From Mr. Frank Brown: The anticipated decline in PLAIN TRUTH circulation has occurred in the U.K., Scandinavia, European continent and Middle East. This decrease is the result of the change in the renewal system last year, which meant that there was a "piling up” of renewals. These renewals have now taken their toll, with circulation in the U.K. dropping to about 100,000. With our nationwide advertising campaign just getting under way, however, we expect the file to grow again. It should reach the highest ever level of over 160,000.
We are also testing a new four-colour insert card in the U.K. newsstand edition and we hope this will boost our already healthy response of 2.5% to an even higher level.
Mail income for March was up 11% over March of last year, bringing the year to-date increase to 2%.
PLAIN TRUTH circulation in central and northern Africa has remained stable since it was not affected in the same way by the change in the renewal system. In this area, circulation has to be carefully controlled, otherwise it would grow beyond our means to support it financially. Circulation is now 55,700, which is 47% higher than March, 1984. The membership is growing at a remarkable rate — there are now 404 baptised members — up 10 .1% from 1984.
Following our offer of The GOOD NEWS to PLAIN TRUTH readers of two years standing, our GOOD NEWS circulation has grown considerably in all areas, as the following statistics show:
U.K. - 13,890 - +25% Scandinavia - 754 - +48% Continent of Europe - 3,330 - +33% Middle East - 1,164 - + 9%
Plans for the 1985 Feast of Tabernacles are well under way, and most U.K. members have already selected their site preferences. About 150 U.K. brethren will be travelling abroad to keep the Feast. It seems that the strength of the American dollar may have made the U.K. sites more attractive to American visitors this year. Already 450 transfers to the U.K. have been confirmed. Mr. Paul Suckling and I are planning to visit most of the U.K. sites, and we also hope to have live satellite transmission from Pasadena to Jersey, Dunoon, Southport and Tenby.
With the increasing work load at Elstree House, we have had to rethink our office arrangements. The mailing area has been enlarged to cope with the ever-increasing outflow, and Mr. Cliff Neill has joined the staff to help in this area. Further changes will take place in office layout when Mr. Gerry van der Wende joins the team in May, transferring from Publishing Services in Pasadena. He will be responsible for the evermore complex financial planning, forecasting and back-charging involved in publishing operations. He will also investigate and monitor all print costs, evaluating cost effectiveness at every stage. Since we now print 10 editions of The PLAIN TRUTH and two editions of The GOOD NEWS here in the U.K., tight financial controls are essential.
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