The Daily Mail Irish edition has suffered a further sharp drop in its average daily sale, according to the latest circulation figures. Emmet Oliver reports.
The figures from the UK's Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) put its average daily sale in June at 54,641, down from 60,385 in the month before that. This represents a drop of 9.5 per cent.
While lower sales in the summer months are traditional in the newspaper industry, the Daily Mail Irish edition has been suffering an erosion of its sales for several months. Back in March it was able to boast sales of 82,787.
The paper, owned by Associated Newspapers Ireland, would find it hard to attract significant advertising if its sale dropped below the 50,000 point.
The paper has benefited from strong promotion since its launch earlier this year, but this activity does not appear to have bolstered the title.
Several Associated executives believe the daily edition suffers from a lack of identification with its sister paper, Ireland on Sunday.
Because of this Associated may be prepared to change the name of Ireland on Sunday to Mail on Sunday, Irish edition.
Other industry observers believe the success of freesheets, Metro and Herald AM, may be also be damaging the Daily Mail.
Advertisers have said the paper needs to recruit more Irish journalists and increase the Irish content. Ironically the Daily Mail's UK edition is now the second most popular paper in Britain after the Sun, although its sales were also down in June by 2.09 per cent.
The UK and Irish editions depend heavily on CD giveaways, although this is now common across the industry.
The UK edition sells two million copies, with 125,981 of this sale originating in Scotland.
The paper sells the majority of copies at full cover price in the UK, although thousands of copies are given away at a discount to the airlines. Associated Newspapers is ultimately controlled by Fleet Street press baron Viscount Rothermere.
