See, the big turnover is so close
Special advertising formats From November 3, regional and local advertising will also be possible on Canal Poste. The Post hopes that local customers will increase sales of this advertising channel by more than 50 percent.
Special advertising formats From November 3, regional and local advertising will also be possible on Canal Poste. The Post hopes that local customers will increase sales of this advertising channel by more than 50 percent.
For about a month now, they have no longer been in the post offices, the silver-gray columns with the tube screens on which Swiss Post used to broadcast advertising spots, weather information and TV program notes for its waiting customers. But Canal Poste, as the Post calls its entertainment system, is not obsolete. It is being modernized. It will be relaunched on November 3. In one fell swoop, 320 21-inch flat screens on steles are to be put back into operation in over 200 larger post offices in German- and French-speaking Switzerland. Gradually, the so far canal-free Ticino will also be opened up. "There is certainly still potential there," says Andreas Etter, responsible for market development at Canal Poste.
The "relaunch" is associated with a number of changes - firstly of a technical nature: previously, Canal Poste's "program" was broadcast like a TV program and transmitted terrestrially, and the system was correspondingly inflexible. Canal Poste is now integrated into the Post's IT system, which means that each screen can be controlled individually.
This in turn changes the advertising offering: In addition to a nationwide network and one regional language network each for German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland, Canal Poste now also offers nine regional networks and five city networks. The initial booking always runs for 14 days, after which individual weeks are also possible. Local advertising, i.e. the booking of individual screens, is now also possible - for small businesses that only want to advertise in their immediate vicinity.
However, it is precisely from this customer segment that Swiss Post expects the big turnover. Canal Poste is expected to bring in a total of around four million francs next year, almost three times as much as it generated in 2002: 1.4 million francs. Etter expects more than 50 percent of total sales to come from local advertising alone. "In any case, sales in this area have started very well," he confirms.
Since for the time being the same number of screens will be installed as before, Canal Poste's nationwide reach will remain the same. The prices for the national and regional language networks will certainly not change until the end of 2004, explains Etter (see table). And no matter which network is chosen, the per-second CPM for 14 days is always 50 centimes everywhere. The spots can also be combined with dispensers at the screens for an additional charge.
No more philosophers
Canal Poste is also introducing new content: The slogan of the day and the TV tips are being dropped without replacement, and for the time being the company is limiting itself to news, weather information and commercials - all without sound, of course. Depending on the number of spots, a loop lasts seven to nine minutes. This is roughly equivalent to the average waiting time in post offices. For news, Canal Poste is now working with major regional dailies, whose editorial teams can freely compile the international, regional and local news and update it three times a day. "Even for news about the Post, there are no restrictions," Etter assures. But these exist for advertising spots, because Post's own products are not to be competed with in post offices. "Postfinance's activities are of course restrictive," says Etter. In other words, there will be hardly any bank advertising on Canal Poste.
Canal Poste has been on offer since 1997. The acquisition of advertising time was initially entrusted to an external company, but since 1999 Swiss Post has been running the sale itself. The Factum agency in Zurich also has an acquisition mandate. This remains the case, with one exception: The company P-Mediateam in Saland was founded specifically for the apparently lucrative local advertising. Although it is not a Swiss Post subsidiary and does not have an exclusive contract, it does have close ties with Swiss Post.
Shall become attractive for local traders: Canal Poste.
Andreas Etter.
Commercials on Canal Poste National network post offices Customer frequency/2 weeks Basic price*
Switzerland 204 2194500 1097.-German-speaking Switzerland 163 1609608 805.-
Western Switzerland 41 580272 290.-Regional networks Geneva 15 184668 92.-
Vaud 14 173636 87.-Jura 10 108592 54.-Bern 19 211190 105.-Mitelland 17 149578 75.-Basel 21 236776 119.-Zurich 65 821634 411.-Central Switzerland 19 151196 76.-Eastern Switzerland 6 174482 87.-City Networks City of Lausanne 11 138040 69.-City of Bern 16 137778 87.-City of Basel 10 151548 76.-City of Zurich 31 336842 169.-City of Lucerne 6 70706 36.-Swiss Cities** 89 1055584 528.
