Im Rahmen der europäischen Mediaaktivitäten präsentiert prospega regelmäßig spannende Einblicke in die Märkte der Angebotskommunikation. Dieses Mal führte Sebastian Mitter, Chief Marketing Officer der prospega, ein aufschlussreiches Gespräch mit Jaroslav Staněk, Marketing- und Kommunikationsleiter bei Česká distribuční k.s. Das traditionsreiche tschechische Unternehmen, gegründet 1991, zählt zu den führenden Anbietern für die Verteilung von Werbematerialien an Haushalte. Mit einem breiten Vertriebsnetzwerk und innovativen Ansätzen prägt Česká distribuční den Markt für gedruckte Prospektverteilungen in Tschechien.
Sebastian Mitter diskutierte mit Jaroslav Staněk über aktuelle Herausforderungen, die die Branche in Tschechien bewegen, wie eine geplante Recyclinggebühr für Papierprodukte und deren mögliche Auswirkungen. Dabei ging es auch um die Rolle von Geomarketing, regionale Unterschiede in der Akzeptanz von Prospekten sowie innovative Ansätze, um die Effizienz und Nachhaltigkeit von Werbekampagnen zu verbessern. Das Gespräch liefert wertvolle Einblicke für alle, die im Handelsmarketing tätig sind, und zeigt, wie gedruckte Medien trotz fortschreitender Digitalisierung weiterhin eine entscheidende Rolle spielen.
Jaroslav Staněk
Marketing- und Kommunikationsleiter
Česká distribuční k.s.
The Czech government plans to place a new tax on paper products, how will this tax affect your industry sector, in your opinion?
The Czech government plans to implement a printed leaflet fee as a part of the amendment of the Act on Packaging. The amendment primarily focuses on returnable PET bottle and can deposits, however, the fee should be applied to other materials collected in sorted waste bins as well to compensate for the loss of municipal revenues from PET bottles and cans waste trade. Currently, the fee does not apply to some of the sorted waste materials, including printed leaflets. The data from the Ministry of the Environment state that printed leaflets constitute up to 14 % of the waste collected in blue bins.
The part of the amendment that specifically deals with the printed leaflets recycling fee stirred quite a controversy and a number or organizations and associations expressed their disagreement with it. The opponents of this legislation are, among others, the Association of Czech Traditional Trade, the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic, the Association of Employers of People with Disabilities, the Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism as well as the Council of Senior Citizens, which had Nielsen to conduct a survey in 2024 that shows that up to 77 % of senior citizens prefer printed leaflets to online advertisement, and the Association of Printing Entrepreneurs – according to their estimate, up to 4 000 people in the printing sector may lose their job as a result of the recycling fee.
Together with the opponents of this legislation, we expect the increased costs of printed advertisement could have two possible outcomes. The first scenario counts with the reduced amount of printed leaflets, which then could result in consumers’ insufficient awareness about the special offers. This may further affect the behaviour of about 70 % of all the Czech consumers who are interested in printed offers (as shown by the 2022 and 2023 STEM/MARK surveys based on quota sampling). The second scenario involves the increase of prices of goods and services as a result of increased marketing costs. Expert businessmen agree that the additional costs associated with the recycling fee will shape the prices of goods and, consequently, negatively affect many families, senior citizens, economically vulnerable groups and others who rely on special offers advertised in printed leaflets.
At the moment, the amendment and its eventual implementation are being discussed by the Czech government.
As far as the quality and price of leaflet distribution are concerned, what challenges will be the marketing specialists faced with in 2025 in connection with the new legislation?
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the amendment of the Act of Packaging should be set to effect in 2026, but it is likely its introduction will be postponed to 2027 – that is, if the legislation passes. If so, the marketing specialists will be forced to find new ways to cut the expenses and focus even more closely on targeting, so they can make use of this mass medium further and preserve the current scope of their leaflet campaigns. Under these circumstances, the economic security and the size of the clients’ business will be the key factors, as larger businesses might be able to absorb the growing expenses better than small ones. The efficiency of campaigns will depend on high-quality distribution and the strategic use of data much more than before.
I am not worried about the quality of our distribution services – our company is the domestic market leader and has guaranteed distribution quality of 90 % for several decades already and the recycling fee would not affect it. It is essential to preserve this quality in the future and also, to deal with the growing demands on targeting. It is difficult to estimate the impact of the amendment on the price of distribution, it is the minimum wage that actually defines the running costs and thus affects the price of distribution.
