Puzzle Pros in the Spotlight

Our minds love to be challenged and what better way to engage them with a riveting puzzle or brainteaser.

Where platforms and publications are of course interested in attracting readers and site traffic to their content – it’s vital to retain them and keep them for a long time, and for them to continually return for more content.

Puzzles can be that solution and PA Media are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of these types of products – piecing together content such as crosswords and sudokus, to pitcherwits and dingbats, creating these in both digital and print form for several platforms and publications.

Head of Puzzles Peter Stirling speaks more about what makes puzzles so popular, the demand for them post-lockdown, and what’s on the horizon for his department.

• What do you think is the general appeal of puzzles with people?

Solving puzzles is an activity which some readers find very relaxing, in some cases almost meditative –  a welcome break from the stresses of everyday life. Some fans very much enjoy taking on a daily challenge which truly tests their mental ability. They are also an ideal way to pass the time when travelling. Whenever I catch a train, I am always pleasantly surprised to see a large percentage of commuters playing our puzzles.

• Lockdown created a huge captive market for puzzles – have we seen that demand drop a little since the end of the pandemic or do they remain hugely popular?

Yes – during lockdown, puzzles were a particularly popular pastime for many people. Several of our customers wanted extra pullouts for their publications during this time. A good proportion of this extra content was such a big hit with readers that they have “stuck” and are still being published on a regular basis. I have been working in this industry for almost 30 years, and I believe that now there is more interest in puzzles than ever.

• Wordle was a huge success last year – what else is proving popular with audiences at the moment?

At PA Media, we supply dozens of different types of puzzle, many of which are unique to us. For example Gogen and Pitcherwits have been big hits for us, with the latter spawning several Daily Mail branded puzzle books which continue to sell well. But whilst it’s important for us to keep coming up with new ideas, the humble crossword and sudokus remain the two most popular puzzles around.

• Where does your team get its inspiration for ideas around creating these puzzles and what are your team currently working on? Any interesting products in the works?

It is very difficult to come up with a brand new type of puzzle, but my team continue to impress me with their creativity. Inspiration can come out of the blue – sometimes when one is thinking about something entirely different, but in other cases new puzzles are the result of a specific brief suggested by a client. We are currently focusing on creating new digital interactive puzzles, and there are a few very promising ideas in the works. Watch this space!

• What is your favourite type of puzzle to engage with when you’re relaxing?

I have my fill of puzzling activity whilst I am at work, so I don’t tend to do many puzzles in my spare time in general. But when I’m off on holiday I do tend to get puzzle withdrawal symptoms, so will often find myself getting my teeth into a nice challenging cryptic crossword.

To learn more about PA Media’s puzzles products, click here.