Wrangling in the quiet room
Two companies want to advertise in places where everyone has to go
Two companies want to place advertising in places where everyone has to goBy Markus Knöpfli The Frauenfeld-based company Face has been placing advertising in toilets for seven years - now the young Brandsetter AG is challenging it for the toilet walls. The reason for the interest: The quiet little toilets can be excellently selected according to target groups. The newcomer also believes that any ban on tobacco or alcohol advertising can be circumvented with toilet advertising.
Although Brandsetter AG appears in the commercial register, the Brugg-based company, which was founded in September, is known to the public as Brands.ch. The majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors is Guido Honegger, owner of the Internet service provider Green.ch. However, the idea and concept of Brands.ch originated with Martin Rüetschi, who holds a 49% stake and acts as CEO. Rüetschi has already worked in the advertising and media sector, including at Print Net GmbH in Rüschlikon, which was liquidated in 1998.
Rüetschi is currently in the process of establishing Frames, the first Brands.ch product. Frames are aluminum frames for A4 advertising posters that are displayed in the restrooms of restaurants, hotels, casinos, train stations and service stations. Other frames in A3 format are used at the point of sale (POS) of hairdressing salons, solariums, sports facilities and fitness centers. Brands.ch offers the frames in two categories: Frames-Toilet and Frames-POS.
There is a reason for the focus on these two types of poster sites: high frequency (70 percent of all restaurant visitors have to visit) and long contact times. On average, it takes 48 seconds in toilets, 5 minutes at hairdressers and 25 minutes in solariums. It is almost impossible to avoid them.
Brands.ch went on sale in mid-December. At present, 1500 WC advertising spaces can only be booked in the cantons of Aargau and Zurich. The offer is being expanded. By the end of 2004, Rüetschi plans to have around 35,000 WC sites on offer throughout German-speaking Switzerland, with the whole of Switzerland to be covered by the end of 2005. Brands.ch is currently in negotiations with Zurich Airport and various restaurant chains. Cinemas and doctors' surgeries could also be added.
Brands.ch wants to extend advertising to truck tarpaulins
Rüetschi's timetable is based on the EU's plan to introduce a ban on tobacco advertising from 2005. As Switzerland will then probably follow suit, this could give a boost to WC advertising. "It is likely that tobacco advertising will only be banned in public places, but not at the POS," says Rüetschi and concludes: "Restaurants are often POS for smoking products, so tobacco advertising would still be allowed in their toilets." No wonder he already describes his product as a "diamond" in view of a possible ban on tobacco or alcohol advertising.
As a particular USP of WC and hairdresser advertising, he emphasizes the simple selection by gender, age, scene, purchasing power or geographical criteria. Brands.ch collects visitor frequency data from local operators once a month. Customers can book each individual location themselves online. Offers are therefore hardly necessary.
In addition to the Frame pillar, Brands.ch plans to launch further products from 2004. Rear window advertising on private cars or printed "posters" on the tarpaulins of trucks are being considered.
Another company, Face, has been operating in a similar market to Brands.ch for seven years. With its "Klommunikation", Face is already active throughout Switzerland, achieved total sales of CHF 4.8 million in 2002 and has numerous additional offers such as advertising posters in showers in baths and saunas, advertising on pizza boxes or beer mats. The advertising posters can also be combined with dispensers and the distribution of free samples. Dan Furrer, founder of Face, therefore reacts calmly to the new competition. Many have already tried to enter this market without success, he says. On the other hand, he says that last year the demand for Face advertising space was greater than the available supply. So there is potential for expansion.
Face has also recently started cooperating with the hygiene service provider CWS, which, with its market share of a good 80%, handles a large proportion of the logistics for Face. This not only saves costs, Furrer can now also supply all "its" toilets and showers with posters and products within two days.
two companies fight for toiletten Face Brands.ch
Founded 1995 2002
Branches in Frauenfeld (head office), Brugg
Lugano, Sierre (Forel)
Sales 2003 (budgeted) 5-6 million 4-5 million
Number of employees 32 12 incl. part-time employees
Number of toilet areas around 3000, whole CH 1500 ZH/AG
(as of January 03)
Compensation per Fr. 12.- per area and Fr. 20.- per frame used
Toilet area month (basic price) and month
Costs per Fr. 44.- / month (basic price), Fr. 35.- / 14 days
Toilet surface can be combined with dispenser 50 pieces: Fr. 31.50
100 pieces: Fr. 29.75
Display period 14 days or one month 14 days (dates like APG)
Online booking no possible
Further offers Robidog, Pharmanet, POS Coiffeur (A4)
Beautynet, Showerpower, POS A3 (e.g. in solariums)
Lift advertising, ski lifts,
PizzAd, beer mat
Homepage www.faceag.ch or www.brands.ch
www.theface.ch
Although Brandsetter AG appears in the commercial register, the Brugg-based company, which was founded in September, is known to the public as Brands.ch. The majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board of Directors is Guido Honegger, owner of the Internet service provider Green.ch. However, the idea and concept of Brands.ch originated with Martin Rüetschi, who holds a 49% stake and acts as CEO. Rüetschi has already worked in the advertising and media sector, including at Print Net GmbH in Rüschlikon, which was liquidated in 1998.
