Ride and slow motion.ch win the Q-Award 2019

"We want to be the 'Geo' for mountain bikers!" This announcement from a small publishing house in Davos was big. The famous Geo with a budget in the millions should serve as a model for a special interest magazine with around 6400 subscribers and a handful of employees? The high standard has been met: Following a strategic and visual relaunch in 2016, the Montanbike magazine must Ride Today, the Swiss TV station is not hiding behind the great role model from Germany - and secured the Q-Award of the Swiss Media Association VSM on Wednesday.

The jury first praised the layout of the magazine: large format, innovative design, lavish imagery, great stories, super feel -. Ride masterfully plays the keyboard of a modern, innovative and sensual print product. The passion for the subject is reflected in every line, in every picture, and makes you want to get on your bike and go on a tour right away. In the meantime, the magazine has even become a status symbol - in mountain biking circles, it's good manners to have an issue of Ride lying around.

The financing model behind the special-interest title was also positively highlighted. The publisher is abandoning the conventional business concept of subscribers, retail sales and advertising. In the medium term, the basic financing of the media title is to come exclusively from subscriptions. Today, readers are web users who, thanks to paid access, have access to a comprehensive range of services. The printed magazine is still the central element, but embedded in an extensive digital range of services.

In addition to regular online news Ride offers its readers, for example, the largest database in Europe for single trail tours as well as web maps with a route network of 100,000 kilometers. Access to the maps and the GPX tracks of the tours is only available to subscribers. This turns a magazine into a comprehensive media brand with high utility value.

By 2016, the number of subscribers had increased from Ride increased by six percent annually. After the relaunch, it rose to 19 percent, and is even expected to increase by 22 percent in 2019.

Also nominated for the Q Award were the communications magazine Personal and the lifestyle and interior design sheet Living Review.

The editorial and publishing teams of the media that were nominated for or won a Q Award smile into the Werbewoche camera.

Slow motion - that is first and foremost Pro Senectute's print magazine, founded in 1922, which reaches 140,000 readers ten times a year with a circulation of around 72,000 copies. It is a successful magazine that has not experienced any of the problems that are otherwise common in the industry - circulation and advertising revenues have been stable for years.

This is the basis on which the Zeitlupe.ch makers decided to take a bold step: A comprehensive and costly relaunch of their website. Courageous, because the effort was great and the prospects of success were not clear. Would the 60 plus generation spend money on an online subscription? The risk was worth it, at least from the point of view of the Q-Award jury: According to the jury, the new website is perfectly tailored to the target group and offers a skilful mix of information, pleasure and service.

The technical implementation is also convincing: Countless puzzles can be solved directly on the screen, videos provide additional depth, and the texts are even read aloud. The business model is also consistent and courageous: Little is available for free, and anyone who wants to use the best features - such as the very popular encounter platform - has to buy a subscription.

Every year, the Swiss Media Association honors the most innovative and best-quality trade or specialty publications. The winning publications may use the "Q-Award" label in their communications and advertising materials for one year. All trade or specialty publications are eligible to participate.

Online publications can now also apply for the Q-Award. With the launch of Q-Award Digital, outstanding online presences in the trade and specialty media market will receive recognition from the Swiss Media Association.

The winners of Ride beam at the camera.

Traditionally, the SFJ Award also honored the three best reports from Swiss trade media. The prizes for this went to Judith Solt (for "Power of the Model," published in TEC21 magazine), Carmen Hocker ("How Blossoms Attract Attention," published in Bioterra magazine) and Markus Gehrig ("Charge Management in the Underground Garage," published in Elektrotechnik magazine).