Arndt Groth: The downward slide of daily newspapers continues

The advertising market for daily newspapers fell by eleven percent in the first seven months of this year, says Arndt C. Groth, Managing Director of Publigroupe, Switzerland's largest advertising marketer, in an interview with Handelszeitung. The daily newspapers will also lose "a similar amount" in 2014. It does not help to be superficially optimistic. "There is no indication that things will get better - on the contrary." In day-to-day business, only the very local and regional newspapers are proving somewhat more resistant to change. In contrast, however, many weekly titles and Sunday newspapers have held up well, says Groth. "I am convinced that they have a future."

Publigroupe is also feeling the pain of media change. Groth has therefore given the Group a new strategy. "We are already seeing the first positive results of the strategy," says Groth. However, he had to announce a loss of CHF 9.5 million in the first half of 2013. Publicitas in particular, which had previously been primarily active in the publishing houses' advertising business, came under pressure. Publigroupe will cut a further 245 jobs in the "Media Sales" division by the first quarter of 2014. (SDA)

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