The Weltwoche makes a giant diver

According to the latest Wemf figures, Weltwoche's circulation has fallen from 92,337 to 84,206 copies; this corresponds to a loss of over 8,000 copies within a year, but this latest drop is "only" the second lowest in the history of the weekly newspaper; in 1996, circulation fell by almost 10,000 copies. Publishing director Uli Rubner explains the dip with the higher positioning of the title, which was not initially taken into account in reader marketing. "On the one hand, we aimed the editorial content at an elite audience, but on the other hand, we were still targeting the same broad audience in our marketing as before the upgrade," says Rubner. This had a negative impact on the durability of the newly acquired readers. Last year saw a departure from the previous mass marketing strategy. Despite the huge dip, Weltwoche intends to stick to its advertising rates. Rubner: "The advertising rates are not based on circulation, but on the current reach, and we won't know that until the fall." (dse)