Swiss free daily 20 Minuten (by Tamedia) introduced a new logo today (Persoenlich).
The 3D-logo (and slightly darker blue than the previous one) will be used for all editions of the newspaper (French, German and Italian versions). (click on paper for bigger version)
Also the website and the Friday-magazine will use the new logo.
The e-paper of 20 Minuten can be viewed here.
As most circulation data for European papers is now available, it is possible to publish the total European data. In February we already presented an earlier version, but the data below are more exact (and somewhat lower).
Compared to 2011, circulation dropped with 11% to 15.5 million copies. The number of countries with free dailies remained the same with 27, the number of titles went down from 81 to 75.
Free dailies closed down in Denmark (Urban), Greece (Metro), Italy (City), Luxembourg (Point24), Spain (Qué!, Telegrafico Madrid) and the Netherlands (De Pers). Editions were closed by Direct Matin Plus (France), Metro (Italy) and 20 Minutos (Spain). Other papers just lowered distribution.
In the coming weeks I will focus in detail on developments in different European countries.
Having two competing papers can be a burden for an owner. Especially when it concerns free dailies, as these papers are in direct competition with each other.
No matter how different they are, when distribution is similar (through public transport), the audience will be the same and therefore papers will compete.
Recently Tamedia (MetroXpres) closed 24timer, its second free daily in Denmark. Earlier also in Finland (Sanoma) and Switzerland (Tamedia) publishers closed competing free dailies.
In countries like Iceland, Ireland and the Czech Republic publishers of free papers merged and almost immediately closed one title.
In the Netherlands TMG owns both free dailies Metro and Spits. It tried to distinguish the titles by having Spits focusing on entertainment (and a young audience) and the other (Metro) on news and a more mature audience.
TMG also introduced a earlier printing time for Spits (20:15, as news was not that urgent) and lowered the circulation. The publisher now announced that it would move from hand distribution to distribution through boxes for Spits.
In Portugal (Metro and Destak, Cofina) and Italy (Metro and DNews, Litosud) two free dailies are owned by the same publisher.
After celebrity editors Lady Gaga, Karl Lagerfeld & Richard Branson, Metro will have Jaden and Will Smith as Metro special guests on April 22.
In the paper and online, in advance of their action film “After Earth,” premiering June 7, 2013, Jaden and Will Smith will imagine what the Earth will look like hundreds of years from now; including environmental impact, advances in technology and transport, and media. The pair will sit for an exclusive Q&A with Metro. All content will run in Metro’s print and digital editions around the world.
Below a still from the Smith-trailer.
This morning free dailies Metro and Spits – both owned by Dutch media group TMG – covered the Boston bomb attack quite differently.
Actually, Spits didn’t cover it at all. After TMG took over Metro it started printing the new acquisition itself, resulting in a closing time for Spits of 20:15. This explained why Spits could not cover the attack.
For a newspaper focusing on News and Entertainment (Spits’ tag-line), a closing time of 21:15 could be lethal.
Spits usually had a very strong sports section. But with an early closing time, European football, matches of the national team and for the KNVB-Cup (evening) cannot be covered anymore.
There have been speculations about the future of both newspapers within one company, in terms of printing times, TMG has already chosen…
In the past also free newspapers in Denmark that were published (and printed) by major publishing houses (Dato by Berlingske, 24timer by JP/Politiken) suffered from early closing times.
Not all, but quite a few Metro’s featured Justin Bieber on the frontpage today to celebrate Valentine.
In Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, USA, Ecuador, Mexico and Puerto Rico the covers all had the same picture, Sweden used a different one. (click on pic for bigger Bieber)
In 2012 Telegraaf Media Group (TMG) bought free daily Metro from its Swedish owners. The publisher already owned the othet national free daily Spits.
This week TMG announced that it would introduce a new format for both papers.
Metro would be the more serious one, targeting a general audience (25-54). Spits will focus more on a young audience and entertainment. What that meant, showed this morning, when both papers covered the Pope.
It’s a marketing gimmick of course. But there is nothing wrong with good marketing.
As Candanian newspapers are moving towards a paywall model, free Toronto evening paper tonight re-launched its website with “unlimited breaking news for free”.
John Cameron, publisher of tonight says: “our readers will have the freshest stories the minute news breaks, something that will set our brand apart from other web properties”.
My Paper, the bilingual freesheet published by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), will get a new – more colorful – design and extra content from 1 November 2012.
In the business section, there will be greater focus on personal finance. There will also be a new “My Executive” section which will carry lifestyle news and features of interest to young working adults.
The Chinese section of My Paper will be enhanced with more extensive and authoritative coverage of Asian entertainment and lifestyle news.
My Paper will focus on various topics throughout the week. On Mondays, there will be a new spotlight on parenting, with news, opinion pieces as well as useful guides for young parents.
Tuesdays will focus on self-improvement and career development while Wednesdays will feature popular travel destinations and useful tips. (4-traders)
Eva Dichand, the publisher of Austrian free daily Heute is threatening investigate journalists who want to disclose information about the advertising model of the free daily.
The issue evolves around government-sponsored adds in Heute, mainly by the city of Vienna (€29 million between 2004 and 2011 – without discounts). The suggestion is that Vienna is actually buying positive news in the paper by advertising. (Also other government-related instititutions like the Vienna U-Bahn, ÖBB and political parties have advertised heavily in Heute and the other Austrian free daily Österreich.)
The jourtrnalists Sahel Zarinfard and Florian Skrabal have gone online today on the Dossier website.
(sources: Der Standard, Die Presse)