If there is no change in the pricing structure, the Federal Council is now considering legislative measures. As the Federal Council writes in a response to an interpellation published on Thursday, it considers a special law on magazine distribution—for example, one that would allow for the setting of maximum price differences compared to other countries—to be a «last resort.» However, depending on how the situation develops, such a law should be examined in greater depth, it writes.

At present, he sees no way for the federal government to intervene. However, he expressly supports the efforts of Price Commissioner Stefan Meierhans to persuade foreign publishers to lower their prices, he said. This is because the current extent of the price differences is «hardly justifiable.»  According to an analysis by the Price Supervisor, there was a 53 percent price difference between Switzerland and Germany in the fall of 2010. The difference was 62 percent compared to France and as high as 110 percent compared to Italy. Due to the sharp depreciation of the euro since then, the differences are even greater today.

The Price Commissioner sees little room to change this. So far, talks with publishers have yielded few results. He is dependent on their goodwill, Meierhans said last February during the presentation of his annual report. He has no tools at his disposal to force them to lower prices. (sda)

 

A total of 41 works were submitted this year in the Crossmedia category. The expert jury, led by jury president Marco Taborelli, judged and discussed them in a two-stage process. The gold award went to the "IKEA - Opening Rothenburg" campaign by Wirz Werbung. Silver goes to Advico Young & Rubicam for "HEKS - Hilfe schenken". Bronze was awarded to "Terra Chips", also by Wirz Werbung, realized on behalf of Bischofszell Nahrungsmittel.

The expert jury in the Social Media category, chaired by jury president Leila Summa, evaluated a total of 14 entries. The following were awarded:

Gold for "Obermutten" by Jung von Matt/Limmat on behalf of Graubünden Ferien. Silver at this year's Goldbach Award goes for the second time to Advico Young & Rubicam and the "Zweifel Snacketti Onion Rings" campaign, which was implemented on behalf of Zweifel Pomy-Chips. Bronze goes to the campaign "Switzerland Tourism - Holidays without Internet", for which Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett and Shortcuts Agency were responsible.

With the same campaign, Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett and Shortcuts Agency also win the cross-category special prize "Best in Video," which was awarded for the first time this year. The second special prize "Best in Mobile" goes to the "Lenzerheide Wetterböcke" by Jung von Matt/Limmat, realized on behalf of Lenzerheide/Graubünden Ferien.

The awards are all available at Goldbachaward.ch to view.

> Winners list 1st part
> Winners list 2nd part

> A list of the winners can also be found in the current print edition of Werbewoche: Goldbach Award 2012 - the winners
 

> Goldbach Awards 2012: Shortlist

 

Tenants often want to adapt their commercial premises to their needs themselves. But be careful: Without the landlord's written consent, this can cost a lot of money.

According to the law, the tenant must return the property in the condition that results from its contractual use. But does contractual use also include structural alterations? Unless otherwise contractually agreed, the answer is no. However, commercial tenants in particular are often dependent on the fact that they can not only determine the furnishings, but also install, extend or convert them themselves. Without the landlord's consent, the landlord can demand that the property be restored to its original condition at the end of the tenancy - or, in extreme cases, during the tenancy. Tenants should therefore obtain the landlord's consent in advance - i.e. before signing the contract if necessary - and in writing! This is not only important for reasons of proof: the law expressly stipulates that only the written consent of the landlord is binding. Tenants may only leave their changes in place at the end of the tenancy if they have this consent. In addition, % then entitles them to compensation for added value if the investment has not been fully amortized by the time they move out.

The amount of added value is naturally a matter of dispute. It is therefore best to draw up the landlord's consent in the form of a contract signed by both parties, which also anticipates the calculation of the compensation. For example, it can stipulate that the compensation for the approved tenant investments - based on an average service life of 20 years - will be reduced by five percent each year.

It is dangerous to simply trust that a subsequent tenant will take over the investment instead of obtaining the landlord's consent. Whether and how much they will be willing to pay is still up in the air. Above all, however, even if the existing and new tenants agree, the landlord can demand that the changes be reversed if he has not approved them.

