Ringier's love for SMEs
Cash Enterprise, as an additional offshoot of Cash, is targeting a new, lucrative reader segment
Cash Enterprise is targeting a new, lucrative reader segment as an additional Cash bundleAfter accounting fraudsters on a grand scale, rip-off artists from the Gold Coast and CEOs who have fallen from grace in the matted carpet, Cash publishing director Thomas Passen has discovered a new love - that of small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs. He notes that the problems and needs of small and medium-sized enterprises have so far been neglected in the media and is taking action: Cash Enterprise is to fill this apparently badly neglected gap on a monthly basis. "Business newspapers mainly focus on large companies. The few titles that already focus on SMEs are either too PR-heavy or too industry-specific," explains Passen. An approach that focuses on SMEs as a whole and as an industry has been lacking until now.
The 16-page report focuses on the following topics: Presenting and discussing financing models, innovations, business models and start-up companies. Passen is particularly proud of the columnists, Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin and Heliane Canepa. "They will provide us with excellent support in drawing attention to the new Confederation."
Ex-Cash man Klaus Niedermann was brought back to produce the new bundle. The SME specialist was already involved in the early years of Cash, but then switched to Bilanz. Now he is back, albeit as a freelancer, as he produces Cash Enterprise on a contract basis.
However, the SME association is not enough. According to Passen, SMEs should generally be given more weight in Cash in future. "We will also increasingly cover SME topics in every issue on the normal pages." In addition, clarifications are underway as to whether a weekly SME feature - also with partners - is feasible. Talks are being held with SME associations, says Passen.
Cash Enterprise is not primarily targeting the advertising market. The main aim is to reach new readers. However, provisions have already been made for advertisements. Passen has brought in three partners for Cash Enterprise: Swisscom Enterprise Solutions, Cisco Systems and SAP. "At a price that roughly corresponds to the advertising space provided," he says. In return, the three companies receive a fixed presence on the front page plus a full-page ad space inside the magazine.
However, Passen is not very optimistic about additional ad bookings. "SMEs simply don't have the budget for large-scale advertisements. That's why this is certainly not a promising advertising market."
According to Passen, they don't want to take anything away from anyone. HandelsZeitung, with its special SME supplements, pursues a different strategy. While the latter addresses sectors and sub-sectors of the SME world, Cash Enterprise will generally choose topics that affect the entire industry, the publishing director explains.
HandelsZeitung publisher Ralph Büchi is therefore relaxed about the new competition. "SMEs are the target group of all Swiss business newspapers. Because with the flattening of organizational structures, the same topics are often of interest to large companies." However, Büchi does see one advantage in such special pages and supplements: "In terms of advertising, they are often more stable than the main titles."
Daniel Schifferle
The 16-page report focuses on the following topics: Presenting and discussing financing models, innovations, business models and start-up companies. Passen is particularly proud of the columnists, Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin and Heliane Canepa. "They will provide us with excellent support in drawing attention to the new Confederation."
Ex-Cash man Klaus Niedermann was brought back to produce the new bundle. The SME specialist was already involved in the early years of Cash, but then switched to Bilanz. Now he is back, albeit as a freelancer, as he produces Cash Enterprise on a contract basis.
However, the SME association is not enough. According to Passen, SMEs should generally be given more weight in Cash in future. "We will also increasingly cover SME topics in every issue on the normal pages." In addition, clarifications are underway as to whether a weekly SME feature - also with partners - is feasible. Talks are being held with SME associations, says Passen.
Cash Enterprise is not primarily targeting the advertising market. The main aim is to reach new readers. However, provisions have already been made for advertisements. Passen has brought in three partners for Cash Enterprise: Swisscom Enterprise Solutions, Cisco Systems and SAP. "At a price that roughly corresponds to the advertising space provided," he says. In return, the three companies receive a fixed presence on the front page plus a full-page ad space inside the magazine.
However, Passen is not very optimistic about additional ad bookings. "SMEs simply don't have the budget for large-scale advertisements. That's why this is certainly not a promising advertising market."
According to Passen, they don't want to take anything away from anyone. HandelsZeitung, with its special SME supplements, pursues a different strategy. While the latter addresses sectors and sub-sectors of the SME world, Cash Enterprise will generally choose topics that affect the entire industry, the publishing director explains.
HandelsZeitung publisher Ralph Büchi is therefore relaxed about the new competition. "SMEs are the target group of all Swiss business newspapers. Because with the flattening of organizational structures, the same topics are often of interest to large companies." However, Büchi does see one advantage in such special pages and supplements: "In terms of advertising, they are often more stable than the main titles."
Daniel Schifferle