Under the new circumstances, geomarketing will be the crucial marketing tool, as it uses the demographic and geographic data in a way that enables precise targeting. Thanks to that, marketing specialists are able to plan the distribution in carefully selected areas with great potential for the success of a campaign and that way, they are also able to save on the distribution and printing costs.
When it comes to the distribution to mailboxes, what are the market trends? And do the Czech consumers accept leaflets well today?
Leaflet distribution market transformed considerably in the last few years, which reflects not only the external economic factors, but also the changes of the consumer behaviour. The restrictions induced by coronavirus crisis and the consequent energy crisis led to the shortages of paper supply which then negatively affected the accessibility of printed advertisement and leaflet distribution services. The restrictions prevailed in the following years as well, but the rapid growth rate of the inflation at the beginning of the 2022 changed the situation again and the consumers regained their interest in special deals and offers.
In this matter, we can rely on the data collected in surveys: the STEM/MARK survey from 2023 shows that the increased prices of goods and services motivated consumers to engage with leaflets more: the total number of people who read leaflets increased by 10 % and one fifth of those, who read them regularly, tend to open and read them more often then before, no matter what their age is. The gradual consolidation of prices and the fact that paper is available again also motivated those clients, who had to reduce their leaflet campaigns because of the factors discussed above, to return to the market.
Moreover, surveys such as “Leaflet Insight 2024” conducted by Incoming company confirm that 54 % of consumers prefer printed leaflets to online advertisement, the data show that the popularity of printed leaflets has not diminished even in the modern era of progressive digitization. STEM/MARK survey also shows that almost 50 % of the respondents perceive printed leaflets as the most organized and comprehensive source of information (43 %) as compared to dealers’ apps (15 %), newsletters and other sources. These data document the Czech consumer behaviour really well and also accent the efficiency of printed advertisement.
Could you describe the adstop situation in the Czech republic at the moment? How has this phenomenon developed over the last few years? (stop advertisement label on mailboxes)
At the moment, the estimated percentage of adstop, i.e. households that refuse printed leaflets, is about 18 %. This percentage has fluctuated over the years by few per cents. There are differences between cities and smaller municipalities. In the locations we cover, there are about 15 % of households registered that have their mailboxes labeled “stop advertisement”.
These figures are important not only for our clients, but also for the effective employment of distribution strategies. The growing rate of adstop could be understood as a call for distribution optimization in concrete locations, or it might signalize that customers should be approached via alternative channels. However, the overall demand for printed leaflets remains high, despite the regional variation. The total number of people who refuse advertising is not based solely on the interest in leaflets or the lack of it. There are more aspects to it, such as demographic factors, socioeconomic situation in a given region or a family, seasonality, and also the content and concrete offers in each leaflet that are defined by clients.
Are there any innovations in the leaflet distribution sector that you plan on introducing to the Czech market?
We have already implemented a crucial innovation successfully here (as compared to foreign markets) – and that is the optimization of leaflet distribution to shelves, tables, etc. reserved for advertisement. Thanks to this approach, we can deliver effectively and in the volume that corresponds to the interest in leaflets. That way, we help our clients to save money and reduce printing costs. Such optimization is applicable in apartment blocks where the residents agreed on having the leaflets delivered in a pile to shelves or tables reserved for advertisement. Optimized distribution model counts with the distribution of 60 % of the total number of leaflets set for the concrete address point. Optimized distribution helps cut distribution and printing costs considerably, plus it reduces the potential environmental impact. The implementation of this particular service was a long-term process which consisted of many steps and tests of the optimization level.
We are also constantly developing our geormarketing tools which allow us to collect and update data, so we have fresh and up-to-date overview of the market, so we can employ and adjust marketing strategies effectively according to the current needs of our clients. Thanks to these innovations, we can offer our clients very precise targeting. Both clients and their customers benefit from them. We are also upgrading our mobile application that is used mainly as a distribution control tool and as an internal module for CEDI, our distribution management system.
What would be your advice to the businessmen who are about to enter the Czech market, especially when it comes to the content of their leaflets and distribution?
For those entering the Czech market, it is essential to employ quality geomarketing analysis that proposes optimization of costs and effective distribution resource allocation. Precisely targeted leaflet distribution engages those, who are genuinely interested in advertised goods or services, and in that way, maximizes the effectiveness of the campaign and also helps reduce printing and distribution costs.
