London's street newspaper distributors frustrate me. From sellers of the Evening Standard, the oldest London newspaper distributed through street vendors, you are lucky to get a "Standard!" or a "West End Final!" It's unimaginative, uninformative and dull.
The London Paper and the London Lite are even worse. "Free Lite!" is a particularly despiriting example. It doesn't communicate anything at all. I'm pretty certain that every person in London knew, within days of the free papers launching, that they are free. It is noise for the sake of noise.
Why don't they say anything interesting? I'm pretty certain that a lot of people are like me. They buy the Standard or take a free paper when they see an interesting story on the cover. If they shouted out what the headline story is they might spark people's curiosity and get a customer. It would also make the whole process so much more interesting and characterful.
5 comments:
It would be more amusing if they all had oversized flat caps and shouted "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" before crying the latest headline. As you say, it would also be more informative. I think "Dave Cole to rule over us like a king" has a good ring to it...
That was roughly the image I had in my head. :)
What, me ruling over everyone like a king?
I have to say that on at least on occasion, while NOT worse for the wear, I have almost fallen to the ground as a result of a free newspaper been *shoved* at me.
The guys outside Birmingham New Street are the worst -- first time it happened to me I thought I was about to be the victim of a stabbing.
Is there not a 'Free newspaper preference service' (FNPS) like TPS?
It would be nice to be able to walk down Victoria Street and not have to refuse or accept half a dozen free newspapers.
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