WW: In February, Designerdock conducted a survey on the importance of social media in the job search. How important are Twitter, Facebook, Xing and other social networks when looking for a new job?
Beate Reuther: Although social media platforms are constantly gaining in importance, social media are not yet really relevant in the job search compared to traditional sources and are in the lower midfield. In contrast, personal networks have become more important in the search for interesting jobs and are in first place among respondents for the first time. In second place are the well-known online portals, closely followed by the websites of agencies and companies. In our view, this means that social media is currently still mainly used privately, namely for digital networking and as a multiplier for expanding personal networks. In contrast, social media is becoming increasingly important for employer branding. Companies that present themselves on Xing, Twitter or Facebook give interested candidates the opportunity to take a closer look at the company. This can give them a decisive advantage with highly sought-after candidates.

How does Designerdock itself use social media?
Reuther: We are active on Facebook, Twitter and Xing and use RSS feeds. We use these channels to post relevant information for our clients and candidates, such as industry news, job advertisements, tips and tricks for job searches, etc. We also have a newsletter that is regularly sent to subscribers.
Marion Willim: What is happening in terms of employer branding on social media is extremely exciting. There are even groups of former employees of certain agencies on Xing. Of course, we keep an eye on this. After all, we also advise our clients and sometimes give them tips on how they can present themselves better to the outside world. For example, if applicants don't want to work for an employer, it may be because a group of former employees is active on the net, which quickly establishes a certain view of this employer in the clearly structured Swiss market and discusses what the working conditions are like at this employer, how it deals with older employees, etc. We can make our clients aware of such developments. We can make our customers aware of such developments and sensitize them to the opportunities offered by social media. For example, many companies think that they no longer need to worry about employees leaving. But it is a very important time when someone leaves. Because every departing employee is an ambassador for the company, which can have an incredibly negative but also an incredibly positive impact on social media. So we are no longer talking about personnel recruiting, but about personnel marketing.

For which companies is it worthwhile to sharpen their brand with regard to applicants through social media activities?
Reuther: Applicants generally appreciate a high level of transparency on the part of the company. That's why I would generally recommend this to any company - but only if it has the staff for it. Because Twitter, Facebook and the like are very time-consuming.
Willim: I think social media is simply part and parcel of today's marketing departments, at least in large companies. And just as someone there is responsible for a certain percentage of social media, this should also be the case in the HR department. Of course, it's always a question of who does it. It has to be someone who is close to the company, close to the management or the PR department. It has to be someone who is alert, who sees where things are happening and who feeds their observations back to the company. After all, companies don't necessarily have to be proactive on social media - but they do need to be involved and see what's happening.

What about direct recruiting via social media? On Xing, for example, you get new job suggestions every time you log in ...
Willim: Have any of these ever suited you? Never for me. Social media is certainly a new channel for recruiting, but you can tell whether a machine or a person is behind it. Because a machine can't do the "who suits whom?" for you. For this decision, there is, for example, Designerdock or - also much more relevant than automated job advertisements on Twitter or Xing - inquiries to acquaintances on social media. Asking a colleague via Facebook whether there is a job vacancy in her agency can work.
Maya Schneeberger: Social media are used to disseminate information, which is why open jobs or news about companies are naturally posted. We also do this on our website, and this is how the first contact can be made. But the second step, the recruitment process and bringing together two parties who are a good match, still happens through personal contact. The human element will continue to play the most important role in the application process, because at the end of the day it's all about chemistry. Designerdock has the advantage that we can compare both different companies and different applicants with each other, making it easier to find the right combination.
Reuther: There are a few agencies that now use videos on their website to find applicants. This seems to me to be a very promising approach. The head of HR or the responsible contact person appears in front of the camera, briefly introduces themselves and the agency and describes what kind of person they are looking for. This gives the applicant a feel for whether they would fit in with the agency and the people there. Finally, Designerdock can tell the applicant many other important details about the employer that could influence their decision, such as what the working atmosphere is like, whether they work in an open-plan office or have individual offices available, etc.