There are only two exceptional cases in which the landlord has nothing to say. Firstly: A replacement tenant takes over the existing tenancy agreement outside of the contract. However, he has no right to actually enter into the contract. If the landlord does not want to accept him, even though he would be reasonable and solvent, the previous tenant does not have to pay any more rent. However, the landlord does not have to compensate for the unapproved changes and can even demand that they be reversed. Secondly, business tenants can transfer the tenancy to a third party - the landlord may only refuse this for an "important reason". After the transfer, the previous tenant is jointly and severally liable with the new tenant until the next possible termination date, for a maximum of two years. With this transfer, the tenancy is transferred one-to-one to the new tenant. The landlord can therefore only demand that the alterations be removed when the new tenant moves out. However, trusting that you will find a successor with whom you can reach an agreement is risky - only the landlord's consent provides absolute security.

Book tip
Tenancy law Relocation, costs, termination - everything tenants need to know 256 pages, Fr. 34.- 7th, expanded and updated edition, 2010 ISBN 978 3 85569 429 7 Beobachter-Buchverlag.

Do you need legal advice? The Beobachter Advisory Center offers you and your employees expert advice by telephone on legal issues relating to your company - 6 months for only CHF 99. Order the consulting package for SMEs at www.beobachter.ch/kmu or 0800 83 0800.

The other board members, Pascale Lehmann, Lehmann Horat Partners, Eva-Maria Bauder, Spitäler Schaffhausen, Grazia Grassi, Denner, Nathaly Kratzer, Antalis, Dominik Allemann, BernetPR, Holger Rungwerth, Michael Loss, Wilmaa, as well as Dr. Matthias Wipf, Speakers.ch, were re-elected for another year. In addition, a motion to increase membership fees was unanimously approved by the AGM. This increase is the second in the last 20 years in the history of the ZPRG, says ZPRG President Christian Wick. 

ZPRG is a regional society of the umbrella organization PR Suisse, Swiss Public Relations Association SPRV, with about 600 members.

Group picture ZPRG Board 2012: (from left to right) Michael Loss, Matthias Wipf, Eva-Maria Bauder, Vice President, Dominik Allemann, Nathaly Kratzer, Pascale Lehmann, Christian Wick, President, Grazia Grassi and Holger Rungwerth.

What I don't know won't make me hot, as the saying goes - and so until now, the question of whether online advertising was being displayed on users' screens at all was not an issue, or rather a certain amount of wastage was accepted as an unavoidable fact. No longer: manufacturers of ad servers and analytics solutions are upgrading and offering additional modules to measure the visibility of delivered advertising media. And apparently the time is ripe for this and a hype is developing around it, so that all providers are jumping on the bandwagon and of course forcing their customers to do so. It is therefore not surprising that in a survey conducted by Werbewoche among publishers, marketers, agencies and clients, all of them (if they responded...) addressed the topic. However, different levels of maturity became clear. Agencies are the most advanced (as already shown in the article in Werbewoche from April 13, 2012, p. 31). "This is standard for us," says Philipp Semmler, Head of Interactive at Mediaschneider, who sees visibility evaluations as a market advantage: "We thus achieve guaranteed and independently verified visibility - even in the otherwise very critical performance area." Hans-Georg Bardohl, Head of Digital Buying at OmnicomMediaGroup, also talks about pushing new opportunities and technology solutions and thus proactively approaching customers. Demand is "very good" because, after all, the bottom line is "to guarantee the customer maximum efficiency, however this is defined in individual cases".

The assessments of marketers are noticeably less enthusiastic. At Admazing, Leonardo Kopp says that they have "already been able to measure the visibility of display ads for some time". "However, we don't do this as standard - but advertisers can book this at any time. So far, however, we haven't had many concrete applications." Alexander Horrolt, Managing Director Goldbach Audience (Switzerland) AG, talks about being able to offer "comprehensive proof of performance regarding the delivery of ads" with the company's own ad server providers. However, for "individual areas such as visibility", he can currently only refer to "discussions with specialist providers".