Rüetschi is currently in the process of establishing Frames, the first Brands.ch product. Frames are aluminum frames for A4 advertising posters that are displayed in the restrooms of restaurants, hotels, casinos, train stations and service stations. Other frames in A3 format are used at the point of sale (POS) of hairdressing salons, solariums, sports facilities and fitness centers. Brands.ch offers the frames in two categories: Frames-Toilet and Frames-POS.
There is a reason for the focus on these two types of poster sites: high frequency (70 percent of all restaurant visitors have to visit) and long contact times. On average, it takes 48 seconds in toilets, 5 minutes at hairdressers and 25 minutes in solariums. It is almost impossible to avoid them.
Brands.ch went on sale in mid-December. At present, 1500 WC advertising spaces can only be booked in the cantons of Aargau and Zurich. The offer is being expanded. By the end of 2004, Rüetschi plans to have around 35,000 WC sites on offer throughout German-speaking Switzerland, with the whole of Switzerland to be covered by the end of 2005. Brands.ch is currently in negotiations with Zurich Airport and various restaurant chains. Cinemas and doctors' surgeries could also be added.
Brands.ch wants to extend advertising to truck tarpaulins
Rüetschi's timetable is based on the EU's plan to introduce a ban on tobacco advertising from 2005. As Switzerland will then probably follow suit, this could give a boost to WC advertising. "It is likely that tobacco advertising will only be banned in public places, but not at the POS," says Rüetschi and concludes: "Restaurants are often POS for smoking products, so tobacco advertising would still be allowed in their toilets." No wonder he already describes his product as a "diamond" in view of a possible ban on tobacco or alcohol advertising.
As a particular USP of WC and hairdresser advertising, he emphasizes the simple selection by gender, age, scene, purchasing power or geographical criteria. Brands.ch collects visitor frequency data from local operators once a month. Customers can book each individual location themselves online. Offers are therefore hardly necessary.
In addition to the Frame pillar, Brands.ch plans to launch further products from 2004. Rear window advertising on private cars or printed "posters" on the tarpaulins of trucks are being considered.
Another company, Face, has been operating in a similar market to Brands.ch for seven years. With its "Klommunikation", Face is already active throughout Switzerland, achieved total sales of CHF 4.8 million in 2002 and has numerous additional offers such as advertising posters in showers in baths and saunas, advertising on pizza boxes or beer mats. The advertising posters can also be combined with dispensers and the distribution of free samples. Dan Furrer, founder of Face, therefore reacts calmly to the new competition. Many have already tried to enter this market without success, he says. On the other hand, he says that last year the demand for Face advertising space was greater than the available supply. So there is potential for expansion.
Face has also recently started cooperating with the hygiene service provider CWS, which, with its market share of a good 80%, handles a large proportion of the logistics for Face. This not only saves costs, Furrer can now also supply all "its" toilets and showers with posters and products within two days.
two companies fight for toiletten Face Brands.ch
Founded 1995 2002
Branches in Frauenfeld (head office), Brugg
Lugano, Sierre (Forel)
Sales 2003 (budgeted) 5-6 million 4-5 million
Number of employees 32 12 incl. part-time employees
Number of toilet areas around 3000, whole CH 1500 ZH/AG
(as of January 03)
Compensation per Fr. 12.- per area and Fr. 20.- per frame used
Toilet area month (basic price) and month
Costs per Fr. 44.- / month (basic price), Fr. 35.- / 14 days
Toilet surface can be combined with dispenser 50 pieces: Fr. 31.50
100 pieces: Fr. 29.75
Display period 14 days or one month 14 days (dates like APG)
Online booking no possible
Further offers Robidog, Pharmanet, POS Coiffeur (A4)
Beautynet, Showerpower, POS A3 (e.g. in solariums)
Lift advertising, ski lifts,
PizzAd, beer mat
Homepage www.faceag.ch or www.brands.ch
www.theface.ch
