Bridge builder stepped backwards
Customer Press: In the media battle among the major retailers, Coop continues to hold a clear advantage.
Customer press Coop still clearly has the upper hand in the media duel between the major distributors. For the Swiss customer and member press, 2004 was not a good year for Wemf. The majority of the titles surveyed lost readership, even if this was not statistically significant in most cases. In French-speaking Switzerland, only one title was able to increase its readership, namely Coopération.publisher Coop was the winner in all three language regions. Coopération recorded 16,000 new readers (+2.9 percent), Cooperazione in Ticino 7,000 (+5.0 percent) and the Coop-Zeitung 58,000 (+2.3 percent). At the same time, arch-rival Migros lost almost as many readers in German-speaking Switzerland: Brückenbauer, which was completely relaunched as a Migros magazine this May, lost 54,000 readers (-2.5 percent). The gap to the Coop newspaper grew
to 511,000 readers. Last year's apparent turnaround, when Brückenbauer was able to increase its readership by 1.7 percent, thus turned out to be a flash in the pan and the relaunch (carried out after the end of the Mach survey) was sorely needed. The Migros newspaper Construire in French-speaking Switzerland was at least able to maintain the previous year's level (-0.2 percent) and is still at the top of the French-language customer press. However, the gap to Coopération has shrunk to a mere 6000 readers. The development in Ticino gives Migros cause for hope. Azione, which was relaunched in September 2003, has made massive gains there. Readership grew by 13,000 or 14.9 percent.
Overall, the Coop press is in the lead with 3.32 million readers. Migros magazines are used by 2.77 million readers.
Readers leave Optima The pharmacy magazine Optima suffered the heaviest losses in this segment. In German-speaking Switzerland, 63,000 readers left (-15.9 percent), in French-speaking Switzerland the figure was 36,000 (-10.8 percent). The downward trend of recent years is thus accelerating. Optima changed hands during the Mach Basic survey period: The publishing house Edipresse sold the title to Agora Retail at the beginning of 2004. It will be interesting to see whether the Geneva-based pharmaceutical and cosmetics marketing company can turn things around this year.
The French edition of Optima is likely to have an easier time than the German edition. This is because some readers in German-speaking Switzerland appear to have found a new home with competitor titles. The Swiss Hausapotheke increased by 27,000 (+4.9 percent), the Drogistenstern by just under 8,000 (+0.8 percent). In contrast, its French competitors were also read less. Tribune du Droguiste lost 8,000 readers (-5.4 percent), Pharmacie chez soi 4000 readers (-1.5 percent). Both titles were still growing last year.
Touring has also gone into reverse. The member magazine of the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) lost readers throughout Switzerland. However, the changes are neither dramatic nor statistically significant. In German-speaking Switzerland, Touring is used by 8,000 fewer readers (-0.8 percent), in French-speaking Switzerland by 7,000 readers (-1.5 percent) and in Ticino by 4,000 readers (-4.4 percent). The decline contrasts with a 0.72 percent increase in TCS members.
Duel of the cinema magazinesFor the first time, Close-up is taking part in Mach Basic. The cinema magazine, which was launched seven years ago, has 177,000 readers. Its reach in German-speaking Switzerland is 4.3 percent. Despite its higher circulation, the Teleclub AG title is therefore lagging behind its competitor Film imnächst. However, the latter has lost 9,000 readers (-3.4 percent). Its counterpart in French-speaking Switzerland, Avant Première, even had to cope with a decline of 13.1 percent or 29,000 readers. Meanwhile, Teleclub's subscriber magazine grew minimally (by 3,000 readers or 1.25 percent).
Stefano Monachesi
to 511,000 readers. Last year's apparent turnaround, when Brückenbauer was able to increase its readership by 1.7 percent, thus turned out to be a flash in the pan and the relaunch (carried out after the end of the Mach survey) was sorely needed. The Migros newspaper Construire in French-speaking Switzerland was at least able to maintain the previous year's level (-0.2 percent) and is still at the top of the French-language customer press. However, the gap to Coopération has shrunk to a mere 6000 readers. The development in Ticino gives Migros cause for hope. Azione, which was relaunched in September 2003, has made massive gains there. Readership grew by 13,000 or 14.9 percent.
Overall, the Coop press is in the lead with 3.32 million readers. Migros magazines are used by 2.77 million readers.
Readers leave Optima The pharmacy magazine Optima suffered the heaviest losses in this segment. In German-speaking Switzerland, 63,000 readers left (-15.9 percent), in French-speaking Switzerland the figure was 36,000 (-10.8 percent). The downward trend of recent years is thus accelerating. Optima changed hands during the Mach Basic survey period: The publishing house Edipresse sold the title to Agora Retail at the beginning of 2004. It will be interesting to see whether the Geneva-based pharmaceutical and cosmetics marketing company can turn things around this year.
The French edition of Optima is likely to have an easier time than the German edition. This is because some readers in German-speaking Switzerland appear to have found a new home with competitor titles. The Swiss Hausapotheke increased by 27,000 (+4.9 percent), the Drogistenstern by just under 8,000 (+0.8 percent). In contrast, its French competitors were also read less. Tribune du Droguiste lost 8,000 readers (-5.4 percent), Pharmacie chez soi 4000 readers (-1.5 percent). Both titles were still growing last year.
Touring has also gone into reverse. The member magazine of the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) lost readers throughout Switzerland. However, the changes are neither dramatic nor statistically significant. In German-speaking Switzerland, Touring is used by 8,000 fewer readers (-0.8 percent), in French-speaking Switzerland by 7,000 readers (-1.5 percent) and in Ticino by 4,000 readers (-4.4 percent). The decline contrasts with a 0.72 percent increase in TCS members.
Duel of the cinema magazinesFor the first time, Close-up is taking part in Mach Basic. The cinema magazine, which was launched seven years ago, has 177,000 readers. Its reach in German-speaking Switzerland is 4.3 percent. Despite its higher circulation, the Teleclub AG title is therefore lagging behind its competitor Film imnächst. However, the latter has lost 9,000 readers (-3.4 percent). Its counterpart in French-speaking Switzerland, Avant Première, even had to cope with a decline of 13.1 percent or 29,000 readers. Meanwhile, Teleclub's subscriber magazine grew minimally (by 3,000 readers or 1.25 percent).
Stefano Monachesi
