The Newspaper Society has launched a website aimed at aiding advertisers understand of social, behavioural and political differences between regional communities in the UK.

The site has been built using the findings from Local Matters, a national study commissioned by the Newspaper Society (NS).

The study divided the UK into 12 regions and asked questions about attitudes towards issues including economy, personal safety, sports, environmental awareness, community and national government.

The site has been designed to encourage a less London-centric approach to advertising campaigns from agencies predominantly based in the capital and to aid understanding of regional differences and media use.

Robert Ray, marketing director for the Newspaper Society, said the interactive planning tool would assist agencies and advertisers to see regional variations and help them increase the relevance of their campaigns to local audiences.