According to the study, at 58.8%, well over half of all newspaper copies in the first quarter of 2012 came from the ten leading publishing groups. By comparison, the figure for 2010 was 58.1 percent.

Axel Springer remains in first place by a wide margin, as the trade magazine announced on Monday. The Stuttgarter Zeitung/Die Rheinpfalz/Südwestpresse publishing group follows in second place, the WAZ publishing group in third place and the DuMont Schauberg publishing group in fourth place.

The author of the study, Horst Röper, told the news agency DAPD about the effects of concentration on the diversity of opinion: "At the national level, the information on offer is still correct." Less and less is being produced independently in the local sections. "Most of it consists of borrowed material," explained the media researcher. Journalistically produced material is used several times for cost reasons.

Fewer staff, lower costs

According to the study, the advertising revenues of German daily newspapers amounted to just under 3.6 billion euros in 2011. This corresponds to the level of 1988, it said. The industry also had to cope with circulation losses. "Staff reductions in editorial offices were and are cost-cutting measures," reports
Media Perspectives.

However, with the exception of 2009, advertising papers have always increased their advertising revenues in recent years. In 2011, these grew by 2.4 percent to a record turnover of 2.06 billion euros.

Röper said that many publishing houses were still generating high returns. Unlike the other sectors of the economy, there have been no company failures in the newspaper market. "This industry has been talked into a crisis for years," criticized the media expert. This had partly served to enforce temporary work and below-standard pay in editorial offices. (SDA/DAPD)
 

Verena Buri will restructure the creative department and optimize processes, the agency writes in a press release. Adam & Adam is also expanding its event activities. From the idea, creation and planning through to execution, she offers a hand - everything under one roof and with one contact person who accompanies clients from the idea through to execution.
 

Ensemble Klang from Amsterdam will be performing at Theater Rigiblick on 17 June. Under the direction of Heiner Goebbels, they will present a musical interpretation of the novel "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau. The author retreated to Walden Pond in 1854 for a two-year self-experiment for this literary work, which is considered the "classic of all alternatives".

For the guest performance, Draftfcb/Lowe created the current subject matter and a trailer for Theater Rigiblick's YouTube channel. A natural gramophone combines Henry David Thoreau's retreat into nature with the interpretation of the Ensemble Klang. The subject is used both in print and online.
Responsible at Theater Rigiblick: Daniel Rohr (theater manager), Brigitta Stahel (deputy theater manager). Responsible at Draftfcb/Lowe: Dennis Lück (ECD), Frédéric Nogier, Pierre Zumstein (AD), Tizian Walti (concept/text), Felix Streuli (photographer).

Two years ago, the job portal specializing in media and communication professions launched Mediajobs.ch four professional group channels on Twitter and has enjoyed a growing number of followers ever since. The latest job vacancies are tweeted in real time. In a refresh, the four profiles were redesigned visually and in terms of content and freed from unwanted bots. Now medienjobs.ch is also taking its first steps on Facebook. At Facebook.com/medienjobs.ch two to three articles, blog posts, studies and information about the job market are published every week. Information on further training opportunities and specialist events in the media and communications industry are also intended to provide readers with valuable information on careers and education. It does not explicitly address job seekers or job providers, but rather employers and employees in general.

All information on the Facebook service channel can also be used in the public area without a Facebook account. Interested parties who do not have a Twitter account can follow the latest vacancies via the Twitter tab. The Facebook fan page is maintained by the Schnellkraft agency in Zurich.
 

With the relaunch, the WWF magazine is implementing the new CD guidelines of WWF International, as the organization writes in a press release on Monday. Fonts and graphics are now based on the specifications of the agency Arthur Steen Horne Adamson from London, which implemented the new WWF website for all country organizations. "There is still plenty of scope for individual design options," says Jan Schlink, Head of the Online & Print Department at WWF Switzerland. The new layout was designed by the Zurich-based graphic design office Raffinerie AG, which had also previously been responsible for the WWF magazine. The new layout is simple, chic and smart and impresses with improved reader guidance. "We will also be placing an even stronger focus on cross-media offerings in future," says Schlink.