Are there differences between the professional fields? Are there groups of applicants who are particularly social media-savvy and also use social media for their job search, while others tend to take a more conventional approach?
Schneeberger: In the field of design and creation, there are no major differences between the individual areas of activity. Designers are all very social media-savvy and also use this channel for job searches.
Willim: The situation is somewhat different in marketing and advertising. Some people are very well networked and very active in social media, while others have little to do with it. It depends on the type. For example, people who sell themselves well on social media are usually also good, active networkers. For me, this can be an indication that the person is well suited to sales, acquisition or special tasks in marketing. Incidentally, this has nothing at all to do with age; older "sales types" are also very confident on social media.

Is it possible to stand out from the competition in an increasingly tight job market with a social media application - and is such an approach advisable?
Willim: I think it's great when a candidate refers me to their website and gives me a password to access a secure area where they can tell me more about themselves. That's definitely more attractive than just handing over a dossier. There are also candidates who send me their newsletter. This gives me an impression of how the person communicates and whether they understand the subject matter. But beware: if you put yourself in the limelight too much, you can quickly make a desperate impression. This risk is particularly high in Switzerland because the market is so small and everyone hears everything. In addition, an overly extroverted self-presentation contradicts the Swiss mentality. Not everything that is creative is appropriate. You can also lower your market value by being "too much". This also applies to employers: if you lay it on too thick, you lose credibility. I agree with the French philosopher Blaise Pascal: "If you want people to say good things about you, don't say them yourself."
Schneeberger: Anyone applying in the design field needs to demonstrate creativity and expertise. For example, if a candidate is presenting a current project, it is definitely important that they not only demonstrate their design skills, but also prove that they can incorporate Twitter, Facebook and other social media into their concept or website. After all, we and our client want to see that the candidate has been thinking this far ahead for a long time and knows how to use which channel. After all, designers develop new ideas or look at existing things from a new angle. And this ability can be demonstrated wonderfully in dealing with social media.

Can a highly creative designer afford to say: "Facebook is rubbish, I'm not interested!"?
Schneeberger: He is allowed to say that, but of course we are interested in why. There is always the question of how you use these channels, whether privately, to launch products, as a new form of advertising, as a creative space or to present yourself or your company.
Reuther: You have to be particularly careful how you present yourself on Facebook. Using Facebook is good - but commenting every day on how your cat is doing is certainly not the way to go. You simply have to be prepared for the fact that your appearance will be viewed by future employers at some point. And that can be embarrassing.

Sure, when companies check on their own initiative whether the people they want to hire have a Xing, Facebook or Flickr account and what it looks like there, it can be unpleasant. But that doesn't mean you can delete all your accounts before you apply somewhere. Or can you?
Reuther: Basically, you have to be aware that everything that is online is public. It doesn't matter if the applicant likes to go to parties and you can see this in a few pictures - if it fits the advertised position, for example if you are looking for a very communicative personality. Nevertheless, if in doubt, it is better to delete one or two pictures or entries. Of course, you can also create several accounts and use one privately and the other for business. But you simply have to be prepared for the fact that everything can be found online.
Willim: The important thing is to stand by what you do. Just as people used to know everything about each other in small villages, people now know a lot about each other in the global village - or rather: people think they know a lot about each other based on pictures and statements without really knowing each other. This can quickly lead to misunderstandings. Devastating. That's why you should only reveal things about yourself that might not be embarrassing at some point and that can't be misunderstood. When in doubt, restraint is better.
Schneeberger: Incidentally, there are also cases in our recruitment consultancy where we are not quite sure how to assess a candidate and our gut tells us that something is not right. Then we may have to do further research on the Internet, Xing, Facebook or Twitter. Then we quickly find out whether the person was perhaps not entirely authentic, pretended to be more than they are - or perhaps didn't mention something that could be interesting for the advertised position. In principle, however, we approach our candidates with trust and expect the same openness and honesty from them. And, of course, confidentiality is very important for our business: I can't just chat up a candidate on Facebook, because that will be visible to the whole world.

