Offering to start on 11th June 2013 / Users to access all digital BILD platforms with a single subscription / Personal "Day Pass" to offer total online access to buyers of the newspaper
On Monday, 27th May 2013, during an event held in Berlin's Axel Springer building, BILD presented a new subscription to the brand, BILDplus. In offering this new concept, Germany's largest media brand combines the newspaper and all digital platforms into a single, comprehensive subscription, adding a paid model for journalistic content on the web along the way. BILDplus will be launched on 11th June 2013.
By the new paid content scheme, BILD consequently endorses the digitization strategy of Axel Springer. "Independent journalism has its place in a digital world only if it is funded by advertising and circulation revenues, just as in the traditional print media," explains President BILD Group and Magazines, Andreas Wiele.
For users, BILDplus means a freemium scheme, that is, free and paid content offered next to each other on BILD.de. Manfred Hart, BILD.de's editor-in-chief, points out what this is about: "Users will not pay for the the news as such. However, content that only BILD can bring, that only BILD has, exclusive stories, unique interviews and background, the unrivalled photographs - all this will be BILDplus content in the future." Deputy Editor to the BILD Editor-in-Chief, Marion Horn, explains how the editorial office is taking on the challenges of the digital turn: "We have given our conferences, departments and editorial processes a new structure. Before, we looked at how we would 'stage' a story for online publication or for the paper. Now, we also concentrate on telling stories in such a way that readers on the web feel that they'll get their money's worth."
According to BILDdigital's Managing Director, Donata Hopfen, "BILDplus constitutes a shift of paradigm, heading towards a culture of paying for journalistic content on the web. We are creating a subscription to the BILD brand that encompasses all channels and devices, thereby reinforcing our leading market position. This project has been a challenge for all involved because of its high level of complexity and innovative character. And it has kicked off a change process that is going to be the cornerstone of the BILD brand's success in the future."
The new subscription to the brand is available in three different formats, all offering readers the opportunity to experience BILD according to their own needs. Every package allows, as a baseline, free access to all BILDplus content on BILD.de, both on computer and mobile, and to all BILD apps. On top of that, the subscription can be extended to cover the e-paper publications (digital paper) of all regional editions as well as BILD am SONNTAG and even the printed edition:
BILDplus Digital at € 4.99 a month: web, smartphone and tablet apps.
BILDplus Premium at € 9.99 a month: web, smartphone and tablet apps, plus extension to include the digital paper.
BILDplus Komplett at € 14.99 a month: web, smartphone and tablet apps, the digital paper, plus extension to include a subscription to the printed edition in the form of a coupon set for kiosk trade purchase.
Every new BILDplus subscriber is offered a trial subscription for one month at ct 99.
From August 2013, when Bundesliga starts into its season, football fans can extend any regular subscription to include the "Bundesliga at BILD" package, at € 2.99 a month. This package offers access to clips of highlights of First and Second Bundesliga matchdays along with comprehensive football multimedia coverage.
A special merger of print and online channels is achieved by BILD, furthermore, using a "Day Pass" printed in every paper edition. This pass gives purchasers of the printed paper full access on that day to all digital BILDplus content. The "Day Pass" has been implemented using a novel printing process that allows for the first time ever printing an individual code in every single paper. To this end, Axel Springer had an innovative high-spec inkjet technology add-on by Kodak installed on 33 rotary printing presses in 13 print plants.
