"Our claim is the same as the NZZ's".
Daniel Weber, Editorial Director of NZZ Folio, on the advertising presence of his magazine
Daniel Weber, Editorial Director of NZZ Folio, on the advertising presence of his magazine "Our claim is the same as that of the NZZ"
For around four years, a campaign for the NZZ supplement Folio asked about the magazine's publication date. Now a new campaign is positioning the journalistic achievements of NZZ Folio journalists by comparing them with the achievements of other journalists and asking the viewer to read the difference. Editorial director Daniel Weber sees this elitist approach as merely a mirror that expresses the magazine's self-image.
How does it feel to be the editor-in-chief of the Swiss elite magazine par excellence?
Daniel Weber: Elite magazine per se is a big word, but of course it's a good feeling. NZZ Folio will be ten years old next summer. During this time, we have established ourselves in a convincing way. With readers very early on, in the advertising industry it took a little longer. But that's normal. We can now say that NZZ Folio has clearly established itself as a title. It is also a very nice feeling because we are still largely the same team as when we started. We all believe that we have achieved something together.
Who do you write NZZ Folio for?
Weber: We asked ourselves this question, especially at the beginning. We are not aimed at a narrowly focused target group, but are also a supplement to the NZZ. Our readership may not be the same, but our aspirations are the same as those of the NZZ. Of course, this brings with it a slightly elitist character.
Our concept is to take a broader approach to the material than a newspaper that is produced on a daily basis can. When we cover the topic of genetic engineering, for example, we want to present this material in such a way that it can be understood by readers with a general interest. On the other hand, it has to be of such solid quality that we can also hold our own with the specialists.
Why does the current NZZ Folio advertisement position your magazine as the measure of all things journalistic?
Weber: I'm not sure you can say that, and I don't want people to see it that way either. It's certainly a self-confident campaign, but it's not arrogant and it's not meant to be arrogant. NZZ Folio is a bit of a special publication: supplements are usually published weekly, but NZZ Folio is published monthly. We are also a specialty magazine. We cover economic, cultural and scientific topics, but we are neither a business magazine nor a cultural magazine nor a science magazine. In the beginning, it was seen as a bit of a handicap, especially by our publisher, that the magazine could not be properly categorized. If you try to reduce the facts to the lowest common denominator, then NZZ Folio is simply different. The advertising agency translated this understanding into the claim "Read the difference", which in itself is a neutral formulation that simply states that there is a difference.
The campaign speaks of NZZ Folio journalists and of any other journalists. Do you question the performance of colleagues who do not write for NZZ Folio?
Weber: No, no, and under no circumstances do I want people to take away such a meaning from the performance. Conversely, I could say: "If someone understands the campaign in this way, then they have a problem with their self-esteem." There are countless ways to read and understand a campaign. The claim "Read the difference" can also mean that there is a difference in the way we prepare the topics, in the way we give an author the opportunity to invest time in a story, in the way we combine several authors because we are a themed magazine. We don't just write a nice story every month that we garnish with a few vegetables, but we publish a dozen stories on each topic. As a whole, each issue tries to do justice to one theme. That's my way of reading this campaign. "Read the difference" doesn't mean: the others are less good at it, but rather: The context shown gives the stories in NZZ Folio a different color. We are not showing off in this relatively discreet campaign. We're just saying: "There is a difference, and you can read it." Of course that's an assertion, but it's also an invitation to check it out.
How has the campaign been received by the public?
Weber: The reactions come from long-time NZZ-Folio readers. They think it's a lively and amusing appearance, especially after the last campaign.
The 10-year anniversary is just around the corner. What changes are you planning?
Weber: One of NZZ Folio's strengths is that it has remained constant over these ten years. Also in its external appearance. Although we carried out a slight renovation a good two years ago, we never had the feeling that we had to start from scratch. When we started, we deliberately set a counterpoint to the city, trend and lifestyle magazines that existed at the time. We wanted NZZ Folio to have a more classic look. Anyone who wanted to get angry with us called it old-fashioned. But we accepted that. In the meantime, we've seen trends come and go. In terms of design, the newspaper language tends to return to calmer, more classic forms, so we were a bit avant-garde. Another thing that will not change is the fact that we are a themed magazine. This concept has become established and proven itself. It would be nonsense to want to move away from it. Furthermore, the monthly rhythm still seems to work very well for us. A shorter cadence would probably be too much for the reader. As far as I know, the magazines are used and kept for quite a long time. We don't have the impression that we need to give ourselves a new face for the 10th anniversary. Interview: Ernst Weber
For around four years, a campaign for the NZZ supplement Folio asked about the magazine's publication date. Now a new campaign is positioning the journalistic achievements of NZZ Folio journalists by comparing them with the achievements of other journalists and asking the viewer to read the difference. Editorial director Daniel Weber sees this elitist approach as merely a mirror that expresses the magazine's self-image.
