Associated Newspapers Sign Up to Newspaper Society’s AdFast System

Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers has become the second national newspaper group to sign up to the Newspaper Society's internet-based artwork delivery system AdFast.

This enables their advertising clients to send artwork securely and free of charge to the group¹s newspaper titles - the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard and the Metro free newspaper, which have combined sales and distribution of over 21.4 million copies weekly.

The first national newspaper to join AdFast was the Financial Times last summer.

Kevin Beatty, Associated Newspapers' (ANL) group managing director said that the move demonstrated Associated's commitment to providing the best possible levels of customer service for its advertisers. This will enable the business to grow its market share and revenues by making it easier for smaller advertisers to do business with ANL. The AdFast solution complements ANL's existing suite of delivery options.

Rob Fogwill, AdFast general manager added: "We are delighted to welcome the Associated Newspapers titles to AdFast. I am hopeful that other National titles will soon follow this lead. It has always been our hope that AdFast will become a portal through which files can be sent to all UK newspaper titles, and this is a major step forward towards this goal."

AdFast uses industry standard software to create and transmit PDF files via the internet. It is funded entirely by publisher subscriptions, making it available to agencies at no charge. Its popularity has been growing steadily since its launch in 2000. Fogwill added: "The growth of traffic using AdFast continues unabated in 2005 as it did over the previous four years. On an average day the AdFast servers now handle in excess of 4,500 artwork files."

The number of artwork-creating agencies using AdFast every week is now over 1,300, up from 400 at the start of 2004, a year in which AdFast celebrated a series of achievements - including an increase in traffic of 238% over 2003, and the transmission of the millionth file. Such has been the growth in use of the service that the two millionth file is likely to be registered this summer.

AdFast uses a unique database providing access to over 1,700 regional and local newspapers and associated magazines - in addition to the four Associated titles and the FT.

The latest regional titles to join AdFast include the Trader Media Group, which has added 50 titles to the system - nine national monthly and fortnightly titles, 24 regional weekly and bi-weeklies, 14 free pick-ups and the Auto Trader national sales.

For more information on AdFast, please contact Rob Fogwill on 07774 191992 or e-mail rob_fogwill@newspapersoc.org.uk.