Basel football already suspended again
Less than two months after its launch, the final whistle has already sounded for the football newspaper Basler Fussball. According to publisher Michael Martin, interest from the advertising industry was far below expectations despite Euro 08 and the successful FCB. The initiators have now pulled the emergency brake.
Less than two months after its launch, the final whistle has already sounded for the football newspaper Basler Fussball. "Interest from the advertising industry was far below expectations," publisher Michael Martin confirmed to Werbewoche, as reported by Basler Zeitung. "Acceptance among readers and sponsors was very good, but the volume of advertising exceeded all worst-case scenarios". For this reason, the last issue of the football paper, which was launched on February 2, was published last week (see
Tout Bâle is on the ball
). "Our advertising partner, Publicitas, was unable to find a new advertiser for the past four weeks - even if it was only for an eighth of a page. The circulation of 20,000 was probably too small in view of the large print runs of the free newspapers and the price collapse on the market," explained Martin. The initiators had originally expected to break even this year. However, actual sales were far below the timetable that Martin and co-founder Daniel Schaub had drawn up together with Publicitas.
Of course, they were aware that such a project would need a start-up phase. "But if the sale doesn't work even when FC Basel is at the top of the table and Basel will be the host city of the Euros, you simply have to look for new solutions," Martin continued. However, he is not apportioning blame. In his eyes, the partner Publicitas had exhausted "all the possibilities within its power". But even with the small advertisements, the football newspaper had achieved far less than hoped for. Readers and football clubs in the Basel area, on the other hand, had been enthusiastic and had quickly achieved a high level of awareness.
The publisher was very disappointed because he had believed in his project. "But better an end with horror than horror without end". If it had continued in the same style, the small publishing house would have made a loss of 300,000 francs in the first year, "but more important to us than the sum were the signs that we would not be able to survive as a small newspaper in today's market in the planned form." Subscribers will now be refunded the full price, and monthly contracts have been agreed with sponsors as a precaution. In the next two weeks, it will be decided whether Basler Fussball will be published again in a different form and in a different place.
According to Martin, solutions have been found for the editors: "Most of them were working for us on a freelance basis or with a small workload; they have all found a new job or are about to do so". The publisher will continue to publish the monthly magazine Rotweiss, which is doing very well with both readers and advertisers.
Tout Bâle is on the ball
). "Our advertising partner, Publicitas, was unable to find a new advertiser for the past four weeks - even if it was only for an eighth of a page. The circulation of 20,000 was probably too small in view of the large print runs of the free newspapers and the price collapse on the market," explained Martin. The initiators had originally expected to break even this year. However, actual sales were far below the timetable that Martin and co-founder Daniel Schaub had drawn up together with Publicitas.
Of course, they were aware that such a project would need a start-up phase. "But if the sale doesn't work even when FC Basel is at the top of the table and Basel will be the host city of the Euros, you simply have to look for new solutions," Martin continued. However, he is not apportioning blame. In his eyes, the partner Publicitas had exhausted "all the possibilities within its power". But even with the small advertisements, the football newspaper had achieved far less than hoped for. Readers and football clubs in the Basel area, on the other hand, had been enthusiastic and had quickly achieved a high level of awareness.
The publisher was very disappointed because he had believed in his project. "But better an end with horror than horror without end". If it had continued in the same style, the small publishing house would have made a loss of 300,000 francs in the first year, "but more important to us than the sum were the signs that we would not be able to survive as a small newspaper in today's market in the planned form." Subscribers will now be refunded the full price, and monthly contracts have been agreed with sponsors as a precaution. In the next two weeks, it will be decided whether Basler Fussball will be published again in a different form and in a different place.
According to Martin, solutions have been found for the editors: "Most of them were working for us on a freelance basis or with a small workload; they have all found a new job or are about to do so". The publisher will continue to publish the monthly magazine Rotweiss, which is doing very well with both readers and advertisers.
