Germans seduce women better
Women's Magazines: The German women's magazine market is also booming in Switzerland—for now, only in the consumer market.
Women's Magazines The German women's press is also booming in Switzerland. The German papers are making quite a splash in the Swiss market for women's magazines. Their readerships are growing much faster than those of Annabelle and Bolero, the two women's magazines left in German-speaking Switzerland after the demise of Orella (discontinued in 1998) and Meyers (discontinued in 2002). In the past three years, these magazines have also managed to increase their readership by 38,000 readers. In the same period, however, Cosmopolitan, Freundin and Brigitte, the three most successful German magazines in Switzerland, increased their combined readership by 66,000, almost twice as much.But that's just the tip of the iceberg. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, because the results of the unprecedented start-up fever that has gripped the German women's press market in recent years are also largely available at newsstands here. Glamour, Joy, Lola and their numerous sisters, most of them in handy pocket format, are eagerly bought. However, none of them appear in the Mach Basic readership study. That's why the number of people who actually leaf through German women's magazines remains a mystery.
Meanwhile, the pressure from Germany continues to increase rapidly. Marquard Media is already pushing its next title, Joy Celebrity, onto the Swiss market. The monthly people magazine is now available at Swiss newsstands with 20,000 copies.
Back in March 2003, the two Marquard titles Joy and Shape were brought closer to Swiss readers with a Switzerland split. After just over a year, Ruth Mumenthaler, responsible for consulting and sales at Raverta Marketing, takes positive stock: "Joy is also an absolute trend title in Switzerland. Within a year, the Swiss circulation grew massively and now amounts to 45000 copies." Next fall, the magazine will be reported by Mach Basic for the first time. "This is a prerequisite for being taken seriously as an advertising medium as well," says Mumenthaler.
Splits weak in the ad market
Fortunately for the Swiss women's press, the success of the German competition in the advertising market still lags well behind that in the reader market. This is shown by a comparison of gross ad sales for the months January to April compiled by Annabelle. According to this comparison, the Swiss splits of the German magazines took only 7.5 percent of the total Swiss advertising sales in the women's magazine segment in the first four months of 2004. In the same period last year, the figure was 8.3 percent. By contrast, the two Swiss-German magazines emerged as winners in the fierce battle for advertising, significantly increasing their market share: Annabelle increased to 72.7 percent in the first four months of the current year (2003: 65.3 percent), Bolero to 19.8 percent (2003: 17.4 percent).
Total sales decrease
The reason for the sobering ad sales of the Swiss splits is to be found in the international nature of the cosmetics and beauty products heavily advertised in women's magazines. Because these are all already included in the German editions, there is no need for special ads for the Swiss market.
Nevertheless, Annabelle and Bolero have nothing to laugh about. Because even without an additional outflow of advertising money to the splits from Germany, the total gross sales of the Swiss-German women's press shrank by 1.5 million to 11.2 million Swiss francs in the first four months of 2004. "The reason for this is television, which is increasingly emerging as our direct competition, especially in the cosmetics and body care sector," explains Marcel Tappeiner, interim head of advertising market magazines at Tamedia.
Western Switzerland in better shape
A look at the titles in western Switzerland shows that the markets in German and French-speaking Switzerland also tick differently when it comes to women's magazines. Edelweiss and Femina have succeeded there in putting the splits of the French magazines Marie Claire and Elle on the defensive. The two magazines lost a combined 26,000 readers in the past three years, while at the same time Edelweiss and Femina were able to increase their readership by 23,000.
In German-speaking Switzerland, however, the attack is far from over. The Swiss split of the magazine Für Sie, announced in February 2003, has not yet been implemented. But this step has only been postponed "because the Jahreszeiten Verlag is currently setting its priorities in the highly competitive domestic market," explains Alain Lamy, Sales Director of Intermag in Basel. As soon as resources are free, not only Für Sie but also Petra from the same publishing house will consider a Switzerland split. Brigitte is also planning the same with its line extension Brigitte Woman.
50 and still going strongBrigitte, the mother of the German-language women's press, has lost none of its popularity with the Swiss public, even in the fiftieth year of its existence. Between 2001 and 2003 alone, this classic among women's magazines increased its readership in Switzerland by 19,000 (+11.4 percent).
