P is threatened with isolation
Advertising Market: The Basler Zeitung and the Südostschweiz are parting ways with P. Others may soon follow.
Advertising market Basler Zeitung and Südostschweiz are separating from the P. Others could soon follow. What has long been on the cards will become reality from January 1, 2008: Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM), publisher of the Basler Zeitung (BaZ), the free Baslerstab newspaper and various local newspapers, is going independent. However, PubliGroupe will retain a 37 percent stake in BZM. The chequered history of the relationship between Publicitas and the Hagemann publishing family goes back over 80 years. It was Fritz Hagemann, the grandfather of today's BaZ publisher Matthias Hagemann, who established the first contacts with P as a shareholder of the then National Zeitung. When the merger with Basler Nachrichten took place in 1976 under father Hans-Rudolf Hagemann, P was a minority shareholder.
Just three years ago, the relationship between P and BaZ was so good that Publicitas Basel decided to move into the BZM building. A "Publicitas" logo is emblazoned on the BZM building - above that of the "Basler Zeitung". At the same time, the lease between P and BZM was up for renewal and the relationship was already strained. Only six months earlier, the deal between P and NZZ had taken place, in which P ceded three publishing stakes in the Zurich regional newspapers to NZZ in exchange for the NZZ advertising management. This deal shook the confidence of BaZ publisher Matthias Hagemann, as PubliGroupe in turn holds 37 percent of BZM.
Accordingly, the management negotiations became increasingly difficult and ultimately lasted one and a half years (until spring 2006). Shortly afterwards, the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung in Liestal joined the Mittelland Zeitung, whose advertising management is also in P hands. Since then, the spat has been perfect, as P markets two competing daily newspapers in the same region. However, BZM also added fuel to the fire by starting to set up its own advertising agency under the name Key Media in summer 2005. The separation became apparent in September 2006 at the latest, when BZM marketed the new BaZ large circulation itself from the outset - via the newly founded BZM Werbe AG. The personnel and structural changes initiated by P in Northwestern Switzerland and on the BZM Board of Directors came too late.
The departure from the BZM means two things for the P: it is losing its most important source of income in Switzerland's second largest city. Accordingly, it is reducing its staff here. Above all, however, its (revenue) situation is completely new: apart from BZM, several publishers have broken away from the P lease in the last three years. Südostschweiz became largely independent in April (see box). Landbote, Thurgauer Zeitung and Walliser Bote had previously taken or announced the step of becoming independent. From 2008, almost every German-speaking region of Switzerland will therefore have its own daily newspaper: In the Golden Triangle, in eastern Switzerland (Schaffhausen, Winterthur, Thurgau), in south-eastern Switzerland, in Valais and in the canton of Fribourg. It is assumed in the industry that this is just the beginning of a "Los von Lausanne" movement.
Südostschweiz "de facto" under its own management
What BZM still has ahead of it, Südostschweiz (SO) has quietly put behind it: "Since April 1, 2007, we've been truly self-directed," says publisher Hanspeter Lebrument. Here and there, people are rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Even the P-Service Center describes the new situation in Chur as "somewhat mysterious".
At first glance, little has changed: The previous SO marketer, Südostschweiz-Publicitas AG, a joint venture between SO and Publicitas, has moved within Chur, and the P branch in Chur has been closed. Behind this, however, lies a separation process that began a year ago when the publisher's daughter Susanne Lebrument took over the operational management from P-man Jürg Räber.
Initially, the entire staff was newly employed by SO. Then SO-Publicitas left the building shared with Publicitas Chur and relocated to SO-Verlag. It also separated itself from the P booking tool Pub 2000 in terms of IT. Above all, however, SO-Publicitas took over the contract for the national marketing of the newspaper Südostschweiz from Publicitas. Mind you: only the contract. SO's management contract with Publicitas has neither expired nor been terminated. For this reason, the entire process continues to be handled by Publimedia, while marketing, events and customer care are the responsibility of SO-Publicitas. "We have the active part. In fact, we are therefore an independent company," says Lebrument. What's more, SO-Publicitas doesn't just market SO. "We offer all Swiss newspapers and also titles abroad - we have a classic intermediary function," says Lebrument.
Unlike Basler Zeitung Medien, however, dissatisfaction with the P services was not the reason for the separation at SO. "The problem was primarily the cumbersome structures," says Susanne Lebrument. And continues: "I believe that a daily newspaper is something dynamic - it must also be able to act accordingly in the advertising sector." She brought this to SO-Publicitas, whereupon P felt unable to participate.