And Ueli Weber, COO of Publimedia, also states: "We will now start with campaigns in which we measure the visibility values." As the publishers are limited to the three large media houses in Zurich, one gets the impression that the issue of guaranteed visibility is not yet a compelling strategic issue. "We are currently examining various instruments," reports Remo Baumeler, Head of Advertising Market NZZ Network. And at Ringier, media spokesperson Edi Estermann does not specifically address the topic of visibility, but does report: "We are monitoring the technical possibilities of measuring advertising impact and have already carried out tests, but we are not yet using any tool to its full extent." Christoph Zimmer, company spokesperson for Tamedia, can provide more concrete information: "This year, we carried out the first tests to measure the visibility of various advertising formats." Both the pure visibility rate and other qualitative indicators such as the duration of viewing were measured. However: "A standard introduction is not yet planned." Nevertheless, the internal tests have resulted in "very high viewability rates", which shows "that display advertising is being noticed".

No Swiss standards

When it comes to the standardization of visibility measurement, many of the interviewees for this article emphasize that uniform standards are important for the development of the market in order to ensure comparability. But there are also other voices. Philipp Semmler, for example: "Standards are not necessary, why should they be? If I buy above-the-fold on System X and my independent ad server does the check and my result is 95-97 percent, I don't need any new standards. Visibility can simply be expressed as a percentage of the total impressions delivered." And Hans-Georg Bardohl points out that you don't have the same parameters and objectives for all campaigns and are therefore rather limited by standards. In terms of comparability, he would find it helpful if certain key figures were agreed upon in Europe or internationally. On behalf of the IAB Switzerland, President Ueli Weber pointed out that such a de facto standard had already been established in Germany: An advertising title must be visible for at least one second, and at least 60 percent of the advertising space must be displayed. And he emphasizes: "It is not the task of the IAB Switzerland to define a different standard if it is used abroad."

Kick-backs for clients

"He who pays, commands": if this adage is to apply, all market participants will have to adapt to new rules of the game. David Burst from the Migros Cooperative Federation, for example, promises: "In future, visibility measurement will be an integral part of our post evaluation of campaigns. The results will also be incorporated into the evaluation of the price/performance of individual offers." Boris Jacklowsky, Head Digital Business at AXA Winterthur, is a client who speaks plainly on the subject of visibility. For him, it is important that "clarity is created as quickly as possible in the Swiss online advertising market as to how high the loss rates of undelivered or invisible ads actually are". He does not want to accept statements such as "It has always been like this", "Not all advertising media can be seen equally well" or "There is always some wastage". As a client, he not only wants "an authority that is independent of marketers and agencies to be able to show these efficiency losses", but also that "advertisers receive a corresponding kick-back on this loss value after a campaign has been completed".

Measurement results from the Federation of Migros Cooperatives also show that visibility losses are significant in the Swiss market (see box 71%) and indicate that publishers will not be able to avoid price adjustments. For Leonardo Kopp, corresponding price or billing adjustments are "conceivable". However, he points out that there are already often placement-dependent prices that anticipate and factor in reduced visibility. And Edi Estermann points out where the publishers' line of argument is likely to run: "The qualitative improvement of the products naturally serves to improve the price-performance ratio, for both partners." Christoph J. Walther

The magazine was launched to introduce guests and interested parties to the philosophy of the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. The name refers to the Ragaz thermal water, the agency said in a press release on Thursday. In terms of content, readers can expect stories and specialist articles about people and opportunities in and around the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. The short story "Longing for 36.5°", which is based on historical facts and real people, was written by the Rembrand editorial team. The same goes for "Der Raumflüsterer", an article about the hotel designer Claudio Carbone.

Responsible at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz: Kathrin Börger (Director of Marketing & Business Excellence), Annette Fink (Marketing Manager). Responsible at Rembrand: Andreas Felder (concept, consulting), Daniela Hugelshofer (project management, consulting), Jörg Stöckigt (senior art director), Valentina Künzler (graphics), Suzana Cubranovic (editing).

 

Nils Hafner looked back 30 years, when recommendations, product and price comparisons were costly to obtain. This was followed by the time when the consumer was inundated with buying messages.

Revolution thanks to mobile

Today, the social network combines marketing with recommendations. Nils Hafner, for example, pulls out his smartphone in a specialist store without advice to ask his Facebook contacts about the best TVs. 7 of his 700 friends respond and make a recommendation within 10 minutes. Statistics confirm that only 1 percent of users actively post. 9 percent rate, and the overwhelming majority of 90 percent consists of viewers.

New habits developed with mobile devices: Users use multiple media at the same time. For example, 1.3 million "Tatort" viewers already tweet during the show.

