From Lithuania with love…
This week I not only spoke at Password marketing conferences in Vilnius (Lithuania) and Tartu (Estonia) but also visited the Lithuanian free daily 15min. The paper was launched in September 2005 after chief editor Vytaute Smaizyté (on the right) came back with the idea to start a free paper after working in Sweden. Both Tomas Balzekas (second from the right) and Tomas Bindokas (left) went for the idea and launched the paper. In February 2006 a Kaunas edition was launched, in September of that year a Klaipeda edition followed. In 2006 65% of the shares of 15min were bought by Norwegian publisher Schibsted (of 20 Minutes fame), also 51% owner of paid tabloid LT in Lithuania. 15min is a text-book example of free newspaper operation. A small and very young staff located on one floor of a modern office building. No walls between sales, journalists and managers.
Other Baltic states also launched free dailies. In August 2005 5min was launched in Riga (Latvia) by the publisher of paid daily Daina (owned by Swedish publisher Bonnier). In Estonia the free weekly Linnaleht was converted to a daily in December 2005, the paper is jointly owned by Eesti Meedia (leading paid daily Postimees) and the Ekspress Group (Eesti Päevaleht). Swedish publisher Marieberg controls Eesti Päevaleht while Norwegian publisher Schibsted is the majority owner (92.5%) of Postimees.