The brand story

The Sunday Independent serves the mainstream of Irish life, and is connected to the lives and real concerns of almost one million readers in a way that no other brand can match. The newspaper is an invigorating, sometimes controversial, mix of news, features, sport, opinion, gossip, pictures, business and analysis. It is always well written, always attractively laid out, and always entertaining. The mission of the Sunday Independent is to portray the variety and complexity of Irish life through people and human interest, and to tell the stories of the men and women who comprise the rich fabric of our society.

Household names writing for the paper include Gene Kerrigan, Brendan O’Connor, Eoghan Harris, Barry Egan, Alan Ruddock, Jody Corcoran, Eilis O’Hanlon, Victoria Mary Clarke, Carol Hunt, Anne Harris, Shane Ross, Mary O’Sullivan, George Hook, Brendan Fanning, Colm O’Rourke, John O’Brien, Dion Fanning and Dermot Gilleece.

The Sunday Independent is proud to count amongst its most inspirational writers the renowned crime journalist Veronica Guerin, who was tragically murdered in 1996.

Products and services

Part of the staying power of the Sunday Independent is the various sections it carries each week. ‘People, people, people’ — this mantra best sums up the Living section. It tells stories of love and loss, hope and heartbreak by interviewers such as Barry Egan, Sarah Caden and Ciara Dwyer. There are logs by the O’Connors (Brendan and Joseph) and the inimitable Gay Byrne.

Sunday Independent Sport is home to the country’s most opinionated columnists. Eamonn Sweeney and Tommy Conlon lead from the back, polarising the nation every week with provocative and insightful writing. Dion Fanning, Dermot Gilleece and George Hook are at the top of their game, debunking the myths and cutting to the heart of Irish sport, while former greats such as Richard Sadlier, Colm O’Rourke, Jamesie O’Connor and Páidí Ó Sé know what it takes to be a winner. It’s the place Irish sports fans go when they want the real picture, and the place Irish sportspeople go when they want to tell the real story.

Shane Ross’s Top of the Agenda column in Business carries all the inside scoops about the big deals, plus a razor-sharp analysis of the issues facing Irish business. Nick Webb and Louise McBride deliver in-depth investigative news and features, while Jane Suiter’s Property reveals the stories behind the real estate market and more importantly, who is selling their house and what price they’re seeking. Dan White drills down into Ireland’s top public companies.

And, each week, the personal finance coverage kicks the shins of bad-value showing how to save thousands of euro.

Innovation

Described as “the only truly Irish glossy magazine”, and “the only truly glossy Irish magazine” Life was launched to cover everything from passion, fashion, beauty, glamour, style and sex to food, wine, sickness and health.

Using the tagline ‘Choose Life’ in its promotion, Life invites readers to: “Choose minor celebs, major celebs, laughter, love, lifestyle, this year's models, international movers. Choose the epic and the trivial, the global and the local, stories of ourselves, told to us by ourselves. Choose politics, philosophy, protest, public faces, private statements, ideas, issues, is she really going out with him?”

Meanwhile the Property writers of the Sunday Independent continue to blend descriptive fun with property stories, creating a lively and interesting readeach week.

Marketing and promotion

The marketing agenda of the Sunday Independent is built around the newspaper’s core values, which are intrinsic to the brand’s success and are what have solidified its place as the nation’s No 1 choice. The marketing communication, much like the editorial ethos, challenges the key issues facing Irish society and promotes the paper’s writers who bring the debate to the fore every weekend. The Sunday Independent is committed to investing in national polls, questioning Irish opinions, attitudes and values towards the topic of the day, which culminate in gripping news pages that stir national discussion.