The Echo Sales Proposal by The Val Echo

THE

ECHO

SALES PROPOSAL

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE ECHO

DIGITAL + SOCIAL MEDIA

CIRCULATION + READERSHIP

MONOSKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

FEATURES + KEY ACHIEVMENTS

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH + BIDS

ABOUT THE ECHO Since 2000, The Echo has been the heart and soul of the Anglophone community in the Espace Killy. From informing about off-piste ski conditions and events in town, to entertaining with stories and interviews, the magazine captures the vibrancy of the resort. Photos from the slopes and the nightlife feature prominently and are posted regularly on the website and social media. The print magazine comes out every Friday of the winter season, flying out of our hands before even making it into a dispenser. Vitally, this means adverts are perused over afresh each week, with advertisers able to change their ads for each of the 21 issues produced during the season. Issues are available in all businesses that advertise with The Echo, as well as key locations around town like the Tourist Information Centre. The community of Val dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;IsĂ¨re and Tignes create the art that adorns the front cover, write feature articles within and generally appear prominently inside its pages. Whilst the print magazine is aimed at locals and those already on holiday, the website targets Val d'IsĂ¨re's prospective tourists who want information on where to go and what to do whilst they're out here. Under new ownership, turnover soared by 50.6% in 2018/19, when compared to the previous season. The magazine had a complete redesign, rejuvenating the logo, print design and website, alongside a greater focus on community engagement. The Echo is on an upwards trajectory in terms of growth and engagement and represents a promising opportunity for an individual or business to expand its reach and grow the brand.

DIGITAL + SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE The Val Echo website is aimed at Val d'Isère's visitors who have yet to arrive in resort and want to be well informed on arrival about the current snow conditions, what's on and where to find everything they need. In the first year after its launch, the site received 480 visits each month. Its features include an interactive map (showing key sites like the liftpass offices and the location of The Echo's advertisers), daily weather and ski updates, articles from the magazine and an online shop where the cover art images are sold as prints. There is definitely potential for it to grow its reach and better serve the town's businesses, visitors and workers.

SEASONAIRE GROUP The "Val d'Isère Seasonaires with The Echo" Facebook group contains over 12,100 members representing a highly targeted audience of snowsports and mountain enthusiasts. It is a lively space in which ski jackets are lost, dogs are found, road skiers are ridiculed and The Echo’s advertisers share promotional posts.

SOCIAL MEDIA The Echo's Instagram page launched in 2019, gathering over 1000 followers in the space of a single season. The platform is used to post daily photos and promote advertisers through soft selling (i.e. posting images that shine a positive light on businesses that advertise in the magazine). Our Facebook page has 4,700 followers and is the other means of sharing the weeks' photos, as well as entertainment and useful information. Posts regularly have a reach of over 1500 and significant engagement.

KEY FIGURES

1050 12 100 4700 Followers on Instagram

Members of the "Val d'Isère Seasonaires with The Echo" Facebook group

Followers on The Echo's Facebook Page

CIRCULATION + READERSHIP

The Echo currently has a circulation of 500 copies (with variation depending on how busy the resort is). 150 digital subscribers also receive The Echo on the online magazine platform 'Issuu', each week. We estimate that each print magazine is read by 3 people, amounting to a weekly readership of 1650 and a total seasonal readership of 34,650. The demographic of Echo readers for the print magazine are the seasonaires that make the resort go round. These are the people with endless energy, who are vital to the economy of the resort. Many are here year in, year out and are part of the fabric of life in the mountains. They generally fall into the 18-35 bracket and are the workers who get asked by tourists where to go for ski boot fitting, which bar is the liveliest on a Wednesday night and the ideal spot for a sumptuous meal out. Tourists and regular guests, who want to feel like a local for the week, also swipe up The Echo once in resort. About a quarter of The Echo’s advertisers are French owned businesses and the magazine has growing appeal amongst the French community, many of whom have designed a cover for the magazine. Amongst The Echo’s digital subscribers on 'Issuu', most are previous seasonaires or fans of the magazine who make frequent trips to Val d'Isère.

