Love-hate relationship
René Worni on the revolt against Publicitas.
René Worni on the uprising against Publicitas.Publicitas is everywhere. There's hardly a town where the PubliGroup subsidiary doesn't have an advertising agency. Publicitas supplies all print media with advertisements, even those with which it does not have a contract. Its unchallenged position in the Swiss print landscape has already led to reservations under competition law. "If we don't attract the attention of the Competition Commission, then we're not doing our job properly," PubliGroup CEO Hans-Peter Rohner occasionally says. The prospect does not really make people feel comfortable.
Now the print business, the Group's core business, is in turmoil. More and more publishers are turning away from the giant, who for years did not want to expose themselves with open criticism. After all, they are all dependent on Publicitas services. Since Tamedia began rewarding media agencies that took over Publicitas two years ago in the course of the merger between PubliGroupe and NZZ, an avalanche has been rolling. The list of publishers offering similar compensation and discounts is getting longer and longer. This seems to be more than just a battle for market share. Contractually bound so-called director's titles are also going over the books. They take the advertising business into their own hands at the first opportunity that presents itself.
The reasons are usually complex. What is new is that the criticism of Publicitas is being followed by action. For example, Basler Zeitung manages its key accounts through its own company and handles the advertising business in Liestal itself in the battle against Basellandschaftliche Zeitung. Publicitas is not considered capable of serving two competitors in the market equally fairly.
Open criticism has also been voiced by the new Pressverbund Nordostschweiz, which wants to cut itself off completely and take advertising sales into its own hands. It has been repeatedly stated that Publicitas does not care whether it sells a single newspaper or an alliance of six newspapers and has refused to accept customized solutions. Here and there, pent-up love-hate feelings against a group that is expressly committed to preserving press diversity, but perhaps does not always take this very seriously.
René Worni, Editor
Now the print business, the Group's core business, is in turmoil. More and more publishers are turning away from the giant, who for years did not want to expose themselves with open criticism. After all, they are all dependent on Publicitas services. Since Tamedia began rewarding media agencies that took over Publicitas two years ago in the course of the merger between PubliGroupe and NZZ, an avalanche has been rolling. The list of publishers offering similar compensation and discounts is getting longer and longer. This seems to be more than just a battle for market share. Contractually bound so-called director's titles are also going over the books. They take the advertising business into their own hands at the first opportunity that presents itself.
The reasons are usually complex. What is new is that the criticism of Publicitas is being followed by action. For example, Basler Zeitung manages its key accounts through its own company and handles the advertising business in Liestal itself in the battle against Basellandschaftliche Zeitung. Publicitas is not considered capable of serving two competitors in the market equally fairly.
Open criticism has also been voiced by the new Pressverbund Nordostschweiz, which wants to cut itself off completely and take advertising sales into its own hands. It has been repeatedly stated that Publicitas does not care whether it sells a single newspaper or an alliance of six newspapers and has refused to accept customized solutions. Here and there, pent-up love-hate feelings against a group that is expressly committed to preserving press diversity, but perhaps does not always take this very seriously.
René Worni, Editor
