"We are nurturing the local market better than ever".
Hans-Peter Rohner, CEO of advertising agency Publi-Groupe, announces cost-cutting measures at the executive level.
Advertising market Publi Group CEO Hans-Peter Rohner announces cost-cutting measures at management level.WW Mr. Rohner, you have announced further structural changes, including at management level. Hans-Peter Rohner: The current "Fit for the future" program is continuing at PubliPresse, which is why there will be further downsizing measures. At the end of the year, PubliGroupe will still have around 2760 employees, around 60 fewer than today. We have commissioned an external consultant to carry out an analysis of the management area under review and have decided on measures that will lead to savings of eight to ten million francs compared with the 2002 cost base. This implementation phase is now beginning. We will announce the specific changes at the end of September. However, there will be no upheavals.
The local and regional advertising market continues to be more stable than the national market. How big is the share that PubliPresse currently generates from the local market?
Commercial local market ads were "only" down 4.1 percent at the end of July, while classified ads including jobs were down around 22 percent on the previous year. Local market and classified ads together accounted for almost 50 percent of total sales at the end of July.
Does PubliGroupe look after its local customers sufficiently?
We are cultivating the local market better than ever and have no intention of abandoning it. That is why we have kept our branch network virtually unchanged. In our structural adjustments, we are doing everything we can to merge back-office operations as efficiently as possible. However, local market cultivation remains as important as ever.
What percentage of PubliDirect's turnover was generated in Switzerland - and what proportion of this was accounted for by online advertising?
The local telephone directories (LTV) increased by seven percent in the first half of the year and contribute over 90 percent to PubliDirect sales. This year, LTV is generating around 89 percent of its sales in print, while eleven percent is already being generated by online products.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
The local and regional advertising market continues to be more stable than the national market. How big is the share that PubliPresse currently generates from the local market?
Commercial local market ads were "only" down 4.1 percent at the end of July, while classified ads including jobs were down around 22 percent on the previous year. Local market and classified ads together accounted for almost 50 percent of total sales at the end of July.
Does PubliGroupe look after its local customers sufficiently?
We are cultivating the local market better than ever and have no intention of abandoning it. That is why we have kept our branch network virtually unchanged. In our structural adjustments, we are doing everything we can to merge back-office operations as efficiently as possible. However, local market cultivation remains as important as ever.
What percentage of PubliDirect's turnover was generated in Switzerland - and what proportion of this was accounted for by online advertising?
The local telephone directories (LTV) increased by seven percent in the first half of the year and contribute over 90 percent to PubliDirect sales. This year, LTV is generating around 89 percent of its sales in print, while eleven percent is already being generated by online products.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
