Good advice should not be more expensive
Despite rising visitor numbers, Screen-up's TV marketers aren't shedding any tears over it
Despite rising attendance figures, TV marketers are not crying any tears for the Screen-upBy Daniel Schifferle The Screen-up was created with a great deal of passion. Now, after just four editions, it's over. And this despite constantly growing visitor numbers. Publisuisse, which stood on the sidelines until last year, particularly regrets the end. Goldbach Media, on the other hand, will soon be holding its own new event: The Mediarena will open its doors for the first time at the beginning of June.
IP Multimedia and RMB put their heart and soul into the Screen-up and have turned it into one of the most important events in the industry within four years. While only IPM and RMB and the broadcasters Pro 7, RTL, RTL 2 and Sat 1 were represented at the first event on October 1, 1998, 29 TV broadcasters, TV marketers and industry partners presented their offerings on October 4, 2001. Last year, Publisuisse was finally able to participate for the first time.
But not only on the organizer's side, the Screen-up also set record after record in terms of visitors: In 2000, 1200 guests were counted, in 2001 it was over 1500.
Despite these success figures, the end of the Screen-up seems definite, even though OC President Jean-Claude Bruhin "does not completely rule out" a new edition. In view of the rapidly changing television market, however, the concept would have to be thoroughly reviewed, the organizers write. The tipping point was the loss of Tele 24 and TV 3, two paying partners, which would have made the event far too expensive for the remaining organizers.
Discrepancy between expenditure and income
As is regularly the case with Telemesse in Germany, the model for the screen-up, the relationship between cost and income is also heavily criticized in this country. "For the costs incurred by the screen-up, you could invite every customer individually," says Publisuisse Director Ingrid Deltenre. Nevertheless, she wants to campaign for a continuation. "But with a new formula," she emphasizes. Deltenre believes that holding the screen-up at the beginning of October is clearly too late. "It would be better in August, before the budgeting phase has started with the advertising clients."
According to Deltenre, the target audience and content of the event also needed to be fundamentally corrected. "Advertising clients, who are responsible for strategic decisions in media planning, were absent from Screen-up. The visitors mainly included employees from advertising and media agencies as well as TV creators," she criticizes. "The event would have to be repositioned as generic marketing for TV advertising - with content that makes the Screen-up a must for advertising clients. This has not been achieved so far."
Screen-up also received widespread criticism from media agencies in terms of content and target audience. "The event was too focused on the party and not enough on the technical part," regrets Monica Jaeggi, Konnex AG. And: "The Screen-up had the wrong audience: it was mainly attended by media planners who already know everything. But it was actually intended for those people who have decision-making authority when it comes to defining the type of media: Senior media consultants and media planners, creatives and consultants in creative agencies and most certainly clients."
What happens now? After the end of the screen-up, are the individual broadcasters now forced to organize individual roadshows, as IPM has already done with Vox and M 6 and is planning to do with other broadcasters? Or is a repositioned event conceivable in terms of content? Publisuisse boss Ingrid Deltenre expressed her disappointment with Goldbach Media's new event. On June 5 and 6, the company is organizing the Mediarena for the first time (see box). With this event, Goldbach Media is now single-handedly doing exactly what Publisuisse proposed at the beginning of the year as a replacement for Screen-up.
Bettina Singeisen, spokesperson for Goldbach Media, does not leave it at that: "With Mediarena, Goldbach Media is pursuing a simple goal: a deeper understanding of the interaction of electronic media. Cross-media should become a familiar tool for our customers. Although the medium of TV plays an important role, it is not broken down into individual channels, as was characteristic of the screen-up." In principle, IPM is not ruling out the continuation of the screen-up.
However, Singeisen identifies a time problem. "With our portfolio, which has now grown to six advertising windows, it would be difficult to give every broadcaster enough time at the screen-up." Another fact that speaks against a revival: new market partners in the TV sector and thus new paying partners for the screen-up are not in sight.