Fast, simple - and personal!

Using the mobile business model My Taxi and a surprising idea from the airline KLM, Nils Hafner impressively proved: "The new media enable a very personal approach."

Daniela Enke presented the award-winning marketing campaign launched to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Mammut Sports Group. Customers were motivated to organize their own summit project and report on it on the website. A community tells its adventures and causes the Mammut brand to be on everyone's lips.

Combine benefits and fun

Alexander Sollberger of swiss smart media GmbH, as a specialist in cross-media marketing, posed the question: "How can a company best convey its content?" The example of the cheeky Bündner Wetterböcke shows how viral marketing works: Something useful is combined with so much fun that you spread the word!

 

"With the online competence center set up last autumn and the new corporate publishing department, we are now ideally positioned for the future," says Lorenz Bruegger, Head of Migros Media. The new department will not only produce corporate publishing publications for Migros companies, but also increasingly for external customers.
 

WW: Contrast Film hosted a kick-off event at the Zurich Stadthaus to attract private sponsors and investors for a feature film. What was the reaction to this idea?
Ivan Madeo: Positive across the board. But as much as that may make you happy, compliments don't make a movie.

What is the point of this campaign?
We are hoping for two things. Firstly, that we can gain the interest of as many people as possible for the practically unknown story of "The Circle". This is to show the importance and urgency of the film to the last film offices that still have to make their funding commitments in the summer. Secondly, that we collect as many donations as possible so that we can make a financial statement to these offices.

Are there already successful role models for such a financing model?
Our financing model is largely classic, with an atypical addition in the PR and sponsorship area. In recent years, film financing has become more creative. Crowdfunding platforms on the web, but also new event opportunities such as fundraising exhibitions, fundraising concerts and the launch of literary supplements to films are being used to finance projects. And you have to. On the one hand, because the funding available does not increase in line with the quantity of films released, meaning that the battle for the same "pot" has become greater. On the other hand, because today's production needs, i.e. the pace of work or the internationalization of projects, have overtaken the traditional Swiss financing system.

"The Circle" tells a true story. How did you discover it?
I met Röbi Rapp and Ernst Ostertag by chance around five years ago. When I heard about their commitment in the district at the time, but also about the absurd police repression of homosexuals in Zurich in the 1960s, I knew straight away that this was material for the big screen. It's crazy to think that here in Zurich, right on our doorstep, such a systematic gay-bashing took place less than 50 years ago. Not only tolerated by the city, but even initiated: legally groundless bans, threats, raids, persecutions, interrogations, registrations and arrests. And it's even crazier that almost nobody knows about it today. The story absolutely had to be told.

How long have you been pregnant with the idea?
As soon as I had told Urs Frey, my current film partner at Contrast Film, about the circle and Röbi and Ernst, we started working on an initial synopsis and then on a treatment. Over the last five years, around 20 versions of the script have been written - partly due to the complicated film funding system.

Five years of work on the book: What stumbling blocks had to be avoided in the course of development?
The most difficult part was finding the right form of production and financing. At first, the film was conceived as a major international co-production with Germany, and for a while even as a tripartite with Austria. For the sake of the German funding agencies and co-producers, several versions were then written that placed the German strand of the smuggling stories of the forbidden Kreis booklets in the foreground. But Germany didn't have a penny to spare for our story. So we had to consider purely national financing and make the film more affordable accordingly. In consultation with the Swiss film funding agencies, we agreed on the docufiction genre - which in retrospect also turned out to be a great dramaturgical benefit for our film.

You are both producer and author: how did this unusual division of roles come about?
It's not that unusual. There are some authors and directors who produce their films themselves. Especially in the documentary film sector. You also see "creative producers" more and more often at international producer meetings and film festivals. Bernd Eichinger was a very prominent example of this. And here in Switzerland, I'm thinking of the filmmaker Samir. In our case, we initially simply wanted to research the story of "The Circle", which was based on true events, and write it as a screenplay. When the screenplay awards and grants followed, it was clear that we didn't want to let the valuable book out of our hands and leave the filming to other producers.

