Netzwoche expands its network
IT-Magazine It is a child of the Internet hype, but still exists: Netzmedien AG and its Netzwoche.
IT-Magazine It is a child of the Internet hype, but it still exists: Netzmedien AG and its Netzwoche.Heinrich Meyer and Thomas Brenzikofer, the two owners of the Basel-based company Netzmedien AG, are rather reticent when it comes to disclosing internal company figures. Neither certified circulation or readership figures for their ICT industry magazine Netzwoche nor turnover or reasonably informative percentage figures on business performance are available. But both claim with conviction: "Netzmedien AG is in the black and Netzwoche, which currently has seven editorial staff, is self-financing." However, this required some not entirely painless cost-cutting: the formerly outsourced areas of acquisition and administration are now handled internally, and a few weeks ago an employee was made redundant. "A difficult decision," says Meyer, not without regret. One thing is clear: Netzwoche is also not bedded on roses when it comes to advertising. The last few weeks' editions have had between 1.33 and 3.33 advertising pages. "Best of Web" for the third timeBut unlike some other Internet newspapers, which only came onto the market when the Internet bubble was at its most bursting (and about to burst), Netzwoche continues to appear. On May 28, together with Simsa (swiss interactive media and software association), whose publication organ it is, it is also holding the "Best of Swiss Web" event for the third time. The 337 project submissions to be evaluated show that The web media operate in an industry that has had to scale back, but has remained lively.
Weakening trade fair businessNetWeek is published with a circulation of 12,000 copies, 400 of which go to Simsa members, around 6,000 are subscribed (according to Meyer, the "trend is rising"), 4,000 are used for target mailings, and the rest is published at events and trade fairs. Netzwoche launches two issues each for the industry events Internet-Expo and Orbit because of the many advertisements. In the meantime, however, the industry is discussing a merger of the two trade fairs. "We expect trade fair business to be weak," concludes Heinrich Meyer. Which is why "something new" is being considered for Orbit. However, he is equally unwilling to say what strategies he is pursuing in terms of trade fairs.
New ideas for a new market are and will probably remain the main strength of Netzmedien, which, in addition to its weekly title, also produces the daily Netzticker, the new six-times-a-year compendium Netzguide and commissions semi-annual market studies under the name Netzreport. "77 percent of our customers use two or more of our products," says Meyer.
However, Netzwoche remains the lead medium, also in terms of revenue, he emphasizes. But the 130-page Netzguide is hardly inferior: Although it is not exactly brimming with advertisements, the back section contains around a dozen paid portraits of IT companies.
Markus Knöpfli
Weakening trade fair businessNetWeek is published with a circulation of 12,000 copies, 400 of which go to Simsa members, around 6,000 are subscribed (according to Meyer, the "trend is rising"), 4,000 are used for target mailings, and the rest is published at events and trade fairs. Netzwoche launches two issues each for the industry events Internet-Expo and Orbit because of the many advertisements. In the meantime, however, the industry is discussing a merger of the two trade fairs. "We expect trade fair business to be weak," concludes Heinrich Meyer. Which is why "something new" is being considered for Orbit. However, he is equally unwilling to say what strategies he is pursuing in terms of trade fairs.
New ideas for a new market are and will probably remain the main strength of Netzmedien, which, in addition to its weekly title, also produces the daily Netzticker, the new six-times-a-year compendium Netzguide and commissions semi-annual market studies under the name Netzreport. "77 percent of our customers use two or more of our products," says Meyer.
However, Netzwoche remains the lead medium, also in terms of revenue, he emphasizes. But the 130-page Netzguide is hardly inferior: Although it is not exactly brimming with advertisements, the back section contains around a dozen paid portraits of IT companies.
Markus Knöpfli
