"Buying and selling in a whole new dimension - ricardo.ch now in 3D". With this announcement, Switzerland's largest online marketplace enticed its members to calibrate their computer screens for the supposed 3D output. Of course, Ricardo.ch does not actually offer 3D images, the whole thing was just an April Fool's joke. Ricardo.ch enticed its members to carry out the calibration with somewhat absurd-looking instructions such as creating an "artificial blur" or "3D image acceleration". In this way, the hoax very effectively showed that a majority of members trust the auction service. The alleged calibration of the screen went so far that it began to flicker as if before a supposed crash. Less than 20 percent of Ricardo.ch customers who started the calibration canceled it before the end. It remains to be said that the remaining 80 percent involved a membership of over 20,000 people.
Responsible at Ricardo.ch: Lukas Thoma (Head of Marketing & Communication, overall responsibility), Barbara Zimmermann (Head of PR, project management), Marlon Chng (Brand & Advertising Manager), Marco Ciarfaglia (programming), Thomas Gemein (design).

MSN is implementing Glo.com together with the US publishers Berman Braun and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S.. The focus is clearly on topics such as style, fashion and beauty. Readers are offered a new issue once a day in the style of a daily newspaper. The layout of the website with generous images is also reminiscent of the cover of a classic magazine. Vertical navigation leads to the content.
According to Microsoft, the new women's portal aims to establish a new digital brand that breaks away from the rules of traditional web portals and print magazines and offers women a unique user experience. Glo.com will be marketed together with HFM. Brands such as Vaseline, JC Penney and Fox have already booked their first advertising space.

The aim of the visit is to find out about the media and advertising landscape in Switzerland. The agency has planned various presentations and a workshop for the afternoon - with a task just like the ones that agencies face on a day-to-day basis. The agency is breaking new ground when it comes to training. For example, its graphics apprentice was able to learn at Lars Müller Publishing in a publishing house and at Startbahnwest in an advertising agency. In 2009, the agency and its team of students also won the prize for the best strategy at the Advertising Congress in Berlin, the largest German-language event for young talent on the subject of advertising.

As a music specialist and layout artist, Bigler played a major role in the relaunch of Emmental's regional radio station in spring 2008. Matthias Reuteler, who will be stepping into her shoes on May 1, 2010, was previously a layout producer at Capital FM.

The interview was conducted between Stefanie Kägi, author of the master's thesis "Der Werberaum der Stadt Zürich: Eine Analyse der Akteure, Regeln und Macht" and Christian Hänggi, board member of IG Plakat | Raum | Gesellschaft: The most important players are APG, Clear Channel, some smaller poster companies and the City of Zurich. The only civil society player that makes a public appearance is IG Plakat | Raum | Gesellschaft. Stefanie Kägi describes the City of Zurich as the most powerful player, as the Department of Buildings can refuse permission for new poster sites. However, the city only earns money from posters that are placed on public land. It has no income whatsoever from the 6,000 or so posters on private land, which shine into the public space and can only develop their advertising impact thanks to it. According to Hans Imesch and Christian Hänggi, a usage fee should be considered here. The distinction between public and private property has become largely obsolete and should give way to a new term that does justice to the field of perception of passers-by.
Cities without outdoor advertising
There are cities that do not allow outdoor advertising. According to Christian Hänggi, this is often due to one of two reasons. Either the city administration gives up in exasperation because it cannot cope with the uncontrolled growth or because it cannot gain the necessary respect from the private sector. This is the case in São Paulo, for example. Similar signs can be observed in Geneva. On the other hand, as in the case of Bergen in Norway, resistance to the privatization of public space by international corporations can also come from below, for example from a politically engaged art scene. The Swiss Heritage Society also took up the fight against billposting in its founding years.
Co-determination in the design of public spaces
For Stefanie Kägi, action is needed in four areas if participation in the design of public space is to take on a more democratic form. Firstly, the business of public space must become transparent and comply with the public principle. Today, billboard contracts are kept under lock and key and both the city and market players are stingy with information. Secondly, better access to advertising space must be guaranteed. This is partly the case today with free posters for cultural causes. All other poster formats can only be booked by larger companies due to the financial hurdles, and, as Kyros Kikos from the Rote Fabrik concept office pointed out, wild posters are punished with severe fines. Thirdly, the poster medium must not only provide information, but also create an opportunity for communication, i.e. encourage dialog about the use of public space. Stefanie Kägi is thinking, for example, of white spaces that can be written on and painted on by everyone. Fourthly, she sees a need for all stakeholders, the administration, civil society and the market society to enter into a dialog with each other.
However, all those involved doubt that such a dialog is possible. Bernard Liechti, current head of the Office for Billboards, did not take part in the discussion as it is not his job to make policy. Beat Holenstein accuses IG PRG of not wanting any billboard advertising in the city and canton of Zurich, which makes dialog impossible. Christian Hänggi, on the other hand, says that the market society is striving for far-reaching deregulation and a free market economy that aims to maximize profits and refuses to allow civil society to participate.

