"Three shots, one direct hit"
Ringier sees a bright future for MEX
Ringier sees a good future for MEXMartin Kall, Head of Magazines at Ringier, comments on the sale of MEXIt is unusual for Ringier to announce a sale and not provide information after the sale has taken place.
Martin Kall: We carried out a market analysis with MEX employees and presented the results to the Group management together with the sales proposal. We owed this group an open answer about the decision. It should also be easier to sell now. Everyone has heard from the media that we want to sell.
Is it so difficult to find a buyer for MEX?
Kall: It has to be a flexible small entrepreneur who has a foothold in the youth market. If we find that person, he will have a lot of fun with MEX. I am optimistic.
If you are already using our editorial section for advertising, please place a commercial for MEX here.
Kall: (laughs) No, I don't want to go that far, otherwise your editorial content would be overloaded with advertising. That would damage the image of WerbeWoche.
Ringier only wants to sell the magazine, but not the associated website www.mextown.ch. Doesn't that make sense?
Kall: Mextown is doing very well. But if someone interested in the magazine is also interested in the website, we will of course look into it - if the price is right.
Cashual also flopped in 1998. Why didn't Ringier have a very lucky hand that year?
Kall: 1998 was also the year in which we launched GesundheitSprechstunde. It's a wonderful title that now has 500,000 readers. If I hit the bull's eye every time out of three shots, I'm also satisfied. Incidentally, in the magazine markets of Germany or France, the proportion of titles that are launched and discontinued is much higher than in Switzerland. It's also part of the publishing business to take risks. But you also have to have the courage to say when something hasn't worked out. Interview: Markus Knöpfli
Martin Kall: We carried out a market analysis with MEX employees and presented the results to the Group management together with the sales proposal. We owed this group an open answer about the decision. It should also be easier to sell now. Everyone has heard from the media that we want to sell.
Is it so difficult to find a buyer for MEX?
Kall: It has to be a flexible small entrepreneur who has a foothold in the youth market. If we find that person, he will have a lot of fun with MEX. I am optimistic.
If you are already using our editorial section for advertising, please place a commercial for MEX here.
Kall: (laughs) No, I don't want to go that far, otherwise your editorial content would be overloaded with advertising. That would damage the image of WerbeWoche.
Ringier only wants to sell the magazine, but not the associated website www.mextown.ch. Doesn't that make sense?
Kall: Mextown is doing very well. But if someone interested in the magazine is also interested in the website, we will of course look into it - if the price is right.
Cashual also flopped in 1998. Why didn't Ringier have a very lucky hand that year?
Kall: 1998 was also the year in which we launched GesundheitSprechstunde. It's a wonderful title that now has 500,000 readers. If I hit the bull's eye every time out of three shots, I'm also satisfied. Incidentally, in the magazine markets of Germany or France, the proportion of titles that are launched and discontinued is much higher than in Switzerland. It's also part of the publishing business to take risks. But you also have to have the courage to say when something hasn't worked out. Interview: Markus Knöpfli
