報紙品牌效應仍有價
日期︰2017年12月08日
報紙品牌效應仍有價
一年容易過，還有不足一個月，就會迎來2018年。對報業經營來說，十二月份即要忙於迎接聖誕的消費旺季，同時是要為明年做好預算的日子。在這個回顧和展望前景的時間，可見報業在同業和不同媒體間旳競爭仍然激烈，猶幸在重重挑戰下，仍然可以見到烏雲釀上的銀邊。
媒體生態變化多端，已成全球新常態。在資訊泛濫下，無論紙媒、電子傳媒抑或網媒，都一樣承受各種經營上的壓力。今年，有免費報紙，周刊宣布賣盤；與此同時，個別報業集團宣布全年或中期業績，本業都有起色。
加價無明顯影響銷路
今年報業一件大事，是收費報章打破了多年價格維持不變做法，多家報館先後調高售價。從數字顯示，加價影響似乎比估計為輕。如果用再長一點的時間去看，讀報人數經歴多年前的快速回落後，近年已有明顯放緩的跡象，如果細看的話，個別報章的讀者人數這兩年已大致維持，未受網絡明顯衝擊。根據IPSO的媒體調查，2015年年整體報紙讀者人數為542萬人;2016為540萬人，今年截至第二季為535萬人，基本上大維持。當中免費報紙讀者人數因為之前有大型新辦報紙退出市場，出現略為回落。收費報紙讀者人數2015年為218萬人;2016年跌至188萬人，但今年上半年回升至192萬人，反映報紙讀者人數仍然可觀之餘，收費報紙並無受去年尾、今年初陸續加價的影響。
收費報紙加價而對銷路沒有衝擊，原因值得深入再作探討。無論如何，這個現象對經營有兩大好處，一是實際上因為加價帶來的收益。雖然報紙一向以廣告作為主要收益，但由於這不是一間厚利生意，發行收益的增加，對經營其實甚有幫助。再者，作為商品能夠成功加價，反映了市場的承接力。每次調整價格，等同是提醒讀者對消費決定作出檢討，收費報紙能夠過關，說明媒體本身的生命力。業界在欣喜之餘，值得仔細研判當中成因，以求繼續優化行業質素。
最近，多個報業或媒體集團的業績報告，表現個別發展，好壞消息並存，反映市場並沒有一靣倒的方向，特別是傳統紙媒如何與網絡配合發展。初步分析，在媒體市場日趨擠逼下，經營者基本上再不能如昔日好景時，沿用粗放式成長的方法經營。在與網絡互相結合發展上，由於網媒廣告價錢普遍偏低，加上社媒大量侵食內容成果下，包括報業的內容供應商，暫時仍無很清晰的成功商業模式。
廣告效益相對仍理想
從各媒體集團的業績看，比較成功的做法，是採取報網合一，相輔相承同步增加收益的做法；又或者是採取網絡內容與紙媒內容清楚區分，各自經營的策略。由於網媒效益暫時仍然偏低，加上被社交平台和程式廣告侵蝕收入，簡單地把有價內容全部上載，至今仍難以回收龐大的內容制作成本，以圖把紙媒完全變成網媒的做法，存在極大風險。
從報紙廣告仍然有價，反映新聞媒體花費大量心血和編採資源打造的內容，仍然具有很大的品牌效應，令紙媒的影響力尚在，與新聞網媒暫時仍只能主要靠眼球與流量的營運模式有所不同。從收費報紙今年成功加價，到個別報業集團的收益回升，反映報紙的品牌效應帶來的收益可觀，實在不宜輕言放棄，反而應該著力研究如何好好保護以至再作發揮。
香港報業公會副主席 蕭世和
Newspaper titles retain value
With less than a month to the new year, newspapers around town are all gearing up for the peak consumer season of December, and, at the same time, preparing plans and budgets for 2018. In reviewing the past year and projecting for the year ahead, it is clear that competition will remain very keen both amongst newspapers and with other media. In the face of a multitude of challenges, there is, however, a silver lining to the clouds that overhang the media market.
On a global basis, the media market remains in a state of flux and continues with its ever-changing evolvements. In this age of information overload, the media industry, inclusive of newspapers, electronic media and the internet, has been subject to a range of operational pressures. The current year has, for example, witnessed the sale of a free paper and a weekly magazine. On the other hand, annual or interim results of individual newspaper groups have shown improvements in their core business.
Newsstand price rise has had little impact on circulation
A major development during the year for the newspaper industry is the upward adjustment of the cover price, a move that had been ruled out for years. Statistics shows that the price rise has had a smaller impact than expected. Viewed over a longer period, the decline in newspaper readership has slowed down significantly in recent years after a sharp drop initially. A number of newspapers, for instance, have managed to hold their readership for the last two years in spite of the impact of the internet.
According to an IPSO media survey, the total newspaper readership in 2015 was 5.42 million, and 5.4 million for 2016. The number for the current year as at the end of the second quarter was 5.35 million, reflecting minimal movement. In view of the closure of a new free paper, there was a slight drop in the number of free newspaper readership. For paid newspapers, the readership of 2.18 million in 2015 declined to 1.88 million in 2016, before rising to 1.92 million in the first half of the current year. The figures show that there is still a very sizable number of newspaper readers, and the price rise has had little or no effect on circulation.
It would be worth the while of the newspaper industry to analyze the market dynamics of the minimal effect of price rise this time round. Irrespective of the market response, the industry has reaped two advantages from the move. First, although the main source of income for a newspaper is from advertising, the industry itself is basically not a hugely lucrative business, any additional income from its circulation, therefore, brings benefit. Second, the market’s acceptance of a price rise means the reader has made an assessment of value for money. In passing the test, the media industry proves its vitality, but it mustn’t rest on its laurels. In fact, it must continue to strive for excellence and improvement.
The latest results announced by various newspaper and media groups have shown a mixed performance. In other words, there is not a one-sided development trend in the market. Initial analysis suggests that, in an increasingly crowded media market, businesses can no longer follow the laissez faire policy of the good old times. Currently in the online market, there is increasing network connectivity, but internet advertising rates are low, while the social media platform are sharing a big portion of revenue. Consequently, online content providers, no matter they are newspaper related or not, is still probing for a working business mode of the future.
Press advertising is still cost-effective
Judging by the performance of various media groups, a promising way out of the dilemma is to combine advertising in both newspaper and the internet as they complement each other. An alternative is to target readers separately on either platform. To date, the cost-effectiveness of the internet is still comparatively low, and it is being buffeted by social media which simply upload expensive contents, the cost of which is currently irrecoverable. Therefore, it would be risky to undertake a simple wholesale transformation from a newspaper format into an digital format.
Newspaper advertisements still command a solid price, which shows that the market acknowledges the huge amount of resources devoted to reporting and editing. Newspapers continue to have an influence on society and operate in a distinctive mode that differs from the internet which merely focuses on hit rate. The successful experience with the recent price hike in paid newspapers, and the resurgence in income for a number of newspaper groups reflect that the print media can still be a money-spinner. Instead of loosening the grip, the industry would do well to nurture its further development.
Siu Sai-wo
Vice Chairman, the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong
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