The innovative distribution arrangement that ShortList magazine told How-Do it was close to securing is the announcement that the Manchester Evening News is to distribute the men’s weekly magazine on a permanent basis.
ShortList Media launched its new men’s title last Thursday. Over 500,000 copies were distributed of which approaching 40,000 were distributed in Manchester. The bulk of the distribution – 350,000 – was in London with the balance going out in Birmingham, Leeds and Scotland.
The agreement with MEN Media is a long-term distribution deal and came about through an initially informal meeting between the MEN and ShortList over the latter’s plans for Manchester. How-Do understands that MEN Media proposed the idea once it had a clearer idea as to ShortList’s intentions.
The news will disappoint some media pundits who believe MEN Media has already too much control over media matters in Manchester.
Karl Marsden, managing director of Shortlist said: “We’re absolutely delighted with arrangement. The feedback from the Manchester market to the launch issue last week has been tremendous – we’re delighted.
“Manchester is our biggest regional market so we are pleased to be working with the best distribution team in the business. The distributors are highly professional and motivated and the management team behind them is second to none. We are working with a highly professional, enthusiastic and trusted distribution network that gives us real strength in and around the city of Manchester.”
Dodson
Mark Dodson, chief executive of GMG Regional Media Division added: “We are delighted to be working with Shortlist on this exciting new launch. They are very focused on bringing a high quality product to the Manchester audience and we know we are the right partner to help them achieve that aim.”
ShortList told How-Do it does plan to open its own dedicated sales operation in Manchester at some stage to service regional agencies but in the interim is weighing up several options involving sales representation houses.
On a separate but related note, rumours persist that Network Rail is about to announce that MEN Media has secured the contract to publish/distribute the MEN from Monday to Friday afternoons at Piccadilly station following an open tender from which news International withdrew.
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