Lock, stock and barrel of Sweden’s media industry were present at honorable Berns Salonger in Stockholm when TU (Swedish Media Publishers’ Association) organized its sixth yearly “Newspaper of the Year” awards – regarded the most important media competition in Sweden.
SvD: Never-ending innovation
Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) was awarded Newspaper of the Year 2010, which is a joint prize that includes both the newspaper and the company as a whole. This was the second time SvD got this prize; the first time was back in 2005.
Here’s the jury’s motivation:
"The improvements and the innovations don’t seem to have an end. This is the newspaper that never gives up, never settles down and always finds new ways to fight the daily battle about the readers – Svenska Dagbladet."
SvD also won the category “Editorial Staff of the Year”, based on the following motivation:
"The editorial staff of the year has openness and interaction with the readers as its obvious guiding stars. The editorial and journalistic development has taken place in all available channels based on the readers needs. We have seen the future - and it works – at Svenska Dagbladet."
- It’s a fantastic feeling. All of us feel incredibly proud and happy, said SvD’s Editor in Chief, Lena K. Samuelsson.
- It’s very pleasing that the jury chose to focus on SvD’s ambition to continuously renew and develop – which has been the key behind our journalistic and commercial success in the past years. Now we will try to improve even further, in order to live up to the title Newspaper of the Year, Lena added.
According to CEO Gunilla Asker, SvD has managed to keep - and increase - its target group.
- More readers have come to us and that’s important for the advertisement revenues. Thanks to the collaborations that exist within SvD we have managed to attract the advertisers and take market shares, which is of fundamental importance. One thing leads to another and our advertisers see that they achieve good results from our channels, Gunilla said.
Aftonbladet: combining marketing and editorial needs
Aftonbladet won the prize “Market Effort of the Year” for its PR stunt “Say Yes!” that allowed a total of 14 readers to propose to their partners through the newspaper’s advertisement boards as a prelude to Sweden’s royal wedding last summer. The jury said:
"20 years ago this would have caused an outcry about ideological suicide and populist capitulation. But times change, and today you win the love of the people, the whole kingdom and not at least the award Market Effort of the Year. Congratulations, Aftonbladet!"
Nils Franchell, Head of Communications at Aftonbladet, was very proud to receive the prize.
- It’s great that Aftonbladet is so good at making the marketing and editorial staffs work together.
- The best part of the “Say Yes!”campaign was that we turned the royal wedding into the readers “thing”, says Marica Finnsiö, who was the project leader for Aftonbladets wedding campaign.
Head of Communications Nils Franchell (right back) with colleagues Josefina Karlström and Marica Finnsiö (front) from Aftonbladet.
