"We have created a bulwark"
Peter Wanner's Aargauer Zeitung (AZ) is becoming the journalistic benchmark for the Mittelland
Peter Wanner's Aargauer Zeitung (AZ) becomes the journalistic benchmark for the Mittelland regionPublisher Peter Wanner has achieved an important goal of his expansion strategy: The Aargauer Zeitung has not only succeeded in unifying the print advertising market between Baden and Solothurn, it is also taking the journalistic reins for the entire region.The Aargauer Zeitung is the main winner of the new cooperation. The Aarauer Zeitung is the main winner of the new cooperation, especially in the journalistic sense, because as the producer of the jacket for all the newspapers involved, its editorial staff will be serving a circulation that is almost twice as large as it is today, starting next year.
Peter Wanner: Of course, I'm enormously pleased when the Aargauer Zeitung (AZ) receives a larger journalistic forum. This development is also recognition for us. After all, we have invested a lot in the AZ editorial team in recent years and continuously improved its performance. The partner publishers have honored this, they wanted our coat and no other. But they also benefit. With an attractive cover, they can build on their strength with their readership.
Above all, advertising customers are also to benefit, for example by reducing the price per thousand readers (TLP). At the press orientation, you failed to give a weighting of the reduction. How high will the reduction be?
Wanner: We don't yet know in detail exactly how high it will be. In relation to the Aargauer Zeitung, the reduction compared to the current rates will be between five and ten percent. Compared to the Neue Mittelland-Zeitung, however, the TLP will go down even further, because it has a higher TLP than the Aargauer Zeitung.
A new challenge lies ahead in the handling of the advertising market, because the two marketers, Publicitas and AZ Media, have to reorganize their cooperation - a rather complicated matter.
Wanner: We already have a comparable model at the Aargauer Zeitung that works well. We will set up this model, slightly modified, for the Mittelland Zeitung as well. It involves double market cultivation. But I assume that customers will soon decide with which sales staff and via which channel they want to place their ads.
Why do you think this cooperation is a better solution than if the publishers in Berne or Zurich had had their say?
Wanner: If the Bernese had been successful with their advertising in Solothurn, the way to the Mittelland would still have been blocked for them. Because Zofingen, as an Aargau district, would have joined us, I'm sure of that. And Olten, which is economically intertwined with Aarau and Zofingen, would also have tended to cooperate with us. But by convincing the people of Solothurn as well, the case became completely clear. We have now created a barrier and a bulwark in the Mittelland, which the Zurich or Bernese publishing houses will have difficulty penetrating.
Is the area now complete for you, or do you leave further integrations open, for example to the east in the direction of Winterthur?
Wanner: We're certainly open to the idea of other publishers knocking on our door. But consolidating what we've achieved is our priority at the moment. After all, this is a huge project that still requires a lot of detailed work. Interview: Daniel Schifferle
Peter Wanner: Of course, I'm enormously pleased when the Aargauer Zeitung (AZ) receives a larger journalistic forum. This development is also recognition for us. After all, we have invested a lot in the AZ editorial team in recent years and continuously improved its performance. The partner publishers have honored this, they wanted our coat and no other. But they also benefit. With an attractive cover, they can build on their strength with their readership.
Above all, advertising customers are also to benefit, for example by reducing the price per thousand readers (TLP). At the press orientation, you failed to give a weighting of the reduction. How high will the reduction be?
Wanner: We don't yet know in detail exactly how high it will be. In relation to the Aargauer Zeitung, the reduction compared to the current rates will be between five and ten percent. Compared to the Neue Mittelland-Zeitung, however, the TLP will go down even further, because it has a higher TLP than the Aargauer Zeitung.
A new challenge lies ahead in the handling of the advertising market, because the two marketers, Publicitas and AZ Media, have to reorganize their cooperation - a rather complicated matter.
Wanner: We already have a comparable model at the Aargauer Zeitung that works well. We will set up this model, slightly modified, for the Mittelland Zeitung as well. It involves double market cultivation. But I assume that customers will soon decide with which sales staff and via which channel they want to place their ads.
Why do you think this cooperation is a better solution than if the publishers in Berne or Zurich had had their say?
Wanner: If the Bernese had been successful with their advertising in Solothurn, the way to the Mittelland would still have been blocked for them. Because Zofingen, as an Aargau district, would have joined us, I'm sure of that. And Olten, which is economically intertwined with Aarau and Zofingen, would also have tended to cooperate with us. But by convincing the people of Solothurn as well, the case became completely clear. We have now created a barrier and a bulwark in the Mittelland, which the Zurich or Bernese publishing houses will have difficulty penetrating.
Is the area now complete for you, or do you leave further integrations open, for example to the east in the direction of Winterthur?
Wanner: We're certainly open to the idea of other publishers knocking on our door. But consolidating what we've achieved is our priority at the moment. After all, this is a huge project that still requires a lot of detailed work. Interview: Daniel Schifferle
