TR7 becomes a TV star
TR7 magazine has had its day. Jean Frey AG is giving its TV guide a more contemporary name.
TR7 magazines have had their day. When TR7 was launched more than 30 years ago, the name said it all: Television and Radio for Seven Days. But the radio has long since disappeared from the magazine. The abbreviation remained meaningless as a relic of days gone by. But that's over now. Publisher Jean Frey AG is making the name a program again. Since January 19, the magazine has been called TV-Star. The new brand exudes a glamor that the letter abbreviation lacked.
On the surface, there was no reason for Jean Frey to change the name. TR7 has developed very positively in recent times. In the past two years, circulation has increased by 5684 to 173720 copies, readership by 55000 to 441000. According to editor-in-chief René Hildbrand, TR7 has also bucked the trend in the advertising market. "So you could say: the brand is not sexy, but the success is there. TR7 is well-known, why change anything?" he concedes.
But Hildbrand is not one to rest on his laurels. In the two years or so that he has been in charge of the TR7 editorial team, he has continuously reorganized and expanded the magazine. The new name is the consequence of this development - "the dot on the i," says Hildbrand. Therefore, the renaming does not bring any major changes to the visual appearance. Only the cover is being redesigned to convey the intended glamour.
Nevertheless, the development of TR7 and TV-Star is not yet complete. "We'll keep at it and keep optimizing," promises Hildbrand. In doing so, it is important to him not to scare off the readers. The editor-in-chief warns that it is particularly dangerous to make changes to the program section, because this is the heart of a TV magazine. "We have constantly optimized this section, but we are not making any radical changes," he says.
The magazine's Swiss positioning is not to change either. For Hildbrand, it is one of the reasons for the success in the reader market. "It makes sense when you consider that despite 50 receivable channels, SF 1 and SF 2 achieve over 40 percent market share in prime time," Hildbrand explains. That's why TV Star features Swiss women on the cover as often as possible. That's not limited to presenters. "When Roger Federer plays tennis, it takes place on TV," says Hildbrand, explaining the concept. Foreign stars only make it onto the cover from the front row: "They have to be people you know," Hildbrand emphasizes, "Nicole Kidman, for example, or Brad Pitt, not second-rate celebrities." In this way, TV-Star sets itself apart from the German competitor titles, which also focus on glamour, but try to create it primarily through blonde starlets on the cover.
The fact that the first edition of TV Star features blonde Michelle Hunziker, of all people, is not something Hildbrand wants to be understood as an imitation of German methods: "We wanted a Swiss star in the first number who radiates glamour. Michelle Hunziker fits the bill, especially since she has new TV plans, is now starring in a musical in Italy and is hosting a show with 10 million viewers."
TV-Star informs the public about the name change with an advertising campaign. TV spots are broadcast on all regional stations in German-speaking Switzerland. To appeal to younger target groups, the spots also run in cinemas. The daily newspapers of the partner publishers, which offer combined subscriptions with TV-Star, will run ads. An ad campaign is also running in the trade press. "We are being economical with funds," adds Hildbrand. "We don't have the money to fill billboards in major cities, although of course I'd like to see that happen."
New look: The name and cover design of TR7 change, but in terms of content the successful concept of the TV magazine remains largely unchanged.
Stefano Monachesi
On the surface, there was no reason for Jean Frey to change the name. TR7 has developed very positively in recent times. In the past two years, circulation has increased by 5684 to 173720 copies, readership by 55000 to 441000. According to editor-in-chief René Hildbrand, TR7 has also bucked the trend in the advertising market. "So you could say: the brand is not sexy, but the success is there. TR7 is well-known, why change anything?" he concedes.
But Hildbrand is not one to rest on his laurels. In the two years or so that he has been in charge of the TR7 editorial team, he has continuously reorganized and expanded the magazine. The new name is the consequence of this development - "the dot on the i," says Hildbrand. Therefore, the renaming does not bring any major changes to the visual appearance. Only the cover is being redesigned to convey the intended glamour.
Nevertheless, the development of TR7 and TV-Star is not yet complete. "We'll keep at it and keep optimizing," promises Hildbrand. In doing so, it is important to him not to scare off the readers. The editor-in-chief warns that it is particularly dangerous to make changes to the program section, because this is the heart of a TV magazine. "We have constantly optimized this section, but we are not making any radical changes," he says.
The magazine's Swiss positioning is not to change either. For Hildbrand, it is one of the reasons for the success in the reader market. "It makes sense when you consider that despite 50 receivable channels, SF 1 and SF 2 achieve over 40 percent market share in prime time," Hildbrand explains. That's why TV Star features Swiss women on the cover as often as possible. That's not limited to presenters. "When Roger Federer plays tennis, it takes place on TV," says Hildbrand, explaining the concept. Foreign stars only make it onto the cover from the front row: "They have to be people you know," Hildbrand emphasizes, "Nicole Kidman, for example, or Brad Pitt, not second-rate celebrities." In this way, TV-Star sets itself apart from the German competitor titles, which also focus on glamour, but try to create it primarily through blonde starlets on the cover.
The fact that the first edition of TV Star features blonde Michelle Hunziker, of all people, is not something Hildbrand wants to be understood as an imitation of German methods: "We wanted a Swiss star in the first number who radiates glamour. Michelle Hunziker fits the bill, especially since she has new TV plans, is now starring in a musical in Italy and is hosting a show with 10 million viewers."
TV-Star informs the public about the name change with an advertising campaign. TV spots are broadcast on all regional stations in German-speaking Switzerland. To appeal to younger target groups, the spots also run in cinemas. The daily newspapers of the partner publishers, which offer combined subscriptions with TV-Star, will run ads. An ad campaign is also running in the trade press. "We are being economical with funds," adds Hildbrand. "We don't have the money to fill billboards in major cities, although of course I'd like to see that happen."
New look: The name and cover design of TR7 change, but in terms of content the successful concept of the TV magazine remains largely unchanged.
Stefano Monachesi
