POST reaches record circulation

"We sold a record 46 314 copies on Wednesday 22 December," says editor, Brijlall Ramguthee. "It's been such an exciting year for us with unprecedented circulation gains, despite a number of newcomers in the market."

Ramguthee says the newspaper's editorial management made some difficult decisions during the course of the year but the impact these have had had on sales of the Independent Newspapers title has shown that they made the right moves.

In September 2002, Postweekend was launched as a Friday complement to Wednesday's POST. "Postweekend was an attempt to bring a younger, more modern element to the mix," says Ramguthee. "It was filled with entertainment and fashion and had a much lighter tone."

However, readers were used to a weekly product and the Friday edition caused some confusion. "Extensive research was commissioned and we got a clear message from readers," says Ramguthee. "They liked some elements of Postweekend but preferred getting a bigger package once a week."

The POST team conceptualised a revamped product, retaining elements of the Wednesday edition and incorporating popular elements of Postweekend into the bolstered publication. "With the new POST readers wanted us to be 'moving forward without leaving anyone behind' and to be more 'entertaining, exciting, interesting, diverse and advanced.' We're a heavily cultural newspaper but by no means old-fashioned," says Ramguthee.

Started back in 1955 under the Golden City POST masthead, the title has become an institution in the community and is the established leader in its market segment. Golden City POST was flamboyant Jim Bailey's first venture into newspapers after his success with Drum magazine. The title was bought by the Argus Company in 1971 and since became part of the Independent Newspapers stable.

POST is circulated within KwaZulu-Natal and to select areas in Gauteng.

POST and the Indian community

The South African Indian community is culturally rich and represents an economically attractive segment of the market.

There are just over one million Indian people in the country, the majority of whom are settled in Durban, in the rest of KZN and to a lesser extent, in Gauteng.

POST has been 'the voice and heart' of this community since its beginnings in 1955. Flamboyant publisher, Jim Bailey, launched the Golden City POST back in the 50's after he had achieved considerable success with Drum magazine.

The newspaper changed ownership and, since1971, has been a part of the then, Argus Company, and now Independent Newspapers stable.

Current editor, Brijlall Ramguthee, joined the Golden City POST on April 1, 1969, covered every beat, from crime to politics, and was appointed editor 20 years later in January 1989.

"I've been through major lifestages with this newspaper. I started as a young hungry journalist in the apartheid era and my passion for the product over the years, remains as committed as ever," says Ramguthee.

"The Indian community has changed and POST has had to adapt. Indians have become more politically and economically influential over the years. Our research has shown that there's a trend towards keeping in touch with one's roots, religion and culture, while embracing modern, and often western, fashion, technology and entertainment.

"We've seen such a boom in modern Indian style, especially with Bollywood, eastern-style fashion and food and bhangra music. 'Cultural' doesn't mean old-fashioned. In fact, it can be very hip and we've brought those elements into POST."

"With POST we campaign for the Indian community, we keep an eye on international Indian affairs, local business and property and, of course, we entertain our readers. It's come out in our research that readers have an emotional attachment to the newspaper; they rely on POST to give them those extra 'behind the headline' details of what's really happening in the community," says Ramguthee.