The task is the same as before: The Swiss Media Association wants to make the best advertisements. To this end, it is looking for the best ideas from young creatives up to the age of 28. Ideas for individual ads and ideas for campaigns can be submitted - in any number. The works will be completely anonymous, so that neither the name of the sender nor their employer will be visible to the jury.

The profit

The winners receive prize money of 2000 Swiss francs, plus the commission to realize their work. Two winning teams fly to Vienna for the best YET, a competition for young creatives from all over Europe that lasts exactly 24 hours between briefing and presentation. Whoever wins there will fly to Cannes Lions.

The jury

Michael Conrad (Founder and President Berlin School of Creative Leadership, former Chief Creative Officer of the entire Leo Burnett Group, Honorary Member ADC Switzerland)
Rob Hartmann (AD, Wirz Werbung, Zurich, member of ADC Switzerland since 2011)
Julien Joliat (graphic designer, winner "This can only be an ad 2012", advertising agency inflagranti)
Roger Löhrer (Vice Director TCS, representing the client side)
Sandro Rüegger (Managing Director Weltwoche, representing the Swiss Media Association)
Andreas Prokesch (Jury President, advertising agency Hubatka/Prokesch/Seiler, Jury Chairman of ADC Switzerland for 16 years)

The dates

Briefing Explanations November 20, 2012 (email [email protected] by November 10 to register).
Deadline 14 January 2013
Judging 25 January 2013
Award ceremony February 7, 2013
best YET in Vienna May 23-24, 2013

"Only an ad can do that" is supported by Keystone (free downloads from the photo archive), Art Directors Club (ADC) Switzerland, ASW Allianz Schweizer Werbeagenturen, BSW swiss leading agencies, Textverband, SW Schweizer Werbung and Swissprinters AG Zofingen. Media partners are Cominmag.ch and Werbewoche.

More information here and on That-can-only-be-an-ad.ch.

Following the strong expansion of his media portfolio last year, the Basel-based media entrepreneur is now entering a phase of consolidating his activities. For this reason, Dominique Hiltbrunner has informed Espace Media and the co-owner Ökonomische und Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft des Kantons Bern (OGG) that he wishes to withdraw from the purchase agreement agreed in February 2012. The two partners have agreed to this step, as they wrote in a press release on Friday.

However, Espace Media still intends to part with Schweizer Bauer for strategic reasons. According to the press release, the resignation of Dominique Hiltbrunner will have no direct consequences for the 27 members of the editorial and sales team. Exclusive negotiations for the sale of Espace Media's 49 percent stake in Schweizer Bauer are currently underway and are already well advanced. The sale of the stake in Schweizer Bauer will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Der Schweizer Bauer was founded in 1846 by the Ökonomische und Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft des Kantons Bern OGG and was managed by this organization for almost 150 years. In 1992, Espace Media took over 49 percent of the newspaper as well as the management. The commercially extremely successful Swiss agricultural newspaper is published twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday with a circulation of 31,290 copies (Wemf circulation statistics 2012).

Women in Business in new hands

Dominique Hiltbrunner has also decided to place the Women in Business magazine in new hands. Women in Business, the Swiss business magazine for women, was launched by Hiltbrunner three years ago. As of November, the magazine will be published by P.A. Media.

As publisher, Hiltbrunner will now concentrate on the specialist media Mobil (Automobil Revue and Revue Automobile) in Berne and Publitex in Basel (Spatz and Blickpunkt). In Bern, he will act as CEO on an ad interim basis. Hans Gerber has been appointed Managing Director of Publitex.

"After much deliberation, I came to the decision to concentrate on a few core titles in order to be able to push ahead with the expansion of the titles. With Automobil Revue and Revue Automobile as national automotive newspapers, Spatz as a regional product and Blickpunkt as a national SME title, I have a good portfolio. Women in Business has always given me a lot of pleasure and I am handing it over to P.A. Media with a smile and a tear in my eye," says Hiltbrunner.
 

The study shows that TV advertising has a much stronger influence on brand sound than print advertising. Publisuisse writes this in a press release on the study. The effects on awareness, sympathy, willingness to buy and ultimately on purchasing behavior are substantial and significant. The effect on purchasing behavior is particularly large: People with TV advertising exposure are significantly more likely to purchase the advertised product than people without TV or only with print advertising exposure. The effects found on purchasing behavior are particularly large for FMCG products (fast-moving consumer goods) such as detergents, shampoos and cream cheese.