Who has supported the project so far?
Ideally most of all Röbi Rapp and Ernst Ostertag, who are among the last contemporary witnesses of the circle. The two were heavily involved in the organization and also got to know and love each other there. They helped us to reconstruct the whole story. We received financial support for the development from all the major Swiss film funding bodies: the Federal Office of Culture FOC, Swiss Television SRF, the Zurich Film Foundation, the Société Suisse des Auteurs SSA, Suissimage and several private foundations.

Why doesn't Ivan Madeo use his experience to direct the film himself?
I tried it at the beginning, during my studies. Sure, who wouldn't want to do that. But after the first rather embarrassing short films, I realized that I'd rather leave directing to people who have a greater talent for it. I'm more useful when I'm writing and producing.

What were your previous successes in the film sector?
Contrast's previous films have had very different results. With our last short film "Down this Road", directed by Vinz Feller, we made one of the most successful Swiss short films of 2011. The film was screened at almost 90 international festivals around the world and won several awards. Urs Frey's documentary "Child's Dream - Zwei Banker auf Sinnsuche" will be released in a few months.

What are your hopes for the movie "The Circle"?
The Circle" is about a dark chapter in the history of our country, similar to the highly acclaimed movie "Der Verdingbub". I therefore hope that our project will generate similar media interest in this almost forgotten scandal.

You also work as a copywriter at Euro RSCG Zurich: How is the job in an advertising agency compatible with screenwriting?
If you can freely choose the workload in your advertising job, it's very compatible. But that's very rarely the case. Otherwise, I generally find the balance very inspiring and stimulating.

What have you learned from advertising for the design of a movie?
I am convinced that Swiss filmmaking today can benefit greatly from the professionalism and speed of advertising. I remember that we were able to make a much better impression at our first film presentations than the established producers because Urs and I simply have more experience in communicating and selling ideas. In addition, making commercials on a regular basis gives you a much greater routine in developing and realizing stories than releasing a feature film or documentary every three years. On the other hand, advertising benefits from the passion and talent that can be found in non-commercial filmmaking. That's why many Swiss authors, directors, cameramen, music composers and technicians work in both sectors.

Why do many copywriters want to leave behind something literary or, in this case, cinematic?
This is an age-old and difficult question. Why does every art director want to have their own photo or art exhibition? Why does every copywriter have scraps of ideas for a novel in their drawer? The love-hate relationship between art and advertising is as old as the two disciplines themselves. And after many years of creating ephemeral and often futile messages, it is nothing but legitimate to at least once consider the question of whether there might be something more substantial. Regardless of how successful or "legendary" the advertising campaigns are that you have created.

Interview: Andreas Panzeri

The Movie
Zurich, 1958: shy teacher Ernst Ostertag falls madly in love with variety artist Röbi Rapp - and has to choose between a middle-class existence and a commitment to homosexuality. Ernst Ostertag becomes a member of the Swiss organization "Der Kreis" and experiences the heyday and demise of this unique European pioneer of gay emancipation. Based on true events, the feature film depicts the struggle of two unequal men for love against the backdrop of a historically and politically interesting period in Swiss history. This story was unearthed by Ivan Madeo from Zurich and Urs Frey from Biel. In August 2007, the two advertisers and commissioned filmmakers received a grant of 25,000 francs at the Locarno International Film Festival to develop a screenplay for their idea. This money is awarded each year by the Swiss Society of Authors (SSA) to three promising feature film projects. Since then, the screenplay has received further funding totaling 100,000 francs. A nice sum, but it is put into perspective when you realize that three people have been working on the project for almost five years. Stefan Haupt has now joined the team as director. But making a movie is an uphill struggle, even if the crew and story have potential. The love story of Ernst Ostertag and Röbi Rapp is more than just a private romance. Their life together also reflects the background of a dazzling epoch in the city of Zurich that was previously only known to insiders. The Circle caused a worldwide sensation After an eventful development, ranging from members in the Cabaret Cornichon to a vote in 1938 on the impunity of homosexual acts between adults, the magazine "Der Kreis" was finally founded in 1943. This not only fought against the persecution of gays during the Hitler era, but later also provided decisive impetus for the founding of new homosexual organizations throughout Europe and even in the USA. There, for example, a "circle" was founded in California in 1950 that still exists today. Over 1000 men from these "circles" traveled to Zurich every year for the legendary ball events of the 1950s. These "world's largest such events" for homosexuals guaranteed the "Kreis" the necessary income to be able to report competently as a magazine on the cultural trends of the time. However, two murders of homosexuals by hustlers also took place at that time. This marked the beginning of a rapidly increasing agitation against this minority. The Zurich police operate in a gray area to force suspected homosexuals to register. The district is vilified as a meeting place for punters and hustlers. In 1960, the city issued a "dance ban for men". Large-scale raids are carried out in certain bars, restaurants and parks. These years of repression lasted until 1969. The planned film will portray this era in a docufiction. In the summer, various committees and the FDHA decide on the production budget. This amounts to around 1.8 million francs. Pan

