Free daily newspaper Metro has launched a newly designed website and mobile apps with a new $5-million national advertising campaign–the paper’s biggest marketing push to date.
Metro worked with Xtreme Labs for the updated apps, which it said are now faster, easier to navigate, and include a more visual cover screen with a big box ad unit. The ability to share content has also been improved.
Android users can schedule the app to automatically download new content to their phone at a specific time each day.
Metro went to market with its first app three years ago. While it has performed exceedingly well for the paper, Jodi Brown, vice-president of interactive and marketing for Metro English Canada, said it was time to make updates to keep in line with evolving technology.
Brown said Metro has reduced the “clutter” on the website and increased its focus on local news. For instance, the “Life” section once had 10 sub-categories. Now the site posts articles under “Food” and “Health” headings to simplify.
Metro built the new site in-house, which Brown said allows them to be “reactive” to advertisers needs.
The apps and website went live April 2, the same day Metro expanded its distribution to 15 cities across Canada from nine.
Both Saskatoon Metro and Regina Metro launched with print, online and mobile versions, while digital-only editions became available in Victoria, B.C. as well as Hamilton, Kitchener and Windsor, Ont.
The large-scale advertising campaign from Rethink includes cinema spots, radio, online, mobile and a subway station domination downtown Toronto.
Its creative focus is the paper’s share-ability.
Interior transit, transit shelter and billboards are also running in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Regina and Saskatoon. Metro handled the media buy in-house.
