Metro ponders brand extensions

Executives at free newspaper Metro are in discussions over how best to extend the brand and are considering magazines, online publishing and podcasting.

The Associated Newspapers-owned freesheet, which launched in 1999, distributes more than 1 million copies a day with an estimated readership of 1,800,000.

Now Metro bosses are considering how to take the brand forward and have discussed options including a monthly or quarterly lifestyle and entertainment magazine.

Online publishing, podcasting – making Metro-branded radio content available for downloading – and even a weekend edition of Metro have all been considered, the main criterion for any project being how easily money could be made.

Metro executive director Doug Reid says: “We are looking for ways to extend the brand, though we aren’t acting to any particular time-scale. Magazines, online publishing and podcasting are all being looked at – even a Sunday Metro has crossed people’s minds, but it didn’t make sense financially. It is healthy for our business to be looking at future options.”

Metro hired Heresy as its creative agency earlier this year after a pitch against Isobel.