Dagens Medicin Changes with the Times

When Anders Eriksson, CEO of Bonnier Business Press International, had the opportunity to move all the Swedish publications of the company into one place, he jumped at the chance. “Most of our businesses are so spread out geographically around Europe, it’s great when we get such an opportunity to take advantage of it,” he says.

So the Swedish medical weekly Dagens Medicin has moved into the same premises on Torsgatan in Stockholm as Dagens Industri, Sweden’s No. 1 financial daily. The move is pragmatic most of all, with cost-savings for both publications. But the opportunities are many, says Eriksson. “Administration and sales are obvious areas where there could be synergies. But just as important are exchanging good ideas, both when it comes to editorial and marketing as well.”

For Dagens Medicin, which was started in 1993, the move comes at a time when declining advertising from pharmacology companies are affecting medical titles – the publication has Medicine Today International sister titles in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Poland and Slovenia. “There has been consolidation of companies and a change in the kind of medications that pharma companies are marketing,” says Eriksson. “Fewer blockbuster drugs and more niche drugs, which ultimately means not the kind of major advertising campaigns we’ve seen before.”

To survive and thrive, Dagens Medicin must find new revenue streams, says Eriksson. This means leveraging existing strengths. “We have plenty to build on,” he says. “We are a strong brand. We have a lot of credibility. And we already have an established relationship with our readers.”

A key addition to the Dagens Medicin brand are events, which Dagens Industri, Børsen and other sister companies within Bonnier Business Press International have had a lot of experience with. So far in 2010,Dagens Medicin in Sweden has held 13 events, with some 1,800 attendees. “The early success we’ve seen indicates that this has great potential for providing something our readers are really hungry for,” says Eriksson.

There are a wide range of other new additions to Dagens Medicin, both tested and new, such as special pullout sections of the publication. “Inserts and special sections aren’t new, but there are new ways of doing them,” says Eriksson. “We are already publishing a handbook for general practitioners in Denmark and Poland. We’re also looking at custom publishing, at clinical decision-making tools, books and other smart ways of repackaging the content that we create in ways that readers are willing to pay for.” Dagens Apotek, which was launched last year, is developing very well. Recently Dagens Sjuksköterska, was launched further develop the relationships with nurses within hospitals and primary care.        

The move isn’t the only big change for Dagens Medicin. The publication recently underwent its first major redesign ever – the first of the Medicine Today International titles to do so (read more here). The rest will follow over the next year so that all the titles will be recognizably within the same family but still retain their own individuality. “It feels good to be updating our look,” says Eriksson. “And I know it’s good for us as well.”