In the Middle Ages, craftsmen and tradespeople organized themselves into guilds. The oldest documented guild is that of the Cologne comforter weavers from 1149. The guilds defined training rules, working hours, product quality and prices and awarded each other contracts in their "guild rooms".

What used to be the responsibility of industry guilds is now partly developed and implemented by the federal government and cantons, professional organizations and marketing and advertising specialists. Our professional world has therefore become much more complex and requires specialists to implement these individual disciplines professionally and competitively.

Social media - a rapid success story

The success story of social media platforms, on the other hand, is still very young, has developed rapidly and has become an important tool for today's marketing communication. The unstoppable boom of the new media has only been observed since the mid-1990s and companies have only recently recognized the full economic potential. "Social media" refers to all digitally based communication channels and applications.

In a very short space of time, a large number of social media technologies have developed in the areas of communication, collaboration, knowledge management, multimedia and entertainment. The most widespread social media technologies today include weblogs, forums, social networks, wikis and podcasts. The diverse business applications of social media platforms are interesting. For example, they serve as marketing tools (social media marketing - SMM) in the form of online marketing, which can achieve branding and marketing communication goals through participation in social media offerings. Or in the area of public relations, so-called "social media relations", monitoring (systematic observation and analysis of posts and dialogs on social media platforms), sales (establishing business contacts) or use in the area of human resources.

The opportunity to exchange information with one another and to create media content individually or as a community is therefore more popular than ever and the expansion of providers and users shows no sign of slowing down. In January 2011, for example, the new social media application "sereive.com" was launched, making it possible to feed several platforms with information at the same time.

The "gathering" yesterday - today

The term "guild" originally meant "meeting" or "agreement". The guild members of the Middle Ages cultivated professional and social exchange in their respective trade guilds and in their so-called drinking rooms. In today's digital age, there is a clear trend for "gatherings" of like-minded people and interest groups to take place more and more on digital social media platforms. What both forms of "gatherings" have in common is that they function interactively, the exchange takes place within a group of like-minded people and is associated with low costs.

The role of guilds in today's society

After the introduction of freedom of trade and commerce and the abolition of the guild constitution in 1798, the work of the guilds came to an end. Today's guilds maintain the guild houses built at that time and make them available to the public. "Social interaction is cultivated in the guilds today", explains the current guild master of the Zunft zur Saffran in Zurich, Hans G. Syz. He goes on to explain that this informal form of exchange is cultivated as a deliberate addition in today's digital age. This is because direct communication - without intermediaries - is also important.

Social media access

The future of the "social media guild" is secure and there is plenty for innovative entrepreneurs to do - this is not contradicted by the ten theses of the German Federal Association of the Digital Economy (BVDW) from February 7, 2011.

Accordingly, customer relationship management (CRM), for example, will no longer be what it was. In 2011, there will be an increasing fusion with social media components. Lead management, customer service and customer loyalty are the first CRM fields in which social media will play a greater role. CRM system providers will ensure that data and processes can be used with social media platforms. Product development will also be democratized and develop into "adaptive engineering" with a fast feedback system from internal and external parties. This could soon put an end to lengthy analyses before a product is launched.

The ROI (return on investment) also continues. The measurability of success will also be an issue in 2011. In the future, it will be about the results brands achieve, so social media will be an integral part of everyday communication. Another thesis is that second-tier companies will also appear in the world of social media and no longer just the big brands as in the past. In 2011, the "small" and "medium" companies will also participate - for them it is important to learn from the mistakes of the big players and to assess where social media can really benefit them.

A return to the guild halls of yesteryear is not included in the theses, but the guilds today offer their gracefully renovated guild houses, where the old traditions of professional and social exchange can be experienced in a new form.

Sinikka Jenni

The old Zunfthaus zur Saffran in Zurich after its conversion in 1670. The Zunft zur Saffran is not only the oldest craftsmen's guild in Zurich, but was also the first to have its own premises. The original merchants' guild built its own building in 1417.
 

