Australian regional publisher APN has “tested the water” for personalised newspapers with a promotion in its smallest daily masthead.

The digitally-printed wrapper hand-delivered last Sunday to subscribers of the Warwick Daily News following the city’s annual rodeo created a “huge response”, with one reader ever writing in to say thank-you.

The wrap – featuring a holiday promotion – was printed on a Screen inkjet web press at Gold Coast marketing specialist Alphabet Publishing and collated with the newspaper at APN Print’s Yandina, Queensland, print site. Drivers from APN’s Toowoomba site hand-delivered almost 600 subscriber copies while newsagents received a modified version.

APN’s general manager for regional operations Gary Osborne says the group has been exploring opportunities created by current digital newspaper printing technology, and had visited some user sites with suppliers.

“We’re looking at business models which would work in a small niche environment,” he says.

Despite the Warwick pilot, Osborne says APN’s primary use is likely to be for short-run “static” editions rather than variable data, although personalised print might be used for promotions such as the rodeo. With an audited circulation of about 2,700 copies, the Warwick Daily News is APN Australian Regional Media’s smallest daily.

In daily newspapers last week, regional media editorial director Bryce John canvassed what he described as the “nirvana” of the print media industry.

“How would you like your own special newspaper, full of the type of news you want, delivered to your door,” he writes. “With your name printed on the front page, with the four pages of rugby you want, minus the 2-3 pages you never read in the normal paper?”

Competition entries in what Johns suggests “could have been an Australian first” were extremely high, with the response from subscribers (who had personalised copies) four times higher than retail buyers (who received a generic version).

He hypothesises a “dream world” with niche news delivered to those who want it and geo and demographically-targetted “relevant and contextual” advertising, adding, “we’re a little way away from getting there yet”.

Johns says delivery of the Warwick special was challenging and digital presses "remain too slow” to feed mass markets, but adds the trial “has given hope that it could be a solution where we operate.

“And it shows innovation is alive and well in the print industry”.

Pictured: Warwick manager Bruce Partridge with his personalised newspaper

Right: Bryce Johns canvasses future opportunities