Chicago Sun-Times' circulation rises p.

By: Mark Fitzgerald

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES' daily circulation has taken a big jump, propelled by an aggressive marketing campaign that capitalized on the 15? cover price difference between the tabloid and the rival Chicago Tribune.
In the three months ended Dec. 27, daily circulation increased 26,386 to 558,738 ? a 5% boost over the same period in 1991, according to unaudited figures submitted in an interim report to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
The daily figure represents a five-year high for the newspaper, said Tom Foster, Sun-Times senior vice president of consumer sales and marketing.
Foster said the big gain vindicated the newspaper's ongoing "Smart Choice" marketing campaign launched Sept. 23.
In September, the Sun-Times decided to keep its daily cover price at 35? and not match the Tribune's cover price increase to 50?. The Tribune's home-delivery price was increased to 40? a copy.
In the developing marketing campaign, the Sun-Times first contrasted its price with the "42% increase" for the Tribune.
Later tv and radio advertising focused on specific columnists such as gossip mavens Irv Kupcinet and Michael Sneed, movie critic Roger Ebert and daily columnist Richard Roeper.
The campaign also drew attention to redesigns of the newspaper's business, entertainment and local news sections, plus the auto and health sections.
The Tribune has responded with a heavy television ad campaign of its own.
In the latest ABC FAS-FAX, for the six months ended Sept. 30, 1992, the Tribune reported a daily circulation of 724,257 and Sunday sales of 1,109,622.
According to the figures submitted to ABC, Sun-Times Sunday circulation increased by 6,544, or 1.2%, to 551,727 compared with a year ago.
At $1.25, the Sunday Sun-Times is a quarter cheaper than the Sunday Tribune.