A McKinsey consultant stands at the gates of heaven, but St. Peter refuses to let him in. To which the consultant replies: «I don’t even want to go in—but a thousand have to get out!» Roger de Weck, a guest speaker from Wemf, opened his speech with this quip at the presentation of the new MA Leader study at Zurich’s Technopark. The industry has never before had to tackle so many problems at once. Marketing products that were just recently hyped, such as Focus, have been hit extremely hard, which ultimately shows that reader loyalty is more important than marketing strategy, the journalist said. One should not be a «content provider,» but rather a “news mediator”—a term that also carries the meaning of “aligning oneself with something.” Instead of a silver lining, de Weck saw further problems on the horizon for newspapers. Products from the mid-tier segment would face major difficulties. These titles would be crushed between the millstones of quality publications and free papers if they could not build reader loyalty through very clear positioning.
The latest MA Leader study was met with mixed reactions: some were disappointed, while others were satisfied with the figures presented. Most publications saw purely numerical declines among the top leaders because their total circulation has dropped by a full 4,000 copies over the past two years. They must have stumbled into a balance sheet trap in the endless expanse of the business jungle—and now, as managers signing off on financial statements, they no longer appear in WEMF statistics but in those of the RAV.
But there were winners, too. *Die Weltwoche*, for example, made gains in both the “Leaders” and “Top Leaders” categories. Publishing Director Uli Rubner and Michael Herrmann looked visibly pleased with the results over coffee and cake afterward. After all, many other publications had to take a hit. Weltwoche Editor-in-Chief Roger Köppel was not present to celebrate the success. As it turned out, he had been trying to travel from Turkey to Iraq last week. Also absent—because he was on duty—was *Weltwoche* advertising director Ivan Schultheiss, who is currently serving in the military as an ADA in Davos.
The business press was less enthusiastic. Some publishing representatives didn’t show up at all, while others kept a low profile. Only Yvonne Müller of KI-Media, publisher of K-Geld, didn’t take issue with the study’s results. Although conceived more as an advisory magazine for small and medium-sized businesses, K-Geld achieved surprisingly high ratings among the leaders and left other financial publications far behind. For that, we can only congratulate the whirlwind from Hottingen.
For Wemf employees Carine Lins and Harald Amschler, presenting research findings has become a charming routine.
Uli Rubner (left) has reason to be happy, while Bilanz Managing Director Elke Zappe can take comfort in the fact that others have been hit harder.
Yvonne Müller, publishing director at KI-Media, along with colleague Mathias Lopian, was pleased with the strong sales figures for K-Geld.
After the presentation, Herbi Lips (right) from Circus Conelli and Peter E. Renggli from Second Opinion discussed the figures.
These aren't exactly the easiest of times: Liliane Keller, advertising director at Finanz & Wirtschaft, with Felix Kilchsperger from Radiotele.
These are the kinds of presentations people love to see: Michi Herrmann of *Weltwoche* and Monika Schneider of *BZ* both saw their ratings rise among the leaders.
Maja Fricker (left) and Jeanne Ruchat of The Whole Media having coffee with BSW Managing Director Walter Merz (center).
There was plenty of laughter despite the poor economic situation among Ueli Gertsch (left) of Facts and Christoph Meier, media director at FCBLK.
Managing Director Luise Diem and Oliver Huber from OMD Zurich See attended the MA Leader presentation in Zurich's Westend district.
Raoul Wanger, Bund Verlag, with Astrid Gartenmann, Publimedia.
Managers among themselves: Maike Juchler, m&m Media Agency; Kurt Obrist (left), Print Online; Werni Baumann of Ad X.
WEMF Director René Schmutz (left) with guest speaker Roger de Weck, who painted a rather bleak picture of the industry's future.
Beat Fritsch: On the Trail of the Lost Top Leaders. At Zurich’s Technopark, Wemf presented the findings of the latest MA Leader Study. The most surprising finding: Our country has lost 4,000 top leaders—yet the number of ordinary leaders has miraculously increased by 15,000.
We track down the events where the communications, media, and publishing industries gather. Do you have something to share right now? Give us a call (01 296 97 98) or send us an email ([email protected]). Event recommendations and more shortlist images are available at www.werbewoche.ch

Regional press Thurgauer Medien AG is looking for a new solution for printing its Thurgauer Zeitung (TZ) newspaper and has obtained offers from other newspaper printers, as confirmed by Urs Lüdi, President of the Management Board. The printing press at Huber AG in Frauenfeld, where the newspaper is based, cannot print the entire print run with all the bundles. Part of the paper, which was formed in 2000 from five regional newspapers, is therefore currently being printed in Weinfelden at the former Thurgauer Tagblatt. According to Lüdi, the TZ has obtained offers from the St.Galler Tagblatt, Ringier, Landbote in Winterthur and the Tages-Anzeiger. However, an independent solution is preferred; the Landbote is the main focus for a partnership.

