No more rush on the uniform tariff
More and more magazines know the color-independent tariff
When Facts unexpectedly introduced the uniform rate in 1997 as the most renowned magazine to date, this triggered discussions. However, the majority of the media welcomed the move. And Ueli Wyler, then head of the magazine division at Publimag, predicted: "In two to three years, everyone will be doing it.
Three years later, we are still a long way from Wyler's forecast. But as far as WerbeWoche is aware, twelve titles are now using the standard rate, and six more will be added next year (see table). With the exception of Pro, the procedure is identical: the black-and-white rate will be raised to the level of the four-color rate and the latter will remain at the previous level.
This results in increases of between 63.9 percent (Meyers) and 35.1 percent (KI Media titles) for the black-and-white rate. Pro, on the other hand, is lowering its four-color rate from the previous 25000 Swiss francs to 19500 Swiss francs (minus 22 percent) and at the same time increasing the black-and-white rate by 2500 Swiss francs (plus 14.7 percent). The justification for the standard rate is the same everywhere: from a printing point of view, the cost of an advertisement - whether black-and-white or color - is identical today. In addition, only a few customers still place black-and-white ads.
Unit tariffs should be made object-oriented
Meanwhile, the twelve existing titles with a uniform rate include almost all Tamedia magazines. "According to our philosophy, magazines are a means of transport to reach a specific target group. That's why we charge a uniform transport price," says René Gehrig, Head of Publishing Marketing, who initiated the changeover at Facts at the time. Customers have accepted it very well, he notes. But why isn't there a standard rate for the program guide TVtäglich? Gehrig: "Because customers there mainly want to place black-and-white ads."
As of this year, Bilanz is also one of the standard rate titles. This is because, according to Peter Urs Naef, Chairman of the Management Board at Jean Frey AG, two years of research have shown that the advertising impact of an ad in Bilanz does not depend on whether it is in black and white or color.
At the Beobachter, on the other hand, where the customer and advertising structure is quite different, he has so far refrained from a uniform tariff. "Such a decision must always be made with the object and customer in mind and should be accompanied by research," says Naef.
Pressure from media planners has eased
Ringier magazines do not have a standard rate at all. "There are still enough customers who want to optimize their media plan through color," explains Duke Seidmann, Head of Advertising Market Magazines. Another obstacle: classified ads. However, Ringier abandoned the system of color surcharges two years ago. The basic rate everywhere is the four-color rate with a 6 percent discount on each scalar color that is not used. And yet, there is one exception at Ringier: dimanche.ch. The Sunday newspaper in French-speaking Switzerland is four-color throughout and has therefore known the standard rate since its launch - as the only newspaper in Switzerland. Ringier Group spokesman Fridolin Luchsinger: "This was considered an experiment - our conclusion is positive."
One reason why the move towards a uniform rate is proceeding more slowly than hoped is that the pressure from media planners has eased. Urs Renner, Managing Director of The Media Edge, cites the new discount system introduced a year ago based on franc volume instead of page volume as the reason. "Unlike in the past, the higher price of multicolor ads is now taken into account in the franc deal. This eliminates the unfairness and removes an important argument for the uniform rate," says Renner.
"We don't have any voices at all that want a uniform tariff in the long term," Publimag deputy director Ru-dolf Schwenkfelder also states calmly. And Publimag does not make any recommendations to publishers in this regard. "We stay out of it." But when asked for advice, the product, publisher and market are assessed individually.
Is the trend now moving further in the direction of a uniform tariff? Schwenkfelder points above all to the additional investment and costs that color printing causes, especially for small print shops. Publishers who come from the printing trade would therefore be less quick to change over than others with managers from outside the industry: "The increase therefore depends on how many publishers/printers still join forces to produce together."
Title with uniform tariff
Annabelle
Animan
Balance
Bon à Savoir
Cuisine de Saison (since start)
The magazine
D'Chuchi (from 2001)
dimanche.ch (since start)
Druggist star (since start)
Facts
K-Tip (from 2001)
K-Special (since start)
K-Money (since launch)
Meyers (as of 2001)
Pro (from 2001)
PulsTip (from 2001)
Seasonal cuisine (since start)
Swiss family
Higher ad rates almost everywhere
The ten most widely read Swiss-German newspapers (excluding Berner Zeitung and Swisspool) are increasing their black-and-white rates by an average of 1.57 percent per full page of advertising and the four-color rate by 1.17 percent. The Berner Zeitung was not included in this calculation because it is massively increasing its circulation with the new cooperation in the Bernese Oberland as of 2001 and for this reason alone is increasing its rates, namely by 14.4 and 13.4 percent, which also affects the Swisspool prices (see WW 42/00). The Aargauer Zeitung is the only newspaper to retain its previous rates.
According to Media Trend Journal, the price increases for weekly newspapers are higher than for newspapers, at 2.9 percent for black-and-white, but lower at 0.7 percent for four-color. Because five magazine titles are introducing the uniform rate and generally aligning the black-and-white rate with the four-color rate (see above), the black-and-white rate will increase by an average of 9.6 percent, while the color rate will increase by only
2 percent.
Newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland will be 1.5 and 0.7 percent more expensive, while magazines will rise by 3.8 and 2.3 percent. Newspapers in Ticino will see average increases of 3.8 and 2 percent, while magazines will rise by 1.8 and
1.9 percent. (mk)