The study was conducted by Publisuisse and GFK Switzerland by means of a survey and statistical analysis. The study examined the effect of advertising on brand resonance (awareness, sympathy, willingness to buy and purchasing behavior). The evaluation methodology and the results of the study were audited by HTP St. Gallen.

About the study
 

Discussions are underway about a possible merger between Random House and Penguin, Pearson confirmed in London, according to media reports. However, nothing has been decided yet and it is not certain that an agreement will actually be reached.

Pearson's traditional publishing house Penguin is primarily known for its repertoire of classic literature; Random House would add numerous current bestsellers, among other things. (sda)
 

For the first time, the Soirée graphique took place at the Kunsthalle Bern. For the fifth edition of the exhibition, 28 graphic designers had created unique posters. These were re-staged by 65 other creative artists from Switzerland and abroad in their own works. The resulting works were on display for two days last weekend.

Creative platform for designers

The Soirée graphique was launched in 2008 by the Bernese advertising agency Komet. Since then, the annual graphic design exhibition has provided a creative platform for artists from the fields of graphic design, photography and visual arts from all over the world. The Soirée graphique makes contemporary visual design tangible in a direct way and enables creative artists to establish contacts in the scene, the agency said in a statement.
    

Exhibition catalog & works for sale online    

For the Soirée graphique, an exhibition catalog with all the works has been produced again this year. This can still be ordered after the exhibition on Soiree-graphique.ch. On the same site, interested parties also have the opportunity to view all the works of the Soirée graphique and to purchase the posters, photographs or installations.

TV viewership increased by a total of 2.8 percentage points, primarily due to women and people over 40; at the same time, TV viewership among men declined slightly. Internet TV continues to show fluctuating figures. This is evident from the results of the fourth survey by the Goldbach Group, “Electronic Footprint – User Trends for E-Media.” This survey provides a direct comparison with the previous survey conducted during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London (as reported by Werbewoche.ch) http://www.werbewoche.ch/goldbach-group-nutzung-elektronischer-medien-waehrend-olympiade-ruecklaeufig.

In the latest survey, Teleboy stands out with a 10-percentage-point increase, bringing its usage rate to 20.3 percent. Zattoo remains in the lead with a 3.6 percentage point increase and a usage rate of 30.5 percent, as does Wilmaa, which, despite a 2.5 percentage point decline, still has an overall usage rate of 28.8 percent. Radio has also seen a significant increase, with listenership rising by a full 6.5 percentage points. Here, it is men and, once again, the 40- to 65-year-old age group who account for the increased usage, with gains of over 9 and 8 percentage points, respectively. However, it is also clear that an increasing number of women and young people are consuming music and news via the radio. Unsurprisingly, online reading of newspapers and magazines continues to rise, increasing by a total of 3.9 percentage points.

Online Activity Picks Up – Ad Screen Hits Annual High

The bad weather is also having a positive impact on online activity. Search engines and social media are both gaining ground at nearly the same rate, rising by 3.6 and 3.9 percentage points, respectively. Online gaming, on the other hand, recorded only a marginal increase of half a percentage point, while online shopping rose by 2 percentage points—suggesting that users have not yet completed their winter wardrobes. The findings of last month’s Goldbach Electronic Media Index (Gemi) are also confirmed by the fourth comparative survey of the E-Footprint study: Ad Screen is at an annual high and continues to show an increase among nearly all respondents.

The Goldbach Group provides detailed results from the "Electronic Footprint" study, as well as the latest data on TV, radio, teletext, Adscreen, Internet TV, performance marketing, in-game advertising, and mobile marketing, on Goldbachguide.ch.

The aim of the program is to train partners to become first-class customer advisors and license sellers for Windows 8, the agency said in a statement on Friday. The partners acquire knowledge about the new operating system via an interactive question-and-answer mechanism and are prepared to answer customer questions as "Masters Of Sales" after completing the program. In addition to the prospect of better sales, the competition prizes should also be an incentive for partners to take part in the program. For example, participants could win a Windows 8 app tailored to their company.
 
