To the point: Nothing is impossible
If the Zurich newspaper swap has taught us anything, it’s this: Anything is possible, even the improbable. Everything always sounds great (for now!). Competitors become partners, and partners become competitors.
In the course of the restructuring of the Swiss press landscape, which will certainly continue, it can be assumed that this will also apply in the future.
It seems that for many top people in media companies, the Thirty-Six Stratagems, which are attributed to the Chinese general Tan Daoji, are part of their basic training. And why not, since the art of cunning in war is highly valued in Chinese culture, and the advice from Machiavelli's "The Prince" can also be put to good use in business strategies.
Here is a selection of the Thirty-Six Stratagems that can be wonderfully applied to the media industry:
- Deceive the emperor and cross the sea
- Exploit a fire for a robbery
- Noise in the East, Attack in the West
- Secretly marching to Chencang
- Hide the dagger behind the smile
- Lure the tiger from the mountain to the plain
- Throw down a brick to obtain jade
- Ally with the distant enemy to attack neighbors
- Scold the acacia tree while pointing to the mulberry tree
- Lure to the roof, and then pull away the ladder
- Decorate drought trees with artificial flowers
So what does this mean for the Swiss media landscape? For reasons of space, let's limit ourselves to the German-speaking part of Switzerland and let our imagination run wild.
The Basler Zeitung could cooperate with the Mittelland¬zeitung. However, such a cooperation with the NZZ or even Weltwoche would also be conceivable. The Mittellandzeitung allies itself with the NZZ or cooperates with Tamedia. The Schaffhauser Nachrichten cooperates with the Zürcher Landzeitungen or resists Tamedia's wooing and prefers to team up with the NZZ. Or they resist the enticements from Zurich and for the time being remain the small Gallic village (Asterix sends his regards!).
Whether these cooperations result in shareholdings or even takeovers remains to be seen. Perhaps there is also no need for prior cooperations as a fig leaf, but rather direct action is taken. Always remember: Nothing is impossible. And if something still seems impossible to you, then delve into the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
It seems that for many top people in media companies, the Thirty-Six Stratagems, which are attributed to the Chinese general Tan Daoji, are part of their basic training. And why not, since the art of cunning in war is highly valued in Chinese culture, and the advice from Machiavelli's "The Prince" can also be put to good use in business strategies.
Here is a selection of the Thirty-Six Stratagems that can be wonderfully applied to the media industry:
- Deceive the emperor and cross the sea
- Exploit a fire for a robbery
- Noise in the East, Attack in the West
- Secretly marching to Chencang
- Hide the dagger behind the smile
- Lure the tiger from the mountain to the plain
- Throw down a brick to obtain jade
- Ally with the distant enemy to attack neighbors
- Scold the acacia tree while pointing to the mulberry tree
- Lure to the roof, and then pull away the ladder
- Decorate drought trees with artificial flowers
So what does this mean for the Swiss media landscape? For reasons of space, let's limit ourselves to the German-speaking part of Switzerland and let our imagination run wild.
The Basler Zeitung could cooperate with the Mittelland¬zeitung. However, such a cooperation with the NZZ or even Weltwoche would also be conceivable. The Mittellandzeitung allies itself with the NZZ or cooperates with Tamedia. The Schaffhauser Nachrichten cooperates with the Zürcher Landzeitungen or resists Tamedia's wooing and prefers to team up with the NZZ. Or they resist the enticements from Zurich and for the time being remain the small Gallic village (Asterix sends his regards!).
Whether these cooperations result in shareholdings or even takeovers remains to be seen. Perhaps there is also no need for prior cooperations as a fig leaf, but rather direct action is taken. Always remember: Nothing is impossible. And if something still seems impossible to you, then delve into the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
