Senior citizens' and women's economy
For now, the Western Swiss Market Magazine is making a name for itself with ambitious circulation targets
Market Magazine in French-speaking Switzerland makes its mark for the time being with ambitious circulation plansby Anita Vaucher The print media market in French-speaking Switzerland is experiencing a spring in the advertising winter: With the new business title Market Magazine, the third new launch in just a few months has already been announced for the end of the year. However, the makers are still keeping quiet about its content and sponsors.
New print products are springing up like mushrooms in French-speaking Switzerland. And this at a time of economic downturn, the end of which is not yet in sight. What is remarkable is the fact that the new launches are all initiated by young publishers. Following the announcement of the English-language magazine Violet by Largeur.com for the beginning of December and the lifestyle magazine Lounge by Artist Edition SA, which has just been launched, the three young Geneva-based entrepreneurs Patrick Sikias, Raphaël Dana and Clément Dubois (Editor-in-Chief) want to launch a new business magazine on the reader market. It is called Market Magazine.
From mid-December, the new magazine aims to give the established business titles Bilan, Agéfi and PME in French-speaking Switzerland a run for their money. In addition to managers and entrepreneurs, the new business magazine has defined students, women and senior citizens as its target groups. Sikias, co-founder of Market Magazine, explains that the latter two reader groups in particular hardly find any topics for their areas of interest in the well-known business media. He sees his new magazine as a supplement to the existing business publications in French-speaking Switzerland.
Market Magazine is aiming for around 20,000 copiesMarket Magazine is also focusing on a new linguistic approach. However, Dana and Sikias are unwilling to reveal what the new formula will consist of. They are also keeping quiet about the financial backers.
The only thing that seems certain is that the monthly magazine will comprise 130 pages and cost around ten francs when sold individually. The circulation has initially been set at 15,000 copies. Later it is to be increased to 20,000 copies. These are ambitious plans for the small French-speaking Swiss market. For comparison: Bilan certifies 19930, PME Magazine 11407 and Agéfi 11500 copies.
Advertising clients shrug their shoulders for the time being
The young entrepreneurs from Geneva are also stubbornly silent about the editorial concept. This should be of particular interest to advertisers. All they reveal is that they will limit themselves to topics from the Swiss economy. Charly Schwarz from the media agency XL Media in Geneva believes that Market Magazine will have great difficulty, at least initially, in achieving the volume of advertising it needs to breathe.
In addition to the number of readers, the sales price also plays an important role. And at CHF 10 per copy, it is in the upper segment. Schwarz also sees opportunities for the new product: "The existing range of titles on the French-speaking Swiss market does not fully meet the increasingly complex needs of readers interested in economic issues."
Whether readers will appreciate Market Magazine depends on the content. But it is precisely here that things seem to be cooking on the back burner. In addition to editor-in-chief Clément Dubois, former managing director of SDA in Geneva, there are only three other full-time journalists plus a few freelancers.
This is a modest team compared to the twelve employees who write for Bilan, for example. And even Bilan editor-in-chief Alain Jeannet says it's nothing short of a miracle that a high-quality product can be delivered month after month with this size of team. Jeannet does not believe that there is room for a fourth business title in French-speaking Switzerland.
Nevertheless, he admits that a cleverly designed niche product could certainly have a chance on the market. However, only on the condition that it is produced extremely cost-effectively. "A number of publishers have already tried to produce a magazine without journalists, but very few have succeeded," adds the Bilan boss.
New print products are springing up like mushrooms in French-speaking Switzerland. And this at a time of economic downturn, the end of which is not yet in sight. What is remarkable is the fact that the new launches are all initiated by young publishers. Following the announcement of the English-language magazine Violet by Largeur.com for the beginning of December and the lifestyle magazine Lounge by Artist Edition SA, which has just been launched, the three young Geneva-based entrepreneurs Patrick Sikias, Raphaël Dana and Clément Dubois (Editor-in-Chief) want to launch a new business magazine on the reader market. It is called Market Magazine.
From mid-December, the new magazine aims to give the established business titles Bilan, Agéfi and PME in French-speaking Switzerland a run for their money. In addition to managers and entrepreneurs, the new business magazine has defined students, women and senior citizens as its target groups. Sikias, co-founder of Market Magazine, explains that the latter two reader groups in particular hardly find any topics for their areas of interest in the well-known business media. He sees his new magazine as a supplement to the existing business publications in French-speaking Switzerland.
Market Magazine is aiming for around 20,000 copiesMarket Magazine is also focusing on a new linguistic approach. However, Dana and Sikias are unwilling to reveal what the new formula will consist of. They are also keeping quiet about the financial backers.
The only thing that seems certain is that the monthly magazine will comprise 130 pages and cost around ten francs when sold individually. The circulation has initially been set at 15,000 copies. Later it is to be increased to 20,000 copies. These are ambitious plans for the small French-speaking Swiss market. For comparison: Bilan certifies 19930, PME Magazine 11407 and Agéfi 11500 copies.
Advertising clients shrug their shoulders for the time being
The young entrepreneurs from Geneva are also stubbornly silent about the editorial concept. This should be of particular interest to advertisers. All they reveal is that they will limit themselves to topics from the Swiss economy. Charly Schwarz from the media agency XL Media in Geneva believes that Market Magazine will have great difficulty, at least initially, in achieving the volume of advertising it needs to breathe.
In addition to the number of readers, the sales price also plays an important role. And at CHF 10 per copy, it is in the upper segment. Schwarz also sees opportunities for the new product: "The existing range of titles on the French-speaking Swiss market does not fully meet the increasingly complex needs of readers interested in economic issues."
Whether readers will appreciate Market Magazine depends on the content. But it is precisely here that things seem to be cooking on the back burner. In addition to editor-in-chief Clément Dubois, former managing director of SDA in Geneva, there are only three other full-time journalists plus a few freelancers.
This is a modest team compared to the twelve employees who write for Bilan, for example. And even Bilan editor-in-chief Alain Jeannet says it's nothing short of a miracle that a high-quality product can be delivered month after month with this size of team. Jeannet does not believe that there is room for a fourth business title in French-speaking Switzerland.
Nevertheless, he admits that a cleverly designed niche product could certainly have a chance on the market. However, only on the condition that it is produced extremely cost-effectively. "A number of publishers have already tried to produce a magazine without journalists, but very few have succeeded," adds the Bilan boss.
