A feminine Zurich woman conquers French-speaking Switzerland
Femina recognized the importance of the women's movement early on
Femina recognized the importance of the women's movement early onby Anita Vaucher The success story of the women's magazine Femina began exactly forty years ago. Today, the Zurich-based publication is the most widely read women's magazine in French-speaking Switzerland.
What is now a free supplement to the Sunday newspaper Le Matin Dimanche has its roots in the 1930s. In 1934, Zurich publisher Verena Conzett launched the magazine La semaine de la femme, the actual forerunner of today's free newspaper. However, the history of today's leading magazine in the French-speaking Swiss women's market did not begin until 1962, when La semaine de la femme was renamed Femina. Since then, the women's magazine has had an eventful history. When its publisher Conzett & Huber AG was taken over by the then Tages-Anzeiger Group in 1981, it initially became the women's magazine Annabelle Femina.
But this was only a brief episode, as Tamedia sold the women's magazine to 24 Heures Société S.A. - today's Edipresse - in 1985. At the time, Femina was unrivaled on the French-speaking Swiss market, apart from the women's magazines from France. However, the women's magazine had another special feature that has been retained to this day: Femina is not available at newsstands and reaches readers exclusively as a supplement to Le Matin Dimanche. The aim was to enhance Le Matin Dimanche's overall offering. This has been successful, says Anne Jan, Product Manager at Femina. "Many readers buy Le Matin Dimanche because they also receive Femina." The high readership figures - 544,000 according to Mach Basic 2002 - also speak for the success.
Unrivaled leader among the women's titles in French-speaking Switzerland
A look at its history reveals Femina's pioneering role. In 1978, the magazine was one of the first women's magazines in Switzerland to include political topics. In general, the women's magazine always had its finger on the pulse of the times. Even in its early years, Femina reflected on the image of women at the time with recipes and instructions for knitting, embroidery and sewing. In the 1960s, the magazine expanded its range of topics and became a mirror of a rapidly changing society. As early as 1968, a dossier entitled "L'amour physique, son rôle et son importance" was published.
Four years ago, Femina faced competition from two new women's magazines: Edelweiss from Ringier Romandie and Profil Femme from the small publishing house Audace Publishing have also been plowing into the women's market ever since. However, these two were hardly able to take readers away from the highly active grandmother among the women's titles in French-speaking Switzerland.
What is now a free supplement to the Sunday newspaper Le Matin Dimanche has its roots in the 1930s. In 1934, Zurich publisher Verena Conzett launched the magazine La semaine de la femme, the actual forerunner of today's free newspaper. However, the history of today's leading magazine in the French-speaking Swiss women's market did not begin until 1962, when La semaine de la femme was renamed Femina. Since then, the women's magazine has had an eventful history. When its publisher Conzett & Huber AG was taken over by the then Tages-Anzeiger Group in 1981, it initially became the women's magazine Annabelle Femina.
But this was only a brief episode, as Tamedia sold the women's magazine to 24 Heures Société S.A. - today's Edipresse - in 1985. At the time, Femina was unrivaled on the French-speaking Swiss market, apart from the women's magazines from France. However, the women's magazine had another special feature that has been retained to this day: Femina is not available at newsstands and reaches readers exclusively as a supplement to Le Matin Dimanche. The aim was to enhance Le Matin Dimanche's overall offering. This has been successful, says Anne Jan, Product Manager at Femina. "Many readers buy Le Matin Dimanche because they also receive Femina." The high readership figures - 544,000 according to Mach Basic 2002 - also speak for the success.
Unrivaled leader among the women's titles in French-speaking Switzerland
A look at its history reveals Femina's pioneering role. In 1978, the magazine was one of the first women's magazines in Switzerland to include political topics. In general, the women's magazine always had its finger on the pulse of the times. Even in its early years, Femina reflected on the image of women at the time with recipes and instructions for knitting, embroidery and sewing. In the 1960s, the magazine expanded its range of topics and became a mirror of a rapidly changing society. As early as 1968, a dossier entitled "L'amour physique, son rôle et son importance" was published.
Four years ago, Femina faced competition from two new women's magazines: Edelweiss from Ringier Romandie and Profil Femme from the small publishing house Audace Publishing have also been plowing into the women's market ever since. However, these two were hardly able to take readers away from the highly active grandmother among the women's titles in French-speaking Switzerland.