TV sponsorship The sports nutrition brand Isostar is now the new main sponsor of the football show "Live ran" on Sat 1 Switzerland. "Live ran" broadcasts a top National League A match every Sunday from 4 pm. With the four final round matches already broadcast, the program achieved an average rating of 14,000 viewers (age 3+), according to Sat 1 Switzerland. Among 15- to 49-year-old men, the market share was 25 percent. Isostar is a Novartis Consumer Health brand, but is produced and marketed by Wander AG.

Weekly newspapers The WochenZeitung (WoZ) will be published at the beginning of September with a renovated façade and a new fourth (business) edition, indirectly co-financed by the rather conservative Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), which according to the WoZ has booked a total of eleven full-page advertisements. Migros also wants to place its planned ethics campaign in the left-wing central organ.

Free newspapers Although AZ Medien merged the four Lenzburg-based Kromer Medien AG with the four splits of its Aargauer Woche (AW) a year ago, the AW circulation is now smaller but much more profitable than before. The territorial adjustment between AW and the Kromer titles Lenzburger Bezirks-Anzeiger (LBA), Der Seetaler/Der Lindenberg, Der Un-terfreiämter and Die Wyna took place last year with the aim of alienating as few customers and readers as possible. Consideration for partners of the Mittelland Zeitung was also necessary - this led, for example, to territorial agreements with free titles of the Zofinger Tagblatt, which in turn resulted in an AW circulation reduction of 25,000 copies. Today, AW continues to cover the four Rüebliland centers of Aarau, Baden, Freiamt and Lenzburg - the towns of Aarau, Wettingen and now also Lenzburg and the Seetal even as an official gazette with gross delivery. "AW budgeted a turnover of nine million francs for this year, compared to six million francs before the merger," says Marcel Suter, Managing Director of AZ Wochenzeitungen AG.
This increase was mainly possible thanks to the well-established LBA and Freiämter, previously AW had hardly made any sales in the Lenzburg area. "The merger also enabled us to massively reduce production and distribution costs," says Suter. He justifies AW's lack of presence in Fricktal with a lack of economic potential (resources) for a cut-throat competition. In contrast, AW covers the fiercely contested Olten (see box) via a combination with the Niederämter Anzeiger.
Total circulation: 186000
In the advertising market, AW continues to present itself with four, albeit modified, splits, while for readers it comprises six titles. The four splits in the advertising market are the Aarauer Woche (48250 copies), the Badener Woche (48270), the Freiämter Woche (25180) and the Lenzburger Bezirksanzeiger (28048). Together with the Limmat-Zeitung, which is published in Limmattal ZH, the new AW thus has a total of 186,000 copies.
Because the area covered by the Aarauer Woche split also includes Zofingen, the newspaper title is given a "g" for Zofingen readers and is called Aargauer Woche there - for better identification. The same applies to the LBA, which bears the double name Der Seetaler/Der Lindenberg in the Hallwilersee area. Kromer's Wyna, on the other hand, has been deleted without replacement, while the Unterfreiämter still lives on as a local association in the Freiämter.
The fact that the four Kromer papers were in-house titles has left its mark: Although the AW is leased by Publicitas, the Kromer sales crew remained active with the AZ weekly newspapers. It markets the LBA and the Unterfreiämter. Suter explains this as follows: on the one hand, they wanted to scare away as few customers as possible, and on the other hand, AZ Medien
advertising sales as the publisher's core business. Now that a sales crew has been taken over from Kromer anyway, "we certainly don't want to give away what we have".
The newspaper market in Olten is getting crowdedThe city of Olten is probably overcrowded in terms of free newspapers with the Stadtanzeiger (100 percent Publicitas), the Niederämter Anzeiger (NA, Widmer Druck), the Neue Oltner Zeitung (NOZ, Verlag Zehnder) and now also the Anzeiger für Gäu und Thal (AGT). But no one is thinking of giving up. NOZ and Niederämter Anzeiger claim to have hardly noticed the new competitor so far. The Stadtanzeiger, on the other hand, has noticed that customers are currently "trying out" the AGT, as advertising manager Stefan Wyser says. And at the AGT itself, Heinz Gander admits that the Olten pavement "is hard for an intruder" and that the additional costs are not covered. But the attention from readers, noticeable in competitions for example, is amazing, he says. (mk)
According to VSW statistics, the Aargauer Woche lost 69.6 percent of its advertising volume in 2002 compared to the previous year. Did so many customers jump ship after the integration of the Kromer titles? Marcel Suter waves it away: The decline in 2002 was so great because the volume was incorrectly reported in 2001: At that time, not only were the local volumes of the four splits added to the jacket volume, but the jacket volume was also counted four times. If one compares the volume of the new AW with the effective volume of the old AW including that of the Kromer titles in 2001 (without double allocations), the decline is a mere 8 percent. This is low compared to other free titles. Half of the turnover is accounted for by the complete edition and half by the local sections. In the complete edition, the price per millimeter is 2.43 francs, in the splits between 0.80 and 1.02 francs. (mk)
Markus Knöpfli

Magazines The Facts cannot be overlooked, although it is difficult to draw a promising balance in the current world situation. 22.4 percent less circulation for Facts and 14.6 percent less for Bilanz show the Beobachter (where circulation has remained roughly the same) that the economy is only developing at a slow-motion pace. With an increase of 11.4 percent, the circulation of "Magazin für Menschen mit Lebenserfahrung" has increased by far the most of all magazines. Small consolation for the others: We are all getting older - without having to look old. (Source Media Focus)