Mediarena for cross-media
IP Multimedia and RMB put their heart and soul into the Screen-up and have turned it into one of the most important events in the industry within four years. While only IPM and RMB and the broadcasters Pro 7, RTL, RTL 2 and Sat 1 were represented at the first event on October 1, 1998, 29 TV broadcasters, TV marketers and industry partners presented their offerings on October 4, 2001. Last year, Publisuisse was finally able to participate for the first time.
But not only on the organizer's side, the Screen-up also set record after record in terms of visitors: In 2000, 1200 guests were counted, in 2001 it was over 1500.
Despite these success figures, the end of the Screen-up seems definite, even though OC President Jean-Claude Bruhin "does not completely rule out" a new edition. In view of the rapidly changing television market, however, the concept would have to be thoroughly reviewed, the organizers write. The tipping point was the loss of Tele 24 and TV 3, two paying partners, which would have made the event far too expensive for the remaining organizers.
Discrepancy between expenditure and income
As is regularly the case with Telemesse in Germany, the model for the screen-up, the relationship between cost and income is also heavily criticized in this country. "For the costs incurred by the screen-up, you could invite every customer individually," says Publisuisse Director Ingrid Deltenre. Nevertheless, she wants to campaign for a continuation. "But with a new formula," she emphasizes. Deltenre believes that holding the screen-up at the beginning of October is clearly too late. "It would be better in August, before the budgeting phase has started with the advertising clients."
According to Deltenre, the target audience and content of the event also needed to be fundamentally corrected. "Advertising clients, who are responsible for strategic decisions in media planning, were absent from Screen-up. The visitors mainly included employees from advertising and media agencies as well as TV creators," she criticizes. "The event would have to be repositioned as generic marketing for TV advertising - with content that makes the Screen-up a must for advertising clients. This has not been achieved so far."
Screen-up also received widespread criticism from media agencies in terms of content and target audience. "The event was too focused on the party and not enough on the technical part," regrets Monica Jaeggi, Konnex AG. And: "The Screen-up had the wrong audience: it was mainly attended by media planners who already know everything. But it was actually intended for those people who have decision-making authority when it comes to defining the type of media: Senior media consultants and media planners, creatives and consultants in creative agencies and most certainly clients."
What happens now? After the end of the screen-up, are the individual broadcasters now forced to organize individual roadshows, as IPM has already done with Vox and M 6 and is planning to do with other broadcasters? Or is a repositioned event conceivable in terms of content? Publisuisse boss Ingrid Deltenre expressed her disappointment with Goldbach Media's new event. On June 5 and 6, the company is organizing the Mediarena for the first time (see box). With this event, Goldbach Media is now single-handedly doing exactly what Publisuisse proposed at the beginning of the year as a replacement for Screen-up.
Bettina Singeisen, spokesperson for Goldbach Media, does not leave it at that: "With Mediarena, Goldbach Media is pursuing a simple goal: a deeper understanding of the interaction of electronic media. Cross-media should become a familiar tool for our customers. Although the medium of TV plays an important role, it is not broken down into individual channels, as was characteristic of the screen-up." In principle, IPM is not ruling out the continuation of the screen-up.
However, Singeisen identifies a time problem. "With our portfolio, which has now grown to six advertising windows, it would be difficult to give every broadcaster enough time at the screen-up." Another fact that speaks against a revival: new market partners in the TV sector and thus new paying partners for the screen-up are not in sight.
Mediarena for cross-media
On June 5 and 6, 2002, Goldbach Media is holding the Mediarena for electronic media for the first time. The aim of the two-day communication forum at Goldbach Media's premises in Küsnacht is to make cross-media a familiar tool for customers. Renowned experts from the marketing and communications world, communications science and the customer side will share their experiences and visions at the event (see also page 23). The packed event days will conclude with a glittering party in the Werfthalle Wollishofen.