Responsible at Microsoft WE: Alex Solomon (Marketing Communication Lead - Western Europe HQ). Responsible at Wunderman Zurich: Thomas Engeli (ECD), Daniel Schranz (AD), Florian Tillmann, Kevin Bloch, Christian Langenegger (text), Sebastian Eppler (graphics), Andreas Punter, Roger Schäffeler (consulting), Philippe Gassmann, Manuel Meier (programming).

At the same time, long-time partner and co-founder Martin Oberholzer is taking a new direction, but will retain his seat on the board of directors and remain closely associated with the company in the future. This writes the agency in a statement on Friday. Major shareholder Dietmar Knops is thus entering into a new corporate partnership with Petar Dakovic. "I am very much looking forward to Petar. With his profile and background, we would like to further develop the range of services and the often individual solutions for our customers even more subtly and also set the right course for the future," says Dietmar Knops. He adds with a smile: "Petar and I have known each other for years and discovered our friendship on the tennis court, it's time to use this potential for business as well."

Petar Dakovic has spent the last 15 years at creative agencies. Draft FCB, Lowe and Saatchi & Saatchi have played a significant role in shaping his career. Over the years
he looked after various national and international clients before being entrusted with the role of Managing Director at Saatchi & Saatchi Zurich two and a half years ago. His move may come as a surprise at first glance, but for Petar Dakovic it is logical: "My role at Detail combines all the components that are important to me in the long term. In addition, I will now also fully contribute my entrepreneurial heart in this environment characterized by innovation and dynamism." Dietmar Knops recognized a need in the market eleven years ago and has since achieved a lot with a fantastic team, Dakovic said. "A shared vision regarding potential and the future has now brought us together, and the conditions could hardly be better."

At the moment, Petar Dakovic only wants to say about the future direction: "With me, we want to support the agencies even better, and the customers should also be able to benefit in many ways. Whether in proven or new business areas, we will offer real solutions and have a lot of fun."

At the same time, the pressure to stay current has led to less background information being provided in 2011, meaning that the ability to contextualize events has continued to decline. A long-term comparison shows that low-quality media were used significantly more frequently in 2011 than they were ten years ago. This is reported by the Research Unit on Public Sphere and Society (FÖG) at the University of Zurich in a press release regarding the «Yearbook on Media Quality – Switzerland Suisse Svizzera 2012.».

In-depth analyses also show that:

– that the news websites of most major Swiss newspapers lag far behind their print counterparts in terms of quality,
– that in election coverage, there has been a shift in focus toward the Federal Council at the expense of the parliamentary elections,
– that political campaigns have a significant influence on crime reporting as well as on the public’s perception of threat, and that crime reporting is heavily skewed compared to police statistics,
– that while media criticism has increased thanks to civil society actors, it remains largely overlooked due to its limited coverage in the news media.

For the third time, the FÖG has examined the supply of news media in Switzerland, their quality, usage, and revenue. Among other things, the study shows that, in 2011—a year marked by crisis and upheaval—Swiss news media placed significantly more relevant political and economic topics on their agendas than in the previous year, the FÖG press release continues. The downside of this urgent world—shaped by the global economic crisis, Fukushima, and the Arab Spring—is a reduction in journalistic contextualization. When comparing all media types, the proportion of contextual reporting declined most sharply among subscription newspapers compared to the previous year. The core competency of subscription newspapers—conveying contextual knowledge—reached its resource limits in 2011.

New Quality Scoring System

The newly implemented quality scoring system makes it possible to rank the journalistic quality of the 46 media outlets examined across the categories of print, radio, TV, and online. While in 2011, public radio news programs from German-speaking Switzerland ranked at the top in terms of quality, free and tabloid newspapers—both online and offline—as well as the news sites of subscription-based publications from French-speaking Switzerland and private broadcasters ranked at the bottom of the quality spectrum. In between lie the Sunday newspapers, the two best news sites, and the subscription press. Some regional subscription titles rank close to the free newspapers.

Rising online usage, falling ratings for print media and broadcast television

In print and broadcast media, the reach of news outlets continues to shrink; that is, circulation and usage figures are not growing in line with the population—or are even declining. In contrast, the use of online news sites is increasing. However, the culture of free content on the internet, the accelerated pace of news production, and the uncertainty of revenue in the online advertising market due to growing mobile usage are hindering efforts to improve quality. Online, there remains too little time and staff for in-depth reporting. At the same time, the focus on click-through rates leads to a high proportion of soft news.