The latest data protection study by Microsoft shows that 20 percent more HR decision-makers check online reputations than applicants pay attention to them. Over 70 percent of German HR decision-makers emphasize the importance of a positive online profile, but less than half of Internet users pay attention to their online reputation. A large proportion of HR decision-makers also state that they search the web for information on applicants, even though this is not part of the company's official application process.
With its new, free exposé, the Yasni people search now offers the opportunity to better present yourself and your skills and to increase your findability on the Internet for personnel decision-makers. To further increase visibility, the exposé can be optimized for specific search terms.

American magazines such as the Times and daily newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal were already offering specially programmed digital editions when the iPad went on sale. However, the first buyers are not at all enthusiastic about the new offer. This is primarily due to the excessive price differences between the digital and print offerings. Time charges 4.99 dollars per iPad edition. The content in the print version costs users less than 40 cents. The situation is similar with the Wall Street Journal, although the price differences are less striking.
According to the Tages-Anzeiger, one reason for the price increases is the iTunes business model, in which Apple now also sells books, newspapers and magazines in addition to music, series and films. Apple receives 30 percent of the proceeds. Publishers could even become dangerously dependent if Apple were to set up a kiosk for newspapers and magazines alongside the iBooks book corner and thus monopolize the sale of digital news, the Tages-Anzeiger continues.
Nevertheless, most publishing houses are taking their first steps with the new medium. The publishing house Tamedia is also planning an offer - together with Ringier, NZZ and Swisscom.

The country and product websites, some of which were previously managed autonomously, have been consolidated structurally, visually and technologically. The new web platform's information architecture is strictly geared towards customer segments. Regionalizable content areas take account of country-specific circumstances and requirements. The standardized visual appearance also supports brand communication.

With the launch of M-stars.ch, the past history of Mbudget-kult.ch will be taken up, but without the previous emphasis on the M-Budget design. The green and orange will still be there, but M-Stars is focusing on new subjects that are or were generally found in the Migros world. Own brands - such as Einmalzin or Mirador - as well as the Migros umbrella brand will be implemented in a contemporary and surprising form and are aimed at young people and the young at heart. For example, T-shirts will feature the ice cream packaging designs of the vanilla or fraise/strawberry flavors. The range of T-shirts, jackets and underwear, on the other hand, will now change seasonally or increasingly adapt to the time of year. There will be additions to the range for the bathing season and the football World Cup, or for the Christmas business, which will not be available in any Migros store but only in the online store.
The marketing and event agency Premotion had previously worked with Migros to ensure that the green and orange M-Budget design was also available to wear. The Lucerne-based company is now launching M-Stars in collaboration with Allink.Creative, which will be continuously developed and supported. An ambassador network, advertisements, a teaser film and the distribution of Masani Cards in the largest Swiss cities will increase awareness of the online store in the coming weeks. The aim is also to reactivate existing customers/members of the M-Budget cult.

A flash mob was organized for this campaign last Easter Tuesday in Zurich's Niederdorf district. Star TV was there and provides the hottest pictures and background information on the "Go with your senses" campaign.

This, the current spots of the week - and of course a highlight from the Cannes reel - can be seen on Star TV or streamed at any time on www.startv.ch.
Advertising week on Star TV: New every Thursday at 19:30 on Star TV.

Spieler succeeds Andreas Durisch, the outgoing editor-in-chief of the Sonntagszeitung. According to Spieler in a press release issued on Wednesday, his main concern is the promotion of journalistic quality in the Swiss media and the further training of journalists.
The editors-in-chief of the Swiss print and electronic media elected Markus Eisenhut, co-editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger, and Ariane Dayer, new editor-in-chief of Le Matin Dimanche, as new members of the Board. Also represented on the Board are: Hannes Britschgi from Sonntagsblick, Catherine Duttweiler from Bieler Tagblatt, Colette Gradwohl from Landbote, Béat Grossenbacher from SDA, Rudolf Matter from Schweizer Radio DRS and Daniel Weber from NZZ Folio. The Editors-in-Chief Conference has a total of 55 members. All of Switzerland's major private media companies are represented, as well as the editors-in-chief of Swiss Television SF and Swiss Radio DRS.

The Zurich event agency is turning the tables for once and letting potential clients pitch for a free event. Until 16 April 2010, all interested companies from Switzerland can apply with their event marketing project and have the opportunity to win the entire creative and organizational services of the internationally active event marketing agency for handling the submitted project. The value of the prize is around 20,000 to 70,000 francs, depending on the scope of the event.
La Folie has secured the media relations agency Contcept as a partner for this project. Depending on the project or concept, the agency will expand the profit with its services.
At the end of April, a jury consisting of experts from the event, advertising and media industries will assess the projects submitted and select the most unusual project with the greatest creative challenge
and choose the winner.