Can companies looking for qualified, highly specialized personnel afford to do without social media as a recruiting channel?
Willim: Which channel is used for recruitment is not so important. It is more important to be more open to applicants, even if they do not fit the profile one hundred percent at first glance. This is especially true in tight job markets. With standardized online applications in particular, many applicants who would actually be well qualified for a position and perhaps have exciting additional skills fall through the cracks immediately because they lack a certain degree, for example, or are a year younger or older than specified. Designerdock looks at each applicant individually. That's why we often find candidates who are a perfect fit for a position and who can add additional skills to their job. Our customers benefit greatly from this kind of "looking around corners". Of course, jobseekers also need to broaden their focus and think in a direction that they were previously unfamiliar with. This often results in exciting new challenges.

What do applicants need to be aware of when contacting a potential employer via social media? What should they do and what should they not do?
Reuther: I think it is very important for the applicant to put themselves in the other person's shoes. It's not just about getting to know who they are and what they want - they should also find out who the other person is and what their wishes and expectations are. Who is the person on the other side? This makes it much easier for the applicant to find points of contact that also seem relevant to the potential employer.
Willim: The biggest problem for all employers, regardless of the industry, is that they have little time. Applicants must therefore ask themselves how they can generate attention without being perceived as a disruptive factor. Before making contact for the first time, they should take a close look at the company, find out what moves the company, what the market looks like and what challenges the company will face in the future. Social media is a great way to do this.

But the fact that you have to find out about potential employers in detail so that you can discuss with company representatives at eye level during the application process is not a rule that only applies now in the social media age ...
Willim: That's right. But this rule must now be observed even more, because social media makes everything much faster and more direct. For one thing, facts about companies can change from one day to the next, and I should be up to date when I make contact. I can also contact the marketing manager of company XY directly via Xing, for example, without having to go through the HR department. If I do this, the contact has to be right. Another rule for applicants is: e-mail is the electronic form of mail. It must be worded just as neatly and without errors as a letter. Flippancy is out of place. In addition, no candidate should assume that a potential employer will find them interesting from the outset. They should therefore make themselves interesting, remain concise and get to the point so that their counterpart does not have to invest too much time. Authenticity is also important. If you have your cover letter written by an eloquent friend, you may not be able to fulfill the expectations you raise later on. So it's better to remain who you are.

Let's take a look at the agencies: Do the big, well-known ones like Euro RSCG or Jung von Matt/Limmat have to make a name for themselves on social media in order to get good applicants? Everyone knows them anyway.
Schneeberger: Yes and no. Those who are already active in the industry know the big agencies, of course. They also know the most important work of these agencies and their portfolios. But young, creative newcomers first have to find their way in the industry. These people usually don't yet know whether they want to do advertising, marketing, online, CI/CD or corporate publishing, what they can do and where they belong. Such people come to Designerdock looking for a job and don't know how to proceed. And to appeal to this clientele, a presence in social media makes a lot of sense. Incidentally, we also see agencies setting up a new area or certain qualifications, but not communicating this at all. Because we have a very good insight into our clients' business and also see ourselves as their consultants, we sometimes point out such a communication gap or provide ideas on how this information could be communicated to the outside world.
Reuther: Our ideas can also relate to how to remedy an acute shortage of skilled workers. For example, there are many highly qualified mothers who simply cannot work 100%. If two women share a job, this could be the perfect solution for both women and the employer - especially in cases where our client is looking for one of the famous egg-laying wool-milk sows that don't exist.

What is your forecast for the future: Will social media become more relevant in the job search? Will there eventually be 140-character Twitter applications or an applicant Facebook exclusively with applicant profiles?
Reuther: Good question. There is certainly plenty of scope to get creative. I believe that the acceptance and relevance of social media as a work and recruiting tool in companies and agencies will grow significantly in the future. We sense that candidates would rather go to an employer that communicates openly and lively than one that keeps a low profile. So in the medium and long term, every company will have to have a person in charge of social media, at least if it wants to attract good people. But you can't just "do" social media, neither as a company, nor as an agency, nor as a job seeker. If you decide to become active on Facebook, Twitter etc., you have to invest time and energy. Even as a company, you can't simply hand over social media to an agency - because it is important that those who feed the channels are close to the company.
Schneeberger: There will certainly be new forms of application, because online and interactive will undoubtedly become even more important in the future than they are today. But new forms of presentation in social media will never replace personal contact. If you are looking for a job, you may post it on various channels and receive tips or even specific offers in this way. But at some point, people need to meet and see if they are a good match. Job platforms and recruitment agencies also channel the insane flood of information that we receive on the internet every day.
Willim: Social media is a wonderful way to search for jobs across borders or even around the world, to exchange information during the introductory phase, to reduce travel costs and to find out whether you could be a good match. Distances are reduced, but getting to know each other personally is still necessary. After all, the technical side is only one side. If I don't like a person, I can't or don't want to work with them, even if they are highly qualified.

