Herald's new website all about audience

The new nzherald.co.nz website has been unveiled today, with a new design to meet the evolving needs of its audience.

The updated site is mobile first, reflecting the way the majority of Herald readers are accessing their news.

NZME Managing Editor Shayne Currie said: "Our new site is designed to bring journalism to our audience in a way that makes it easier to read and enjoy, whether breaking news, exclusive reporting, in-depth data interactives or eye-catching visuals."

"Our audience are much more mobile now," says Currie. "So we designed the new site with mobile first and foremost - the site is responsive, using flexible design to ensure it looks great, whatever screen you're using.

"Another of the main changes is the left navigation, aimed at getting users to the content quickly and easily, along with signposting for different types of stories.

"Articles are also now labelled with how long they will take to read - whether it be a minute or two on the run, or a deeper reading experience. Images are also bigger and bolder, to bring important news events to life, or highlight our great lifestyle content," says Currie.

The redesign comes with NZME's licensing of the state-of-the-art Arc platform, designed by the Washington Post for modern news rooms and used by Canada's Globe and Mail, Argentina's Infobae and the Alaska Dispatch News.

"This partnership is the beginning of something great," said NZME CEO Michael Boggs.

"Our relationship with our audience and advertisers is core to our business success.

Delivering content and premium advertising opportunities to them every day is vital and the Arc Publishing suite, along with the redesign will enable this to continue to happen.

"The implementation of Arc over the coming months is a significant step in NZME's aim to stay at the forefront of global publishing technology."

Currie said: "The Arc platform helps journalists create, optimise and enrich their content and allows them to analyse its performance. It will give us huge flexibility."

To launch the new site, NZME ran a nationwide campaign partnering with 43 fish and chip shops around New Zealand. Each fish and chip shop was sent 1000 broadsheet size wrappers specially printed with the message "You've Changed. So Have We."

"Our readers' appetite for news has completely reshaped how we serve up news, sport and entertainment on the New Zealand Herald site," says Anita Waugh, GM Brand & Communications at NZME.

"This is a unique, engaging and quintessentially kiwi way to launch our digital site around New Zealand," she continues. "We've used fish and chip wrappers to create a new form of media."

Justin Pilkington from participating fish and chip shop, Mt Eden Village Fish Shop says the wrapper is proving popular.

"We're getting a really good response from customers - they want to know what's going on, and what this is all about. We're directing them to the website."