Internally employees also want to believe

After several years rather quiet on the front of the launches, Prisma press again on the offensive and multiplies the projects. The French subsidiary of German group Gruner Jahr is poised to launch three magazines, extensions of existing titles, and announces a new monthly original for the beginning of next year. "We will soon exit two subdivided"Geo"bimonthly, and a monthly focus on history from"Ca interests me"," said Rolf Heinz, President-General Manager of the group in an interview with the "echoes". The bimonthly, which will be presented in detail on 20 October, will emerge on 27 October. They have vocation to become monthly success. Their price is relatively high, and their best less than 100,000 dissemination objectives. As the monthly history, he will be out before the end of the year. "It will be a formula of innovative, unique in its approach, which will be both practice and spectacular", Rolf Heinz promises. Prisma announces several new versions of brands for next year. And at least a monthly totally new for young adults. "We come to realize zero number and plan to test early 2011," said Rolf Heinz.

Loss of market share

This burst of launches goal is to restore impetus to Prisma, at the time where the group sees sales of its flagship titles decline, often faster than the market. This is the case of "Woman current", which broadcast paid France dropped by 6.86, according to the latest OJD (July 2009-June 2010), "TV leisure" (-4,94), "Gala" (-5,29), "This is" (-8,48), "VOD" (-20,11), or "Capital" (-9,58). "Prisma is present on segments that undergo structural erosion, but it is true that we have lost some market share", recognizes Rolf Heinz, who noted however that the trend is reversed end of August for television magazines or "Capital". "" Since the summer, we also regain market shares with "Here", "Gala" ", and"VOD"", he says.

Congratulations on "VOD".

It is true that Prisma teams have also worked on the renovation of its securities. A new form of "Management" will be released on October 21, a few days before the "Geo" on 27 October. Those TV magazines are published end of August, and "VOD" on 5 August. The latter had resulted in several days of strike, journalists opposed to the 10 deletions of posts announced as well as a project that they had characterized as "low cost".

Rolf Heinz was very satisfied with its first results: "On the first six issues, dissemination paid France reached on average more than best 200,000, or 17 more than last year." We aimed rather exemplary 150,000. We are pleased, as we have increased the price to 2.40 euros, after three numbers at the introductory price of 2 euros. We also test price of 2.5 and 2.8 euros in the region.

Adjournment of "this".

On the other hand, the test carried out this summer with Axel Springer on "This", a people magazine distributed in large surfaces, do not proved conclusive. The quinzomadaire is sold on average at best 70,000, the low range of the target. The project is therefore adjourned. Officially, the test will be "renewed next summer".

In view of these elements, Rolf Heinz table on a stable turnover this year, after a decline of 7 in 2009 to EUR 539 million. It expects a slight decrease of 2 to 3 streaming, however offset by the increase of the selling prices of five titles ("Capital", "Management", "Current woman", "TV recreation" and "TV 2 weeks"). Advertising revenues, which represent 30 of the total, should their side advance from 2 to 3, after having fallen by 18 in 2009. He is also on diversification (Internet, governed for third-party titles, realization of media for companies), which represents 12 of the turnover and that he hopes to develop. Finally, after the plans of voluntary departures end of 2009, then departures related to the new formula of "VOD" and the judgment of the monthly "women" before the summer, Rolf Heinz does not new sacrifices on the payroll. "The objective is no longer reduce overall staff costs", he said. "We are studying the situation by title." In 2009, many of our magazines were deficit. End of 2010, only "VOD" and perhaps one or two other titles will be again. Overall, the operational result of the group is expected to grow this year. "In 2009, it was divided by two, to EUR 28 million.

A few days of the relocation of the group in Gennevilliers, planned for the end of the year, Rolf Heinz is, in any case, optimistic. "After four years of decline, 2011 is the year of the return to growth", he assures. Internally, employees also want to believe.