Since April 4, Search.ch has been integrating the official telephone directory data from Swisscom Directories into the telephone directory. New entries, changes or additions to an entry are taken over directly by the search engine. This important innovation was the prelude to a series of further measures, which are now being promoted in a current campaign by the brand agency Schoch & Sonders. "As up-to-date as it is fast" is the motto of the biggest marketing campaign in the history of Search.ch. At the same time, Switzerland's first search engine is also presenting itself with a new look. This started in 1999 with the Swiss telephone directory. Further milestones were a self-developed Swiss map in 2004, a route planner in 2009 and now also the possibility of retrieval via iApp and other mobile apps.

Strong advertising pressure

The campaign just launched communicates via print subjects. These are based on the most popular search terms on Search.ch, such as "restaurant", "hairdresser" and "doctor". A TV spot in all three national languages is broadcast on top Swiss stations. 442 broadcasts in German, 139 in French-speaking Switzerland and 67 in Ticino promise great advertising impact. In print, the target is around 2 million contacts. New online advertising media entice users with a competition in which restaurant vouchers are raffled off daily. Search.ch also wants to use this competition to generate feedback from its users on the redesigned home page of the search portal. The offensive is rounded off with a mobile campaign.

STEPHAN OBWEGESER, CEO SEARCH.CH, ON THE NEW WEBSITE

WW: What is behind the concept of the advertising campaign?
Stephan Obwegeser: The campaign concept had to reflect the new brand image on the one hand and support our awareness and knowledge goals on the other. In concrete terms, therefore, the aim was to make a high-quality impression without appearing overbearing. The new brand elements had to be incorporated, of which the red square is certainly the most dominant. In addition, we wanted to convey our message. In my opinion, we got to the heart of the matter with the claim "as up-to-date as fast.

What has changed or improved at Search.ch?
We have always been fast, for example, thanks to the feedback bar, the extremely lean website structure, and few and selectively used graphic elements. Since the integration of the Swisscom Directories data on 4.4.2011, our users can now find the official and daily updated directory data on Tel.search - i.e. all phone numbers and addresses officially registered in Switzerland, which we provide with various additional information.

What are Search.ch's competencies compared to other search portals?
Search.ch focuses entirely on Switzerland and its local needs. As a directory and service portal, Tel. search forms the basis. However, Search.ch is much more than "just" a telephone directory. In combination with the map of Switzerland with a lot of additional information that cannot be found on international portals, the route planner, local weather, the local cinema program or the real estate search across all relevant Swiss providers, Search.ch offers everything that is needed to plan and organize an everyday life. Behind the scenes, in-house expertise makes all the difference. Exclusively top-qualified developers, all here in Switzerland, develop and build our services. They know the needs of the Swiss and what makes the difference.

What is searched for most on Search.ch today?
Tel.search is our most used service today. Since the campaign launch and website relaunch on May 30, 2011, we offer a search across all services on our new home page. The ranking of the relevant Tel.search queries has also influenced our subject selection. The ranking is: restaurant, doctor, garage, hotel, hairdresser, dentist.

What do you expect from the customer vote for the best home page?
Involvement! Search.ch works. And we don't want to take anything away from our users that they love. At the same time, we want to develop further together with our users - to do this, we listen and take on board their feedback. Times and user habits change - today Search. ch is increasingly being used from mobile devices and tablets. It is precisely here that the new approach for the Search.ch start page with the search across all services and the clear service icons should offer an attractive alternative to the current start page. We are curious to see what our users think of this.

What are the other goals of Search.ch?
We want to continue to grow and remain the leading directory and service portal in Switzerland. With the current campaign, we are primarily pursuing awareness and knowledge goals. Today, around 40 percent of Swiss Internet users regularly use Search. ch regularly; this figure is slightly higher in D-CH than in W-CH and Ticino. These are good values - but they can and should be increased. Furthermore, we want Swiss Internet users to know that Search. ch has made a significant quality leap. Whereas in the past an address or telephone number was not found here and there, today you can be sure: What I can't find on Search.ch, I can't find on any other platform.

Interview: Andreas Panzeri

 

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