BSW ranking based on the German model

Secrecy The future of the BSW ranking is still uncertain. A meeting of the industry association Swiss Advertising and Communication Agencies (BSW) on the subject was canceled at short notice.the ranking of Swiss agencies by turnover can no longer be published as before because the US networks prohibit their subsidiaries from disclosing business figures. This is a consequence of the new Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which provides for drastic penalties for false information. The German agency association GWA has already found a solution: It compiles a turnover ranking list, but keeps the business figures secret. These are known to the GWA anyway, as membership fees are calculated according to turnover. According to Managing Director Walter Merz, the BSW is aiming for a comparable ranking. The figures, which the association also needs for its structural analyses, should remain "under lock and key" at the BSW. However, individual agencies are not sure whether they are permitted to pass on the business data confidentially, according to Merz. BSW is therefore planning a meeting at the end of January with the financial managers of all 25 member agencies whose parent companies are listed on US stock exchanges.