CONSTANCE BENQUÉ
Chair of Lagardère News and Chief Executive Officer of Lagardère Radio
What where the key highlights of 2023?
“2023 was a year heavy on news, both within and outside France (war in Ukraine, Israel-Hamas conflict, ecological disasters, inflation, pension reform, Rugby World Cup, to name but a few).
Against this backdrop, the aim of our news media in the front line was to deliver corroborated and rigorous information while remaining accessible. At the same time, our music radio stations continued their efforts to serve local communities and present up-and-coming artists.
Following on from 2022, we accelerated the digital transformation in our media, particularly with the roll-out of Europe 1 and Paris Match on social networks.
Lastly, Elle International continued to expand on various fronts, for example with the launch of Elle Man in the Middle East and Elle Digital in Switzerland, as well as the opening of the new Maison Elle boutique hotel in Amsterdam (Netherlands) and two Elle cafés in Taipei (Taiwan) and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).”
Which major CSR initiatives were rolled out in 2023?
“For the second year running, Lagardère News and Lagardère Radio signed a climate agreement with the French government and French audiovisual regulator Arcom. This commits us to raising public awareness by broadcasting ‘green’ content while preserving the editorial independence of our newsrooms, and to promoting more responsible advertising and funding. In 2023, these issues accounted for more than 300 print pages and 50 hours of programming.
A number of editorial content initiatives and advertising partnerships were also developed, including a new programme discussing positive initiatives on Europe 1 and a partnership with Greenbids to optimise programme-based advertising purchases and save 150 tonnes of CO2 a year.
We also stepped up our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, with EcoVadis certification for 73% of our suppliers and the introduction of an energy-saving plan for our premises, which has reduced electricity consumption by 12%.
In the longer term, the development of DAB+ – a new method of radio broadcasting that uses less energy and is better for the environment – and reinforced environmentally-friendly practices in the production of press titles will help to limit our footprint.”
What is the outlook for 2024?
“Following on from Lagardère Radio’s two last strong performances in 2023, the coming year should confirm the recovery in audience figures for our radio stations, led by Europe 1.
2024 will also mark the 75th birthday of Paris Match, the French people’s photo archive. This birthday will celebrate the uniqueness of this iconic magazine, which sells almost half a million copies every week.
We also have ambitious goals for Le Journal du Dimanche to develop its different readership communities, particularly through digital subscriptions. Lagardère News and Lagardère Radio will continue their digital transformation, with:
- multimedia newsrooms set up using AI-based tools;
- our brand appeal enhanced on social media and on audio and video platforms;
- an overhaul of data and marketing infrastructure to develop our digital subscriptions.
Finally, Elle International will continue to consolidate leadership of the Elle brand worldwide with the launch of five new editions and the development of its non-media licensing business in the hospitality sector (hotels, cafés, spas, etc.).”
2023 overview
As leading media brands, Lagardère News and Lagardère Radio continue to support French people in their daily lives and changing habits with accurate information and high-quality content.
LAGARDÈRE NEWS
In 2023, Paris Match remained France’s leading news magazine, attracting 10.1 million readers every month1 across its various formats (print and digital), with strong sales and outstanding coverage of the situation in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as of the Wagner Papers. Paris Match also continued to diversify, organising photo exhibitions featuring some of the 15 million photos in its archive, which now account for 10% of the title’s advertising revenues.
In 2023, Le Journal du Dimanche had 4.9 million monthly readers1 across all its distribution channels, and continued to grow its print and digital subscriber base (excluding platforms), with subscriptions up 18% and 2%, respectively, compared with the end of December 2022.
Lastly, the Elle International network consolidated its global leadership in fashion and home decoration through its 80 international editions (including 45 Elle and 25 Elle Décoration) and has developed high-profile commercial operations in the watch and jewellery segments. In 2023, in terms of diversification, Elle International ranked 48th in License Global’s Top 150 Global Licensors, which looks at the global impact of licensed brands.
LAGARDÈRE RADIO
Repositioning efforts for Europe 1 continued apace, with a denser, new-look coherent programme schedule based on four editorial focuses: news, business, culture, and compelling historical
narratives and true crime stories. For the first time in ten years, Europe 1 recorded an increase in the number of listeners at the start of the autumn season, with more than 2.2 million people
tuning in each day2.
Furthermore, after a record year for podcasts in 2022, a total of 178 million podcasts were downloaded on Europe 1 in 20233. This success was led by Hondelatte raconte’s true crime stories,
which once again proved to be France’s most popular storytelling podcast this season, and by Les Récits extraordinaires de Pierre Bellemare (over a million listens in less than two months). Europe 1 is also France’s leading general-interest private radio station on social media, with almost 5 million subscribers.
Following its return in January 2023, Europe 2 had almost 1.2 million listeners each day2. The iconic, feel-good brand, with its pop-rock musical format, won over its core target audience of 25-49 year-olds, who make up two-thirds of its listeners.
Finally, thanks to its family-friendly, mass-market positioning, RFM attracted more than 1.8 million listeners each day2, with a long listening time (1 hour 43 minutes a day).
1Source: ACPM One Next 2023 S2.
2Source: Médiamétrie EAR National, 13 years and older, Monday-Friday, 5:00 a.m.-midnight, November-December 2023, cumulative audience.
3Source: Médiamétrie eStat Podcast, 2023 cumulative downloads.