It's about the advertising for our beloved cars: I, as a target group, currently perceive a penetrating automotive advertising hammering at me. Already last year, Audi advertising caught my eye by trying to lure me in with 110% Audi. Now it's BMW's turn to make me like 200% BMW. I didn't understand 0% of either message.

Learned rules: If something is posted as 50%, it costs half as much. What should I do with 110% or 200% now? The attention time, if any, is only 1 second anyway. Do the AD, the copywriter, the CD, the consultant and the customer think about such facts? No, they don't. Stupid!

My theory is this: Every year - I remember this from my time working for Fiat, and later for Lexus and Landrover - the Motor Show is just around the corner. So now it's time to advertise, come hell or high water. In this advertising, everything from super interest rates, diamond leasing, best-offer bonuses to the dealer network must be packed in, if possible. The rules of good and eye-catching advertising have been forgotten. The main thing is that all models and all prices are clearly visible.

The commercials on TV are the big show for the special effects makers. They shoot paint, robots fight for market share, but I haven't yet seen that cars can also fly. Who is actually the target group that is to be addressed? I know that the decision as to which car to buy is made by the majority of partners (i.e. also wives). That's why I have now understood the stupid radio spot from Franz AG. There the wife asks her husband quite naively (in dialect): "Honey, do you know that you can now also buy Mazda at Franz AG?" He: "Of course I know that, and I've known that for 3 years ... (blah blah blah)." She: "Come on, let's go there to look then." He: "What look, buy, honey!"
At least one of the two is taken for a fool. It's the husband who wants to buy immediately. I don't think that this kind of advertising will go down well with consumers at all. It's more likely to be counterproductive.

This example is not an exception. 80% of automobile advertising has fallen into this madness of thinking that this primitive kind of advertising will do anything. Take a look at a few examples on YouTube under "funny car advertising". By the way, also from Audi.

I was upset this week that, apart from a few words of praise, no one has yet declared my Motz to be a vomit.

Theophil Butz, once a star advertiser (Ringier), now an inspirer and, as of now, a mothballer. "Not an easy role, but a necessary one, which I perform here every fortnight." Please send any relevant information to [email protected].

 

The film begins a collage of indulgence with which the Lowe agency, London, builds on the 2010 AEG campaign: fast-cut images of fresh vegetables, fish, cracked eggs - intercut with close-ups of greedily devouring lips and beguiling gazes. The advertising film was produced by RSA Films under the direction of director Mehdi Norowzian, with music - "Autosense" - by film music professional Neil Claxton.
The commercial is the first of three that Electrolux will be showing in cinemas for AEG in 2011. The protagonist of the films is the AEG brand's "New Collection". The commercials are part of Electrolux's new marketing campaign for AEG. The claim "Perfect in form and function" remains. It is emotional and stands for what we strive for: Perfection. And this is exactly what they want to convey with this year's marketing campaign, says Alexander Bühl, Director Marketing for Western Europe according to Wuv.de. The commercials will be broadcast in the context of cooking formats as well as on Sky before and after cinema hits and on the women's channel Sixx as part of a cooperation around the series Desperate Housewives. The first spot in the cinema is for "Kokowääh " by and with Til Schweiger.
Creative Director Steve Hanratty is responsible for the creation of the TV campaign. At AEG, James Methven, AEG Brand Director Europe at the time of filming. In Germany, Zenithoptimedia, Düsseldorf, is planning and placing the campaign.

The "One Pass" is intended to enable media companies to easily process subscriptions for their online editions. It is a technology that allows publishers to charge for information, announced Google CEO Eric Schmidt in Berlin, according to Wuv.de. The first partners are Stern, the Burda subsidiary Tomorrow Focus and Axel Springer.

Individual articles and other content on a media company's website can also be obtained in addition to subscriptions. Google takes care of user authentication, subscription management and payment processing. According to Schmidt, however, the customer data should remain with the publishers.

