SOME GOOD, SOME BAD, BUT THANKS FOR YOUR FEEDBACK
As we wrap up the first week of the reimagined Regina LeaderPost, I want to thank you, our readers, for the way you’ve embraced the changes we’ve made.
I’ve been a part of several revamps, rebrands and redesigns in my 20-plus years in the media, but none of them has been as all-encompassing as what we unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
We overhauled our print product, our website, our tablet app and our smartphone app, all with the understanding that since each platform has a unique audience, we should therefore provide unique content on each of them.
And while change is never easy, the strategy appears to be paying off. Although the praise was by no means universal, I can safely say I’ve never received more compliments on a redesign than I have on this one.
“I have been reading the paper copy version of the Leader-Post all of my life and like the new format,” one longtime reader said in an email on launch day. “Spent more time reading it than I ever have this morning. So I tried the new smartphone app and liked the informal, easy-to-read articles … Good job!”
There were some criticisms, of course. A few people said they found our new logo, with its white type on a gold background, hard to read. Others didn’t care for the way the sections were ordered, while a few even chided us for using a red pillbox on the front of our sports section, rather than Roughrider green. We also had some technical issues with our e-paper, where some readers found they couldn’t access their subscriptions.
“I had to write in to say that I am really disappointed in the way this paper has changed to this new format this week,” one 30-year subscriber told us. “It is hard to read and the articles are difficult to understand. No longer does the headline jump out at you.”
Although nobody likes to get complaints, every call and email we received proved to be invaluable. Some concerns fell into the “I’ll get used to it” category, but others could be quickly and easily corrected — including the sunrise/sunset times on the weather page and a wonky Wonderword puzzle — thanks to the diligence of our readers.
So to everyone who contacted us, whether it was to raise a concern or hand out some kudos, I thank you and I invite you to keep the feedback coming.