Last but not least: Turn off the TV and play with Lego!

Children today spend a lot of time in front of the TV. Too much, according to toy manufacturer Lego. To lure children away from the TV, the company has convinced the children's channel Nickelodeon to take a break from broadcasting on World Play Day.

Anyone who wants to watch the Nickelodeon entertainment program between 12 noon and 6 p.m. on 28 May 2010 is out of luck. On behalf of Lego, there will be radio silence on the children's channel. The break is intended to encourage children to pass the day in a different way. Yes, we often forget that there are other ways to occupy ourselves - for example with a game from the Danish manufacturer. It remains to be seen whether the children will actually pick up a Lego game during the break, or simply switch to another TV channel or do something else - or even nastier, have fun with a rival product. In order to minimize this risk, the following information is provided in advance Nick.de numerous game packages were raffled off.

Basler Zeitung sells local newspapers

Die Basler Zeitung verkauft ihren Lokalzeitungsbereich: Die LV Lokalzeitungen Verlags AG mit den Titeln Allschwiler Wochenblatt, Birsfelder Anzeiger, Muttenzer & Prattler Anzeiger sowie dem Internetportal Reinacherzeitung.ch geht an die Friedrich Reinhardt AG in Basel. Der Verkauf erfolgt rückwirkend auf den 1. Mai 2010.

Thanks to this transaction, Friedrich Reinhardt Verlag, which publishes the Birsigtaler Bote and the Riehener Zeitung, among others, will be able to better cover the Basel agglomeration with its local newspapers, according to a press release issued on Tuesday. All titles are to be continued and there are no plans to reduce the circulation area or editorial teams. For its part, Basler Zeitung wants to expand and strengthen the local area in its own product. The sale of the publishing unit LV Lokalzeitungen is a further step towards concentrating on the core business of paid daily newspapers, according to the publisher.

Reactions to the election of the new SRG Director General

Reactions to Roger de Weck’s election as the new Director General of the SRG were not long in coming. The SP and CVP welcome de Weck’s appointment. The media unions are also pleased. The SVP, on the other hand, calls it a «political appointment» and expresses disappointment. The FDP is skeptical.

Weck's opponent, FDP National Councillor Filippo Leutenegger, declared himself "surprised". He did not want to say much about his election defeat. "I wish Roger de Weck all the best for this challenging task," said Leutenegger. De Weck may have many skills, but he lacks management experience, said Zurich National Councillor and FDP Vice President Markus Hutter. Managing a company with over 6,000 employees and implementing reforms is an enormous challenge.

SVP: "Red state television"
Christoph Mörgeli from the SVP was extremely unhappy. "I'm not surprised that left-wing Swiss television has chosen such a figure. It's just a particular irony of fate that one of the most fanatical EU high priests gets this post," the politician commented on the election on Blick.ch. "I also wonder how he will manage the SRG - after all, he has been writing against the market economy for decades."
SVP National Councillor Ulrich Giezendanner also had clear words: with the left-liberal pro-European Roger de Weck, everything remains the same: "Red state television", he told the news agency SDA. The lobbying of the bourgeois circles was probably simply too short-term, Giezendanner said in self-criticism. However, his 21-strong bourgeois "media group" will now become even more active. The Zurich SVP National Councillor and AUNS Managing Director Hans Fehr senses a scandal: objective and balanced reporting under the "EU turbo squared" is a mockery.
The SVP is also seeking talks with de Weck: in a communiqué, the party expects him to "clarify his position on important political and entrepreneurial issues and on the SVP" in the coming weeks.

SP and CVP satisfied
The CVP and SP were delighted with the new SRG Director General. De Weck is an avowed fighter against polarization in the country, said CVP spokesperson Marianne Binder. Her party hopes that he will also be successful at radio and television and strengthen solution-oriented, constructive and pragmatic approaches. SP National Councillor Hans-Jürg Fehr characterized the designated SRG Director General as a "convinced fighter for the public service". De Weck is a good choice precisely because he comes from journalism and is not a manager, said the Schaffhausen SP politician.

