5th July 2004
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Read all about it! The Germans are coming
New German-language monthly hits the shelves to capitalize
on a gap in the market.
on a gap in the market.
| Owner/creators Göller and Kaupat |
Staffed by a team that consists of both Polish and German journalists covering politics, economy, society and culture, the paper has a special focus on German-Polish relations.
And while the publication is currently a 16-20 page monthly, plans are afoot to increase its frequency, with senior editor and co-owner Mirko Kaupat saying the paper "wants to be a weekly sometime in the future."
Owned and created by Kaupat and Gudrun Göller, Polen-Rundschau originated as merely a good idea amongst friends. "We started with two people and a fine idea," Kaupat explains.
With no financial backing, the paper made its leap from a concept to a nationally recognized publication back in March, when Kaupat and Göller elicited the trust of several companies - the majority of them German - who supported what Polen-Rundschau was attempting to do and offered to advertise with the publication for a trial period. With the paper still new on the market, Kaupat reveals that "we are still financing [it] with our ads."
As far as future funding goes, Kaupat hints that they might "work together with German/Polish foundations," though he stresses that these ideas are very much in their infancy and are "not part of current budget planning."
Though the paper's lack of funding could be cause for alarm, it seems that neither the publication nor its advertisers are much concerned. Konrad Bedynski, who manages the advertising for BMW Polska, is confident that the paper will be "rather popular with its readers." He also makes the point that for those companies hoping to advertise to German speakers in Poland, Polen-Rundschau is the only game in town.
And it seems that this confidence is not unfounded. With its second edition fresh off the presses, Polen-Rundschau has already sold 500 copies, obtained 100 subscriptions, tapped into three networks of press distribution, and secured a place on the racks of such large-scale stores as Empik.
In addition, the paper's potential market boasts over 10,000 German expats, an uncounted mass of German-speaking Poles, and thousands of German tourists that visit this country each year.
Kaupat also reveals the publication has received large amounts of unexpected feedback in Germany from people who are interested in what is happening here. Though this development was unforeseen during the creation of the paper, it has led Kaupat and Göller to ponder the possibility of even opening an office back home.
From Warsaw Business Journal by Luisa Ryan
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