The Growing Importance of Low-Quality Media

The long-term shifts in media consumption across different media formats mean that, in 2011, the Swiss population is being provided with lower-quality journalism than it was 10 years ago: the population is being reached less by higher-quality publications. The result is a picture of a quality pyramid with an eroding apex, a crumbling middle segment, and a base of low-quality media that has become significantly broader.

Looking at the 46 media outlets analyzed for content, low-quality publications have gained ground in recent years in German-speaking Switzerland and, to an even greater extent, in French-speaking Switzerland. In French-speaking Switzerland, low-quality publications—such as tabloids and free newspapers—as well as low-quality private radio stations reached 45 percent of the population in 2011, representing the largest share. In German-speaking Switzerland, low-quality media outlets reach 37 percent of the population. In Italian-speaking Switzerland, the reach of low-quality media outlets is currently even lower. However, the situation has been in flux since the launch of *20 minuti* in the fall of 2011.

High media concentration and limited competition

There is a high degree of media concentration in the print and online sectors. The media company Tamedia AG now holds a market share of over 40 percent in the print media sector throughout Switzerland. This market position in the print media sector and the convergence with the online sector restrict competition due to economies of scale and scope.

In French-speaking Switzerland, the situation in the print media market is particularly pronounced. Tamedia holds a 68 percent market share there. Concentration has also advanced in the online segment. Following the integration of the former Edipresse news sites into the new Newsnet, Tamedia has increased its market share in this language region to 28 percent.

Troubling Revenue Trends

In a long-term comparison, only free newspapers in the print media sector are benefiting from rising advertising revenue. In 2011, the free newspapers 20 Minuten, 20 minutes, and Blick am Abend accounted for no less than 31 percent of the gross advertising revenue of all 46 Swiss print titles surveyed. Overall, the print media has lost one-third of its commercial advertising revenue since the year 2000. In addition, the public’s willingness to pay continues to decline.

The online advertising market cannot compensate for this situation. Although it continues to post double-digit growth rates, its gross advertising revenue of 521 million Swiss francs represents only a fraction of the corresponding revenue from the print media market (net revenue of the print media market in 2011: approximately 2 billion Swiss francs). The radio and television advertising market is more stable. However, foreign private television broadcasters capture no less than 37 percent of the Swiss television advertising market without making a significant contribution to news journalism. A comparison of the private broadcasters examined also shows that neither higher advertising revenues—i.e., financial resources—nor a licensing obligation improve quality. The commitment to public service is also a decisive factor.

Experimental Setup and Methodology

This study of media quality is conducted in two stages. First, media supply—that is, circulation or usage, revenue, and ownership structures of the news media in Switzerland—is examined. In 2011, there were 146 media titles that met the required coverage rate of 0.5 percent of the resident population in each language region. Second, among these titles, the 46 most significant titles across all media genres (print, radio, television, online news sites) in Switzerland’s three major language regions are subjected to a content-based evaluation based on the quality criteria of diversity, relevance, timeliness, and professionalism.

2012 Yearbook «Media Quality — Schweiz Suisse Svizzera»

The goal of the yearbook is to raise awareness of quality among both media professionals and the public. The yearbook is intended to serve as a resource for media professionals, stakeholders in politics and business, academics, and anyone interested in exploring the development of the media and their content. The impetus for the yearbook stems from the realization that the quality of democracy depends on the quality of media-mediated communication. The yearbook aims to help ensure that media quality remains a key topic in public discourse.

The yearbook is published by the FÖG – Research Division for Public Life and Society / University of Zurich. The following authors contributed to the 2012 Yearbook (in alphabetical order): Urs Christen, Mark Eisenegger, Patrik Ettinger, Angelo Gisler, Lucie Hauser, Florent Heyworth, Kurt Imhof, Esther Kamber, Jens Lucht, Johannes Raabe, Mario Schranz, Peter Studer (guest author), Linards Udris, as well as Vinzenz Wyss with Michael Schanne and Annina Stoffel (guest authors).

Funding for the yearbook is provided by the nonprofit Public and Society Foundation submitted. The Foundation Board consists of: Christine Egerszegi-Obrist, Kurt Imhof, Yves Kugelmann, and Oswald Sigg.