Otherwise, the WWF magazine, which received extremely positive ratings in the reader survey, is relying on continuity, as it continues to say: Lisa Stadler is still responsible for editorial management and Corina Walther for production management and advertising acquisition.

Facebook has directly implemented the planned changes to the rules for use and data protection after a member vote failed due to the high participation hurdle. Facebook's Head of Communications Elliot Schrage defended the decision by claiming that the new guidelines would ensure greater transparency. In addition, Facebook had received positive reactions from regulators and data protection experts, Schrage wrote in a blog post. However, by the end of the week on Friday evening, only 342,632 Facebook members had cast their vote - less than 0.04 percent. There was an overwhelming rejection of the new guidelines among the participants in the vote: Only 44,749 voted in favor, 297,883 against.

Data is stored for longer

The vote came about because more than 7,000 users had submitted comments on the proposed changes to the data usage policy published in mid-May. In this case, the Facebook rules stipulate that all members can vote on a draft. However, for the result of the vote to be binding for the online network, 30 percent of active users must participate.

In addition to numerous clarifications and specifications, Facebook's draft privacy policy also provides for some information to be retained for longer than before. "We will retain data for as long as necessary to provide services to users and others. This broader commitment applies to all the data we collect and receive about you, including information from advertisers," it says at one point. At the same time, Facebook emphasizes that data relating to social plugins such as the "Like" button is stored for a maximum of 90 days.

Criticism from data protectionists

Data protectionists had criticized the procedure as a farce, partly due to the high participation hurdle. In addition, Facebook had not sufficiently informed its members about the vote. Schrage explained that Facebook had made "considerable efforts to make the vote simple and accessible". Among other things, users were informed about the vote with the help of advertisements.

In view of the efforts and the ultimately low level of participation, Facebook wants to put the process to the test and consider how user participation can be improved in the future. The 30 percent rule dates back to a time when the network had significantly fewer members. (SDA/DPA)
 

According to Mediascope, two out of three Europeans use the internet in spring 2012, spending almost 15 hours a week online. The online medium has thus further consolidated its prominent place in the media menu and continues to record the highest growth rates compared to other media types. The most important driver of this dynamic is the shift in online usage to mobile devices. Two out of five respondents across Europe use smartphones and tablets to surf the internet, and in the countries of Northern and Western Europe this already applies to one in three. Mobile access is most popular in the 16 to 24 age group.

Web offerings of traditional media very popular

Among the content used, the digitally distributed offerings of traditional media prove to be extremely popular. 91% of internet users consume the websites of print media, 73% use TV offerings and two thirds listen to online radio. It is also worth noting that this content is popular across all population groups and that the corresponding figures vary only slightly between genders or generations.

Focus on media multi-tasking

In contrast to comparable studies, the Mediascope survey also allows analyses to be carried out on the overlap in usage between the internet and other media channels. For example, every second respondent stated that they also use the internet while watching TV. This means that 16 out of every 100 TV minutes are spent surfing the Internet at the same time. This multitasking is often linked to content. Every third parallel user states that their online activity is related to the current TV program. This is an important finding for the planning of multi-channel campaigns.

Central platform in the purchasing process

Finally, the internet has also established itself as a central platform in the purchasing process in Europe. Of the online shoppers surveyed, 96% say they search for product information online; 87% say they store online, making around a fifth of their total purchases, and 51% are convinced that the internet helps them to improve their choice of products or services.

The data collection in Switzerland was financed and methodologically supported by IAB Switzerland. It is based on the current edition of the Mediascope Survey, a survey of media use among 50,000 people in 28 European countries.

(Image: Keystone)
 

The new agreement between SRG and the associations for the sensory impaired provides for a significant improvement in services for the sensory impaired on television, as detailed in a press release issued by SRG on Monday. In future, subtitled television programs will also be available on the Internet with subtitles. The television stations are in the process of upgrading their IT infrastructure accordingly. The subtitling of sports broadcasts will also be significantly expanded. As part of the new agreement, SRG has also undertaken to monitor and improve the quality of subtitles more closely. Not only feature films, but also other types of programs are to be provided with audio description (acoustic commentary of the plot).