Media unions delighted
With de Weck's election, the SRG Board of Directors is sending a clear signal and demonstrating that journalistic quality and diversity will be its top business priority in the future, Impressum announced on Tuesday. The company is confident that with its new Director General, SRG will remain a reliable social partner, a fair employer and a guarantor of internal and external press freedom and quality journalism.
De Weck is a person of political and human integrity, said Comedia spokesperson Nina Scheu on Tuesday at the request of the SDA news agency. Barbara Büttner from the Swiss Syndicate of Media Professionals (SSM) noted that the designated SRG Director General represents the kind of public service she would like to see.
The Swiss Trade Association (SGV), on the other hand, has doubts as to whether De Weck is fit for concordance: De Weck has marginalized large sections of the population with his previous journalistic and political commitment, writes the association. He is therefore not suitable for promoting the "idée suisse", which is based on balance in the monopoly media sector.

Content & Form: Matthias Städeli Joins the Executive Board

Inhalt & Form continues to expand its advertising, branding, and digital media divisions. Matthias Städeli joined the executive board of the Zurich-based agency on May 1, 2010.

The 38-year-old consultant and federally certified marketing manager brings many years of leadership and hands-on experience in communications agencies as well as in the field of new media, the agency states in a press release. His primary focus is on developing cross-disciplinary communications solutions, both online and offline.

ZMS/PMA Media Monitoring becomes ZMS Monitoring Services

After 20 years, ZMS/PMA Medienbeobachtung has a new face. As of June 1, 2010, the AG will operate under the name ZMS Monitoring Services. The activities will also be reorganized into three divisions.

The "Media Monitoring" division is managed by Annemarie Kaser, Director Sales Department Media Monitoring. The "Ad Monitoring" division provides information on advertising media and media spending. It is headed by Ivo Knüsel, Director Sales & Media. The "Analytics" division bundles media analyses in sport, business, politics and culture as well as sponsorship success monitoring. The company will also be providing information on the latter at the ZMS Analytics Summit on June 8, 2010. Stephan Wyss, Head of Sales Department/Member of the Management Board, is responsible for the "Analytics" division.
More information: Zms.ch.

YouTube Turns Five—and Keeps Growing

Das Internetvideoportal Youtube feiert seinen fünften Geburtstag und erfreut sich steigender Beliebtheit. Die Zahl der abgerufenen Clips hat sich innerhalb des letzten Halbjahres verdoppelt. Inzwischen sind es über zwei Milliarden, die jeden Tag von Millionen von Nutzern angeklickt werden. Analysten gehen nun davon aus, dass Youtube dieses Jahr erstmals einen Profit für Google abwerfen könnte.

Zunehmend streamt das Portal auch ganze Filme, entweder als Einzelkaufangebot oder mit Werbeunterbrechungen. Allerdings ist die Auswahl derzeit noch sehr begrenzt. Bisher ist es Youtube nicht gelungen, mit amerikanischen Filmstudios oder TV-Sendern eine Partnerschaft einzugehen. Obwohl pro Minute 24 Stunden Videomaterial neu auf Youtube geladen werden, verbringt der durchschnittliche Nutzer nur gerade 15 Minuten pro Tag auf dem Portal. Zum Vergleich: Der typische US-Fernsehzuschauer sitzt über fünf Stunden vor dem TV-Gerät. Aber Youtube nutzt die wachsende Popularität, um im Werbemarkt aggressiver aufzutreten. Eine Rolle dürfte das Portal auch bei den neusten Plänen des Mutterhauses spielen, das diese Woche in San Francisco «Google TV» vorstellen wird, eine Softwareplattform fürs Fernsehen, das der Internetkonzern gemeinsam mit Sony, Intel und Logitech entwickelt.

Mitlinks: A Website You Can Listen To

Mitlinks hat für die Agentur Marina Schramm aus Düsseldorf eine neue Website gestaltet. Diese will vor allem gehört und erst in zweiter Linie gelesen werden.

Die schlicht gestaltete Seite rückt dabei die Schauspieler und deren Hörproben ins Zentrum. Bei den Schauspielern, die in den Bereichen Werbung, Hörspiel und Hörbuch mit der Agentur Marina Schramm zusammenarbeiten, handelt es sich um Bühnen-, Film- und Synchronschauspielern, darunter auch Patrick Güldenberg vom Schauspielhaus Zürich. Das Design der Seite basiert auf den bestehenden Kommunikationsunterlagen der Agentur. Das Corporate Design ist dafür sanft weiterentwickelt und erweitert worden.

