Reading for the undead

Supplements Südostschweiz uses Haifaif to teach young people to read newspapers.

Supplements With Haifaif, Südostschweiz educates young people to read the newspaper This target group definition still takes some getting used to: "The newspaper for the living" is what Südostschweiz Presse AG calls its new supplement called Haifaif. The "living" target group is primarily 15 to 25-year-olds. Haifaif is part of the High5 marketing concept, with which the Chur-based publishing house aims to secure its own young readers. Anyone wishing to become a member of the High5 Club does not have to be a reader of Südostschweiz. The approach is exactly the opposite: young people are to be introduced to the newspaper by enjoying High5 promotions and events.
The link between the club and the newspaper is Haifaif. The supplement is published every second Friday as the fifth bundle of all regional editions of Südostschweiz and the Bündner Tagblatt. Club members who do not subscribe to a newspaper receive Haifaif by post. According to Thomas Kundert, responsible for the sale of Haifaif at Publicitas, this is around 4000 people. The total circulation reaches 74,000 copies. With this distribution, Haifaif is also suitable for national advertising customers, Kundert believes. After all, according to Mach Basic 2002, 15 to 25-year-olds make up around 13 percent of the readership of Südostschweiz and Bündner Tagblatt.
However, national customers are difficult to find in the current advertising market. However, one cooperation is already underway: the retail chain Media Markt provides CDs and video games, which are reviewed by the editorial team under the company logo. "We are very open to this form of mixing advertising and editorial content and are ready for a wide range of special forms of advertising," comments Kundert on this concept. Nevertheless, Haifaif is currently unable to cover its costs with advertising revenue. As an investment in the future of the newspaper, the youth paper is financed from the marketing budget.
Stefano Monachesi

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