According to the responsible Google manager Madhav Chinnappa, the system will initially be introduced for the purchase of online editions on the PC. Later, a version for newspaper and magazine apps on mobile devices will also be introduced.

In contrast to Apple, Google wants to be satisfied with ten percent of sales.

Read more: "Apple: Subscriptions for App Store announced"

 

General Terms and Conditions (GTC) are used when contractual provisions are pre-formulated for a large number of contracts. They have the advantage that you don't have to think about what needs to be included in the contract for every new transaction.

But be careful: General terms and conditions often contain unnecessary or impossible information, as the example of Konditorei L. shows. In the small print, it says: "The person ordering a wedding cake must arrange for someone to return the cake stand before they leave on their honeymoon." And further: "We retain title to products that we have manufactured, delivered or handed over until the outstanding invoice has been paid." The inclined reader wonders where the ownership should be asserted if the eaten wedding cake is never paid for. To the guests or to what has been eaten?

If you use your own general terms and conditions with your customers, you should note the following:

- GTC are not legal norms. They only apply if they are accepted by the parties when the contract is concluded. Once the contract has been concluded - for example with the invoice or delivery bill - it is too late.
- In the case of contracts with consumers, they must have the opportunity to take note of the GTC. It is sufficient if the GTC are printed on the back of the order form and there is a note on the front.
- The GTC must be formulated in a comprehensible manner in dealings with consumers. If this is not the case with a clause, it must be interpreted by the court in the event of a dispute. If the interpretation does not lead to a clear result, the less favorable variant for the author - i.e. you - applies according to the so-called ambiguity rule.
- The small print must not contain any clauses that the consumer should not expect and that have atypical, extraneous or surprising content.
- Have your GTC reviewed by a specialist if you have not already done so.

If you conclude a contract with a supplier, it is quite possible that they will also use GTCs. You then need to clarify which GTCs should apply if they contradict each other on certain points. Your own, the supplier's or none at all? If the supplier's GTCs are to apply because they are referred to in the offer, you should read them carefully from start to finish. This is because they may contain unfavorable rules, such as the following:

- Delay in delivery: A delay in delivery does not entitle the customer to cancel the order. Claims for damages are excluded.
- Warranty: In the event of defects, the customer must make a warranty claim directly to the manufacturer.
- Warranty rights: In the event of a warranty claim, the goods will be repaired or replaced free of charge at the discretion of the seller. Withdrawal from the contract is excluded.

If you are unsure whether you have understood the supplier's T&Cs correctly, you should ask a specialist for advice.

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 just CHF 99. Order the consulting package for SMEs at www.beobachter.ch/kmu or 0800 83 0800.

Book tip:

Supplier invoices are piling up, goods are not being paid and the bank is turning off the money tap - high time to act. This SME handbook is a practical toolbox with instruments for emergencies. But it also covers long-term protection: collecting receivables, getting new money, maintaining and acquiring customers or drawing up contracts correctly. This comprehensive guide helps small business owners before things get dicey.

Authors: Irmtraud Bräunlich Keller, Gabriela Baumgartner, Michael Krampf, Hans Schoch, 248 pages, hardcover, 1st edition June 2010, Beobachter-Buchverlag, ISBN: 978-3-85569-435-8, retail price: 45 Fr.

 

