Circumnavigation completed
The Zürichsee-Zeitung network now provides (nearly) comprehensive coverage on both shores of the lake
With the addition of March Höfe Zeitung, the Zürichsee-Zeitung newspaper group has almost completed its circumnavigation of the lake. A moderate pricing policy and a considered approach should keep advertisers and readers this time.
A small step in circulation, a big one in the advertising market: The integration of March Höfe Zeitung (MHZ) into the Zürichsee-Zeitung (ZSZ) group will enable advertisers to cover the entire area around the lake with a single ad for the first time from May 3. To this end, Zürichsee Medien is taking over a minority stake in MHZ, increasing its publication frequency to six times a week and expanding the title to the level of the existing affiliated titles in terms of scope and appearance.
"This is an old dream come true," says Luzi Bernet, Editor-in-Chief of the Zürichsee-Zeitung, "we now have a presence around the lake." Jost Kessler, advertising manager at Publicitas Stäfa, is pleased that the previous coverage gap has finally been eliminated. "Only now do retailers and businesses have the opportunity to really reach their entire catchment area," says Kessler. In addition, the attractiveness for national advertising is increasing.
Intensified tussle with Südostschweiz
However, the strength of the five Verbund titles continues to lie in the regional area. This is also reflected in the content. "We distribute local and regional information across all the bundles," says Kessler, "guaranteeing our local advertisers attention in every section of the newspaper." That's important, because advertisers in the bundled titles still come mainly from the regional area.
With the integration of MHZ, the Zürichsee-Zeitungsverbund is intensifying competition with Südostschweiz, which is fighting for readers and advertisers in the same area with the March-Anzeiger and Höfner Volksblatt head papers. However, Kessler cannot imagine an outright rift with Südostschweiz. "Our joint Pressekombi 27 is doing far too well for that," he says, "we'll stay together there."
In terms of circulation, the total edition of the newspaper group will only increase by 4044 to 50787 copies. If at all, because whether the existing subscribers of the MHZ will stick with it after the integration is still anything but certain. The bitter disappointments at the start of the ZSZ integration in October 1997 have not yet been forgotten. When the paper broke out of its right-bank home and headed south to the left shore of the lake, readers and advertisers left in droves.
"We were ill-prepared," says Erland Herkenrath, managing director of ZSZ, "had not adjusted enough to the needs in the individual areas." This is different now: the local authorities were involved and informed at an early stage. MHZ subscribers are also being treated more sensitively: they will receive their paper at the old price until the end of the year. After that, it will be raised from 129 to 198 francs. However, those who do not want to take part in this can still have the paper delivered to their home three times a week as before. This is a recipe that has also proved successful with the other Left Bank titles and gives cause for optimism.
A newspaper does not (yet) submit to
Even the last small flaw cannot dampen the new confidence. The ZSZ Group has not quite won yet. The Thalwiler, the local paper on the Zurich city border, has so far successfully fended off all attempts at attack. But this has long since ceased to have anything to do with true independence. "Without an advertising combination with the ZSZ, the Thalwiler would not be able to survive," Erland Herkenrath is convinced, "and it has a quality problem." It is therefore only a matter of time before it, too, is incorporated into the association.
Around the lake at the old price
A small step in circulation, a big one in the advertising market: The integration of March Höfe Zeitung (MHZ) into the Zürichsee-Zeitung (ZSZ) group will enable advertisers to cover the entire area around the lake with a single ad for the first time from May 3. To this end, Zürichsee Medien is taking over a minority stake in MHZ, increasing its publication frequency to six times a week and expanding the title to the level of the existing affiliated titles in terms of scope and appearance.
"This is an old dream come true," says Luzi Bernet, Editor-in-Chief of the Zürichsee-Zeitung, "we now have a presence around the lake." Jost Kessler, advertising manager at Publicitas Stäfa, is pleased that the previous coverage gap has finally been eliminated. "Only now do retailers and businesses have the opportunity to really reach their entire catchment area," says Kessler. In addition, the attractiveness for national advertising is increasing.
Intensified tussle with Südostschweiz
However, the strength of the five Verbund titles continues to lie in the regional area. This is also reflected in the content. "We distribute local and regional information across all the bundles," says Kessler, "guaranteeing our local advertisers attention in every section of the newspaper." That's important, because advertisers in the bundled titles still come mainly from the regional area.
With the integration of MHZ, the Zürichsee-Zeitungsverbund is intensifying competition with Südostschweiz, which is fighting for readers and advertisers in the same area with the March-Anzeiger and Höfner Volksblatt head papers. However, Kessler cannot imagine an outright rift with Südostschweiz. "Our joint Pressekombi 27 is doing far too well for that," he says, "we'll stay together there."
In terms of circulation, the total edition of the newspaper group will only increase by 4044 to 50787 copies. If at all, because whether the existing subscribers of the MHZ will stick with it after the integration is still anything but certain. The bitter disappointments at the start of the ZSZ integration in October 1997 have not yet been forgotten. When the paper broke out of its right-bank home and headed south to the left shore of the lake, readers and advertisers left in droves.
"We were ill-prepared," says Erland Herkenrath, managing director of ZSZ, "had not adjusted enough to the needs in the individual areas." This is different now: the local authorities were involved and informed at an early stage. MHZ subscribers are also being treated more sensitively: they will receive their paper at the old price until the end of the year. After that, it will be raised from 129 to 198 francs. However, those who do not want to take part in this can still have the paper delivered to their home three times a week as before. This is a recipe that has also proved successful with the other Left Bank titles and gives cause for optimism.
A newspaper does not (yet) submit to
Even the last small flaw cannot dampen the new confidence. The ZSZ Group has not quite won yet. The Thalwiler, the local paper on the Zurich city border, has so far successfully fended off all attempts at attack. But this has long since ceased to have anything to do with true independence. "Without an advertising combination with the ZSZ, the Thalwiler would not be able to survive," Erland Herkenrath is convinced, "and it has a quality problem." It is therefore only a matter of time before it, too, is incorporated into the association.
Around the lake at the old price
With the integration of the March Höfe Zeitung (MHZ), which will also be published six times a week from May 3, advertisers will be able to advertise on the entire right and left banks of the lake in the complete edition of the Zürichsee-Zeitung (ZSZ). And this at the old price until the end of the year. The "Linth-Zeitung/MHZ" module is now available for advertising only the upper lake region, and the "ZSZ linkes Ufer/MHZ" module for the left bank of the lake.