Column Without renewed trust in the market and the elites, nothing will happen, writes Kenneth Angst. In times of social change, political unrest and economic stagnation, everyone is talking about trust: about its loss or restoration, or quite simply the longing for it. The topic is of vital importance, because in open, dynamic market and ego societies, individual and collective trust is becoming increasingly important: the range of necessities extends from self-trust to system trust, i.e. the belief in the reliability of the powerful and the markets. Consequently, organizations (associations, parties, companies, authorities) and their representatives are now more dependent than ever on their respective environment (public, media, employees, investors, voters, members) believing and trusting them and attributing competence, integrity and value to them. However, trust is also becoming increasingly scarce and fragile: difficult and time-consuming to build up, but quickly destroyed. Those who trust not only have very specific expectations, but generally also great expectations - and are therefore quickly disappointed. Those who are disappointed, however, always feel deceived and react by immediately and permanently withdrawing this mother of all communication resources.
Loss of confidence is known to lead to fundamental crises - of self-confidence, of faith in the future, of investor confidence, of political and market confidence, of confidence in the law and regulations. Just like today. That is why everyone is looking for communicative means and ways to restore lost trust or to gain new trust. Because without trust, no more risks are taken and nothing is invested. Instead, fear and mistrust are spreading. At times like these, the world is ruled by prevention rather than action, by aggression rather than communication.
Ultimately, the only way out of such depressive and explosive moods is a proactive willingness to communicate openly and straightforwardly. Particularly in times of crisis, everyone involved wants to know exactly who stands where and for what, who wants what and why, who can do what and who is doing what. New individual and collective trust is only created when clear messages clear the fog again: in favor of new commitments, new rules, new agreements. In other words, the best way to prolong the crisis is to cut back on communication. Those who want to emerge from it, however, invest in and embrace communication. It's as simple as that.
> Kenneth Angst worked in the editorial offices of NZZ and Weltwoche and is now Managing Director of Mediapolis, Zurich.

It all began in 1996 with the "Human Desire Project" by the New York agency Next Group, which resulted in a sharp-tongued but analytically disappointing inventory of what Next's top groupie Davis calls "our new culture of desire". As if desire had not always been the father of (consumer) thought.> Wa(h)re Sehnsucht. What we really want to buy by Melinda Davis. Econ Verlag, Munich 2003. 304 pages, Fr. 40.50.

Advertising statistics According to Media Focus, only radio (12 %) and teletext (11.1 %) recorded a positive development. Cinema recorded a drop of 9.7 percent. Daily newspapers lost 7.6%, consumer magazines 3.7% and specialist magazines 9.3%. TV advertising expenditure also fell (-9.5 %). Posters recovered after the January slump, but still recorded a drop of 9.7%.

Newspapers The Aargauer Zeitung (AZ) is cutting 20 of its 275 jobs. Around half of these will be in the local editorial office and technical editorial staff, while the rest will be cut in publishing, administration and advertising production. At least one job will be lost in each of AZ's external editorial offices in Zofingen and Niederamt in the canton of Solothurn. According to AZ publisher Peter Wanner, the merger of other external departments is being examined. The Berner Zeitung (BZ) is also cutting 15 full-time positions in the editorial and publishing departments to save money. A total of 23 people are affected, all of whom have been made redundant. There are no natural redundancies.

Publishers The publishers of the Fricktaler Boten prefer to cooperate with the Basel publishers.
As of April 1, the Basler Mediengruppe (BM) has a 50 percent stake in the publishing house Fricktaler Bote AG, together with the previous shareholder Binkert Druck AG. Three of the four members of the Board of Directors are stepping down; the new Board of Directors at Binkert Druck consists of its Chairman Bernhard Binkert and Hans Jegge (previously on the Board), and at BM of CEO Beat Meyer and BM Board member Ruth Ludwig-Hagemann. It is still unclear who will take over as Chairman of the Board. Due to the equal number of votes, an independent fifth person is also to be added to the BoD. The Fricktaler Bote, which is published three times a week (normal circulation 6509 copies, large circulation 14650 copies), is to remain an independent title in the upper Fricktal. The same applies to the Fricktal split of the Basler Zeitung, which is stronger in the lower Fricktal. An advertising combination is not ruled out.
The 50 percent stake sold to BM was previously held by Fricker Holding. Prior to their offer to BM, merger talks had taken place between Fricktaler Bote and Fricktaler Zeitung. However, the latter rejected the merger. The question arises: Why was the Fricktaler Bote not offered to AZ Medien? Bernhard Binkert refers to the latter's practice of merging newly acquired titles as a split into its parent papers (see also p. 22): "We wanted the Fricktaler Bote to remain independent and not end up in the Aargauer Zeitung pot."
(mk)

The budget for raising awareness against advertising bans of the Swiss Advertising Association (SW) goes to Publicis, which together with the trade association has launched an alliance against advertising bans that includes a further 20 organizations. According to Publicis, it has developed an "amazing basic idea" for the alliance.