Cordially, Yours, Reinhold Weber
Magazines: Weber Hodel Schmid writes promotional letters to the editor for *Glückspost*.
Magazines Weber Hodel Schmid writes effective advertising letters to the editor for Glückspost. "Here they come again with a Typo advertisement. And now, after Koch(en)magazin, for Glückspost too", Reinhold Weber can already hear the mockery of the competition. In-house, Weber Hodel Schmid (WHS) is not at all afraid of this criticism. The creatives at WHS are really proud of the new idea with a campaign in the form of letters to the editor. And even if the lifestyle society hardly wants to admit it, around 450000 readers in Switzerland read Glückspost every week. And the trend is rising. This makes the magazine the number one in its genre and, with a circulation of over 170000, it is one of the firmly established titles in the Swiss media landscape. This good fortune is set to increase. "Circulation and readership figures are to be increased," says consultant Dominik Mätzener, explaining the assignment from Ringier.
It was given to Glückspost editor-in-chief Helmut-Maria Glogger. And he is the undisputed head of the paper. It was therefore soon clear to WHS that he should also be the "heart" of the new campaign. "The relationship between Glogger and his readers is a very special one," Weber is convinced. The editor-in-chief not only embodies competence when it comes to celebrities. Glogger is also a "good friend" to his readers. A lively exchange of letters bears witness to this. And WHS has made this dialog between the magazine and its readers the nucleus of the new Glückspost campaign. You could also call it people-to-person communication.
In reality, WHS answers a fake letter from Glückspost readers every week on behalf of editor-in-chief Helmut-Maria Glogger and designs it as an advertisement. These letters may be inspired by real reader inquiries. They may be questions about Liz Taylor or Princess Stefanie. But also questions about dating classifieds or competition prizes. The full-page advertisements are each drawn by Helmut-Maria Glogger and the new claim "Herzlich, Ihre Glückspost".
WHS copywriter Glogger
The ads will initially only appear in Ringier titles. Another budget advantage of this campaign is that the Typo ads can be produced very cost-effectively. Glogger himself will write around a third of the ads. These epistles will feature his dog Forty as well as other personal events from the life of the editor-in-chief and his family. The remaining 66 percent of the letters to the editor will be written by WHS copywriters, who will be able to give free rein to their emotions and draw on the full range of their imagination. As an internal gag, the agency has had business cards printed for all these ghostwriters with the new first name Helmut-Maria.
The letters to the editor should be based as much as possible on current events and reveal a lot of fate. An analysis of the readership of Glückspost has shown that people who feel unobserved are the first to read the stories of fate in a magazine.
According to WHS, the fictitious letters to the editor can also refer to the possible content of the next "Glückspost". It would be nice if the advertising letters with real responses from readers could lead to a long-term correspondence. "This campaign is open to any form of momentum," says Reinhold Weber. Running gags with allusions to real people are also called for.
The book to the letter to the editor
And if Weber's idea threatens to get out of hand in a controlled manner, WHS may even want to publish a book with the collected correspondence of the Glückspost at an advanced stage of the campaign. In any case, the agency on Seestrasse is delighted with the new contract. "We have no reservations about it," explains Weber.
The campaign is also aimed at advertisers, because "the paper is for
completely undersold the advertising," says Weber. The budget switch from Tages-Anzeiger to SonntagsZeitung would have "freed up the agency to open up to other media".
And in the foyer of WHS, Glückspost is of course now tucked away in the newspaper rack right next to the NZZ and Facts.
Andreas Panzeri
It was given to Glückspost editor-in-chief Helmut-Maria Glogger. And he is the undisputed head of the paper. It was therefore soon clear to WHS that he should also be the "heart" of the new campaign. "The relationship between Glogger and his readers is a very special one," Weber is convinced. The editor-in-chief not only embodies competence when it comes to celebrities. Glogger is also a "good friend" to his readers. A lively exchange of letters bears witness to this. And WHS has made this dialog between the magazine and its readers the nucleus of the new Glückspost campaign. You could also call it people-to-person communication.
In reality, WHS answers a fake letter from Glückspost readers every week on behalf of editor-in-chief Helmut-Maria Glogger and designs it as an advertisement. These letters may be inspired by real reader inquiries. They may be questions about Liz Taylor or Princess Stefanie. But also questions about dating classifieds or competition prizes. The full-page advertisements are each drawn by Helmut-Maria Glogger and the new claim "Herzlich, Ihre Glückspost".
WHS copywriter Glogger
The ads will initially only appear in Ringier titles. Another budget advantage of this campaign is that the Typo ads can be produced very cost-effectively. Glogger himself will write around a third of the ads. These epistles will feature his dog Forty as well as other personal events from the life of the editor-in-chief and his family. The remaining 66 percent of the letters to the editor will be written by WHS copywriters, who will be able to give free rein to their emotions and draw on the full range of their imagination. As an internal gag, the agency has had business cards printed for all these ghostwriters with the new first name Helmut-Maria.
The letters to the editor should be based as much as possible on current events and reveal a lot of fate. An analysis of the readership of Glückspost has shown that people who feel unobserved are the first to read the stories of fate in a magazine.
According to WHS, the fictitious letters to the editor can also refer to the possible content of the next "Glückspost". It would be nice if the advertising letters with real responses from readers could lead to a long-term correspondence. "This campaign is open to any form of momentum," says Reinhold Weber. Running gags with allusions to real people are also called for.
The book to the letter to the editor
And if Weber's idea threatens to get out of hand in a controlled manner, WHS may even want to publish a book with the collected correspondence of the Glückspost at an advanced stage of the campaign. In any case, the agency on Seestrasse is delighted with the new contract. "We have no reservations about it," explains Weber.
The campaign is also aimed at advertisers, because "the paper is for
completely undersold the advertising," says Weber. The budget switch from Tages-Anzeiger to SonntagsZeitung would have "freed up the agency to open up to other media".
And in the foyer of WHS, Glückspost is of course now tucked away in the newspaper rack right next to the NZZ and Facts.
Andreas Panzeri