Do films on YouTube have a future as applications?
Schneeberger: That already exists. The films are often very creatively made, but of course this is one-way communication with no guarantee of a response. However, if a designer sends us or gives us access to a short film in which they present themselves in a concise and witty way, this can already give them an advantage. The video simply has to match the overall appearance and the portfolio.
Willim: One thing must not be forgotten: The time pressure in companies and agencies will increase more and more. HR managers don't have time to watch videos of candidates early on in the selection process. If the applicant has passed a certain point in the process and has already aroused great interest, something like this can become relevant and exciting. But certainly not for the initial contact.

Interview: Anne-Friederike Heinrich

In a nutshell
Designerdock Zurich was founded in 2007 by graphic designer Beate Reuther. She manages the Swiss branch at Stauffacher. Designerdock has its origins in Berlin, where the Australian Alexander Dewhirst founded the recruitment agency in 1996 - actually only to find top designers for some Berlin design offices, hence the name "Designerdock". However, Dewhirst quickly realized that copywriters, consultants, advertisers and other communication and marketing professionals were also desperately needed and expanded his clientele. Designerdock now has offices in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zurich. Three recruitment consultants and a team assistant work in the Zurich branch. The two graphic designers Beate Reuther and Maya Schneeberger specialize in design recruitment, while marketing specialist Marion Willim looks after marketing and communications specialists, copywriters and journalists. Designerdock recruits for both agencies and companies. www.designerdock.ch

WW: The atmosphere in the Kongresshaus is a bit like that of a "general assembly" during the youth riots of the 1960s and 70s. Was it possible to meet Frank Bodin at similar manifestations in the past?
Frank Bodin: No, I was more at home in the world of art. When I moved out, it was a rude awakening. I ended up in a shared flat in Zurich. There I slept in a very small room under the grand piano. But I was out and about more than under it. I passively witnessed the youth riots around the AJZ. At the very first demonstration, I got caught between the police and the demonstrators because I wanted to go to the opera. I only became interested in politics from the age of 20.

How does this youth manifest itself in "One Young World": is it a modern version of the generation of 1968?
There is no comparison. In the Kongresshaus, 1200 young people from 169 countries discuss concrete projects for a better world in a committed, constructive manner. In contrast to 1968, this is more diverse and multicultural. Back then, it was a European movement. Anyone who listens here in the Kongresshaus for just half an hour immediately senses a lot of energy. I would have liked to have had an experience like that back then. But I experienced multiculturalism in a different form. When I was 17, I was a member of the World Youth Orchestra. There were also a lot of nations there. That resulted in a lot of friendships.

There are many prominent names behind "One Young World". Have there been any interesting encounters?
I was able to experience good encounters on three levels. The preparation enriched me personally and personally. Working on the Swiss Advisory Board with wonderful people such as Thomas Buberl, Pascale Bruderer, Nobel Prize winner Richard Ernst, Carolina Müller-Möhl, Pierin Vincenz, Eberhard von Koerber, Alain Treuer and all the others was a pleasure and simply a wonderful experience. They all made a huge commitment in terms of time. The second wonderful and actually the best experience was when the event suddenly happened. And the third experience was the "counselors", the international guests, many of whom I didn't know beforehand. For example, the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. I am impressed by his charisma and his projects in the area of social commitment. Or Fatima Bhutto, a great and intelligent woman. And of course Desmond Tutu with his charisma and humor. All these people came to Zurich to achieve something. They don't need to do anything else for their fame. It's not a PR event for them, it's really important to them. You can be critical of the monarchy. What are representatives of this outdated form of government doing at "One Young World", where the future is at stake? But anyone who was able to experience the Norwegian royal couple as people could see that Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit were genuinely interested in entering into a dialog with young people about human dignity.

