"The Spick shows that it can be done".
Children's newspapers For Markus Mettler, the crash of Cracks for Kids does not prove that the genre has no chance.
Children's newspapers For Markus Mettler, the crash of Cracks for Kids does not prove that the genre is without a chance.Children's newspapers For Markus Mettler, the crash of Cracks for Kids does not prove that the genre is without a chance.WW After the brief guest appearance of Cracks for Kids, it actually seems that the genre is without a chance.
Clearly, the Swiss market does not support such a children's newspaper.
Markus Mettler: That would be a premature conclusion. Cracks for Kids was undoubtedly a very courageous project. Unfortunately, success was expected too quickly. The paper didn't fail primarily because of weak advertising, but because of its short breath and poor profile. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it.
To what extent do you think the paper's profile is inadequate?
Even the title "Cracks for Kids" doesn't sound very appealing. The design seemed a bit old-fashioned. It wasn't clear whether the paper was aimed at children or teenagers. This kind of blurring should not happen to a newspaper publisher. The illustration concept also left a lot to be desired.
A children's newspaper needs to be image-heavy, with cool material, not just keystone images. In short: children's media must be able to be taken to heart, they must captivate children and adults alike.
Was Cracks for Kids up to date enough?
In this respect, the paper has undoubtedly missed an opportunity. You have to think about what makes a child tick today. Children are exposed to an extreme amount of information, media and influences. But they are barely able to categorize the information in terms of time or geography. Cracks for Kids should have offered help in this respect by picking up on weekly events and placing them in a larger context or by using graphics suitable for children. But the effort involved should not be underestimated: Preparing this kind of information is very complex.
Is the market big enough for such a children's medium?
I think just about yes, because enough parents make a pilgrimage to a newsstand on Sundays. But first I need an ingenious product, at least a year's time and great reader marketing. Because only when I have a fan base can I successfully offer such a magazine as an advertising platform. Spick magazine is a prime example of this: it gets by without a single advertising franc. If it opened up to advertising, it would be highly profitable.
How high do you estimate the advertising potential in this market?
You shouldn't look at it too narrowly. I don't just count companies that lure children's pocket money with sweets as potential advertisers. The range is much wider. We know that children often have a say when it comes to booking vacations or buying furniture. And when it comes to consumer electronics, they are even superior to their parents in terms of expertise.
What else can we learn from the Cracks for Kids guest performance?
There were also positive aspects: the distribution worked perfectly. The PR before and shortly after the launch was also good. Afterwards, however, the weekly reminding was missing. If the paper had been included with SonntagsBlick or Sonntagszeitung during the launch phase, that would certainly have helped. Alliances would probably also have been helpful in the initial phase, for example with the federal government's reading promotion program, the Swiss Press Association or Pro Juventute.
This is BrainStoreBrainStore in Biel has specialized in the industrial production of ideas since 1989. The team has defined a process in which it can involve people from a network of over 1200 young people and just as many experts from a wide range of specialist fields. BrainStore works for SBB, BMW, Syngenta, Migros, the Federal Office of Public Health, Swatch and the WWF, among others. (mk)
Markus Mettler, Managing Director of the BrainStore ideas factory in Biel.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
Clearly, the Swiss market does not support such a children's newspaper.
Markus Mettler: That would be a premature conclusion. Cracks for Kids was undoubtedly a very courageous project. Unfortunately, success was expected too quickly. The paper didn't fail primarily because of weak advertising, but because of its short breath and poor profile. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed it.
To what extent do you think the paper's profile is inadequate?
Even the title "Cracks for Kids" doesn't sound very appealing. The design seemed a bit old-fashioned. It wasn't clear whether the paper was aimed at children or teenagers. This kind of blurring should not happen to a newspaper publisher. The illustration concept also left a lot to be desired.
A children's newspaper needs to be image-heavy, with cool material, not just keystone images. In short: children's media must be able to be taken to heart, they must captivate children and adults alike.
Was Cracks for Kids up to date enough?
In this respect, the paper has undoubtedly missed an opportunity. You have to think about what makes a child tick today. Children are exposed to an extreme amount of information, media and influences. But they are barely able to categorize the information in terms of time or geography. Cracks for Kids should have offered help in this respect by picking up on weekly events and placing them in a larger context or by using graphics suitable for children. But the effort involved should not be underestimated: Preparing this kind of information is very complex.
Is the market big enough for such a children's medium?
I think just about yes, because enough parents make a pilgrimage to a newsstand on Sundays. But first I need an ingenious product, at least a year's time and great reader marketing. Because only when I have a fan base can I successfully offer such a magazine as an advertising platform. Spick magazine is a prime example of this: it gets by without a single advertising franc. If it opened up to advertising, it would be highly profitable.
How high do you estimate the advertising potential in this market?
You shouldn't look at it too narrowly. I don't just count companies that lure children's pocket money with sweets as potential advertisers. The range is much wider. We know that children often have a say when it comes to booking vacations or buying furniture. And when it comes to consumer electronics, they are even superior to their parents in terms of expertise.
What else can we learn from the Cracks for Kids guest performance?
There were also positive aspects: the distribution worked perfectly. The PR before and shortly after the launch was also good. Afterwards, however, the weekly reminding was missing. If the paper had been included with SonntagsBlick or Sonntagszeitung during the launch phase, that would certainly have helped. Alliances would probably also have been helpful in the initial phase, for example with the federal government's reading promotion program, the Swiss Press Association or Pro Juventute.
This is BrainStoreBrainStore in Biel has specialized in the industrial production of ideas since 1989. The team has defined a process in which it can involve people from a network of over 1200 young people and just as many experts from a wide range of specialist fields. BrainStore works for SBB, BMW, Syngenta, Migros, the Federal Office of Public Health, Swatch and the WWF, among others. (mk)
Markus Mettler, Managing Director of the BrainStore ideas factory in Biel.
Interview: Markus Knöpfli