In the advertising market, the peak for the Switzerland split, which has already existed for 26 years, lies far back in time. In the 1980s, this was a proud 2 million Swiss francs, as Hans H. Otto, Director of the Swiss branch of Gruner + Jahr, explains. Currently, Brigitte generates around 800,000 Swiss francs in net advertising sales in Switzerland. (dse)
The Swiss titles (front) are being squeezed by existing and new German competition.
Daniel Schifferle
Meanwhile, the pressure from Germany continues to increase rapidly. Marquard Media is already pushing its next title, Joy Celebrity, onto the Swiss market. The monthly people magazine is now available at Swiss newsstands with 20,000 copies.
Back in March 2003, the two Marquard titles Joy and Shape were brought closer to Swiss readers with a Switzerland split. After just over a year, Ruth Mumenthaler, responsible for consulting and sales at Raverta Marketing, takes positive stock: "Joy is also an absolute trend title in Switzerland. Within a year, the Swiss circulation grew massively and now amounts to 45000 copies." Next fall, the magazine will be reported by Mach Basic for the first time. "This is a prerequisite for being taken seriously as an advertising medium as well," says Mumenthaler.
Splits weak in the ad market
Fortunately for the Swiss women's press, the success of the German competition in the advertising market still lags well behind that in the reader market. This is shown by a comparison of gross ad sales for the months January to April compiled by Annabelle. According to this comparison, the Swiss splits of the German magazines took only 7.5 percent of the total Swiss advertising sales in the women's magazine segment in the first four months of 2004. In the same period last year, the figure was 8.3 percent. By contrast, the two Swiss-German magazines emerged as winners in the fierce battle for advertising, significantly increasing their market share: Annabelle increased to 72.7 percent in the first four months of the current year (2003: 65.3 percent), Bolero to 19.8 percent (2003: 17.4 percent).
Total sales decrease
The reason for the sobering ad sales of the Swiss splits is to be found in the international nature of the cosmetics and beauty products heavily advertised in women's magazines. Because these are all already included in the German editions, there is no need for special ads for the Swiss market.
Nevertheless, Annabelle and Bolero have nothing to laugh about. Because even without an additional outflow of advertising money to the splits from Germany, the total gross sales of the Swiss-German women's press shrank by 1.5 million to 11.2 million Swiss francs in the first four months of 2004. "The reason for this is television, which is increasingly emerging as our direct competition, especially in the cosmetics and body care sector," explains Marcel Tappeiner, interim head of advertising market magazines at Tamedia.
Western Switzerland in better shape
A look at the titles in western Switzerland shows that the markets in German and French-speaking Switzerland also tick differently when it comes to women's magazines. Edelweiss and Femina have succeeded there in putting the splits of the French magazines Marie Claire and Elle on the defensive. The two magazines lost a combined 26,000 readers in the past three years, while at the same time Edelweiss and Femina were able to increase their readership by 23,000.
In German-speaking Switzerland, however, the attack is far from over. The Swiss split of the magazine Für Sie, announced in February 2003, has not yet been implemented. But this step has only been postponed "because the Jahreszeiten Verlag is currently setting its priorities in the highly competitive domestic market," explains Alain Lamy, Sales Director of Intermag in Basel. As soon as resources are free, not only Für Sie but also Petra from the same publishing house will consider a Switzerland split. Brigitte is also planning the same with its line extension Brigitte Woman.
50 and still going strongBrigitte, the mother of the German-language women's press, has lost none of its popularity with the Swiss public, even in the fiftieth year of its existence. Between 2001 and 2003 alone, this classic among women's magazines increased its readership in Switzerland by 19,000 (+11.4 percent).
In the advertising market, the peak for the Switzerland split, which has already existed for 26 years, lies far back in time. In the 1980s, this was a proud 2 million Swiss francs, as Hans H. Otto, Director of the Swiss branch of Gruner + Jahr, explains. Currently, Brigitte generates around 800,000 Swiss francs in net advertising sales in Switzerland. (dse)
The Swiss titles (front) are being squeezed by existing and new German competition.
Daniel Schifferle