"One Young World" was initiated by employees of the Euro RSCG London. Is this a kind of "cultural percentage" from your network?
No. This is very personally driven. David Jones and Kate Robertson were inspired to come up with this idea at the WEF in Davos. And I thought at the first event in London that this event should actually take place in Zurich.

Eight cities applied. What convinced Zurich?
Thomas Buberl and I emphasized Switzerland's multicultural orientation and federalism during the presentation. We are also a country with a great humanitarian tradition. The Red Cross comes from our country. Our direct democracy is unique in the world. I think we should also use these achievements to promote Switzerland a little and not just with the clichés of chocolate, cheese and watches. Especially now, when there are also critical headlines about Switzerland as a financial center, the many advantages of our country should be highlighted. The third argument was Zurich. Zurich is the smallest cosmopolitan city in the world. We have great cultural diversity, two important universities and various colleges. What's more, everything is within walking distance here. The emphasis on the small and the high quality tipped the jury over interesting and much larger world cities.

Now CNN is here and media from all over the world. Satisfied?
Euro RSCG is a communication network and we know something about this business. The interest is impressive. But it is a new event. It has to prove itself and put up with critical questions. Acceptance will not come overnight. But what we have achieved together in such a short time is promising.

Today, Frank Bodin is also involved in other political discussions. Does he see this as an obligation for a communications specialist?
My commitment has nothing to do with me as an advertiser, but is something personal. I have always been interested in other things beyond my profession. Art is very important to me and I also ask myself the question from time to time: can I make a difference to society with my means? As a communicator, you can live corporate responsibility. I was already doing that as a copywriter for Tibet back then. Today I have the means to do it on a larger scale.

How should the ideas from Zurich now spread?
Naturally, we at the agency thought about this and perhaps this really is our "cultural percentage". We launched the idea that with the changeover to winter time on the night of October 2, all the world's leaders would be asked not to sleep through this hour. They should use the hour gained to rethink decisions and implement neglected projects. We are trying to create a large community on Facebook that will confront the world's leaders with various questions. In this sense, the event in Zurich also had a good learning effect for us. Many employees from our agency were present at the Kongresshaus because they are involved in social media projects. It was therefore an incredibly good opportunity to look after people in practice and to set up new platforms. Interview: Andreas Panzeri

WW: What is the idea behind the website www.pocketPC.ch?
Julian Zrotz: It's all about smart phones. We publish daily news, reviews of all smart phones and a lot of videos of all devices, where we compare the smart phones with each other and give a more detailed insight than just in the text. We now also offer a device overview. Here you can find all the news about each device, also in the form of videos. There are also previews of upcoming models and technical specifications.

What was the motivation behind the site?
It all started with a school project. Ten years ago, the website was developed as part of a computer science course. We now have 100,000 visitors a day.

Target audience?
All smart phone owners who want to learn about their devices. People who want to go a little deeper and learn about new apps. One can find optimization opportunities with us. The site is also called by many who want to get information before making a purchase.

Who provides you with the information?
Most of it comes from the manufacturers themselves, plus we do our own research on the Internet. We visit trade fairs and also maintain personal contacts with developers.

How many people work for PocketPC.ch?
We can count on 50 freelance journalists. Scouts, specialists who moderate in our forum. One specialist is responsible only for the realization of our videos.

How do you promote your site to the target audience?
Especially via Google. Most of them find us via a search query.

In return, you have also activated Google AdSense. What does that bring?
We launched AdSense back in 2006. It was a first opportunity for us to earn some money with the site. At that time we were still very small. A big marketer would not have accepted us. In the beginning, we only wanted to be able to pay for the hosting. Today we need the advertising money to be able to afford bigger servers, to finance new developments and also to reward our people a bit.

Is Google AdSense your main source of income?
It has remained an important pillar for our financing. But in the meantime, of course, we also have larger revenues from the manufacturers of the smart phones, who place ads directly with us. But AdSense still generates more than 20 percent of our revenue.

Have you had good experiences with this tool?
Google AdSense is very convenient for us and was very easy to install. For our users, AdSense is practical because visitors to our site automatically receive further and relevant information via AdSense about editorial content on the page and about their search queries. For example, if someone is interested in "outdoor" and reads an article about it, they immediately see an ad for Mammut or for hiking boots that is in context with the website content. This gives us relatively high click numbers and thus good revenues.

You have now attended a workshop at the AdSense event at Google Zurich. What's the point?
On the one hand, it's networking. But we are also very interested in the one-to-one sessions with the Google technicians, where we discuss together on our website what could be optimized in the AdSense appearance. A few months ago we already attended such a workshop and got a lot of tips there. We were able to increase our revenues significantly with this.

What are possible optimizations?
One improvement was that we only had text ads in the beginning. As a result of the workshop, we have also been displaying banner ads since then. Google's system - an algorithm process - automatically calculates which form of advertising brings in more revenue for our cash register. By placing banners - so-called "display advertising" - we have been able to improve our performance by a double-digit percentage. Another issue is: we have many different designs on the site, our test reports are designed differently than the forum. In this case, Google AdSense itself calculates which advertising - text or banner - in which place brings in the most for us. In the forum, perhaps 95 percent text is placed. In the reviews 95 percent display advertising.

How is the quality of the advertising? This must slowly improve in the creative sense, so that the engagement is triggered in the users.
We notice that the quality is on the rise. The trend is clearly towards more display ads and moving images with creative ideas that entice users to click.

How does the Google search box benefit you on your site?
We have also set this up as part of a workshop for optimization. We can make good revenue with this, because there is a lot of search on our site and will also be shared by Google in the following revenue of their advertising on the Google site.

Interview: Andreas Panzeri

In a nutshell
Last week, around 50 publishing partners of Google in Switzerland - website operators ranging from weather sites to well-known news portals and special interest sites - took part in a workshop day at the Google Zurich Office. Information was provided about the possibilities of Google AdSense. In the Google display network, publishers can have advertisements placed on their websites without any effort on their part and thus earn money "automatically". How Google AdSense works is explained in detail in Google's online dossiers (google.ch/adsense).

AdSense provides contextual ads outside of Google pages on third-party sites that are automatically generated by Google. AdSense is the most widely used advertising network on the Internet, reaching 80 percent of Internet users in 20 languages and 100 countries. There are already over 2 million AdSense publishers worldwide. In 2010, Google distributed over $6 billion of AdSense revenue (clicks on ads on third-party websites) to publishers. That means 68 percent of total AdSense revenue was paid out to publishers. And Google sees much more potential for this type of advertising. Especially in Switzerland, where only 8 percent of advertising money flows online. At the info day, Anthony Nakache from Google Dublin also orated about the future. According to him, in five years we will have 25 percent less display advertising on our screens - but more creative and targeted advertising with far higher click rates. The display advertising business could grow from $24 billion today to $200 billion in the next five years.

Its business model is the same as that of the subsidiaries in Germany and Austria, Goldbach announced on Thursday. At the Polish subsidiary, 50 specialists in digital marketing are to be hired in the coming months.
 

A revised cover, a more clearly cut typeface, a more airy layout and the slightly changed structure are intended to ensure better reader guidance. A color system also facilitates orientation, Migros Media said in a statement. In the "Life" section, readers can also expect a change in content: psychology, beauty tips for men and a finance column in cooperation with Migros Bank will supplement the previous topics such as education, health, cars and gardening, among others. The redesigned puzzle section also provides more entertainment. In addition to classics such as Sudoku and Swedish puzzles, a new creation is presented on four pages: Paroli, a mixture of Sudoku and crossword puzzles. A special Lilibiggs puzzle corner has been created for children.

The comprehensive reader survey in the fall of 2010 showed that the approximately three million readers very much appreciate the content of the two weekly newspapers, according to a statement from Migros Media. However, they still saw potential for optimization in the design and structural areas. Accordingly, the focus was placed in the redesign process.

For example, a briefing event. For the first time, the briefing has a special motto. It is expressed in a long quote from Ira Glass, an American radio presenter. More information can be found in the call for entries at www.das-kann-nur-ein-inserat.ch. Also new this year is the option of submitting ideas for individual subjects or for a campaign of 3 to 4 subjects. The age limit for participants remains the same: Creatives up to the age of 28.

The briefing event will take place on November 2. The closing date for entries is December 1. The competition is supported by Keystone (free download from the photo archive), ADC, ASW, BSW, Script, SW, Werbewoche, Conimag.ch, Publimedia, Swissprinters.

Now the previously protected Ticino newspaper landscape is also losing its innocence. With the market entry of 20 minuti, the wind of free competition will be blowing around the ears of Ticino's publishers.
 

> To the article (PDF)

> To the article (PDF)

Now the previously protected Ticino newspaper landscape is also losing its innocence. With the market entry of 20 minuti, the wind of free competition will be blowing around the ears of Ticino's publishers.

Read more about this in the current print edition of Werbewoche.

The reader immediately receives further information about the advertised property on their smartphone. Photo galleries, tour videos and plans entice prospective buyers to dream of their new home. Kooaba and Früh Immobilien are also using an iAd from Apple in conjunction with the "Kooaba Paperboy" app for the first time.

The night before the race, there was a bad storm with thunder, lightning, hail and snow," says organizer Markus Aerni. "I got up at four in the morning and looked to see what of our equipment was still standing: the start and finish had been blown away." The race was actually supposed to start at 7 am. Due to the foehn storm, the start was initially postponed to 8 a.m., but the course was finally opened at 9 a.m. as far as Motta Bartola. It was not fully passable until midday. "In the morning, the road was still full of stones and sticks, and there was snow on the Tremola," reports Aerni.

Bite through 2011

The organizers and participants of the anti-cancer race had certainly wished for better weather - but somehow Peter's caprices suited the occasion. For cancer sufferers and their families, constant ups and downs are part of everyday life: after glimmers of hope, there are setbacks, and before the next setback, there is hope of recovery. The motto "Never give up" was underlined not only by the repeated approach to the Gotthard between Airolo and the top of the pass, but also by the sticks and stones, snow, wind and rain that repeatedly demanded courage, perseverance and tenacious fighting spirit from cyclists and hikers - and could be understood as a metaphor for the united fight against cancer.

The adverse conditions brought everyone together: Cyclists, hikers and helpers waited together in a tent for the start of the race. "There was a strong sense of cohesion," says Aerni. "At 9 o'clock, everyone raced off like young foals, a very emotional moment." Disabled athlete Heinz Frei, who rode up the Gotthard on his handbike, also reported strong feelings: "From the very beginning, you could feel that a kind of community of destiny had come together here to show solidarity for a better future for cancer patients. I had a chance encounter with a gentleman who was carrying a photo of his wife, who had recently died of cancer, on the handlebars of his bike. 'For you' was written on it - an incredibly powerful moment from an even stronger person, who was probably coping with his grief, but also drawing new strength."

Take off 2012

Even though only 160 of the 200 registered cyclists and 60 of the 80 walkers took part due to the weather, Markus Aerni estimates that the entry fees and donations from cyclists and walkers raised the impressive sum of around a quarter of a million francs for cancer research and support for cancer patients in financial need. Because the cycling teams still have until the end of September to pay in their lap money, the exact proceeds will not be known for another month. As in the previous year, many celebrities took part in the "race against cancer" in 2011: Ariella Kaeslin and Bruno Kernen, Tony Rominger and Beat Zberg, Robert Dill-Bundi and Doughua Li. Nella Martinetti, who recently died of cancer and had also wanted to support the event, was remembered in a speech. Aerni: "The 'race against cancer 2011' was a great event, we achieved our goals and are already looking forward to the 2012 race." You can already register for the race at www.cancerrace.ch. Anne-Friederike Heinrich
 

"We get bigger by becoming more," is the simple formula that is to spread among the Spanish population via a short film. The idea is that in order to become more, willing fans are needed to act as sperm donors - the donations are accepted by hot zombie brides. The highlight at the end of the commercial: a sperm moves towards an egg, which turns into the club emblem of FC Getafe when it fuses. An interesting approach with an even more interesting cinematic realization - it's worth a look. (Source: Wuv.de)