Close to the pulse of the readership
Reader Research: The St. Galler Tagblatt uses a reader panel to assess its image and the needs of its readers several times a year.
Reader research The St. Galler Tagblatt uses a reader panel several times a year to sound out its image and needs.78 percent of readers consider the local section to be indispensable and read it regularly - even though it is the last of the five bundles. In second place is the second fret, but not the entire fret. 74 percent are primarily interested in the Eastern Switzerland pages; the cantonal pages and the stock exchange are of less interest (62 and 22 percent respectively). This is followed by the front page (70 percent) and the domestic section in the first fascicle (63 percent). Incidentally, less than 45 percent of readers appreciate the business section with cultural pages and alternating topics (knowledge, computers, sounds...) These are just some of the data from a brochure that the SGT will soon be sending out to agencies and customers. The special thing about this data is that it comes from an online readership panel that the SCT set up a year ago and has been using regularly since March 2004. Over 1200 people have registered for this panel, and a large proportion of them have already given the SGT four answers to a total of around 80 market research questions. A fifth survey is currently underway.
And this is how it works: at the beginning of the year, the SGT selected 20,000 addresses from its subscriber base - representative in terms of geographical distribution. These subscribers were asked in writing whether they would complete an online questionnaire several times a year so that the Tagblatt could "focus even more on your needs". A prize draw with 100 prizes was promised to all those who would take part in 80 percent of the surveys. In fact, over 1,200 people signed up and provided their e-mail addresses and socio-demographic data. They were then sent an e-mail with a password directing them to an online questionnaire. The surprising result: in all four surveys carried out to date, the completion rate after one week was 80 percent, followed by another 10 percent after a reminder e-mail. "Over 1000 people have responded each time so far," says publishing director Daniel Ehrat. The evaluation is automatic and continuous.
However, the panel also has a few flaws: "It tends to be male-dominated, and the participants are younger and better educated than the average SGT readership," says Ehrat. And of course they are all online
affinity. Another disadvantage is that it is not possible to check who fills in the questionnaire. Nevertheless, only one questionnaire is available per subscription number.
Nevertheless, Ehrat believes the results are meaningful. Firstly, there were hardly any differences if the responses were sorted according to the gender of the people originally contacted from the SGT subscription base, for example. Secondly, Ehrat found that the results hardly changed in percentage terms, regardless of whether the sample comprised 100, 500 or 1000 questionnaires.
In short, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for Ehrat. For example, the opportunity to conduct a regular dialog of sorts with SGT readers. In the first survey, for example, it was found that 50 percent of the panel participants were unaware of the SGT customer loyalty program "Tagblatt plus". As a result, the publisher intensified communication. In the next survey, Ehrat will now explore whether this has increased awareness. Questions have also been asked about editorial issues, such as whether the SGT sponsorship of FC St. Gallen has a negative impact on the SGT's credibility in terms of image. Next year, Ehrat also wants to include questions from advertisers - for example about the attention paid to a supplement. However, it is important that each questionnaire can be completed in around five minutes, says Ehrat. Another advantage: "The financial outlay is small compared to the CHF 1,500,000 to 200,000 we used to spend on market research every three years," says Ehrat. And those studies were only momentary location analyses. In contrast, Ehrat praises the new customer dialogue system as an instrument "that provides us with representative results quickly and cost-effectively in order to recognize changes in the needs of our readership at an early stage."
In January, the announced draw for 100 prizes - including a Smart car as the main prize - will take place and all panel participants will be informed. At the same time, Ehrat will be asking all panel members for a further year. After the second year, however, he wants to completely re-recruit the panel "so that we get some fresh blood again".
Readers in demandThe customer dialog system allows the St. Galler Tagblatt to continuously monitor its image, its services and its marketing. More than 1000 readers take part.
License from CHF 25,000The basic idea for the customer dialogue system originated in the USA, but was adapted to local conditions by SGT and the software company e-act AG in Horgen. The cooperation was brokered by SGT's parent company Freie Presse Holding AG (FPH), a subsidiary of the AG for the NZZ. The customer dialog system is now available to all publishers outside the NZZ Group and is part of the services offered by FPH-Services AG, the young company within FPH that provides support for regional newspapers (www.fph-services.ch).
As the entire system runs on a "neutral" server at e-act, the media involved have no insight into the panels and results of other customers, emphasizes Pepe Wiss, Managing Director of FPH Services.
Anyone interested in the customer dialog system will receive a demonstration, quotation and training from FPH Services. Wiss is currently in talks with four interested parties. He has also already presented the system to the NZZ itself. The one-off costs for the multi-client capable one-off license depend on the turnover of the interested publisher, but amount to at least CHF 25,000. Maintenance, hosting, helpline and training then cost a further CHF 6000 per year.
One more note on FPH: it is currently a 100 percent subsidiary of AG für die NZZ, but PubliGroupe will become a minority shareholder from the New Year - in return for the NZZ entry in Zürcher Unterländer and, in all probability, also in Zürichsee-Zeitung. (mk)
Panel for (almost) all SGT media SGT is currently working on a panel for Radio Aktuell, TeleOstschweiz (TVO) and Anzeiger
St. Gallen to set up their own panel. The Anzeiger panel - which was recruited through advertisements - had 250 interested parties. "We would have liked to have had more people, but we know from the SGT that even with a larger sample there are hardly any more shifts," says Daniel Ehrat.
