Prepaid stimulates the flea market business
Classified Ads: With prepaid ad cards, the BaZ meets the needs of flea market advertisers.
Small ads BaZ meets the needs of flea market advertisers with prepaid ad cards Although the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) suffered painful losses in the number of ads last year, it was able to maintain around 250 ads per week in the niche area of flea markets and leisure. That's a good two of the 84 pages of advertisements that were placed on average per week in the BaZ last year. The idea launched in August to offer prepaid cards for these small advertisements at CHF 10 (three lines) and CHF 20 (six lines) at the newsstand also contributed slightly to this niche volume consistency.
"We have sold around 2,000 such cards since August, 90 percent of which were 10-franc cards," says publishing director Daniel Sommer on request. In the meantime, 10 to 15 percent of the weekly flea market and leisure advertisements come in via prepaid cards, and the trend is rising. The cards are even bought in stock. Sommer: "Three quarters of the cards are not redeemed immediately."
The prepaid advertisement cards are designed as business reply cards and are available at every K kiosk in north-western Switzerland. Once the three or six lines on the back have been filled in, the card is dropped into the nearest letterbox and the text appears in the next possible Friday market or at a later date if desired. Sommer is of the opinion that the project could definitely be expanded, but under three conditions: Classifieds with prepaid cards would have to remain in the private market and be rather inexpensive. They should also be as easy to use as the flea market section. Partnership, apartment or job search ads would be conceivable, for example.
Incidentally, BaZ, Publicitas and Kiosk AG initially tested the advertising cards at 30 kiosks for four weeks last August, accompanied by advertisements in the BaZ. 243 cards were sold during this time. This was successful enough to extend card sales to all 130 K kiosks in north-western Switzerland. BaZ now wants to advertise ticket sales again with new advertisements. "It's a very interesting project for us," says Sommer.
Kiosk AG, a member of the Valora Group, takes a similar view. "Although the sale of these cards will not significantly change Valora's business results, Kiosk AG is nevertheless trying to actively present the cards at the points of sale," says Christof Biedermann, Managing Director of Kiosk. He will soon be reviewing the situation with BaZ. In his view, both an expansion with BaZ and an extension of the idea to other newspapers are possible. However, he has not yet received any inquiries from other publishing houses, says Biedermann.
Available at the kiosk: Prepaid insert cards just need to be filled in and sent off.
"We have sold around 2,000 such cards since August, 90 percent of which were 10-franc cards," says publishing director Daniel Sommer on request. In the meantime, 10 to 15 percent of the weekly flea market and leisure advertisements come in via prepaid cards, and the trend is rising. The cards are even bought in stock. Sommer: "Three quarters of the cards are not redeemed immediately."
The prepaid advertisement cards are designed as business reply cards and are available at every K kiosk in north-western Switzerland. Once the three or six lines on the back have been filled in, the card is dropped into the nearest letterbox and the text appears in the next possible Friday market or at a later date if desired. Sommer is of the opinion that the project could definitely be expanded, but under three conditions: Classifieds with prepaid cards would have to remain in the private market and be rather inexpensive. They should also be as easy to use as the flea market section. Partnership, apartment or job search ads would be conceivable, for example.
Incidentally, BaZ, Publicitas and Kiosk AG initially tested the advertising cards at 30 kiosks for four weeks last August, accompanied by advertisements in the BaZ. 243 cards were sold during this time. This was successful enough to extend card sales to all 130 K kiosks in north-western Switzerland. BaZ now wants to advertise ticket sales again with new advertisements. "It's a very interesting project for us," says Sommer.
Kiosk AG, a member of the Valora Group, takes a similar view. "Although the sale of these cards will not significantly change Valora's business results, Kiosk AG is nevertheless trying to actively present the cards at the points of sale," says Christof Biedermann, Managing Director of Kiosk. He will soon be reviewing the situation with BaZ. In his view, both an expansion with BaZ and an extension of the idea to other newspapers are possible. However, he has not yet received any inquiries from other publishing houses, says Biedermann.
Available at the kiosk: Prepaid insert cards just need to be filled in and sent off.
Markus Knöpfli
