Lengthy procedure
Media Policy A year ago, the Competition Commission (Weko) launched an investigation into PubliGroupe for allegedly discriminating against competitors. *Werbewoche* looked into the matter.
Media policy A year ago, the Competition Commission (ComCo) launched an investigation into PubliGroupe for possibly discriminating against competitors. After a year of preliminary investigations, the Competition Commission announced on November 6, 2002 that it had found indications that PubliGroupe was "unlawfully restricting" competition among advertising intermediaries. It therefore opened an investigation to clarify "whether PubliGroupe is abusing its dominant market position" by discriminating against some competitors and blocking their access to the market through unjustified guidelines. So much for the ComCo's suspicions. Specifically, it concerned the intermediary commission (IC), which PubliGroupe only pays to intermediaries if, among other things, they have a volume mix of 50 percent classified and 50 percent commercial advertising and a business volume of CHF 1 million or CHF 100,000 in leased titles from the Association of Swiss Advertising Companies (VSW).
Today, one year on, deputy ComCo director Patrik Ducrey comments on the current state of affairs: "We are in the middle of the investigation. PubliGroupe has answered an initial comprehensive questionnaire. We are now carrying out further surveys with other market participants. We will certainly need a few more months (...) how much exactly is difficult to say.
say." Incidentally, "other market participants" refers in particular to advertising and media agencies, which were also included at Ad X's suggestion.
"The matter could drag on"
It's business as usual at PubliGroupe. According to Georges von Csernatony, member of the PubliGroupe management, "two or three" intermediaries have been re-commissioned in the last twelve months, but "not a comma" has been changed in the guidelines. "We're certainly not doing that now," he says. And adds: "We are convinced that we have a good dossier." Moreover, PubliGroupe reserves the right to all legal remedies. "However, the matter could drag on for another two to five years," says von Csernatony.
Werner Baumann, Managing Director of Ad X, is also aware of this. "As long as the investigation is ongoing, I have to accept that we won't receive any VK from the "P" lease titles," he says. But at least something has changed at Ad X: The company has been able to expand its customer base to over 30 and is now also showing the required volume mix. Ad X also works for advertising and media agencies. "But the commercial turnover is still not enough to qualify for UK authorization," says Baumann.
Ad X is now a member of the Association of Swiss Advertising and Media Sales Companies (Sava). However, there has been little support for the Ad X issue, "because it only affects some of our members," says President Max Küenzler. However, there have been contacts with VSW and PubliGroupe for years, and they also work together in the training and technical areas (ad transmission). "However, this has less to do with the Weko investigation than with a personnel-related opening at VSW," says Küenzler. Even a merger - for example under a joint association umbrella - is not ruled out. However, this is not currently a priority, says the Sava President.
PubliGroupe Director Georges von Csernatony: "We have a good dossier."
Markus Knöpfli
Today, one year on, deputy ComCo director Patrik Ducrey comments on the current state of affairs: "We are in the middle of the investigation. PubliGroupe has answered an initial comprehensive questionnaire. We are now carrying out further surveys with other market participants. We will certainly need a few more months (...) how much exactly is difficult to say.
say." Incidentally, "other market participants" refers in particular to advertising and media agencies, which were also included at Ad X's suggestion.
"The matter could drag on"
It's business as usual at PubliGroupe. According to Georges von Csernatony, member of the PubliGroupe management, "two or three" intermediaries have been re-commissioned in the last twelve months, but "not a comma" has been changed in the guidelines. "We're certainly not doing that now," he says. And adds: "We are convinced that we have a good dossier." Moreover, PubliGroupe reserves the right to all legal remedies. "However, the matter could drag on for another two to five years," says von Csernatony.
Werner Baumann, Managing Director of Ad X, is also aware of this. "As long as the investigation is ongoing, I have to accept that we won't receive any VK from the "P" lease titles," he says. But at least something has changed at Ad X: The company has been able to expand its customer base to over 30 and is now also showing the required volume mix. Ad X also works for advertising and media agencies. "But the commercial turnover is still not enough to qualify for UK authorization," says Baumann.
Ad X is now a member of the Association of Swiss Advertising and Media Sales Companies (Sava). However, there has been little support for the Ad X issue, "because it only affects some of our members," says President Max Küenzler. However, there have been contacts with VSW and PubliGroupe for years, and they also work together in the training and technical areas (ad transmission). "However, this has less to do with the Weko investigation than with a personnel-related opening at VSW," says Küenzler. Even a merger - for example under a joint association umbrella - is not ruled out. However, this is not currently a priority, says the Sava President.
PubliGroupe Director Georges von Csernatony: "We have a good dossier."
Markus Knöpfli