Nevertheless, the name of the company remains unchanged. And P is also represented on the Board of Directors by two people, including Publipresse General Director Otto Meier. Whether this remains the case, however, will only be decided at the Annual General Meeting. "I would be sorry to see Meier leave, and I've told him that," says Hanspeter Lebrument. "Because I appreciate the different perspective on the BoD."
Markus Knöpfli
Just three years ago, the relationship between P and BaZ was so good that Publicitas Basel decided to move into the BZM building. A "Publicitas" logo is emblazoned on the BZM building - above that of the "Basler Zeitung". At the same time, the lease between P and BZM was up for renewal and the relationship was already strained. Only six months earlier, the deal between P and NZZ had taken place, in which P ceded three publishing stakes in the Zurich regional newspapers to NZZ in exchange for the NZZ advertising management. This deal shook the confidence of BaZ publisher Matthias Hagemann, as PubliGroupe in turn holds 37 percent of BZM.
Accordingly, the management negotiations became increasingly difficult and ultimately lasted one and a half years (until spring 2006). Shortly afterwards, the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung in Liestal joined the Mittelland Zeitung, whose advertising management is also in P hands. Since then, the spat has been perfect, as P markets two competing daily newspapers in the same region. However, BZM also added fuel to the fire by starting to set up its own advertising agency under the name Key Media in summer 2005. The separation became apparent in September 2006 at the latest, when BZM marketed the new BaZ large circulation itself from the outset - via the newly founded BZM Werbe AG. The personnel and structural changes initiated by P in Northwestern Switzerland and on the BZM Board of Directors came too late.
The departure from the BZM means two things for the P: it is losing its most important source of income in Switzerland's second largest city. Accordingly, it is reducing its staff here. Above all, however, its (revenue) situation is completely new: apart from BZM, several publishers have broken away from the P lease in the last three years. Südostschweiz became largely independent in April (see box). Landbote, Thurgauer Zeitung and Walliser Bote had previously taken or announced the step of becoming independent. From 2008, almost every German-speaking region of Switzerland will therefore have its own daily newspaper: In the Golden Triangle, in eastern Switzerland (Schaffhausen, Winterthur, Thurgau), in south-eastern Switzerland, in Valais and in the canton of Fribourg. It is assumed in the industry that this is just the beginning of a "Los von Lausanne" movement.
Südostschweiz "de facto" under its own management
What BZM still has ahead of it, Südostschweiz (SO) has quietly put behind it: "Since April 1, 2007, we've been truly self-directed," says publisher Hanspeter Lebrument. Here and there, people are rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Even the P-Service Center describes the new situation in Chur as "somewhat mysterious".
At first glance, little has changed: The previous SO marketer, Südostschweiz-Publicitas AG, a joint venture between SO and Publicitas, has moved within Chur, and the P branch in Chur has been closed. Behind this, however, lies a separation process that began a year ago when the publisher's daughter Susanne Lebrument took over the operational management from P-man Jürg Räber.
Initially, the entire staff was newly employed by SO. Then SO-Publicitas left the building shared with Publicitas Chur and relocated to SO-Verlag. It also separated itself from the P booking tool Pub 2000 in terms of IT. Above all, however, SO-Publicitas took over the contract for the national marketing of the newspaper Südostschweiz from Publicitas. Mind you: only the contract. SO's management contract with Publicitas has neither expired nor been terminated. For this reason, the entire process continues to be handled by Publimedia, while marketing, events and customer care are the responsibility of SO-Publicitas. "We have the active part. In fact, we are therefore an independent company," says Lebrument. What's more, SO-Publicitas doesn't just market SO. "We offer all Swiss newspapers and also titles abroad - we have a classic intermediary function," says Lebrument.
Unlike Basler Zeitung Medien, however, dissatisfaction with the P services was not the reason for the separation at SO. "The problem was primarily the cumbersome structures," says Susanne Lebrument. And continues: "I believe that a daily newspaper is something dynamic - it must also be able to act accordingly in the advertising sector." She brought this to SO-Publicitas, whereupon P felt unable to participate.
Nevertheless, the name of the company remains unchanged. And P is also represented on the Board of Directors by two people, including Publipresse General Director Otto Meier. Whether this remains the case, however, will only be decided at the Annual General Meeting. "I would be sorry to see Meier leave, and I've told him that," says Hanspeter Lebrument. "Because I appreciate the different perspective on the BoD."
Markus Knöpfli