Swiss Media Association on the Yearbook
 
The Swiss Media Association issued a press release regarding the «Quality of the Media» yearbook: As was the case last year, reading the summary report raises doubts about its objectivity and scientific integrity. «One conclusion is that media outlets can be divided into those of higher quality and those of lower quality; the former are for elites, the latter for the masses, and a similar divide exists between older and younger age groups,» the press release states. However, the report’s authors “failed to clarify” exactly what is meant by “quality.” At most, the reader can infer that news publications featuring hard news reach a smaller audience, while those with soft news have a broader reach. Furthermore, free newspapers and tabloid journalism appear to be equated with low quality.
 
The association notes the absence of a serious and transparent definition of the term «quality.» “The basis of any scientific work should be an unambiguous definition of the term being examined,” the association states. The new Yearbook on Media Quality apparently omits this, allowing every reader to interpret the term “quality” in their own way and find their own meaning within the scientifically cryptic text.
 

Sustainability has a very great business potential, the agency wrote in a statement on Friday. The realignment requires a correspondingly effective and future-oriented management organization. Christoph Bürge is leaving the agency as a result of differing views on this strategic realignment and is reorienting himself, the release continues.

As of now, the Executive Board is composed as follows:

From the two founders Daniel Krieg as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Uwe Schlupp as Chief Creative Officer (CCO), as well as Dany Kielholz as Managing Director (MD) and Flo Wacker as Executive Creative Director (ECD), both with expanded responsibilities.

Kantar Media Switzerland is currently building a new panel from scratch with new panel households and, of course, new hardware and software. After IGEM presented the new advertising tool at an event on June 21, Mediapulse and Kantar Media Switzerland now presented the new panel at an insider lunch.

After 27 years of Telecontrol, TV usage will be surveyed exclusively in newly recruited households with new equipment by Kantar Media Switzerland from 2013. The number of households will remain the same as before at 1870, but the results will be significantly more representative than before. This writes the IGEM in a statement on Friday. This is due on the one hand to the better recorded universe and on the other hand to a new technology for usage measurement.

The new universe

Whereas previously only usage via conventional TV sets in households with a telephone connection was measured, all households in the Swiss Post address directory now form the basis. This means that the 18 percent of households that have no telephone connection or no registered telephone connection are also included. From 2013, TV usage via PC or laptop will also be measured in the new panel households. Time-shifted use will now also be measured. This usage will be included if it occurs within 7 days of the first broadcast.

The new technology

To record usage via PC and laptop, software is installed on all corresponding devices in a panel household. If a household has fast Internet access, this is a prerequisite for it to be included in the panel at all. However, iPhones and iPads, which are very widespread in Switzerland, cannot be integrated. This is because Apple does not allow apps that "listen". A solution will therefore be examined from 2013 as to whether the corresponding technology could be built directly into the apps of the providers (for example Zatto, Wilmaa, Teleboy, SRF).

On classic TV sets, digital reception could previously only be measured if it was via a set-top box connected via a Scart or HDMI cable. In the meantime, however, digital reception is increasingly taking place via TV sets with integrated receivers. The new panel now relies on audio matching, already known from radio research, which is completely independent of distribution technologies.

The effort required for this new technology should not be underestimated. In order to be able to compare the audio signal recorded in households with that of the programs broadcast, no fewer than 400 stations have to be recorded acoustically at a total of seven locations in Switzerland. Nevertheless, at 10.8 million Swiss francs per year, the total cost of the panel is only eight percent higher than before.

Managing Director of the new measurement company Kantar Media Switzerland, Matthias Hartl, is convinced that data can be delivered from January 1, 2013. More than 40 people have already been working for the new company since the beginning of October.

(Matthias Hartl, Managing Director of Kantar Media Switzerland)

Axel Springer announced this on Friday. Die Welt and the Berliner Morgenpost had already joined forces to form an editorial partnership ten years ago. Going forward, the national news coverage for all three newspapers will be produced under the leadership of Die Welt, while the Berliner Morgenpost will be responsible for stories covering Germany’s capital. The Hamburger Abendblatt will handle the Hamburg-related coverage for all three newspapers.

The company has had a very positive experience with its collaboration with *Die Welt* and the *Berliner Morgenpost*, said Jan Bayer, a member of *Die Welt*«s executive board. »The editorial board and the publishing house are now systematically expanding this successful model, which has become a benchmark for the entire industry.”

The Welt Group includes the so-called "blue papers," such as *Welt*, *Welt kompakt*, and *Welt am Sonntag*. (sda)