KEY FIGURES

10 MINS 500 34 650 The amount of time the average reader spends reading The Echo digitally on 'Issuu'

Weekly circulation of The Echo

Readership of all 21 issues of the magazine across the whole season

MONOSKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The renowned Monoski World Championships (MWC), historically run by The Echo team, is generally considered one of the best days of the season in Val d'Isère. It is a highly anticipated event in the French Alps that brings together communities from Val d'Isère, Tignes and further afield. The 80’s themed Monoski Slalom Competition at Val d'Isère Snowpark draws a huge crowd of spectators in a sea of neon, retro ski gear. In 2019, we had our most successful year ever, with over 700 attendees and an incredible after-party on the snowfront featuring legendary DJ, Norman Jay MBE, on stage. The event is well established, having been featured in 'The Telegraph', 'Snow + Board' (as one of Chemmy Alcott's top tips for spring skiing) and 'Fall-Line Skiing' magazine. There is potential to expand the event, especially with respect to the afterparty, which was introduced for the first time in 2019, to great acclaim. MWC is a financially viable event, which raises money for local environmental charity Ecomove. The official Val d'Isère Events service is now keen to support the day and aid in its organisation (including the provision of staging). Support and sponsorship for the event has in the past come from Dick's Tea Bar, Snowdrone, Duret (who provided monoskis as prizes), Planks Clothing, Snowberry and Avancher Hotel, as well as a dedicated crew of volunteers.

FINANCIAL RECORDS In the 2018/19 season, The Echo saw a 17.2% increase in advertising sales to a total of 29,291€. This was made up of 1 double spread, 12 full page ads, 5 half pages and 7 quarter pages. The revenue from the 2019 Monoski World Championships (MWC) was 11,377€, bringing the gross turnover for the season to 40,668€ (an increase in 50.6% on the previous season). Total costs of running the magazine and MWC came to 20,594€, resulting in a profit of 20,074€.

Running costs for the magazine are broken down into weekly and annual costs as follows:

Running costs per issue are 50€ paper, 100€ toner and printer parts, 365€ in wages (30 hours/week), 50€ cover art, 35€ guest article every other week, totalling 565-600€ per week. The total for the season (20 issues + small pre-season edition) = 11,650€.

Prior to the pandemic, advertising for the 2019/20 winter season was expected to bring in revenue of 29,970€. Using the previous year's takings for the MWC as an estimate, the gross turnover was forecast to be between 41,000€ and 42,000€. Profit estimates were therefore between 23,000€ and 24,000€. Since the season was cut short due to a national lockdown, advertisers were refunded 1/5th of the cost of advertising for the season (16 of 20 editions having already been released). MWC did not go ahead, which negatively impacted turnover. The final audited turnover for the 2019/20 season was 26,601€, delivering a profit of 16,617€.

KEY FIGURES

.6%

Increase in turnover under new ownership

€

40 668 20 074 Gross Turnover of The Echo and MWC in 2018/19

KEY FIGURES

Profit for the 2018/19 season

FEATURES + KEY ACHIEVMENTS

The Echo has featured interviews with big names in the snowsports world, such as James "Woodsy" Woods, Lynsey Dyer and Chemmy Alcott. We have been lucky enough to talk to change-makers like the team of French women ('Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo') who cycled the Tour de France course a day ahead of the men to demonstrate why they should be included in the competition. The magazine has also reported on the Winter Special Olympics at Crans Montana, talking to two of the volunteer coaches who train the teams back in the UK and at the event itself. Each week, the 'Henry's Avalanche Talk' team pen a report on the snow THE ECHO IS THE MOST conditions and possible avalanche MEANS W EEFFECTIVE ARE A COR P O R A TOF E situation. This is a long-standing COMMUNICATING C O M P A N Y T H A TWITH A I M SVAL TO affiliation and for the powder hounds, is one of the key appeals D'ISÈRE'S SEASONAIRES PROVIDE YOU WITH THE of the magazine. We have also been B E REGULAR S T S E R V I CGUESTS. E. AND involved in 'Shred Safe', an initiative set up to educate seasonaires Henry Schniewind, Henry's Avalanche Talk about the dangers of skiing offpiste and how they can best equip themselves with knowledge and experience. Popular features which engage our readers directly have included the "Gondalove" dating column (produced in partnership with Pizzalove who hosted our blind dates) and the much-loved "Seasonaire of the Week" interview (sponsored by a local hairdresser who offered a free haircut to each featured interviewee). The Echo has also become a platform to showcase local talent in the form of writing, cover design and photography. A key achievement for the magazine was the production of charity T-shirts featuring The Echo logo, in partnership with Planks Clothing. All profits were donated to tree planting charities, "Tree Sisters" and "Plant a Billion". In total, the T-shirts raised over €950.

