Summer's spring awakening

Gratispresse Publishing professional Daniel Sommer is to professionalize Zehnder Print AG's free newspapers. After just three weeks, he is announcing the first concrete steps.
Free newspaper king Rolf-Peter Zehnder, 65, twenty of his
newspaper titles to Zehnder Print AG, which has been his partner for six years.
belonged to his son Andreas. Zehnder junior, 40, then immediately made
clear that the professionalization of the qualitatively strong
different titles is serious: since January 9, the
Wil in St. Gallen for the first time ever in the 150-year history of the
company history, a person responsible for the Zehnder sheets
Publishing director with profound industry experience.

The man's name is Daniel Sommer, he was publishing director of the
Basler Zeitung and previously worked for Publicitas in Zurich and in the
active in Welschland. Sommer now appears in Zehnder Verlag with
weekly titles such as the Winterthurer Zeitung, Bodensee Nachrichten and
the Neue Oltener Zeitung about great entrepreneurial freedom to
have.

"I certainly wouldn't have had a publishing professional like Daniel Sommer
if I didn't want to give him a lot of freedom. Even
I'm working at full capacity with the print shop," says Andreas Zehnder
made clear to Werbewoche. At the printing center in Rickenbach TG
In addition to its own titles, the daily newspapers International Herald
Tribune and the Wall Street Journal for Europe.

Initial assessment after three weeks
In the first three weeks of his new job, 51-year-old Daniel Sommer
new job, I've done what a publishing professional can do in terms of new
place of work. He has visited locations, had countless conversations
and get a detailed picture of the individual newspapers and magazines.
organizations. Sommer's assessment of this first phase: "The
Our range of titles is very heterogeneous, much of it is historically
grown, and the differences are great, both in terms of content and
commercially." He sees a need for action depending on the region and the
the prevailing competitive situation.

Sometimes it's about commercial matters, sometimes about process technology, sometimes about
content, then again more about personal matters. Commercially strongest
two Zurich titles, the Züri Nachrichten in Horgen and the
the Zürcher Rundschau in Zurich North. As an immediate measure, Sommer
has prompted a move to the center at both locations,
"Where the people are. A regional newspaper belongs in the
center," Sommer is convinced. It is equally clear to him that the
Weekly newspapers will have a uniform face in future
should. This also applies to recurring editorial sections and
journalistic vessels.

The total print run of 780000 copies is ultimately to be
and to make the association fitter for national campaigns.
be made. It has already been decided that by 2007 new
all newspapers have Mach figures and further
Improve the planning basis for agencies and major customers
should. "But the people are already doing a good job. In the
You have to work very hard in the free newspaper market. I am impressed
of the performance of my employees," he says, praising the teams he
has encountered.

Standardized editorial system
In terms of content, Sommer wants to play the regional card more strongly in future.
play out. The titles would have to be even better in the respective regions.
and more frequently bring topics into the spotlight that the
really moved people. "Readers have to find out for themselves
recognize," says the publishing director, "they should say to each other, häsch
gläs i dä ...?" The internal editorial processes and the
Cross-divisional cooperation within the individual newspapers
is to be improved. One title after another is now being transferred to a
standardized electronic editing system.

The prevailing spirit of optimism at the publishing house can be felt in summer
enthusiastic. The question of whether and to what extent there are more than
a free title, Sommer does not want to generalize.
answer. That depends on the market size and circumstances. The
He sees the free newspaper 20 Minuten less as competition. Both
Publication methods, reading habits and the target group are very different.
different compared to the Zehnder weeklies. Addressed
to the sometimes criticized political right-wing bias of individual
Zehnder title, Sommer waves it off. "It's not about the political
orientation, but rather that we bring topics into the spotlight which
really interest the readership."

With an office at his home in Basel and an office in Wil, the new
publishing director is currently traveling across the country, using a laptop and
mainly a cell phone. And enjoys the entrepreneurial freedom,
that he is granted. But he is also aware of the great responsibility,
that the newly created position entails. However, Sommer would like to
not yet provide any information on when it will be able to convert the newspaper fleet to
course.   
Rolf-Peter Zehnder retains two titles
Rolf-Peter Zehnder can't give up the free newspaper business entirely.
In addition to its leisure activities (gastronomy, cinema, fitness), the
65-year-old kept two newspapers. These are the
Zuger Woche and the Basler Stadt-Zytig. The latter was the center of attention in the
a theater of grotesque proportions over the past few months. After
the former editor-in-chief Beat Alder had fallen out with Zehnder,
A power struggle broke out between Alder and Peter Kleiber, his
former
employees. At present, Kleiber seems to have prevailed and
has been publishing the Stadt-Zeitung with Zehnder as a partner since January 13.
out. Alder has filed lawsuits against Kleiber (theft, damages, fraud
and more). The case will be heard again at the end of January.
The outcome is open. Daniel Sommer, the new publishing director in
services of Andreas Zehnder, shows himself to be a long-standing
BaZ publishing director "not unhappy" that he did not have to worry about
the Basel gossip.

Michael Zollinger