Article 7 of the Radio and Television Ordinance (RTVO) stipulates that SRG must prepare a certain proportion of its programming for visually and hearing impaired people as part of its mandate: one third of broadcasting time with subtitles, at least one information program per day with sign language and at least two films per month in each official language with audio description. SRG invests around CHF 10 million a year in making television programs accessible to people with disabilities.

Content of the services regulated

While the ordinance sets out the quantitative framework, the agreement between SRG and the associations of people with sensory impairments regulates the content of the services. According to SRG, its aim is to implement the wishes of people with sensory impairments as well as possible. For this reason, regular coordination meetings are held between SRG and the associations in the three major language regions.

Due to the good agreement between the partners, it is no longer necessary for the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) to specify Article 7 of the RTVO on the accessible preparation of SRG television broadcasts.

Until the start in the fall, the Strategy & Business Development division will be led by the current management, as Swisscom writes in a press release on Monday. Jürgen Galler holds a doctorate in economics and social sciences with a focus on business informatics and has worked for Google Switzerland in Zurich for five years. At Google Switzerland, he headed product management for Google Search and consumer products in Europe until 2009, then product management and engineering for YouTube in Europe and is currently responsible for market development activities in the emerging markets regions.

In his professional career, Galler has held various international management positions and has broad experience in the ICT sector, according to the statement. Among other things, he was involved as Managing Director in the development of IDS Scheer's Asian business in South Korea and Japan, a provider of consulting and software tools for business process management. He also worked in Japan for over three years before joining Bertelsmann in 2000 as Vice President Lycos Europe and Managing Director Webhosting & Communities. In this function, he worked in Germany and Spain.

Jürgen Galler is Italian with German as his mother tongue, married and lives in Küsnacht.

This implementation means that they are closely related to the current headline campaign, as the agency writes in a press release. The ten spots will be shown throughout the year on SF, on CH advertising windows and on all regional stations. OSW also created advertisements in consumer media, where they always respond to the respective editorial environment.

Responsible at Top Pharm: Judith Lanz (Head of Marketing and Communication), Dominik Gschwend (Project Manager). Responsible at OSW: Michael Oswald (AD), René Fisch (text), Nadine Siegfried (head of consulting), Roger Müller (consulting), production (Movings.de, corporate sound). Media: The Whole Media Basel.
 

BETC won the ADCE Grand Prix with the TV spot "The Bear" for Canal+. No Swiss agencies were among the gold winners, but various works made it onto the shortlist.

> To the winners (PDF)

The Swiss nominees (category, title, agency) at a glance:

TV Commercials
Names
Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett

TV Commercials
Approved by VW-Chairman
Call Lanz, Zurich

Cinema Commercials
Sound
Euro RSCG/Eurad

Poster Advertising
Coffeestamp
Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett

Poster Advertising
Cut into finest slices
Advico Y&R

Poster Advertising
Braking Heads
Jung von Matt / Limmat

Newspaper Advertising
Caran d'Ache
Wirz Advertising / BBDO

Newspaper Advertising
See you later
JWT / Factory

Magazine & Trade Advertising
Braking Heads
Jung von Matt / Limmat

Mailings
Living in a mailbox
Publicis Switzerland

Mailings
Recycling Calendars of 1984 for 2012
Call Lanz, Zurich

Mixed Media Campaigns
Greenpeace David
Draftfcb Lowe Group Zurich

Websites
Ikea Rothenburg / Homeview
Wirz Advertising / BBDO

Websites
Terra Chips
Wirz Advertising / BBDO

Mobile applications
Weather App
Jung von Matt / Limmat

Any other
Holidays without Internet
Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett

Any other
Obermutten - A Little Village Goes
Jung von Matt / Limmat

Graphic Design
Terra Chips
Wirz Advertising / BBDO

Illustration and Photography
Caran d'Ache
Wirz Advertising / BBDO

Packaging
Packaging for Cakes & Desserts
Studio Geissbühler

Packaging
Bella Bionda
Publicis Switzerland

Promotions
Names promotion
Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett

Promotions
Ikea Rothenburg / Homeview
Wirz Advertising / BBDO

> ADC Europe: The deadline for submissions is now open