Gadgets from the aunt
Advertising media The NZZ is trying to rejuvenate its image with trendy merchandising.
Advertising media The NZZ is trying to rejuvenate its image with trendy merchandising.
Tradition is worth hard cash, especially when it comes to journalistic products. And even more so when its name enjoys a worldwide reputation. So it seems only logical to sell the roof of the anniversary tent, in which its 225th birthday was celebrated this January on Zurich's Sechseläutenwiese, as "an exclusive piece of NZZ history". However, even the initiators of the campaign did not expect it to be so successful: The almost 400 carrier bags, modeled on the trendy "Freitag" brand and advertised in just two advertisements, were completely sold out within 48 hours and could have cost CHF 100 or more instead of CHF 55, believes Andreas Häuptli. But the NZZ's advertising manager didn't so much want to boost sales as "spontaneously do some image polishing". At the moment, people are apparently already (or still?) satisfied if such calculatedly low-priced gadgets can be refinanced via the target group. This also applies to the free inflatable pencils, over 4,000 of which (including the subscription card) have been sold to swimmers around Lake Zurich in recent weeks. The fact that the calculation also works out here is due to the cheap Asian production and the fact that the remaining copies now available in the NZZ (advertising) store cost three francs.
By contrast, the classic merchandising goods that have been sold there for years come from Caran d'Ache (writing instruments), Victorinox (pocket knives) and Knirps (umbrellas). This also shows the cultural change that the new sales items signal: "As with our anniversary event at the beginning of the year, we want to position the NZZ brand closer to the people," says Head of Marketing Christoph Bauer, explaining the "vitalization strategy" behind the two blitz campaigns. Bauer answers the question of whether this new combination of utility value and fun factor coincides with the increasing editorial colorfulness of the main paper with a sibylline smile.
The NZZ's recently made public language "Vademecum" is also proving to be a bestseller: the first 2,500 copies of this dictionary for the educated Swiss classes have long been sold out and, according to Bauer, the second edition will soon be too. At a price of 25 francs, this publication, which is heavily advertised in filler advertisements in NZZ publications and on nzz.ch, certainly more than covers its costs. In view of such successes, it is quite possible that even the more conservative forces at Falkenstrasse will soon acquire a taste for brand-strengthening additional revenues. The Annual General Meeting last April can be interpreted as an indication of this: The annual report was presented to shareholders in a trendy shoulder bag with the NZZ logo instead of a discreet envelope. This special edition has since gone into production and can also be purchased today at the advertising counter.
Combination of utility value and fun factor: The NZZ anniversary marquee was put on display and sold to the public piece by piece.
Tradition is worth hard cash, especially when it comes to journalistic products. And even more so when its name enjoys a worldwide reputation. So it seems only logical to sell the roof of the anniversary tent, in which its 225th birthday was celebrated this January on Zurich's Sechseläutenwiese, as "an exclusive piece of NZZ history". However, even the initiators of the campaign did not expect it to be so successful: The almost 400 carrier bags, modeled on the trendy "Freitag" brand and advertised in just two advertisements, were completely sold out within 48 hours and could have cost CHF 100 or more instead of CHF 55, believes Andreas Häuptli. But the NZZ's advertising manager didn't so much want to boost sales as "spontaneously do some image polishing". At the moment, people are apparently already (or still?) satisfied if such calculatedly low-priced gadgets can be refinanced via the target group. This also applies to the free inflatable pencils, over 4,000 of which (including the subscription card) have been sold to swimmers around Lake Zurich in recent weeks. The fact that the calculation also works out here is due to the cheap Asian production and the fact that the remaining copies now available in the NZZ (advertising) store cost three francs.
By contrast, the classic merchandising goods that have been sold there for years come from Caran d'Ache (writing instruments), Victorinox (pocket knives) and Knirps (umbrellas). This also shows the cultural change that the new sales items signal: "As with our anniversary event at the beginning of the year, we want to position the NZZ brand closer to the people," says Head of Marketing Christoph Bauer, explaining the "vitalization strategy" behind the two blitz campaigns. Bauer answers the question of whether this new combination of utility value and fun factor coincides with the increasing editorial colorfulness of the main paper with a sibylline smile.
The NZZ's recently made public language "Vademecum" is also proving to be a bestseller: the first 2,500 copies of this dictionary for the educated Swiss classes have long been sold out and, according to Bauer, the second edition will soon be too. At a price of 25 francs, this publication, which is heavily advertised in filler advertisements in NZZ publications and on nzz.ch, certainly more than covers its costs. In view of such successes, it is quite possible that even the more conservative forces at Falkenstrasse will soon acquire a taste for brand-strengthening additional revenues. The Annual General Meeting last April can be interpreted as an indication of this: The annual report was presented to shareholders in a trendy shoulder bag with the NZZ logo instead of a discreet envelope. This special edition has since gone into production and can also be purchased today at the advertising counter.
Combination of utility value and fun factor: The NZZ anniversary marquee was put on display and sold to the public piece by piece.
Oliver Classen