At TVO, recruitment via advertisements, TV and radio spots is almost complete. Around 500 participants were found, with one tenth receiving paper questionnaires on a trial basis. Recruitment for Radio Aktuell is scheduled for January. Ehrat also wants to introduce an "unsubscriber panel" for SGT: 1,000 people who have canceled their SGT subscription within the last six months will be asked about their reasons "in even greater detail" than before. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli
And this is how it works: at the beginning of the year, the SGT selected 20,000 addresses from its subscriber base - representative in terms of geographical distribution. These subscribers were asked in writing whether they would complete an online questionnaire several times a year so that the Tagblatt could "focus even more on your needs". A prize draw with 100 prizes was promised to all those who would take part in 80 percent of the surveys. In fact, over 1,200 people signed up and provided their e-mail addresses and socio-demographic data. They were then sent an e-mail with a password directing them to an online questionnaire. The surprising result: in all four surveys carried out to date, the completion rate after one week was 80 percent, followed by another 10 percent after a reminder e-mail. "Over 1000 people have responded each time so far," says publishing director Daniel Ehrat. The evaluation is automatic and continuous.
However, the panel also has a few flaws: "It tends to be male-dominated, and the participants are younger and better educated than the average SGT readership," says Ehrat. And of course they are all online
affinity. Another disadvantage is that it is not possible to check who fills in the questionnaire. Nevertheless, only one questionnaire is available per subscription number.
Nevertheless, Ehrat believes the results are meaningful. Firstly, there were hardly any differences if the responses were sorted according to the gender of the people originally contacted from the SGT subscription base, for example. Secondly, Ehrat found that the results hardly changed in percentage terms, regardless of whether the sample comprised 100, 500 or 1000 questionnaires.
In short, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for Ehrat. For example, the opportunity to conduct a regular dialog of sorts with SGT readers. In the first survey, for example, it was found that 50 percent of the panel participants were unaware of the SGT customer loyalty program "Tagblatt plus". As a result, the publisher intensified communication. In the next survey, Ehrat will now explore whether this has increased awareness. Questions have also been asked about editorial issues, such as whether the SGT sponsorship of FC St. Gallen has a negative impact on the SGT's credibility in terms of image. Next year, Ehrat also wants to include questions from advertisers - for example about the attention paid to a supplement. However, it is important that each questionnaire can be completed in around five minutes, says Ehrat. Another advantage: "The financial outlay is small compared to the CHF 1,500,000 to 200,000 we used to spend on market research every three years," says Ehrat. And those studies were only momentary location analyses. In contrast, Ehrat praises the new customer dialogue system as an instrument "that provides us with representative results quickly and cost-effectively in order to recognize changes in the needs of our readership at an early stage."
In January, the announced draw for 100 prizes - including a Smart car as the main prize - will take place and all panel participants will be informed. At the same time, Ehrat will be asking all panel members for a further year. After the second year, however, he wants to completely re-recruit the panel "so that we get some fresh blood again".
Readers in demandThe customer dialog system allows the St. Galler Tagblatt to continuously monitor its image, its services and its marketing. More than 1000 readers take part.
License from CHF 25,000The basic idea for the customer dialogue system originated in the USA, but was adapted to local conditions by SGT and the software company e-act AG in Horgen. The cooperation was brokered by SGT's parent company Freie Presse Holding AG (FPH), a subsidiary of the AG for the NZZ. The customer dialog system is now available to all publishers outside the NZZ Group and is part of the services offered by FPH-Services AG, the young company within FPH that provides support for regional newspapers (www.fph-services.ch).
As the entire system runs on a "neutral" server at e-act, the media involved have no insight into the panels and results of other customers, emphasizes Pepe Wiss, Managing Director of FPH Services.
Anyone interested in the customer dialog system will receive a demonstration, quotation and training from FPH Services. Wiss is currently in talks with four interested parties. He has also already presented the system to the NZZ itself. The one-off costs for the multi-client capable one-off license depend on the turnover of the interested publisher, but amount to at least CHF 25,000. Maintenance, hosting, helpline and training then cost a further CHF 6000 per year.
One more note on FPH: it is currently a 100 percent subsidiary of AG für die NZZ, but PubliGroupe will become a minority shareholder from the New Year - in return for the NZZ entry in Zürcher Unterländer and, in all probability, also in Zürichsee-Zeitung. (mk)
Panel for (almost) all SGT media SGT is currently working on a panel for Radio Aktuell, TeleOstschweiz (TVO) and Anzeiger
St. Gallen to set up their own panel. The Anzeiger panel - which was recruited through advertisements - had 250 interested parties. "We would have liked to have had more people, but we know from the SGT that even with a larger sample there are hardly any more shifts," says Daniel Ehrat.
At TVO, recruitment via advertisements, TV and radio spots is almost complete. Around 500 participants were found, with one tenth receiving paper questionnaires on a trial basis. Recruitment for Radio Aktuell is scheduled for January. Ehrat also wants to introduce an "unsubscriber panel" for SGT: 1,000 people who have canceled their SGT subscription within the last six months will be asked about their reasons "in even greater detail" than before. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli
