The Easter games are open: With self-designed Easter eggs, you can now compete in virtual "Eiertütsche". Before the serious battle, the opponents decide on a strategy. If you have your eye on someone in particular, you can challenge your opponent to a duel via Facebook or e-mail. According to the press release, successful "Tütsche" not only make it into the Hall Of Fame of Easter games, but also win attractive prizes.

The "Eiertütsche" is just the beginning: A new game will be launched on March 11. When the eggs fly in "Eggo Shooter", full concentration is required. The following week, players can put their mother and father qualities to the test in the "Bibeli-Gotchi" game. For the finale in three weeks, the Webguerillas and Migros invite you to the "Egg Run".

The Felix family is not to be missed at Easter either, as the press release continues: "On the trilingual Easter microsite father Peter, a passionate cook, presents the best Easter recipes. Mom Eveline is the family's finance minister and knows which Migros offers are particularly attractive at the moment. Little Anna is responsible for decorating and presents craft ideas, while Luca loves to gamble and has tips for Easter games.

The figures from Facebook are just one example that points to a fundamental trend: More and more of our contemporaries are no longer getting their music from radio stations, but are putting it together online according to their own preferences and consuming music via the Internet. Offers for this have been around for a long time and are apparently now being increasingly widely accepted. On the one hand, there are streaming services that distribute linear programs over the Internet. On the one hand, there are conventional radio stations with their programs, and on the other, pure Internet offerings. This selection is so large that every taste and every mood can easily be satisfied multiple times. Pure online offerings are financed by advertising, although Swiss commercials have recently also been displayed by international providers. Then there are providers where individual songs can be used or downloaded according to different pricing models. These include Spotify (which is closely linked to Facebook), Simfy, last.fm, Simfy, Pandora and Rdio. The social media version involves sharing the music you are currently listening to with your virtual circle of friends, which enables viral distribution.

An important aspect of the online trend in radio is mobile: until now, those who were on the move, especially by car, had hardly any alternative to the radio. Thanks to the spread of smartphones with tariff plans for unlimited or generous data traffic, audio offerings from the network are now also easily accessible on the move. iPhones can be integrated into new car models or manufacturers are trying to make a name for themselves with their own solutions for mobile networking on the move. Voice recognition systems that allow devices to be operated without distraction are particularly important here. (cjw)

(Image: Keystone)
 

Since February 28, SRF has been broadcasting the controversial commercial that draws attention to the rewind function at Sunrise. Martin Schneider, head of Publisuisse, which exclusively markets SRG's journalistic offerings, confirmed to the Sonntagszeitung: "Sunrise's campaign with the TV commercials, one of three commercial subjects of which is the Comeback TV function, has been broadcast on SRG channels since the end of February." However, the dispute between Sunrise and Swiss television is not over with this partial concession, as the Sonntaszeitung continues: The telecoms company would also like to run the spot in question when sponsoring the "Meteo" program. However, Swiss TV continues to reject this: "Sponsorship is - as stipulated by law - editorial programming, so stricter conditions apply than for TV commercials," says Schneider. According to spokesperson Michael Burkhardt, Sunrise is still considering taking legal action against this restriction.

> SF: Sunrise spot rejected

L'Agefi editor-in-chief François Schaller, delegate of the board of directors, confirmed on Saturday upon request an announcement on the western Swiss internet platform La Méduse. Schaedel took up his post on Feb. 1. Hiltbrunner had taken over Automobil Revue and its French-language counterpart as well as the newspaper Schweizer Bauer from Tamedia last year. (SDA)
 

Companies are increasingly using the term "more" in their brand slogans, according to the Slogans.de newsletter. In view of the ever-increasing variety of products on offer, emphasizing a specific added value is increasingly seen as a suitable means of differentiating oneself from the competition.

The rather boring word "more" relegates the expressive words "life" and "we" to second and third place. Here is a small excerpt from the Slogometer 02/2012:

1. more
2. life
3. we
4. new
5. your

If you take a look at a few examples of slogans containing the word "more", a few things become clear - there is talk of "More flights. More cheap." (flight search engine Swoodoo) to the ambiguous expression "More cars" (Suzuki Swift Sport) to "Make more easy" (Fidelity International). The main thing is "more", the rest doesn't matter. No wonder the little word made it to first place.
 

According to Bakom's internal projections, the collection agency would receive a total of 150 to 200 million francs per year from the economy. The federal government has thus anticipated a decision in a tough dispute. The economy feels betrayed. Research shows that the proposal is at the co-reporting stage - it has already been submitted to all seven departments for discussion.

The Swiss Trade Association (SGV) has lobbied in Bern for a different distribution formula that affects fewer businesses. The definition of small businesses has been a bone of contention until now. The priority of SMEs was the number of employees. However, his association had never been consulted until now, SGV Director Hans-Ulrich Bigler told the Sonntagszeitung. The federal government was thus disregarding the will of parliament. In fact, the National Council and the Council of States had approved the Billag exemption for smaller companies. With the Bakom criteria however "only straight Kleinstbetriebe with few coworkers" are exempted. According to Bigler, 140,000 companies would be affected. Bakom Director Martin Dumermuth does not want to comment publicly on the current legislative process. But of course calculations are being made. Asked about the additional revenue, Dumermuth also stresses that it is not a matter of increasing Billag's overall revenue: "If more users pay in, the fee can be reduced," he is quoted as saying in the Sunday publication.
 

While Clear Channel Switzerland generally welcomes the proposals, APG has so far refrained from making a clear statement. At Affichage’s earnings press conference on February 29, *Werbewoche* sought further details from APG’s head of marketing, Markus Ehrle.

Mr. Ehrle, the Price Commissioner is calling for more competition in billboard advertising on public property. What are your thoughts on this?
Markus Ehrle: We take note of the Price Supervisor’s suggestions with interest, but are generally convinced that competition has worked very well so far in public tenders in Swiss cities and municipalities: The processes and criteria were clear, and even companies from abroad were able to participate. We were awarded the concessions in each case because we had submitted the most compelling bids to the cities as part of these tenders.

Among other things, the Price Commissioner is calling for concessions in larger cities to be divided into lots and put out to bid individually. What is the APG's position on this?
It is unclear what the Price Supervisor means by “lot”; this is not evident from the document at hand. In principle, however, it makes no sense for either the cities or the advertising market to divide up a homogeneous supply of billboard space. This not only leads to lost revenue for the municipalities but also makes it extremely difficult for advertisers to create cohesive campaigns.

The Price Commissioner also wants concession fees that are fixed and not calculated as a percentage of revenue.
This is already the case in practice: Some cities simply award their concessions to the highest bidder, which has both advantages and disadvantages for them. On the one hand, they can count on a fixed revenue stream when budgeting; on the other hand, they cannot share in the profits when the economy and business are doing well. We ourselves believe it is generally more beneficial for both sides if a portion of the fee is variable.

The Price Supervisor would also like to see shorter award intervals, for example, every three years.
A bidding process is generally very complex, and the effort required on the part of municipalities and providers is considerable. In addition, the services provided by the provider—such as cultural poster campaigns—are very labor-intensive. Shorter contract periods would therefore result in lower fees for municipalities and, conversely, higher prices for advertisers, since investments would have to be recouped within a very short time.

The Price Ombudsman further proposes that the infrastructure should be transferred to the municipality upon expiration of the concession.
We have been vehemently opposing this for years. We believe that in a functioning market economy, it is not the role of the local government to maintain or develop advertising media. Today, providers invest heavily in the design of urban furniture and in environmentally optimized products, as well as in the construction and maintenance of the advertising structures. This commitment to quality is, after all, very much in the cities’ best interest. However, all of this would be lost if the advertising structures were owned by the cities.

If a municipality does award its license to only one provider, the Price Commissioner requires that the lowest retail price offered be taken into account as a criterion in the award process.
This is one of the most sensitive issues, because what is the retail price? Here, too, the Price Ombudsman’s proposal offers no answer. There are already many forms of price differentiation today: gross, net, volume discounts, discounts for political campaigns, sales promotions, and so on. Furthermore, the end-customer price depends on inter- and intra-media competition: it matters significantly in which markets one is competing with which other media for advertising revenue. Setting a fixed pricing model would also amount to a distortion of intermedia competition, since no other media (not even those funded by license fees) are subject to such restrictions. For all these reasons, we consider this a problematic demand, especially since we are convinced that competition is very much alive and that it is not the state’s role to regulate prices in a competitive market.

In Geneva, however, APG raised its prices in 2011, shortly after securing the new exclusive contract. That’s proof that competition isn’t really working.
No. Under the new contract, the City of Geneva significantly reduced the available advertising space—by 10 to 30 percent, depending on the category and format. We have optimized our advertising offerings accordingly. It’s only natural to adjust our pricing to reflect these changes. In addition, we now offer a 10 percent early-booking discount. It’s also important to note that we haven’t adjusted our prices anywhere in Switzerland since 2008—despite population growth and a proven increase in service volume.

Either way—all things considered—the Price Supervisor’s requirements correspond quite closely to the procedure that the City of Zurich carried out in 2006, in which APG also successfully participated: At that time, APG won twelve city of Zurich lots, while four went to Clear Channel Switzerland (CCS). So were the last five years in Zurich really that bad?
Zurich has its own history, particularly when it comes to lottery tickets. Moreover, the Zurich model has not caught on in Switzerland. What matters most, however, is that the rules of the game both comply with competition law and meet market needs. Both conditions are met in Switzerland today, so no new rules are necessary. On the other hand, developments in Germany give us cause for concern: There, Berlin Brandenburg Airport issued a call for bids—and all outdoor advertising companies declined to participate due to economically unviable terms; the operator now has nothing at all.

However, if the Price Supervisor model were applied across the board, it would also benefit APG: for example, at Zurich Airport, which has been repeatedly awarding its billboard concession to CCS behind the scenes for years—something APG has already criticized.
If a call for proposals were to be issued there, we would of course be happy to participate. We are also convinced that we could contribute significantly to positive development.

Interview: Markus Knöpfli
 

Cailler's commitment to sustainable production has existed for a long time and is not simply a current trend, according to a statement. For example, Maison Cailler in Broc-Gruyère mainly uses milk from farms in the region, thus shortening transport distances. The same sustainability principle also applies to cocoa farmers. In order to create a positive basis, Cailler is part of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan. This plan focuses on improving the quality of life through on-site training, the establishment of drinking water points, and the provision of twelve million high-quality cocoa plants by 2020.

Responsible at Cailler: Cornelia Brechbühl (Head of Communications). Responsible at Draftfcb/Lowe Group Zurich and Paris: Vincent Behaeghel (CD), Jean-Marc Izaure (AD), Marie-Theres Ott, Elodie Caucigh, Isabelle Servol (consulting), Serge Guerand (photographer).

In an email to staff, the publisher News International confirmed the arrest. She is The Sun's first female military correspondent and had reported from Libya, among other places, last year.

The suspicion against the journalist arose from evidence that the internal investigative committee of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation—the parent company of News International—had passed on to Scotland Yard. Prior to this, a total of ten current and former Sun employees had already been arrested on suspicion of using illegal methods in their reporting. Among them were the deputy editor-in-chief and the head of the foreign news desk. An employee of the Ministry of Defense is also among the suspects. All have been released on bail, and the cases are ongoing.

While the scandal initially centered on Murdoch’s now-defunct newspaper *News of the World*, police are also investigating other media outlets for criminal activity. For years, *News of the World* had been tapping the voicemail messages of murder victims and celebrities, among others. Murdoch subsequently shut down the long-established newspaper in the summer of 2011. Last Sunday, he launched its successor, the Sunday edition of The Sun, for the first time. (SDA/DPA)

According to a press release, various versions of the new OMD logo are intended to illustrate a philosophy of creative dynamism that characterizes the agency group and on which it plans to focus even more strongly in the future. However, the global brand relaunch—which is taking place immediately in the more than 100 OMD countries worldwide—goes far beyond a mere visual update. Rather, it serves as the logical starting point for a series of product initiatives through which OMD aims to continuously improve. For example, the agency group plans to launch «Vision» in the coming months—a globally deployable «operating system» designed to replace the current OMD planning process, «Checkmate.».

Martin Fricker will take up his position as a partner on March 1, 2012 and will use his many years of industry experience to drive forward the company's expansion strategy, as the agency writes in a press release. Martin Fricker has been working in the communications industry since 1999, including over five years as a senior consultant and most recently head of the financial communications team at Farner Consulting, where he advised national and international financial institutions, companies and associations. In 2010/2011, he was Managing Director of Knobel Corporate Communications and was responsible for the integration of the long-established company into the Hotz Group. He specializes in corporate and communications consulting with a focus on financial communications and capital market transactions and holds a licentiate from the University of Basel and an Executive Master of Science in Communications Management from the University of Lugano.
 

The message was translated by CR Basel into few words and lots of pictures. The first subjects can already be seen as ads.

Responsible at AZ Medien: Christoph Marty, Tanja Laube. Responsible at CR Basel: Gabriel Heuberger (CD), Dominique Wegmann, Philipp Schweizer (text/concept), Philipp Kropf (graphics), Thomas Fux (consulting).