Ivan Madeo
After completing a double degree in film journalism, Ivan Madeo worked in various creative departments of leading Swiss advertising agencies and realized numerous commissioned films. He still conceives and writes copy for Euro RSCG Switzerland. As a director and producer, he has created several documentaries and short films and has worked on a number of feature film and music video productions. Ivan Madeo has won several awards for both his advertising and film work.

 

After examining several agencies, Towers Watson chose Open Up because the Zurich-based agency has experience in the areas of pensions and financial communications, as the agency wrote in a press release on Thursday. Open Up will support the consulting firm with media relations and medium and long-term positioning in Switzerland. Towers Watson is present in Switzerland with offices in Zurich and Lausanne.

 

I don't want to be picky, but some advertisers and "brand animals" could do with a little more attention to their language as a working tool. For example, the cosmetics company Clinique advertises its "No. 1 against pigmentation and age spots in Europe". Honestly, that makes me cringe! Because as far as I know, most people get age spots on their face or the back of their hands - and not in Europe, wherever that area of the body may be. Or did the company mean that the miracle product only combats age spots that appear under the European sun? EU or not - that can't be the case either. So one person meant something, the second didn't know and the third wrote the text. Dear cosmetics advertisers: Sometimes you can't fit all the important information into one sentence. Then it's okay to have two. Consumers might then even understand you. Wouldn't that be something?

As a gift

The Verdbaudet mail order company is also currently going all out with its "free gift" for an order. I have always understood and used the word "gift" as a synonym for "free". So a free gift would be something like a white horse or a badly coiffed Corine Mauch. Pleonasm, say those in the know. But perhaps the idea that gifts are free is one that is slowly showing its age. Especially in Europe. But that takes us away from the topic. Media Markt is also completely off the mark. These days, it's saying "18 years of Media Markt Switzerland - full age - full price!". While this claim still sounds reasonably funny on the radio and the advertising professionals paid attention to spelling when developing the word/image brand, the simple text rectangle on the Internet makes your eyes water. Volljährig, Vollbillig, Vollmilch? The capitalization of adjectives outside of a sentence context has already become established, but what is vollbillig? Is there also leerbillig? Or did the advertising window simply not allow any more spaces? I'm not stupid. Or maybe you are?

Messed up

The NZZ am Sonntag, however, has hit the bottom of the barrel. As an advertisement for its management job market, of all things, the newspaper has the following sentence: "Where you find suitable applicants for specialist and management positions is no coincidence." Take a deep breath. The sentence pretends to work, but it doesn't. Let's ask ourselves what might be meant. Probably: "The fact that you can find suitable applicants in the NZZ ... is no coincidence." Or, somewhat more accentuated: "It's no coincidence that you find suitable applicants in the NZZ ..." What's wrong with the little sentence by the noble writers? The copywriter (presumably sitting in a pub and all) has confused local with causal. And, even worse: nobody noticed. Hopefully the specialists and management candidates won't notice either. It's bad enough when they don't get the message and simply skim over the half-page. But, well, it costs nothing to advertise in your own paper. Finally, we should ask what specialists actually are. A cross between experts and specialists? Or simply an unattractive word bubble with no meaning. Holy cow!
 

"Our latest reach figures show a clear trend towards the establishment of website pools and thus the joint marketing of online offers," explains Kathrin Kissau, project manager at the internet research organization Net-Metrix. With 14 published network ranges, more than a third of all websites participating in the study have joined together to form such pools for the first time. Networks can achieve high net reach compared to individual websites, especially if there is a low user overlap between the individual offerings. The networks with the highest reach in the latest Net-Metrix Profiles 2012-1 study, with over two million users per month, are the Swiss Services Network and the SRG Network.