To the point: where is the logo?
A surprise on Tuesday morning: A magazine is sitting on the desk, with Christa Rigozzi beaming from the cover. The cover is fine. But what magazine is this, anyway? Is it perhaps a new media product? It must be a Swiss publication, because a foreign magazine probably wouldn’t put Rigozzi on the cover.
Surprise on Tuesday morning: A magazine is on the desk, Christa Rigozzi is beaming from the cover. The cover is okay. But which magazine is it? Is it a new media product? It would have to be a Swiss product, because a foreign title would probably not put Rigozzi on the cover. Strange. There is no logo to be seen. Is it perhaps a zero number? Has the accompanying letter perhaps disappeared? No letter can be found. It's all much simpler than one would think, it's the current Swiss Illustrated. Without logo.
The Ringier press office will then respond to our verbal questions in writing as usual. Here is the original text of the e-mail:
Question 1: Is it true that the cover of Schweizer Illustrierte was printed without a logo?
Answer 1: Yes, this is so true.
Question 2: When did this happen?
Answer 2: In the current issue of Monday, November 24, 2008.
Question 3: Why did it happen?
Answer 3: A mistake made by an employee.
Question 4: How many copies were printed?
Answer 4: The entire circulation of 250,000 copies.
The answers are short and to the point, as is apparently appropriate for professional public relations staff. Perhaps a bit too laconic.
There are a few things that surprise me about the whole thing. Firstly, the new Schweizer Illustrierte is always available at newsstands on Monday. Until noon on Tuesday, no one from the media guild seems to have noticed that Schweizer Illustrierte was published without a logo. That's the only explanation for the astonished question from the Ringier communications lady, who said that everyone was suddenly asking about it after we published the story on Werbewoche.ch.
Secondly, when a magazine appears without a title logo, it's quite a gau. But there is no room for gloating, because anyone who knows the trade knows how quickly such a mistake can happen. And then - in keeping with Murphy's Law - it continues beyond all control. So it can happen. But if it does happen, one should perhaps consider how to inform proactively, and not hope in blind faith that no one will notice. That would be professional communication.
If, for some reason, you also slept through this (Murphy sends his regards), then perhaps you should formulate your answer with a little more tact. Some poor anonymous devil is now solely to blame for the fact that Schweizer Illustrierte was published without a logo this week.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
The Ringier press office will then respond to our verbal questions in writing as usual. Here is the original text of the e-mail:
Question 1: Is it true that the cover of Schweizer Illustrierte was printed without a logo?
Answer 1: Yes, this is so true.
Question 2: When did this happen?
Answer 2: In the current issue of Monday, November 24, 2008.
Question 3: Why did it happen?
Answer 3: A mistake made by an employee.
Question 4: How many copies were printed?
Answer 4: The entire circulation of 250,000 copies.
The answers are short and to the point, as is apparently appropriate for professional public relations staff. Perhaps a bit too laconic.
There are a few things that surprise me about the whole thing. Firstly, the new Schweizer Illustrierte is always available at newsstands on Monday. Until noon on Tuesday, no one from the media guild seems to have noticed that Schweizer Illustrierte was published without a logo. That's the only explanation for the astonished question from the Ringier communications lady, who said that everyone was suddenly asking about it after we published the story on Werbewoche.ch.
Secondly, when a magazine appears without a title logo, it's quite a gau. But there is no room for gloating, because anyone who knows the trade knows how quickly such a mistake can happen. And then - in keeping with Murphy's Law - it continues beyond all control. So it can happen. But if it does happen, one should perhaps consider how to inform proactively, and not hope in blind faith that no one will notice. That would be professional communication.
If, for some reason, you also slept through this (Murphy sends his regards), then perhaps you should formulate your answer with a little more tact. Some poor anonymous devil is now solely to blame for the fact that Schweizer Illustrierte was published without a logo this week.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
