting shows from elite designers,. Vivienne Westwood was very involved. It also gave many graduate students a well earned break into the fashion industry allowing them to showcase their work.
Another well known cool brand is Tennents. T in the park is eighteen years old this year and is one of the best, elaborate advertising campaigns ever. Hugh Tennent describes the event "with music, good times and my marvelous lager". Everyone knows about Tennents and it has become a Scottish tradition. Scottish people are very proud of their country and because it is well known for being Scottish, Scots are more likely to drink it. Even people that do not drink Tennents regularly will drink Tennents at T in the park because it is part of the legacy.
i needs to associate with something cool so that it will then become cool. Students will want to read newspapers if they are considered fashionable.
We needed someway of making a popular event that is enjoyable for both genders and is related to i in someway. The Independant does not promote drinking, a festival was out of the question.
Our group came up with the idea of creating a comedy show, that could travel to all student unions in Britain. Taking inspiration from 'mock of the week' and 'have i got news for you'. A celebrity is needed to give the show publicity. Up coming comedians that are also students will give i the publicity it needs to be cool and young and in return give the student a well deserved boost required to break into the cut throat industry of comedy. A few names were batted around: Jimmy Carr, Daniel Sloss and David O'Doherty.
The tag line could be "its no joke, the i will become popular".
This also needs to connect into are other ideas. After research we discovered the i was not selling well because of bad positioning in shops and little advertising. A vending machine placed in student spots around the city combats this problem. Vintage American style vending machines will allow students to find the newspaper quickly and easily, with no other competition imposing. Perfect for a student with ten minutes to kill for the bus or half an hour till their next class.
People buy a newspaper as an experience. As the i wants to capture those who are not set in there ways about which newspaper they buy. They need to cash in on this experience. The younger generation does so much online that buying a newspaper and having ten minutes to yourself in your own little i world is very relaxing. Students spend very little time on their own, you live with lots of people, go to university with lots of people, go to a crowded gym, perhaps they work somewhere hectic. Getting ten minutes alone, for some personal space can be very rewarding. A lot of people will read a newspaper when they are at their parents house, foot loose. It can be like a home comfort to read a newspaper. To feel the paper between your fingers and hear the russle as you turn a page. The i could be slotted into papers for free over Christmas so that all students read them while they are a their parents house and then hopefully will keep buying the light, biased free newspaper when they get back to student accommodation.
Future plans for the group: we have split into three groups. One will focus on the vending machine. Finding the right places for them and how to advertise for the comedy night on both sides. Group two are looking at stores to see if posters could be put up to advertise the i, cheaper tickets for the comedy night if you buy the i. A card board cut out of the comedian at the front door of the shop, holding a copy of the i. Research further into the physiology of why people buy newspapers, what section they read, how much they spend, etc. The focus is the comedy night for group three, creating posters and researching comedians.
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