BRAND PARTNERSHIP Due to the Echo's central position within the communities of the Espace Killy, and the reach of its digital media, the magazine is frequently approached by brands and organisations wishing to partner. Some close collaborations have formed over the years. The close working relationship between The Echo and Planks Clothing has existed since the humble beginnings of both brands. We frequently work together on projects and events, including avalanche safety workshops, club nights at 'Dicks Tea Bar', environmental articles and of course The Monoski World Championships.

THE ECHO IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDING LOCALS AND TOURISTS WITH VALUABLE INFORMATION, PRESENTED IN A CREATIVE AND REFRESHING WAY. Jim Adlington, Planks Clothing Founder

The Echo has supported Ecomoves' work helping seasonaires become more environmentally conscious. We have promoted initiatives like their litter pick in the summer and recycling food waste for compost. In return, they gathered a crew of volunteers to help with the MWC.

The Echo was proud to support the 'Tignes Film Awards', an exciting new venture in the Espace Killy, but with a long history in Morzine. The Awards culminated in an incredible night of entertainment that showcased the talents and inventiveness of the seasonal community in Tignes and Val d'IsĂ¨re. It was exactly the kind of innovative project the magazine has historically been involved with. The world famous mountain restaurant, bar and cabaret extravaganza generously supports The Echo's original cover art as part of the 'Folie Douce Art Project'. Adorning the front covers with creations by local artists made each edition unique and irresistible to pick up. We have also collaborated on Seasonaire Parties and promoted their push to become more sustainable.

POTENTIAL AREAS OF GROWTH + BIDS

TIGNES EXPANISION In 2019, we expanded into Tignes (the previous owner having scaled back the Echo's presence there), with 7 businesses taking adverts in the magazine. This expansion has plenty of room to grow, with many English businesses and a close knit community of English speaking seasonaires. Reflecting the close relationship that the Echo has with the 'Vie Val d’Is' (the Association for Val d’Isère’s workers), a proposed conduit for growth and immersion in the Tignes community would be collaborating with the equivalent local organisation, 'Espace Saisonniers Tignes'. Several of last year’s cover artists and writers hailed from Tignes, but a boost in the recruitment of Tignes talent would also help cement the Echo’s position in the community. Unsurprisingly, we have found this to increase readership, as local workers pay more attention to locally produced content. In turn, advertisers will reach potential customers by investing in a magazine that closely connects with local issues, people and places.

VIDEO CONTENT + SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Another potential area of expansion for the Echo is into video content. Its various digital platforms offer an excellent means of sharing video, from social media streams (Instagram, Facebook, Youtube etc) through to the digital magazine on 'Issuu', which can feature video content. Offering advanced social media marketing for the magazine’s advertisers is PROUD TO WORK WITH another potential revenue stream. Many independent businesses in A MAGAZINE THAT town do not have the expertise SUPPORTS LOCAL ART or wherewithal to effectively promote themselves on social Jerrine Lowe, Director of PR, La Folie Douce media and the Echo could offer consultation services (providing photography/videography as part of the promotional package).

NEW RESORTS The publication is now in an excellent position to expand into other resorts. It has a proven template that is replicable (with local editorial changes) and could be introduced successfully to resorts with a significant English-speaking community. Jim Adlington, Founder of Planks Clothing, had this to say about the magazine's potential: "I have been working with The Echo for a number of years and it is a key part of my success as a business. I feel there is a massive opportunity to develop the business in other resorts and to expand its online presence, whilst remaining a strong voice within the European seasonaire community."

BIDS At present, The Echo is run as a UK Sole Trader business. The intellectual property and all assets are available to purchase. However, if the buyer prefers to acquire the UK business in its entirety, this is also a possibility. Rights to the Monoski World Championships could be sold separately should a buyer express interest in acquiring only this key event. The same is true for the magazine. Reasonable bids will be accepted up to 1st March 2021, with completion of sale in early August 2021 at the latest. Should a buyer wish to take up the offer of a consulting contract with the current owner/editor to ensure a smooth transition of the business, then an agreement can be negotiated and agreed. A non-compete agreement can also be considered and negotiated.

CONTACT

contact@valecho.co.uk

+33(0)643582005 +44(0)7521518418 www.valecho.co.uk www.issuu.com/valmountainecho