How does it feel to be the editor-in-chief of the Swiss elite magazine par excellence?
Daniel Weber: Elite magazine per se is a big word, but of course it's a good feeling. NZZ Folio will be ten years old next summer. During this time, we have established ourselves in a convincing way. With readers very early on, in the advertising industry it took a little longer. But that's normal. We can now say that NZZ Folio has clearly established itself as a title. It is also a very nice feeling because we are still largely the same team as when we started. We all believe that we have achieved something together.
Who do you write NZZ Folio for?
Weber: We asked ourselves this question, especially at the beginning. We are not aimed at a narrowly focused target group, but are also a supplement to the NZZ. Our readership may not be the same, but our aspirations are the same as those of the NZZ. Of course, this brings with it a slightly elitist character.
Our concept is to take a broader approach to the material than a newspaper that is produced on a daily basis can. When we cover the topic of genetic engineering, for example, we want to present this material in such a way that it can be understood by readers with a general interest. On the other hand, it has to be of such solid quality that we can also hold our own with the specialists.
Why does the current NZZ Folio advertisement position your magazine as the measure of all things journalistic?
Weber: I'm not sure you can say that, and I don't want people to see it that way either. It's certainly a self-confident campaign, but it's not arrogant and it's not meant to be arrogant. NZZ Folio is a bit of a special publication: supplements are usually published weekly, but NZZ Folio is published monthly. We are also a specialty magazine. We cover economic, cultural and scientific topics, but we are neither a business magazine nor a cultural magazine nor a science magazine. In the beginning, it was seen as a bit of a handicap, especially by our publisher, that the magazine could not be properly categorized. If you try to reduce the facts to the lowest common denominator, then NZZ Folio is simply different. The advertising agency translated this understanding into the claim "Read the difference", which in itself is a neutral formulation that simply states that there is a difference.
The campaign speaks of NZZ Folio journalists and of any other journalists. Do you question the performance of colleagues who do not write for NZZ Folio?
Weber: No, no, and under no circumstances do I want people to take away such a meaning from the performance. Conversely, I could say: "If someone understands the campaign in this way, then they have a problem with their self-esteem." There are countless ways to read and understand a campaign. The claim "Read the difference" can also mean that there is a difference in the way we prepare the topics, in the way we give an author the opportunity to invest time in a story, in the way we combine several authors because we are a themed magazine. We don't just write a nice story every month that we garnish with a few vegetables, but we publish a dozen stories on each topic. As a whole, each issue tries to do justice to one theme. That's my way of reading this campaign. "Read the difference" doesn't mean: the others are less good at it, but rather: The context shown gives the stories in NZZ Folio a different color. We are not showing off in this relatively discreet campaign. We're just saying: "There is a difference, and you can read it." Of course that's an assertion, but it's also an invitation to check it out.
How has the campaign been received by the public?
Weber: The reactions come from long-time NZZ-Folio readers. They think it's a lively and amusing appearance, especially after the last campaign.
The 10-year anniversary is just around the corner. What changes are you planning?
Weber: One of NZZ Folio's strengths is that it has remained constant over these ten years. Also in its external appearance. Although we carried out a slight renovation a good two years ago, we never had the feeling that we had to start from scratch. When we started, we deliberately set a counterpoint to the city, trend and lifestyle magazines that existed at the time. We wanted NZZ Folio to have a more classic look. Anyone who wanted to get angry with us called it old-fashioned. But we accepted that. In the meantime, we've seen trends come and go. In terms of design, the newspaper language tends to return to calmer, more classic forms, so we were a bit avant-garde. Another thing that will not change is the fact that we are a themed magazine. This concept has become established and proven itself. It would be nonsense to want to move away from it. Furthermore, the monthly rhythm still seems to work very well for us. A shorter cadence would probably be too much for the reader. As far as I know, the magazines are used and kept for quite a long time. We don't have the impression that we need to give ourselves a new face for the 10th anniversary. Interview: Ernst Weber
