Observer invites you to a drink
Magazines: The Beobachter has recently started selling wine. Neither the publisher nor the editorial staff believe this will undermine the magazine’s credibility. In addition, some of the advisory services will now be offered for a fee.
Magazine The Beobachter is now selling wine. The publisher and editorial team believe that this will not affect its credibility. Some of the advice offered will also be subject to a charge. The "selection of choice Swiss wines in a reasonably priced tasting package" comes neither from a winegrower nor from a wine merchant. The sender of the advertising leaflet is Beobachter, the consumer magazine published by Jean Frey. The wines are even "carefully selected and recommended by Beobachter". Did a few editors volunteer as test drinkers after work and tweet the best wines for the readership? Not at all. Even if the explicit recommendation may give a different impression, the wine campaign is a project of the publishing house. "The editors-in-chief were informed about it from the outset and had no objections," says Beobachter publishing director Roland Wahrenberger. Editor-in-chief Balz Hosang confirms this.
Despite this transparency, the new role as a wine shop gave rise to internal discussions. The discomfort about the fact that the publisher of the renowned magazine itself sells a product that is normally critically reviewed by the editorial team is to be taken into account in future. "The editorial team would like to have a fundamental discussion with the publisher before taking any further action," says Hosang.
Further offers decidedthat further promotions will follow is a foregone conclusion. This is also stated in the advertising for the "selected Swiss wines": "We regularly put together offers for you from a wide variety of areas." Those responsible have not yet decided what they want to offer readers next. "Not just anything, of course," says Wahrenberger, "but things that our readership likes. The focus is on quality." The wine campaign is a "first-time test". Only a small number of subscribers received the advertising. He is only aware of a few negative reactions, says the publishing director, "but that is normal". The editor-in-chief is also hardly aware of any criticism: "The product seems to have been well received overall." Balz Hosang is also convinced that the credibility of the Beobachter brand is not at risk due to the new reader campaigns.
The Beobachter is obviously not dependent on income from wine sales. The campaign is primarily about reader loyalty. "If it also generates a little money," says publishing director Wahrenberger, "that's very convenient for us."
Independence at riskCompetitors would never consider campaigns such as those now introduced by Beobachter. Independence is key for a consumer magazine, says René Schuhmacher, journalistic director of K-Tipp magazine. "As a magazine that regularly publishes tests, we are only credible if we treat all providers equally. That would no longer be the case if we worked with some and not others." Schuhmacher considers the sale of books or other information carriers that pick up on or expand on content from the magazine to be unproblematic. "Informing is one task, selling is another," says the K-Tipp boss. "We limit ourselves to providing information."
Paid adviceNot only the sale of wine and other products will bring a few extra francs into the Beobachter coffers in the medium term. A new advisory service may also generate income. Editor-in-chief Hosang confirms: "We are examining the introduction of fee-based advice." The current service will remain free. However, anyone who submits a more complex request to the Beobachter experts will have to dig into their pockets in future. The fees are intended to contribute to the personnel costs of the advice center - currently three million francs per year. Pricing models and a definition of when a request is considered "more complex" are not yet known.
Nick Lüthi
Observer's fear instincts?stagnating reach and declining image
are a cause for concern for the respected magazine, which is regarded as an institution by broad sections of the population. According to Wemf, Schweizer Illustrierte has overtaken the long-standing second-placed Beobachter in terms of reach. No wonder, then, that the makers are resorting to reader retention campaigns and trying to find salvation in side businesses to keep their readership happy. Apparently the makers
The Süddeutsche Zeitung, which recently entered the wine trade, has inspired us. It remains to be seen how successful the brand expansion will be. The Beobachter advisory and legal service, which has been active for decades, is to become partly chargeable, a further indication that the long-established Beobachter tradition is being taken less seriously. (rw) Keenly observed BeobachterHow the Zurich weekly WoZ
recently reported that as of January 1, 2007, Jean Frey Verlag intends to keep a closer eye on its employees - and thus also the editorial staff of the Beobachter - at work. The WoZ article refers to "Big Brother practices". In a paper that Jean-Frey CEO Filippo Leutenegger sent to his employees, it is stated that "if necessary", the logging of e-mail traffic, telephone calls and Internet use is planned. The reason given for the monitoring measures is to protect against "possible misuse". Zurich data protection officer Bruno Baeriswyl
criticizes the plan. The directive provides for very extensive monitoring, "without a clear demarcation to protect the privacy of employees." (nl)
Despite this transparency, the new role as a wine shop gave rise to internal discussions. The discomfort about the fact that the publisher of the renowned magazine itself sells a product that is normally critically reviewed by the editorial team is to be taken into account in future. "The editorial team would like to have a fundamental discussion with the publisher before taking any further action," says Hosang.
