New day for Agora

Agora's new daily has been on newsstands since the beginning of last week. The company aims to make it one of the top three best-selling newspapers by the end of this year. According to Agora's estimates the new project's financial success will be achieved if average weekly sales of Nowy Dzień (New Day) amount to 250,000.

The company has also launched a pan-media advertising campaign. "In Q4 2005 we have already spent zł.25-30 million on the advertising campaign and we are planning to invest a further zł.35-45 million next year," said Michał Rutkowski, promotions and marketing director of Nowy Dzień.

Agora CEO Wanda Rapaczyński confirmed that in the initial phase the project will significantly depress the company's financial results. However, its dividend policy is not going to be altered. She also said that six months is the period after which Agora will be able to tell whether the project should continue or be terminated.

Nowy Dzień will be published six days a week and - except for Thursdays - will sell for zł.1. The Thursday edition supplemented with a TV guide will cost zł.1.50. According to Jerzy Wójcik, editor-in-chief of Nowy Dzień, the new publication will be a mid-market daily thanks to which press readership in Poland is going to increase. It is expected that its main competitors will be Axel Springer's tabloid Fakt but also Agora's Gazeta Wyborcza.