Lifeblood is red
Guest commentary on the free newspaper dispute: Bernhard Weissberg responds to the accusation made in Werbewoche that Ringier is defaming the commuter paper 20 Minuten.
Guest commentary on the free newspaper dispute: Bernhard Weissberg responds to the accusation made in Werbewoche that Ringier is defaming the commuter paper 20 Minuten.
I have nothing against free newspapers. After all, they are newspapers too. Every newspaper helps other newspapers because it gets people to read instead of watching television. But free newspapers give the illusion of something they can't offer: complete journalism: I do not underestimate the commitment and will of the journalists working there. But the "free" business model does not allow time for in-depth research, reflection and editing. That is an observation, not a judgment.
None of this matters, I hear some Advertising Week readers murmur. People don't want any more news. Strange: Blick hasn't lost any readers since 20 Minuten came onto the market. No desire for news? On the contrary. Commuters get their daily update from 20 Minuten. The daily excitement with Blick.
Let's get specific: who provided the public with an overview of the winners and losers of the Federal Council's tax package this spring? Der Blick. Because the editorial team has the capacity for such calculations. Could a free newspaper have done that? No. Where did employers' director Peter Hasler launch his appeal against the smear campaign? In Blick. Because the editorial team has been discussing and arguing with Peter Hasler for years. Because it has the expertise to do so.
Nevertheless, grumble now, readers are readers. And the free newspaper now has more than Blick. You, dear readers, are (I assume) closely connected to the advertising industry. You need facts to confirm your choice of media. And the Mach figures are incorruptible. Do you think so?
Of course, the figures reflect who has taken which hand. They tell us about cities, agglomerations and the countryside, about young and old, families and communities, income and consumer habits. But do they also tell us about warmth?
Yes, heat. Researchers don't ask about the harvest temperature, you argue. But that's exactly where the problem lies. You only talk about emotionality and loyalty when it comes to your product. When it comes to media, you decide with cold numbers.
A little experiment: In the doctor's waiting room are 20 minutes and the Blick. Which newspaper do you take? Exactly. The red one, not the blue one. Because red stands for warmth, for emotions, for lifeblood.
Red also stands for anger, rage and indignation. Even among readers. Do you think 20 Minuten readers paralyze the switchboard when they discover a mistake? That happens at Blick. Because readers have a bond with their newspaper. Because they love or hate Blick. And also because Blick costs something. When I pay, I expect something in return. If this is not fulfilled, I complain.
Warmth may not be a criterion for you. Readers see this
different. Me too. My lifeblood flows red.
> Bernhard Weissberg is Head of Newspapers at Ringier.
I have nothing against free newspapers. After all, they are newspapers too. Every newspaper helps other newspapers because it gets people to read instead of watching television. But free newspapers give the illusion of something they can't offer: complete journalism: I do not underestimate the commitment and will of the journalists working there. But the "free" business model does not allow time for in-depth research, reflection and editing. That is an observation, not a judgment.
None of this matters, I hear some Advertising Week readers murmur. People don't want any more news. Strange: Blick hasn't lost any readers since 20 Minuten came onto the market. No desire for news? On the contrary. Commuters get their daily update from 20 Minuten. The daily excitement with Blick.
Let's get specific: who provided the public with an overview of the winners and losers of the Federal Council's tax package this spring? Der Blick. Because the editorial team has the capacity for such calculations. Could a free newspaper have done that? No. Where did employers' director Peter Hasler launch his appeal against the smear campaign? In Blick. Because the editorial team has been discussing and arguing with Peter Hasler for years. Because it has the expertise to do so.
Nevertheless, grumble now, readers are readers. And the free newspaper now has more than Blick. You, dear readers, are (I assume) closely connected to the advertising industry. You need facts to confirm your choice of media. And the Mach figures are incorruptible. Do you think so?
Of course, the figures reflect who has taken which hand. They tell us about cities, agglomerations and the countryside, about young and old, families and communities, income and consumer habits. But do they also tell us about warmth?
Yes, heat. Researchers don't ask about the harvest temperature, you argue. But that's exactly where the problem lies. You only talk about emotionality and loyalty when it comes to your product. When it comes to media, you decide with cold numbers.
A little experiment: In the doctor's waiting room are 20 minutes and the Blick. Which newspaper do you take? Exactly. The red one, not the blue one. Because red stands for warmth, for emotions, for lifeblood.
Red also stands for anger, rage and indignation. Even among readers. Do you think 20 Minuten readers paralyze the switchboard when they discover a mistake? That happens at Blick. Because readers have a bond with their newspaper. Because they love or hate Blick. And also because Blick costs something. When I pay, I expect something in return. If this is not fulfilled, I complain.
Warmth may not be a criterion for you. Readers see this
different. Me too. My lifeblood flows red.
> Bernhard Weissberg is Head of Newspapers at Ringier.
