International newspaper ‘Metro’ makes local debut
Johanna Öberg, executive vice president member of the management team at Metro’s headquarters in Sweden and Hugo Pérez, marketing manager for Metro-Guatemala discuss the publication’s plans for Puerto Rico.
Metro International, the world’s largest international newspaper, is launching its free daily newspaper in Puerto Rico, publishing a special edition that will circulate today as a “sneak peek” before going into full publishing mode later this month, company officials said.
With the launch in Puerto Rico, which the company describes as the fourth largest newspaper advertising market in Latin America, Metro will be consolidating its presence in the region, reaching eight countries
“Our entrance to Puerto Rico is something we have been preparing for over a year,” said Johanna Öberg, executive vice president member of the management team at Metro’s headquarters in Sweden, who will supervise Metro operations on the island.
“We’ve been particularly thorough in developing a top quality product, as deserved by the Puerto Rican reader. With the highest GDP per capita in the region, Puerto Rico has a young adult population that is highly attractive to global brands,” she said.
This is the second free publication to throw its hat in the local ring this month, along with “Indice” published by Grupo Ferré-Rangel, owners of “El Nuevo Día” and “Primera Hora.” Both will compete head-on with “El Vocero,” which began circulating for free in the summer.
Metro is the largest newspaper in Latin America with nearly 3 million daily metropolitan readers across Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala and Colombia.
Globally, the paper is distributed in 22 countries and in 15 languages and targets urban 18-40 year olds with a busy lifestyle.
The company is already hiring a seasoned team of local journalists who, together with Metro’s 400 journalists around the world, will produce a different type of newspaper: one that is neutral and appeals to the interest of the young professional population that the newspaper is addressing.
Metro is known for its innovative and award-winning advertising campaigns across markets and media channels, and is able to offer pan-regional advertising solutions for Latin America, she said.
“I am so excited that Metro, as experts in this target audience, will be able to offer advertisers a new creative way to communicate with their clients,” said Öberg.
Following it’s business model in Chile and Mexico, Metro will launch print and online versions simultaneously. The Puerto Rico print edition will have an initial distribution from Monday to Friday, which will be delivered by distributors at strategic locations to reach its target audience.