In terms of design, the new Volvo S60 is already a piece of «street art» for many fans of Swedish automotive art. To showcase this connection to a wider audience in the most appealing way possible, Volvo brought together ten street artists and the renowned photographer Michel Comte for a highly publicized event at Zurich’s main train station from February 9 to 13. Over the course of five days, the artists repeatedly spray-painted and artistically transformed an on-display S60. Each artist had the vehicle as their «model» for half a day. The event was thoroughly documented for various media outlets. A high-end camera captured an image of the vehicle and its background every 10 seconds. What remains of the Volvo Art Session is a film documenting the fluid artistic transformation of the three-dimensional “S60 canvas.” In addition, Michel Comte captured the event and the participating artists. These images will subsequently be compiled into a photo book. As a highlight, on February 10, Comte staged actress Melanie Winiger with the Volvo S60 and captured the moment photographically. The last of the ten artists had the honor of leaving behind a lasting work of art. As the Volvo S60 Art Car, it will be on display at the Geneva Motor Show from March 3 to 13 in the Volvo Lounge at the Hotel Starling. Later this year, the exclusively painted car will be auctioned off to benefit a charity project. Through this artistic initiative, Volvo underscores its design expertise and spirit of innovation. The project was realized in collaboration with Eqal Visual Productions. pan

WW: What has been the intention behind SBB's use of online advertising games to date?
Reto Meissner: Online games and activation tools have so far helped us to get the target group to engage more intensively and emotionally with the topic of the campaign. But of course, in addition to increasing involvement, they also increase the time spent on the site.

To what extent have these expectations been met and what criteria do you use to measure success?
The interactions used so far have mostly been successful. We adjusted poorly performing actions during the campaign so that the values improved. The criteria were very different. But mostly, of course, the number of users, the length of stay and the number of interactions.

Based on your experience to date, what are the key success factors when using online advertising games? What should be considered and what should be avoided?
In my view, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. To date, the most important basic requirements have been the easiest possible access, an attraction to get people to enter in the first place and clear and simple user guidance. As we have always run online interactions together with a campaign, thematic embedding in the campaign is of course essential.

How do you plan to use online advertising games in the future, for example in the mobile sector?
We will continue to use this very situationally, depending on the task and target group for cross-media marketing communication. This applies both online and, of course, increasingly also for mobile applications.
cjw

 

A copywriter only has one exclamation mark per year, because what the text cannot express in one sentence, an exclamation mark cannot save. This was the premise with which Ursula Gamper, Managing Director of Schweizer Werbung (SW), opened the presentation of the new specialist certificate. Around 30 applicants gathered at the Metropol Hotel in Zurich, who next fall will be the first in Switzerland to be awarded a federal diploma for their skills in the oldest profession in advertising. This will still not be able to replace a missing idea with a certificate in the future. However, the initiators of the profession, which has now been officially defined for the first time, agree that copywriting must finally be declared a recognized craft in an ever more complex media world. The days of copywriters as "Mad Men", as depicted in a retro series about an agency in New York in the sixties, are now nothing but nostalgia. If you want to write copy, you don't just have to have the craziest creativity possible. You also need the right knowledge of the law and the various mechanisms of cross-media advertising in all channels. How do you learn to read a briefing? How do structures work in a team? A true professional must also be able to write about a new Maggi soup as well as the new NZZ Folio, depending on the daily assignment.

For around three years, exponents of the supporting association, consisting of Schweizer Werbung (SW), Schweizer Texterinnen- und Texterverband Script, Kantonale Schule für Weiterbildung EB Zürich and Publicité Romande, have been working on designing this professional certificate. Documents such as examination guidelines and instructions had to be drawn up and approved by the responsible Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology. The training now presented is primarily aimed at newcomers and career changers who want to learn their trade from scratch. The courses are currently offered by four organizers: EB Zurich, Sawi, Schreibszene and Schweizerische Text-Akademie. The costs for the 165-256 possible lessons are around 6,000 francs. The first exams will be held at these four schools this fall. "After the training, however, you are not yet a finished copywriter and are at around 80 points on a scale of 1 to 100," explained Roger Hausmann, president of the examination board at the launch of the new diploma. But he is convinced: "At the start of a career, the certificate is an important first step." And the demand for good copywriters is increasing. At Script, job advertisements have doubled within a year to 173 requests. In Germany, 364 of the 4670 job advertisements in advertising are for copywriters. That is an increase of 153 percent.

