"Blandice Retains Welsh Touch"
Suzanne Fournier is also expanding into German-speaking Switzerland with her successful women's magazine
Suzanne Fournier is taking her successful women's magazine to German-speaking SwitzerlandAlmost three years ago, Suzanne Fournier launched Blandice, the first women's magazine in French-speaking Switzerland. From April, she now wants to try her luck with a German-language version east of the Saane. Blandice has teamed up with the St. Gallen publishing house Mediax for marketing and advertising acquisition.why do you want to launch a German-language version of your women's magazine Blandice? Is this a question of survival?
Suzanne Fournier: Not at all. In the space of two years, Blandice has developed into a beautifully designed and interesting magazine that attracts a lot of attention from readers in French-speaking Switzerland. I've been following the development of women's magazines on the Swiss-German market for about a year and a half and have noticed that their readership figures are stagnating. The editorial quality has declined, despite the various facelifts. There is a clear editorial trend for women's magazines: today's readers are interested in topics that go far beyond fashion, beauty and health. With Blandice, I will also have the advantage that it will be self-supporting from the outset.
So is it mainly the advertisers who are forcing you to take this step into German-speaking Switzerland?
Fournier: That's right. As I have my sights set on the national market, there's no getting around the German-speaking region. That's why I don't want to deprive advertisers of these opportunities with Blandice, which will also have an unmistakable French touch in German-speaking Switzerland. After all, most of Blandice's advertising customers also run national campaigns. I am also convinced that there is still room for a women's magazine in German-speaking countries. But it depends on how you position it. I think we have done our homework in this respect. But we're certainly not going to go all out. We couldn't afford to do that either.
You are the first publisher in French-speaking Switzerland to take this step. Do you like taking risks?
Fournier: I was also the first publisher to launch the first women's magazine in French-speaking Switzerland three years ago, apart from Femina, which is distributed as a free supplement to a daily newspaper. Profilfemme and Edelweiss only came onto the market six months after Blandice.
The Swiss-German market for women's magazines is saturated. What do you want to offer readers on the other side of the Saane?
Fournier: I have noticed that the current editorial concept of Blandice is very well received by readers in French-speaking Switzerland. It offers topics on politics, finance and society, as well as reports and current affairs. I am convinced that this also interests readers in German-speaking Switzerland. The advertisers confirm my view.
The French-speaking Swiss have a different mentality to the German-speaking Swiss. Blandice cannot be translated tel quel. How should we imagine the German-language version?
Fournier: I will be working with freelancers who already write for German-language titles. Freelancers follow the media very closely and spontaneously offer very interesting topics. That's my experience in French-speaking Switzerland. But the Swiss-German edition of Blandice will be very independent in terms of content. We will only use around 20 percent of the articles from the French-language magazine.
You are independent as a publisher. Will that change now?
Fournier: I have already been approached by various parties for a partnership. But I want to remain financially independent so that I can continue to shape Blandice the way I want to. However, Blandice has grown and undoubtedly needs professional structures. That's why I will be running marketing and advertising acquisition together with Mediax. Mediax AG is a renowned marketing and publishing company based in St. Gallen and as such specializes in the advertising market. It will take over the reins for the national market from April this year.
With the Swiss-German edition, the total circulation of Blandice will make a leap. What proportion will be intended for the German-speaking Swiss?
Fournier: The total print run will initially be 40,000 copies. Around 15,000 of these are planned for the German-speaking Swiss market. After that, there will be a continuous increase.
Will you have an office in Zurich to facilitate contact with journalists and advertising clients?
Fournier: Yes, it is my intention to set up a contact point together with Mediax.
Interview: Anita Vaucher
Suzanne Fournier: Not at all. In the space of two years, Blandice has developed into a beautifully designed and interesting magazine that attracts a lot of attention from readers in French-speaking Switzerland. I've been following the development of women's magazines on the Swiss-German market for about a year and a half and have noticed that their readership figures are stagnating. The editorial quality has declined, despite the various facelifts. There is a clear editorial trend for women's magazines: today's readers are interested in topics that go far beyond fashion, beauty and health. With Blandice, I will also have the advantage that it will be self-supporting from the outset.
So is it mainly the advertisers who are forcing you to take this step into German-speaking Switzerland?
Fournier: That's right. As I have my sights set on the national market, there's no getting around the German-speaking region. That's why I don't want to deprive advertisers of these opportunities with Blandice, which will also have an unmistakable French touch in German-speaking Switzerland. After all, most of Blandice's advertising customers also run national campaigns. I am also convinced that there is still room for a women's magazine in German-speaking countries. But it depends on how you position it. I think we have done our homework in this respect. But we're certainly not going to go all out. We couldn't afford to do that either.
You are the first publisher in French-speaking Switzerland to take this step. Do you like taking risks?
Fournier: I was also the first publisher to launch the first women's magazine in French-speaking Switzerland three years ago, apart from Femina, which is distributed as a free supplement to a daily newspaper. Profilfemme and Edelweiss only came onto the market six months after Blandice.
The Swiss-German market for women's magazines is saturated. What do you want to offer readers on the other side of the Saane?
Fournier: I have noticed that the current editorial concept of Blandice is very well received by readers in French-speaking Switzerland. It offers topics on politics, finance and society, as well as reports and current affairs. I am convinced that this also interests readers in German-speaking Switzerland. The advertisers confirm my view.
The French-speaking Swiss have a different mentality to the German-speaking Swiss. Blandice cannot be translated tel quel. How should we imagine the German-language version?
Fournier: I will be working with freelancers who already write for German-language titles. Freelancers follow the media very closely and spontaneously offer very interesting topics. That's my experience in French-speaking Switzerland. But the Swiss-German edition of Blandice will be very independent in terms of content. We will only use around 20 percent of the articles from the French-language magazine.
You are independent as a publisher. Will that change now?
Fournier: I have already been approached by various parties for a partnership. But I want to remain financially independent so that I can continue to shape Blandice the way I want to. However, Blandice has grown and undoubtedly needs professional structures. That's why I will be running marketing and advertising acquisition together with Mediax. Mediax AG is a renowned marketing and publishing company based in St. Gallen and as such specializes in the advertising market. It will take over the reins for the national market from April this year.
With the Swiss-German edition, the total circulation of Blandice will make a leap. What proportion will be intended for the German-speaking Swiss?
Fournier: The total print run will initially be 40,000 copies. Around 15,000 of these are planned for the German-speaking Swiss market. After that, there will be a continuous increase.
Will you have an office in Zurich to facilitate contact with journalists and advertising clients?
Fournier: Yes, it is my intention to set up a contact point together with Mediax.
Interview: Anita Vaucher
