"Print is dead" — this claim has been repeated for 20 years. In Austrian municipal marketing, it is demonstrably untrue. Here is why specialist magazines play a structurally different role in the B2G sector than in the consumer market.
The Number That Explains Everything
89% of all Austrian mayors read KOMMUNAL regularly. Not occasionally, not at the dentist — regularly. 66% pass the magazine on after reading it. 45% have cited articles or examples from KOMMUNAL in their own speeches or municipal council meetings.
These figures from our 2018 reader survey are not a marketing argument — they are a structural statement about the information behaviour of a specific professional group. Mayors are not digital natives who check their LinkedIn feeds. They read a trusted specialist magazine that has been their official communication organ for over 30 years.
89%
read KOMMUNAL regularly
66%
pass the magazine on
35'
avg. reading time per issue
Why Print Works Structurally Differently in the Municipal Market
In the B2C sector, print is indeed under pressure: social media, streaming and personalised news feeds compete directly. In the municipal B2B sector, these competitors are largely absent.
There is no municipal LinkedIn, no algorithmically curated municipal news, no influencers for mayors. The official information medium of Austrian municipalities is and remains KOMMUNAL — as the official organ of the Austrian Municipal Association.
Trust through institutional ties
KOMMUNAL is the official organ of the Austrian Municipal Association. This bond creates a level of trust that no digital channel can replicate. Those who advertise in KOMMUNAL benefit from this institutional trust transfer.
Physical presence on the desk
The magazine sits on the desk. It is read over coffee, filed away, passed on. Unlike a display ad that is scrolled past in 0.3 seconds, a print advertisement remains physically present — often for weeks.
No algorithms, no ad blockers
Print advertisements are not blocked, not filtered out by algorithms, not restricted by privacy settings. Those who advertise on page 3 of KOMMUNAL appear in all 30,882 distributed copies — guaranteed.
Print Alone Is Not Enough — But Print as an Anchor Point Is
The strongest strategy in municipal marketing is cross-channel: a print advertisement in KOMMUNAL creates awareness and trust. The weekly newsletter reinforces the message. A banner campaign on kommunal.at keeps the brand visible. A trade fair appearance at Kommunalmesse creates personal contact.
In this interplay, print is the anchor point: the foundation that amplifies all other channels. Not because print is glamorous — but because in the municipal context it remains the medium with the highest credibility.
Summary
Those who forgo print in Austrian municipal marketing forgo the direct line to the top decision-makers. KOMMUNAL is not one medium among many — it is the medium that mayors read. That is not an argument against digital. It is an argument for the right mix.