Metro strikes back
Oliver Classen on the exemplary nature of Sweden's shift toward tabloid journalism.
Oliver Classen on the exemplary nature of Sweden's tabloidization.Sweden and Switzerland have more similarities than their easily confused names - especially for Anglo-Saxon tourists. Both are traditional newspaper nations, and here and there the metrosexual commuter press celebrates particularly lasting success. Without the Stockholm metro, there would be no Zurich 20 Minuten. This shows that it is not the small Alpine republic but the largest country in Scandinavia that is acting as a test market in this area, which could also apply to the concerted tabloidization of leading quality newspapers. So far, Dagens Nyheter (Stockholm), Sydsvenska Dagbladet (Malmö) and
Gothenburg's posts "only" linked by an advertising combination. For ten days now, the metro competitors have also been appearing in the same trend format and marketing themselves with the same modular booking system.
However, potential "early adopters" of the Swedish alliance should bear three things in mind:
- The leveling of form is generally followed by the leveling of content.
- According to McKinsey, a newspaper's advertising revenue shrinks with its format, on average by 20 percent in Europe.
- Vife competitors such as Metro or 20 Minuten are not sleeping.
In this case, the mother of all free daily newspapers wants to counter the new alliance of the established players with merciless expansion. From October 20, the restriction to the three metropolitan areas will be over, as will the restriction to local public transport. In future, Sweden's highest-circulation newspaper will be distributed in 15 cities - including in front of schools, factories and in pedestrian zones.
This strategic omnipresence should be the horror story of every newspaper manager. Even in Zurichbaselbern. Which is why they warn against imitating the Scandinavian example. Because if you arrive too late, you will be punished first by readers and then by the advertising market. How much too late - Metro was launched in 1995, 20 Minuten in 1999 - hardly matters.
> Oliver Classen, Editor
Gothenburg's posts "only" linked by an advertising combination. For ten days now, the metro competitors have also been appearing in the same trend format and marketing themselves with the same modular booking system.
However, potential "early adopters" of the Swedish alliance should bear three things in mind:
- The leveling of form is generally followed by the leveling of content.
- According to McKinsey, a newspaper's advertising revenue shrinks with its format, on average by 20 percent in Europe.
- Vife competitors such as Metro or 20 Minuten are not sleeping.
In this case, the mother of all free daily newspapers wants to counter the new alliance of the established players with merciless expansion. From October 20, the restriction to the three metropolitan areas will be over, as will the restriction to local public transport. In future, Sweden's highest-circulation newspaper will be distributed in 15 cities - including in front of schools, factories and in pedestrian zones.
This strategic omnipresence should be the horror story of every newspaper manager. Even in Zurichbaselbern. Which is why they warn against imitating the Scandinavian example. Because if you arrive too late, you will be punished first by readers and then by the advertising market. How much too late - Metro was launched in 1995, 20 Minuten in 1999 - hardly matters.
> Oliver Classen, Editor
