Sugar for advertisers

Rates Advertisers can rejoice: more performance at the same price is the motto of numerous print media. "Despite a massive increase in readership of 51,000 readers or 13.2 percent, we are keeping our rates at the same level in 2004 as this year," says TR7 advertising manager Patrick M. Knecht. Even though not all print titles have been able to increase their reach as much as the program guide from Jean Frey, Knecht is not alone in his pricing strategy. Compared to the rate rounds of previous years, there are certainly more titles at the turn of the year that are improving their performance and not changing their prices. Two titles stand out in particular: Facts and Cash. For the fourth time in a row, the Tamedia magazine is not changing its rates, even though its reach has increased significantly over the last two years. It may be that the price restraint this year has to do with the upcoming relaunch of the news magazine. Cash, on the other hand, froze its price while readership continued to erode, which effectively amounted to an increase. An increase in rates due to the slight recovery in reach this fall would therefore hardly have been appreciated by advertisers.
Espace Media keeps its promiseThe higher tariffs for the coming year will be paid by the publishers in
generally justified by increases in performance. However, the increases are usually in the range of up to one percent. Bon à savoir once again holds the top spot in terms of rate increases (plus 9.4 percent). However, the paper remains below its growth in reach of 13.5 percent. Weltwoche, on the other hand, which reported a 40 percent increase in readership, only raised its rates by 8.5 percent, putting it in second place in the print media market behind the consumer magazine. Schweizer Familie, which gained 9800 readers, increased its prices by 6 percent.
Among the daily newspapers, the rates of the Berner Zeitung stand out positively. Despite a 40 percent increase in reach, the daily newspaper is only raising its prices by 31 percent. The BZ is thus keeping the promise it made in the summer on the occasion of the planned takeover of the Bund. Provided, of course, that the Competition Commission approves the merger with the daily newspaper Der Bund.
Uniform tariffs in French-speaking Switzerland
Even if the majority of advertising managers behave in an almost exemplary manner when using the calculator, there are titles which
worsen their price-performance ratio. These include above all French-speaking Swiss titles, such as the Ringier magazines TV 8, L'Hebdo and Illustré, which are introducing the standard rate. This will lead to price increases of 70 to 80 percent, at least for black-and-white advertisements. In view of the unchanged - or in the case of L'Hebdo even reduced - output, this is a significant price adjustment. Speaking of uniform rates, the Beobachter also considered introducing them, but decided against it in favor of a separate evaluation. However, the price for black and white advertisements rose by 9.3 percent, a much more significant increase than the four-color rate (plus one percent).
The price of their advertising space increased by 8.5 percent (Weltwoche) and 6 percent (Schweizer Familie).

Gross advertising rates for a full page black/white four-color
Newspapers 2004 Change in % 2004 Change in %
Aargauer Zeitung 13 332.- - 18 819.- -
24 heures 8 880.- + 0.9 15 800.- + 0.6
Basler Zeitung 12 012.- - 16 512.- -
Basellandschaftliche Zeitung N 5 500.- - 7 012.- -
Berner Zeitung (incl. Bund)* 19 140.- + 31 26 871.- + 31
View 21 516.- + 0.6 31 614.- + 0.4
Cash 12 920.- - 17 000.- -
CASHvalue 17 000.- - 17 000.- -
Der Landbote 5 808.- + 2.3 7 938.- + 1.7
Finance & Economy 9 900.- - 13 440.- -
Freiburger Nachrichten N 3 740.- + 1.2 4 990.- + 0.9
HandelsZeitung 8 847.60 - 12 483.60 -
La Liberté 5 236.- + 0.9 7 486.- + 0.6
La Presse Riviera-Chablais N 5 104.- + 1.8 6 754.- + 2.2
La Presse Nord Vaudois N 3 784.- + 2.4 5 684.- + 1.6
Le Matin dimanche 19 520.- + 0,6 34 700.- + 0,6
Le Matin semaine 6 650.- + 2,3 13 600.- + 2,3
Le Monde diplomatique CH 4 550.- - 5750.- - 9,4
Le Nouvelliste 5 456.- - 9 328.- + 1
Le Temps 9 300.- + 1,1 15 100.- + 1,3
L'Express 6 030.- - 9 930.- -
L'Impartial 5 490.- - 8 730.- -
Mittelland Zeitung 20 460.- - 28 794.- -
Neue Luzerner Zeitung 13 244.- + 0.7 18 554.- + 0.5
Neue Zürcher Zeitung 13 156.- + 1.7 19 756.- + 1.6
NZZ am Sonntag 13 728.- + 2.3 20 628.- + 2.2
SonntagsBlick 14 352.- - 25 468.- -
SonntagsZeitung** 18 530.- - 27 518.- -
St. Galler Tagblatt GES 11 322.- + 1.7 15 912.- + 1.2
Tages-Anzeiger 15 609.- + 0.6 24 687.- + 0.6
Thurgauer Zeitung GES 6 116.- + 1.5 8 126.- + 1.1
Tribune de Genève 8 800.- + 1,2 15 300.- + 0,7
Walliser Bote 4 455.- + 2 6 815.- + 1.3
WochenZeitung 4 550.- - 5750.- - 9,4
Free newspapersAargauer Woche GES 10 692.- - 11 465.- -
Basler rod GES 10 692.- - 16 062.- -
GHI 9 548.- + 0.5 15 276.80 + 0.5
Lausanne Cités 8 194.- + 0.7 13 094.40 + 0.5
Tagblatt der Stadt Zürich 8 632.- + 1.5 9 622.80 + 1.4
SupplementsAlpha 25 741.- + 0.7 30 682.- + 0.6
The magazine 14 984.- - 14 984.- -
Télé Top Matin 19 150.- + 1 19 150.- + 1
TV Guide 13 000.- + 0,2 13 000.- + 0,2
* subject to approval by the Competition Commission
** only applies to 2nd to 9th bundle. The 1st bundle is more expensive. Source: Werbewoche survey
Markus Knöpfli