Big Changes for Dagens Medisin in Norway

If you’re a doctor in Norway, chances are you are a regular reader of the trade journal Dagens Medisin. With 70 percent of the market share, the 22,500 circulation bi-weekly goes out free to all doctors in the country. “We feature news on medicine, research, health politics as well as editorials and regular columnists,” says new Managing Director Lise Hjertaas. The big factors that differentiate the journal from its competitors, says Hjertaas, are the high recognition from readers and the fact that Dagens Medisin is independent.

Hjertaas, who started in April 2009 as sales manager for Dagens Medisin and has worked as product manager for Økonomisk Rapportand as marketing manager at Clear Channel Norway, started in her new role in October 2010. But a new managing director is only one way Dagens Medisin is transforming itself.

“There are a lot of changes going on at the same time,” says Hjertaas. “At this moment we are recruiting a new editor-in-chief. Plus we are changing the layout of the paper and also changing to a new layout and platform for our website next year.” The redesign will be out at the beginning of 2011, and the work has already begun with Bonnier Business Press designer Jacek Utko, who has worked on the redesign of other Medicine Today titles as well as business dailies Äripaëv, Delovoy Peterburg, Puls Biznesu, Finance, Pari and Verslo Zinios.

The most recent change is that Bonnier has bought out its former partner in the magazine Schibsted and now owns 100 percent of Dagens Medisin. “With such a large part of the market and so many loyal readers, we’re happy to invest more in the journal,” says Anders Ericsson, CEO for Bonnier Business Press International. “There’s plenty to be gained from synergies among the different magazines and newspapers within the group.”

For Hjertaas, there are plenty of challenges ahead for the journal as well. “There is uncertainty within the pharmaceutical industry on ads and the pipeline for new products,” she says. “Since we are a free newspaper we are dependent on the advertising income, but we also need to look for other ways to make money.” But she remains optimistic about the future. “”I feel we’re in a positive movement and look forward to the further co-operation with our colleagues in other MTI papers.”