How ZT Media is making its digital and print workflows fit for the future
PRODUKTE
ZT Medien AG is an independent media company from Switzerland with one daily and several weekly newspapers, a radio station and a printing house. In order to make the website of selected newspapers in the portfolio contemporary and to raise the production of editorial content to a new level, the company is working with the Purple Hub.
Looking for a contemporary presence for regional media
Originally, this decreed Zofinger Tagblatt via an individually developed CMS system. However, this solution proved to be expensive and difficult to use: The editorial system could not be connected directly, updates were complicated and it was difficult to set up a payment system. But that was exactly what was decisive for the new launch: The integration of paywall, shop solution, e-paper, subscriber management and other interfaces was the basic requirement for a successful relaunch. With Purple is now a digital publishing software used, the cross-media publishing makes simple and can be customized for all specific company requirements.
The platform for the daily newspaper forms the basis for ZT Medien AG's new presence Zofinger Tagblatt, which provides the region around Zofingen with the latest news. Unlike the other weekly newspapers of ZT Medien AG, the daily newspaper is not free of charge and uses the freemium model for its online presence, which sometimes requires a fee for content. Die webpage is the template for all of the company's other media titles. It was therefore crucial during development to set the right course for modern content production.
Perfect interplay thanks to Purple Hub
In order to meet the complex requirements of content creation for different channels, all interfaces and players need to work together skillfully. From content creation and distribution to the monetization of content - Purple is designed to make the editorial team's work easier.
ZT Medien AG has already launched an app for the Zofinger Tagblatt using SPRYLAB's ePaper Publishing Software. The successful joint development and the great experience SPRYLAB has gained from working with many publishers throughout the German-speaking world tipped the scales in favor of the renewed collaboration. As a result, the app and website now also come from a single source. It was also important to the company not to develop a new stand-alone solution, but to design online products whose basic framework and interfaces to important publishing partners such as WoodWing are tried and tested.
The editorial team of the Zofinger Tagblatt consists of nine permanent editors in addition to several freelance journalists. This makes the new interface for external news content integrated on the site all the more important. This is because a significant proportion of the articles are sourced through partner publisher CH Media. Purple offers a content management system with an intuitive editor into which all content formats can be imported.
As an editorial system for the creation and distribution of print content, ZT Medien AG has already been using WoodWing for some time. Therefore, it was crucial that the seamless connection with Purple works. The editors can continue to work in their familiar system and with the familiar interface. Purple can be used to publish to all digital channels, while WoodWing takes over the print area.
The introduction of a store system on the website was completely new for the Zofinger Tagblatt . Purple's standard paywall solution is used for this and EDP is the partner for the entitlement system and the web store.
Technical details
Seamless connection to WoodWing Studio
- Setting up a shop system with EDP
- Development of an interface for agency content
- Easy curating of landing pages via the CMS
Relaunch into the future
The relaunch of the websites of the three free weekly newspapers Wiggertaler, Solothurner Woche and Der Landanzeiger is another important step in the repositioning of ZT Medien AG in the Swiss media landscape. During development, it was particularly important to the company that the Zofinger Tagblatt platform, which was launched first, could serve as a blueprint for the other media in its portfolio. This meant that everything did not have to be developed from scratch for each title, which would have been very time-consuming and costly. Even more importantly, it is easier for staff and marketing to use and updates are simple. The only difference is that the three weekly newspapers only offer free articles from their respective catchment areas, so there is no paywall, store system or subscriber management.
The first step was the relaunch of the Wiggertaler, which serves the same catchment area as the Zofinger Tagblatt. By prominently linking selected articles from the Tagblatt to the Wiggertaler website, the Zofinger Tagblatt receives additional important traffic.
An important feedback from the editors of ZT Medien AG came shortly after the relaunch: "It is surprisingly easy". Even for colleagues who still have reservations about digital applications, the operation is very easy and intuitive.
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