L’Echo and De Tijd change to salmon-coloured paper.

Mediafin invests in 2009.

Despite the financial and economic crisis, Mediafin, the publisher of L’Echo and De Tijd, will achieve strong results again this year. The publisher is confident that it will achieve its operational profit goal of 10.3 million Euros for 2008. Given that Mediafin also achieved similar results in 2007, this young publisher has been acquiring an important investment capacity.

Efforts give new oxygen

Last summer, the publisher already invested in the multimedia distribution of its journalistic products. The radical “web first” policy, whereby all the news is immediately published on the websites while the newspapers focus on news analysis, interpretation and prediction, is much appreciated by the readers.

With this approach, Mediafin has evolved fast to become the leading source of information for business news.
The number of readers of the newspapers has steadily increased to 195,000 (Cim 2008), while the websites can count on the interest of 215,000 unique visitors per working day (Cim/Metriweb, November 2008).
In addition, the sales figures on Saturdays indicate that the readers thoroughly appreciate the weekly magazines Netto/Mon Argent and Sabato.

In the future, Mediafin wants to serve its readers and Internet visitors even better with quality journalism and multimedia services.

Investment programme 2009: “People and Brands”

First and foremost, Mediafin invests in a content reinforcement. In 2009, L’Echo, De Tijd and their websites will be essential for all those working in business, investments or policy. Because the readers and the advertisers appreciate the ‘stick to your trade’ policy, L’Echo and De Tijd also opt for a ‘unrestricted outing’ of their passion for business and finance, and change to salmon-coloured paper. Unmistakably business.
This change to “pink sheet” will be the pinnacle of a layout and content process that was recently started, and that will be finalised at the beginning of May 2009. On that occasion, on exactly the third anniversary of Mediafin, L’Echo and De Tijd take on their new colour.

Also in 2009, the websites Lecho.be and Tijd.be will invest further in the speed and the accuracy of their news. Since recently, both websites have been offering the Euronext stock exchange shares in real-time, as the only one in the country. New services and mobile applications will follow and the web-TV range will be further expanded.

Mediafin also invests further in Netto/Mon Argent, the only weekly personal finance magazines in the country – especially in the combination of the magazine and the website as the permanent advisor on all aspects of money: budget, savings and investments, real estate, insurance, tax law, pensions and succession.

Finally, the luxury magazine Sabato is also given an online equal on the successful mothersites of Lecho.be and Tijd.be.

“Most established media value 2008”

With its investment programme “People and Brands 2009”, Mediafin wants to further increase the loyalty to its brands De Tijd and L’Echo.

For more information about the Mediafin developments in 2009: