A consumer sun king
Matteo Cheda launches third consumer title in Ticino in six years
Matteo Cheda launches third consumer title in Ticino in six yearsBy Daniel Schifferle Without much ado, Matteo Cheda has built up two consumer titles in Ticino since 1996. Now, with Scelgo Io, the third magazine has already been published. Amazingly, despite the small market in southern Switzerland and the lack of advertising revenues, the magazine conglomerate is in the black.
Matteo Cheda shows that it is possible to successfully establish new print titles even in the small Ticino market. Even when they are free of advertising and have to make do only with subscription and retail sales revenues. In early 1996, he founded Spendere Meglio, followed by L'Inchiesta as early as 1999. Now, two years later, the third southern Swiss consumer title is rolling off the printing press. Its title: Scelgo Io. In the next few days, the new title will be launched with an initial print run of 150,000 copies, which will be distributed to all households in Ticino. Cheda expects to sell 10,000 copies of Scelgo Io within three years.
The thinking behind Ticino's latest magazine baby: "Consumers' need for even more independent consumer information is constantly growing," explains Cheda. But why another issue and not expand the periodicity or page numbers of the existing two titles, as is the case with other print media? The reason, he says, lies in subscribers' willingness to pay. "With an expansion of the existing issues, their subscription prices would also have had to be increased," says Cheda. But this would not have been accepted by some of the subscribers. "That's why we decided to launch another title."
Complementary booklets bring many double subscribers
Cheda has the same philosophy that René Schuhmacher follows with his Swiss-German consumer titles: several issues, but covering different topics and therefore complementing each other. But the magazines are also like each other in terms of appearance and size. Cheda's titles also have a tabloid format and are limited to 32 pages per issue, just like K-Tipp or Saldo. And the printing company is also the same (Ziegler Druck, Winterthur).
The differences are most evident in the lower periodicity. Each issue of Cheda is published only six times a year. But this is staggered. This means that subscribers to all three titles receive a new and independent consumer magazine around every 20 days.
To enable the complementary role, the three titles are positioned slightly differently. Scelgo Io, for example, focuses on quality of life and puts consumer choice at the center. Health, nutrition and environmental issues are the central themes. But testing also has a prominent place in Scelgo Io, with 10 to 12 pages per issue. Spendere Meglio, on the other hand, is the classic consumer title. Its claim: to help consumers so that they spend their money on the "right products" and can better exercise their rights as consumers. At the heart of Spendere Meglio are comparisons of products and services. L'Inchiesta additionally broadens the focus to include arbitrariness on the part of authorities and officials, exposing abuses in Ticino in particular.
The fact that the positioning as complementary magazines has worked well so far is reflected in the number of double subscribers. According to Cheda, "more than a third of L'Inchiesta's subscribers also subscribe to Spendere Meglio." He expects a similar development for Scelgo Io.
In the black from the start
The most amazing thing about the Ticino consumer stocks: Cheda not only built them up with a minimum of equity, they were also in the black right from the start. "Even in the year Spendere Meglio was launched, which was 1996, I earned more than 68,000 Swiss francs as a self-employed journalist and publisher," recalls Cheda.
But how do you do that in a market that has around 17 times fewer inhabitants than German-speaking Switzerland? This is made possible above all by the cooperation with Schuhmacher's KI Konsumenteninfo AG, from which a large part of the content is purchased. Spendere Meglio, for example, takes over two-thirds of the magazine content of K-Tipp, Saldo and Puls-Tipp. And at L'Inchiesta and Scelgo Io, the articles and tests taken over also account for almost half of the magazine content. Only thanks to these synergies is it possible for Cheda to get by with just five journalist positions plus three administrative staff for all three magazines.
Since 1997, the publisher of the three Ticino consumer titles has been Consumedia GmbH, which is wholly owned by Cheda. This means that Schuhmacher does not have a stake in it. Conversely, however, Cheda holds a 20 percent stake in Saldo. "However, the shares and thus the voting rights have remained with Schuhmacher," Cheda qualifies.
One of Consumedia's specialties that is surprising is its place of business. It is not in Bellinzona, where the publishing and editorial offices are located, but in Zurich. According to Cheda, however, this only has to do with the place of jurisdiction. This plays an important role with consumer titles, which often have lawsuits on their hands. "It is therefore better if an independent court outside Ticino has jurisdiction," explains Cheda.