It is also very important to use the current data illustrating the customer behaviour that help understand the specific needs of customers, respective locations and regions. Quality and relevant data are key to the geomarketing analysis and effective distribution plan. Effectiveness of the distribution depends heavily on the ability of the business providers to offer relevant data and optimal targeting. Therefore, I would recommend to collect and update data about preferences of the customers regularly and then follow with the market segmentation that corresponds to the current needs of businesses.
What do you expect to happen on the market in 2025?
As far as distribution services and other marketing channels are concerned, we expect that the model of hybrid marketing which combines printed, digital and classic media, that has been successful in the last few years, will be developed further.
We also expect that the demand for geomarketing services will grow steadily. A few years ago, these tools were used mainly by large retail businesses, but today, they are used more frequently by middle- and small-sized businesses as well. The growing demand for personalized campaigns calls for accurate and up-to-date customer data and that means businesses and distribution companies will have a great opportunity to offer even more effective and sustainable marketing strategies. There is also an added value to it – and not insignificant: precise targeting goes hand in hand with environmental awareness.
How could possibly the integration of the digital technology into the printed advertisement (e.g. QR codes or augmented reality) boost Czech leaflet campaigns?
Digital integration via technologies such as QR codes or augmented reality (AR) could increase the interactivity and attractiveness of printed leaflets considerably. QR codes provide customers with direct access to further details about the products, offers or special deals, as they connect the printed leaflet with online environment. Thanks to augmented reality, the consumers can examine the 3D models of products and their interest grows, they are drawn in.
Moreover, the QR code technology also facilitates campaign monitoring and effectiveness assessment, marketing specialists can collect data about customers’ behaviour and preferences via the implemented QR codes. Thanks to such data, the effectiveness can be analyzed and data optimized on the go. Modern and sustainable approach to marketing favours the integration of digital elements into printed leaflets and engage customers with attractive and personalized content.
It should be noted, however, that these strategies are not used in large scale at the moment and only a few of our clients decided to implement them. But they definitely benefit from these highly effective marketing activities.
Are there any regional differences when it comes to the acceptance of leaflets or distribution strategies that the businesses should take into consideration when planning national campaigns?
Yes, the differences between the regions in the Czech republic are evident when it comes to leaflet acceptance. Thererfore, when a national campaign is being planned, it is important to consider them. For illustration, in Prague and Central Bohemia, the digital advertisement formats are welcome more then elsewhere and consumers in other regions generally prefer printed leaflets. Printed leaflets are popular in small towns and in the country, where people tend to prefer traditional media.
Yet, businessmen should aim their leaflet campaigns to larger cities as well. In visual and advertisement smog that is typical of large cities, a printed leaflet might be an effective tool to capture peoples’ attention. As a format, leaflet is not that invasive and is rather practical, intelligible and well-organized, moreover, it is delivered directly to the customer.
Businessmen who are planning to launch a national campaign should analyze a number of factors beforehand and adjust the distribution strategies, so the campaign meets their needs.
Executive Summary (Deutsch)
Das Interview beleuchtet zentrale Entwicklungen im tschechischen Markt für Prospektverteilung:
1. Geplante Papiersteuer:
Die Recyclinggebühr für Prospekte könnte steigende Kosten und eine Reduzierung der Druckauflagen bewirken. Dies würde insbesondere ältere und wirtschaftlich schwächere Zielgruppen betreffen, die gedruckte Prospekte bevorzugen.
2. Zukünftige Herausforderungen:
Marketingexperten müssen sich stärker auf präzises Targeting und Kosteneffizienz konzentrieren. Geomarketing wird unverzichtbar, um Streuverluste zu minimieren und Budgets optimal einzusetzen.
3. Innovationen im Fokus:
Česká distribuční setzt auf Optimierungen wie zentrale Ablageorte für Prospekte in Mehrfamilienhäusern und integriert zunehmend digitale Technologien wie QR-Codes, um gedruckte Werbung interaktiver und messbarer zu machen.
4. Regionale Unterschiede:
Während in urbanen Regionen wie Prag digitale Formate bevorzugt werden, bleiben gedruckte Prospekte in ländlichen Gebieten und Kleinstädten das bevorzugte Medium.
5. Hybride Marketingstrategien:
Eine Kombination aus Print‑, Digital- und klassischen Medien bietet große Chancen für zielgerichtete, nachhaltige Kampagnen, die sich an aktuellen Kundenbedürfnissen orientieren.
Gedruckte Werbematerialien werden in Tschechien weiterhin eine wichtige Rolle spielen und dank innovativer Ansätze einen wertvollen Beitrag zu erfolgreichen Kampagnen im Bereich Angebotskommunikation für den Handel spielen können.