Further offers decidedthat further promotions will follow is a foregone conclusion. This is also stated in the advertising for the "selected Swiss wines": "We regularly put together offers for you from a wide variety of areas." Those responsible have not yet decided what they want to offer readers next. "Not just anything, of course," says Wahrenberger, "but things that our readership likes. The focus is on quality." The wine campaign is a "first-time test". Only a small number of subscribers received the advertising. He is only aware of a few negative reactions, says the publishing director, "but that is normal". The editor-in-chief is also hardly aware of any criticism: "The product seems to have been well received overall." Balz Hosang is also convinced that the credibility of the Beobachter brand is not at risk due to the new reader campaigns.
The Beobachter is obviously not dependent on income from wine sales. The campaign is primarily about reader loyalty. "If it also generates a little money," says publishing director Wahrenberger, "that's very convenient for us."
Independence at riskCompetitors would never consider campaigns such as those now introduced by Beobachter. Independence is key for a consumer magazine, says René Schuhmacher, journalistic director of K-Tipp magazine. "As a magazine that regularly publishes tests, we are only credible if we treat all providers equally. That would no longer be the case if we worked with some and not others." Schuhmacher considers the sale of books or other information carriers that pick up on or expand on content from the magazine to be unproblematic. "Informing is one task, selling is another," says the K-Tipp boss. "We limit ourselves to providing information."
Paid adviceNot only the sale of wine and other products will bring a few extra francs into the Beobachter coffers in the medium term. A new advisory service may also generate income. Editor-in-chief Hosang confirms: "We are examining the introduction of fee-based advice." The current service will remain free. However, anyone who submits a more complex request to the Beobachter experts will have to dig into their pockets in future. The fees are intended to contribute to the personnel costs of the advice center - currently three million francs per year. Pricing models and a definition of when a request is considered "more complex" are not yet known.
Nick Lüthi
Observer's fear instincts?stagnating reach and declining image
are a cause for concern for the respected magazine, which is regarded as an institution by broad sections of the population. According to Wemf, Schweizer Illustrierte has overtaken the long-standing second-placed Beobachter in terms of reach. No wonder, then, that the makers are resorting to reader retention campaigns and trying to find salvation in side businesses to keep their readership happy. Apparently the makers
The Süddeutsche Zeitung, which recently entered the wine trade, has inspired us. It remains to be seen how successful the brand expansion will be. The Beobachter advisory and legal service, which has been active for decades, is to become partly chargeable, a further indication that the long-established Beobachter tradition is being taken less seriously. (rw) Keenly observed BeobachterHow the Zurich weekly WoZ
recently reported that as of January 1, 2007, Jean Frey Verlag intends to keep a closer eye on its employees - and thus also the editorial staff of the Beobachter - at work. The WoZ article refers to "Big Brother practices". In a paper that Jean-Frey CEO Filippo Leutenegger sent to his employees, it is stated that "if necessary", the logging of e-mail traffic, telephone calls and Internet use is planned. The reason given for the monitoring measures is to protect against "possible misuse". Zurich data protection officer Bruno Baeriswyl
criticizes the plan. The directive provides for very extensive monitoring, "without a clear demarcation to protect the privacy of employees." (nl)