Consumer title: Matteo Cheda's small empire
Matteo Cheda shows that it is possible to successfully establish new print titles even in the small Ticino market. Even when they are free of advertising and have to make do only with subscription and retail sales revenues. In early 1996, he founded Spendere Meglio, followed by L'Inchiesta as early as 1999. Now, two years later, the third southern Swiss consumer title is rolling off the printing press. Its title: Scelgo Io. In the next few days, the new title will be launched with an initial print run of 150,000 copies, which will be distributed to all households in Ticino. Cheda expects to sell 10,000 copies of Scelgo Io within three years.
The thinking behind Ticino's latest magazine baby: "Consumers' need for even more independent consumer information is constantly growing," explains Cheda. But why another issue and not expand the periodicity or page numbers of the existing two titles, as is the case with other print media? The reason, he says, lies in subscribers' willingness to pay. "With an expansion of the existing issues, their subscription prices would also have had to be increased," says Cheda. But this would not have been accepted by some of the subscribers. "That's why we decided to launch another title."
Complementary booklets bring many double subscribers
Cheda has the same philosophy that René Schuhmacher follows with his Swiss-German consumer titles: several issues, but covering different topics and therefore complementing each other. But the magazines are also like each other in terms of appearance and size. Cheda's titles also have a tabloid format and are limited to 32 pages per issue, just like K-Tipp or Saldo. And the printing company is also the same (Ziegler Druck, Winterthur).
The differences are most evident in the lower periodicity. Each issue of Cheda is published only six times a year. But this is staggered. This means that subscribers to all three titles receive a new and independent consumer magazine around every 20 days.
To enable the complementary role, the three titles are positioned slightly differently. Scelgo Io, for example, focuses on quality of life and puts consumer choice at the center. Health, nutrition and environmental issues are the central themes. But testing also has a prominent place in Scelgo Io, with 10 to 12 pages per issue. Spendere Meglio, on the other hand, is the classic consumer title. Its claim: to help consumers so that they spend their money on the "right products" and can better exercise their rights as consumers. At the heart of Spendere Meglio are comparisons of products and services. L'Inchiesta additionally broadens the focus to include arbitrariness on the part of authorities and officials, exposing abuses in Ticino in particular.
The fact that the positioning as complementary magazines has worked well so far is reflected in the number of double subscribers. According to Cheda, "more than a third of L'Inchiesta's subscribers also subscribe to Spendere Meglio." He expects a similar development for Scelgo Io.
In the black from the start
The most amazing thing about the Ticino consumer stocks: Cheda not only built them up with a minimum of equity, they were also in the black right from the start. "Even in the year Spendere Meglio was launched, which was 1996, I earned more than 68,000 Swiss francs as a self-employed journalist and publisher," recalls Cheda.
But how do you do that in a market that has around 17 times fewer inhabitants than German-speaking Switzerland? This is made possible above all by the cooperation with Schuhmacher's KI Konsumenteninfo AG, from which a large part of the content is purchased. Spendere Meglio, for example, takes over two-thirds of the magazine content of K-Tipp, Saldo and Puls-Tipp. And at L'Inchiesta and Scelgo Io, the articles and tests taken over also account for almost half of the magazine content. Only thanks to these synergies is it possible for Cheda to get by with just five journalist positions plus three administrative staff for all three magazines.
Since 1997, the publisher of the three Ticino consumer titles has been Consumedia GmbH, which is wholly owned by Cheda. This means that Schuhmacher does not have a stake in it. Conversely, however, Cheda holds a 20 percent stake in Saldo. "However, the shares and thus the voting rights have remained with Schuhmacher," Cheda qualifies.
One of Consumedia's specialties that is surprising is its place of business. It is not in Bellinzona, where the publishing and editorial offices are located, but in Zurich. According to Cheda, however, this only has to do with the place of jurisdiction. This plays an important role with consumer titles, which often have lawsuits on their hands. "It is therefore better if an independent court outside Ticino has jurisdiction," explains Cheda.
Consumer title: Matteo Cheda's small empire
Title Start Subscription price CirculationSpendere Meglio Febr. 1996 28 Fr. 20 900
L'Inchiesta Nov. 1999 29 Fr. 14 200
Scelgo Io Jan. 2002 34 Fr. -
