AZ Medien goes it alone
The AZ Medien Group has decided to resume handling advertising sales for its publications in-house. The relevant contracts with Publicitas had already been terminated as a precautionary measure at the end of 2008.
The AZ Medien Group has decided to take back control of the advertising marketing for its titles. The corresponding contracts with Publicitas were already terminated at the end of 2008 as a precautionary measure. According to an AZ press release, the management contracts for several free newspapers were also not extended.
Both parties are striving to find a new basis for cooperation by summer 2010, which, building on the new Publicitas business models, will redefine responsibilities in the areas of marketing, digitization, services and infrastructure and regulate them in line with requirements. AZ Medien's decision to manage its own advertising marketing in future means that it is once again seeking direct contact with customers. A separate sales and marketing organization will be set up as of 1 January 2010. Rainer Sauser, formerly Head of Marketing at Publicitas, has been recruited to manage the "in-house management" project. Christoph Marty, Managing Director of Aargauer Zeitung/Sonntag, is responsible for the project at company management level.
The exclusive central contract for the advertising marketing of the Aargauer Zeitung will remain valid until the end of 2012, as Publicitas writes in a press release. Publicitas will offer the other AZ Medien titles as an intermediary from 2010. Both sides intend to work out a new form of cooperation based on the new Publicitas business model by summer 2010. Nothing will change for Publicitas' advertising customers with regard to the titles that will be managed by Publicitas: all titles can still be booked via the Publicitas marketing organization. Job cuts and the closure of branches cannot be ruled out. More detailed information on the future organization of Publicitas in the Mittelland will be provided by mid-September 2009 at the latest.
Both parties are striving to find a new basis for cooperation by summer 2010, which, building on the new Publicitas business models, will redefine responsibilities in the areas of marketing, digitization, services and infrastructure and regulate them in line with requirements. AZ Medien's decision to manage its own advertising marketing in future means that it is once again seeking direct contact with customers. A separate sales and marketing organization will be set up as of 1 January 2010. Rainer Sauser, formerly Head of Marketing at Publicitas, has been recruited to manage the "in-house management" project. Christoph Marty, Managing Director of Aargauer Zeitung/Sonntag, is responsible for the project at company management level.
The exclusive central contract for the advertising marketing of the Aargauer Zeitung will remain valid until the end of 2012, as Publicitas writes in a press release. Publicitas will offer the other AZ Medien titles as an intermediary from 2010. Both sides intend to work out a new form of cooperation based on the new Publicitas business model by summer 2010. Nothing will change for Publicitas' advertising customers with regard to the titles that will be managed by Publicitas: all titles can still be booked via the Publicitas marketing organization. Job cuts and the closure of branches cannot be ruled out. More detailed information on the future organization of Publicitas in the Mittelland will be provided by mid-September 2009 at the latest.