Verantwortlich bei der Agentur Marina Schramm: Marina Schramm (Agenturinhaberin). Responsible for co-links: Lorenzo Mutti (CD), Roland Hunziker (Projektleitung).

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Wunderman: Radio Spots for Internet Explorer

Wundermann hat für Microsoft zwei neue Radiospots umgesetzt. Diese machen auf die Vorteile des Internet Explorer 8 aufmerksam.

Die Spots nehmen die InPrivate-Funktion zur Erhöhung der Sicherheit als Kernbotschaft auf. Diese sorgt dafür, dass Nutzer exakt bestimmen können, welche Daten gespeichert und welche in Cache, Cookies und Verlauf festgehalten werden.

> To the spot 1
> To the spot 2

Responsible at Microsoft: Daniel Furger (Marcom Lead, Consumer & Online Switzerland), Christina Prinzip (Windows Channel Manager, Consumer & Online Switzerland), Nicole Josi (Marketing Communications Manager, Central Marketing Group). Responsible at Wunderman: Florian Tillmann (Text/Konzept), Roger Rüegger (Creative Direction), Carmela Carbone (Projekt-Management), Dario Bernardi (Projektleitung).

Flowcube: Brand and Product PR for Maag

Flowcube Communications ist neu für Syngenta Agro Schweiz im Einsatz. Die Agentur mit Hauptsitz in Zürich wurde vom Pflanzenschutzmittelhersteller mit der PR- und Medienarbeit für die Marke Maag beauftragt.

Die Geschichte der Marke Maag reicht über 165 Jahre zurück. Darunter wird eine breite Palette an Pflanzenpflege- und Pflanzenschutzprodukten angeboten: jene für private Gartenbesitzer und Pflanzenliebhaber unter der Marke Maag, diejenige für professionelle Anwender unter der Marke Maag profi.

Sunrise with new media spokesperson

Roger Schaller will become Sunrise's new media spokesperson effective June 1, 2010. He will replace Gottardo Pestalozzi, who is leaving the company.

Until now, Roger Schaller has been in charge of public affairs in Sunrise’s Corporate Communications department. He is likely known to many media professionals as a specialist in antenna permit applications, environmental issues, and government relations. Gottardo Pestalozzi, who has served as media spokesperson since 2006, will head the «WSL Communications» team at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research in Birmensdorf near Zurich, effective June 1, 2010.

German Cartel Office Investigates DDP's Acquisition of AP

The German Federal Cartel Office is closely scrutinizing the merger of the news agencies DDP and AP Deutschland. The investigation was triggered by a complaint from rival agency DPA, which had urged the Cartel Office to investigate the merger of the two competitors.

Antitrust regulators are now examining the merger’s impact on the media market. If they conclude that the merger creates or strengthens a dominant market position, they may impose conditions. According to a spokesperson, the newly formed news agency group DAPD DDP—comprising AP and DDP—intends to provide the Federal Cartel Office with all necessary information as soon as possible. No major objections to the merger are expected from the competition authorities. The emergence of a second full-service agency alongside DPA does not impair competition but rather stimulates it.

Planet Lucerne: Ramseier Bets on the Power of Nature

Ramseier Suisse has launched a campaign to mark its 100th anniversary. Among other products, the campaign promotes the new Ramseier Apple Cranberry. The advertising agency Planet Luzern created the ad concepts for the campaign.

The visuals are intended to convey the product’s features and underscore the «Power of Nature» positioning. The campaign is accompanied by a comprehensive communications package consisting of traditional media (billboards and advertisements in consumer magazines and the Sunday press), point-of-sale materials, sales promotion activities, and online marketing. Additional initiatives cover the entire product range: For example, Ramseier has launched a national Band Competition as well as a Fundraiser Launched in cooperation with SBB Rail Away. These measures, along with a sponsorship partnership with Slow Up, are intended to highlight attributes such as «naturalness,» «quality,» and «down-to-earth charm.».

Responsible at Ramseier Suisse: Marco Imfeld (Head of Marketing), Jürg Emmenegger (Brand Manager), Celine Stierli (Brand Manager's Assistant). Responsible at Planet: Silvan Kaeser (CD), Reto Odermatt (Graphic Design), Sonia Baumann and Stephanie Waller (Consulting). Photography: Pascal Kamber.

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