*The price corresponds to one second of broadcasting over a period of 2 weeks.** The Swiss Cities network includes Lausanne, Bern, Lucerne, Basel and Zurich as well as the city of Geneva.
Source: Swiss Post
Markus Knöpfli
For about a month now, they have no longer been in the post offices, the silver-gray columns with the tube screens on which Swiss Post used to broadcast advertising spots, weather information and TV program notes for its waiting customers. But Canal Poste, as the Post calls its entertainment system, is not obsolete. It is being modernized. It will be relaunched on November 3. In one fell swoop, 320 21-inch flat screens on steles are to be put back into operation in over 200 larger post offices in German- and French-speaking Switzerland. Gradually, the so far canal-free Ticino will also be opened up. "There is certainly still potential there," says Andreas Etter, responsible for market development at Canal Poste.
The "relaunch" is associated with a number of changes - firstly of a technical nature: previously, Canal Poste's "program" was broadcast like a TV program and transmitted terrestrially, and the system was correspondingly inflexible. Canal Poste is now integrated into the Post's IT system, which means that each screen can be controlled individually.
This in turn changes the advertising offering: In addition to a nationwide network and one regional language network each for German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland, Canal Poste now also offers nine regional networks and five city networks. The initial booking always runs for 14 days, after which individual weeks are also possible. Local advertising, i.e. the booking of individual screens, is now also possible - for small businesses that only want to advertise in their immediate vicinity.
However, it is precisely from this customer segment that Swiss Post expects the big turnover. Canal Poste is expected to bring in a total of around four million francs next year, almost three times as much as it generated in 2002: 1.4 million francs. Etter expects more than 50 percent of total sales to come from local advertising alone. "In any case, sales in this area have started very well," he confirms.
Since for the time being the same number of screens will be installed as before, Canal Poste's nationwide reach will remain the same. The prices for the national and regional language networks will certainly not change until the end of 2004, explains Etter (see table). And no matter which network is chosen, the per-second CPM for 14 days is always 50 centimes everywhere. The spots can also be combined with dispensers at the screens for an additional charge.
No more philosophers
Canal Poste is also introducing new content: The slogan of the day and the TV tips are being dropped without replacement, and for the time being the company is limiting itself to news, weather information and commercials - all without sound, of course. Depending on the number of spots, a loop lasts seven to nine minutes. This is roughly equivalent to the average waiting time in post offices. For news, Canal Poste is now working with major regional dailies, whose editorial teams can freely compile the international, regional and local news and update it three times a day. "Even for news about the Post, there are no restrictions," Etter assures. But these exist for advertising spots, because Post's own products are not to be competed with in post offices. "Postfinance's activities are of course restrictive," says Etter. In other words, there will be hardly any bank advertising on Canal Poste.
Canal Poste has been on offer since 1997. The acquisition of advertising time was initially entrusted to an external company, but since 1999 Swiss Post has been running the sale itself. The Factum agency in Zurich also has an acquisition mandate. This remains the case, with one exception: The company P-Mediateam in Saland was founded specifically for the apparently lucrative local advertising. Although it is not a Swiss Post subsidiary and does not have an exclusive contract, it does have close ties with Swiss Post.
Shall become attractive for local traders: Canal Poste.
Andreas Etter.
Commercials on Canal Poste National network post offices Customer frequency/2 weeks Basic price*
Switzerland 204 2194500 1097.-German-speaking Switzerland 163 1609608 805.-
Western Switzerland 41 580272 290.-Regional networks Geneva 15 184668 92.-
Vaud 14 173636 87.-Jura 10 108592 54.-Bern 19 211190 105.-Mitelland 17 149578 75.-Basel 21 236776 119.-Zurich 65 821634 411.-Central Switzerland 19 151196 76.-Eastern Switzerland 6 174482 87.-City Networks City of Lausanne 11 138040 69.-City of Bern 16 137778 87.-City of Basel 10 151548 76.-City of Zurich 31 336842 169.-City of Lucerne 6 70706 36.-Swiss Cities** 89 1055584 528.
*The price corresponds to one second of broadcasting over a period of 2 weeks.** The Swiss Cities network includes Lausanne, Bern, Lucerne, Basel and Zurich as well as the city of Geneva.
Source: Swiss Post
Markus Knöpfli