More information on the examination regulations can be found on the new website www.texterin-texter.ch. Andreas Panzeri

Three pillars of the supporting association: Roger Hausmann, President of Script; Ursula Gamper, Managing Director of Schweizer Werbung (SW); Heinz Egli, Training Officer of SW.
 

The frontrunners are internationally oriented brands such as Toblerone, Nescafé and Lindt. There are also a striking number of other food brands in the top 20, including Nespresso, Nestlé, Lindor, Maggi, Suchard and Ovomaltine. Brands from the watch industry such as Swatch, Hublot, Tag Heuer, Tissot, Omega and IWC are also frequently represented. With 20 Minuten, a representative of the media industry also made it into the top 20. The specialists at Unic noticed that individual products of a brand often inspire more fans than the parent brand. For example, Migros Ice Tea, with a community of 82,000 fans, is more popular than Migros itself with 35,000 fans. The brand selection of the Swiss brand poster (Markenplakat.ch) served as the basis for the survey of the top 20. The selection was supplemented on the basis of the following criteria: The brand was founded in Switzerland, it has an official Facebook page and is highly topical.
 

Cognetas has commissioned the investment bank Rothschild with the project. This was reported by the news agency Reuters according to New-business.de, but without official confirmation. The information is nevertheless very plausible, as at the end of last year there were already extensive negotiations with a large network agency regarding the sale of Commarco. In addition, the recent winning of Opel's European budget by Scholz & Friends significantly improves Cognetas' chances of getting a good price.

The global agency holding companies Omnicom, WPP and Interpublic are considered to be interested buyers. However, a purely financial investor could also show interest in the purchase Martin Sorrell, the CEO of WPP, has repeatedly expressed interest in takeovers in Germany at industry events, according to Faz.net. Alongside Serviceplan, Commarco is the largest agency in Germany that does not belong to one of the international advertising networks. Its fee-based turnover amounted to 126 million euros in 2009.
 

Every year, around 20,000 children of foreign parents and many children of parents with a migration background are born in Switzerland. Some of these parents are inadequately informed about prevention, counseling and early intervention services for their children due to insufficient language skills. Pro Juventute writes this in a press release. For this reason, the parents' guide "Pro Juventute Unser Kind" (Pro Juventute Our Child) for foreign-language parents will be launched on February 23, 2011.

Stephan Oetiker, Director of Pro Juventute, says that sustainable integration succeeds when it involves the whole family in a targeted way from the first years of life. By launching the guidebook, Pro Juventute is making "an active contribution to the integration of migrants". The parents' guide is aimed at foreign-language mothers and fathers of children aged 0 to 6 years. Parents with a migrant background receive practical information on topics such as care, nutrition, health and development as well as tips on education and upbringing for each year of their child's life. The guide is published in seven foreign languages: Albanian, Turkish, Tamil, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Portuguese, Spanish and English. The text of the brochure is easy to read and bilingual: German & foreign language or French & foreign language. Illustrations and cartoons facilitate comprehensibility and language skills as well as communication in counseling situations.

The guide is intended as a supplement to the letters to parents. These have been offering young parents support with the development, upbringing and living together with their child for 40 years. The aim is for the municipalities to integrate "Pro Juventute Our Child" into the existing parent letter distribution network and thus make an active contribution to integration and health promotion, says Pro Juventute Director Stephan Oetiker.
In the launch year 2011, Pro Juventute is making the guide available free of charge to local authorities and specialist agencies in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland.
 

After studying plastics technology, the graduate engineer FH worked at the Fraunhofer Institute as a research assistant for silicate research. Irene Portmann-Jung then began her career as a journalist at the European Economic Service in Gernsbach (Germany). In 1999, she moved to Switzerland and started as an editor at Pack aktuell. She has been working as a freelance specialist editor since 2004.

SwissPlastics is the Swiss magazine for the plastics industry and the official organ of the Swiss Plastics Association. The trade journal appears 10 times a year and is published by AZ Fachverlag.