It all started at the beginning of October. Alena Gerber took over the moderation of Usgang.tv. The poster of little Larissa, with which the police, TCS and bfu had previously promoted road safety, gave the makers of Usgang.tv the idea of launching a similar campaign with ex-Playboy model Alena. The TCS, the bfu and the police were annoyed. The poster was a plagiarism and its creators "clueless and unimaginative", they said. Usgang.tv then had to withdraw the campaign.
Two weeks later, the Bild newspaper wanted to know how the ex-Playmate was received as a German presenter in Switzerland. SVP National Councilor Hans Fehr, of all people, was asked by Bild. Here's his answer: "For national consciousness and Helvetic identity, it's important that media leaders speak Swiss German!"
Well, whether a job at Usgang.tv, the Internet television of the party portal Usgang.ch, is the right platform for "media leaders" remains to be seen. But it is not to be assumed that Fehr with his 62 years is a regular viewer of Usgang.tv. That could be even more the case with 28-year-old Erich Hess, the president of the Young Swiss People's Party (JSVP). The latter then also expertly says: "Alena Gerber has a typical German arrogance! Swiss presenters belong on Swiss stations. She should look for a job in Germany, not stay with us."
Halali, the hunt is on! Bild headlines: "SVP politicians mob German presenter", Blick counters: "Presenter Alena: As fake as her breasts". It continues in the same style.
A new round: Alena proposes a meeting with the young politician from Bern. Hess accepts the invitation and even skips a city council meeting to do so (So-so!). SonntagsBlick plays host and the two squabblers get closer: "I wouldn't have thought you were a gentleman of the old school," says Elena. Erich replies, "With such a beautiful woman, I can't resist." Oh how beautiful!
One day later, they made a big joint appearance on TeleZüri. Markus Gilli is very taken with the busty presenter and the SVP young politician also seems to have eaten coal. Happy ending?
I can't help but think that the whole story smells too much like a media production. The story was launched by the German Bild-Zeitung, which belongs to the Axel Springer Group. Usgang.tv also belongs to Springer. Honi soit qui mal y pense!
In any case, Usgang.tv is now on everyone's lips and they have achieved what they wanted.
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]

A recovery is not expected in the coming year either. If anything, such a recovery would occur only «in homeopathic doses,» Fürstner continued. The number of employees fell by 4.75 percent, although a further decline is expected in 2010. However, revenue is likely to stabilize in the coming year.
The association senses a «latent sense of uncertainty,» particularly in the advertising market. Here, preference is given to daily media because of their ability to drive sales through advertising.
.
www.kress.de

Currently, 11 percent of people in Switzerland use e-books. Surprisingly, the largest group of non-users consists of young people between the ages of 14 and 19, who are generally considered tech-savvy.
As a study by the online market research institute Marketagent.com shows, however, the high proportion of non-users among young people cannot be explained by the fact that young people no longer read. The still-high price of e-readers, however, could be one of the reasons for the reluctance of this young demographic. In fact, the proportion of non-readers in this age group was no higher than in other age groups. As the study further shows, e-books are widely known in Switzerland (74 percent). Thirty-six percent of current non-users can imagine reading e-books, but for nearly half, this option is not really an option or is out of the question entirely. The traditional book, therefore, has not yet had its day. As part of the study, approximately 500 people between the ages of 14 and 59 were surveyed in Switzerland in October.

The media industry is actually accustomed to maintaining diverse business relationships. In the past, however, it tended to call the shots: it determined how high the bill would be for readers and advertisers. Now that the range of offerings and customer expectations are multiplying, it is struggling to present flexible combinations in the market. There are no magic formulas in this new media reality. What’s needed are customized hybrid solutions.
In times of crisis, preachers are in high demand. Those who, as consultants, sell guaranteed formulas for success or, as vendors in the marketplace, offer the latest craze, have the loudest voices. Those who handle values and achievements with care, who don’t jump on every bandwagon, and who are careful to keep their finances in order, on the other hand, speak softly. Since the loud ones drown out the quiet ones, only one message is heard: Everything on the internet is free. Those who offer valuable content generate sufficient revenue through advertising. And if they also achieve a high level of recognition, they can earn a little extra on speaking stages and other platforms. However, only a few people truly find happiness with this formula. It works only under very specific conditions. Those who don’t meet these conditions must find their own formula for happiness.
So the old recipes no longer work, and the new “cures” don’t live up to their promises. That means: back to square one. Analyze the starting point without sentimentality. Learn from the mistakes and success stories of others. And look within: What are my strengths? How can I present myself confidently in the information market? And for what can I charge a fair price?
At the recent trend conference on pricing in the media market organized by the Media Institute, a number of interesting, customized solutions were presented. In Germany, 34 newspaper publishers have joined forces and market their 150 online titles through a company they own. As a result, they are now able to reach over ten million unique users each month. As OMS Managing Director Georg Hesse explained, their video offerings are designed so that the advertising, films, and technical solutions are all coordinated. This bundling of resources pays off for everyone involved.
In the Swiss advertising market, the Neue Luzerner Zeitung will introduce a new pricing structure effective January 1, 2010. Otto Meier, a media marketing consultant, presented the concept: In the future, advertising rates will be divided into three categories: Top-line, Baseline, and Profitline. Prices for major clients are subject to negotiation. Axel Springer’s offerings in Germany have been given a clear structure in a different way: Rates are lower depending on the time frame in which the ads are booked. Those who book their advertising a full year in advance benefit the most financially.
Differentiated Pricing
In the consumer market, only a few newspapers and magazines have so far offered differentiated and transparent pricing structures. Today, anyone who pays for an expensive newspaper subscription—and can access the same content for free online at the same time—feels they’re getting a raw deal. In effect, they are paying only for paper, printing, and distribution. Does this mean the content isn’t worth anything to them? This puts a serious strain on the relationship with loyal, paying readers. As a result, combined offers are becoming increasingly common: subscribers receive online access to content that is exclusively available to them. Only a portion of the content is available for free online. *Der Beobachter* is consistently pursuing this approach: As Managing Director Roland Wahrenberger reports, the magazine is successfully attracting new subscribers through its online presence. Subscriptions to online newsstands that provide access to various titles are also a possibility. This is a solution that Newspaperdirect now offers with over 1,000 international titles.
What are print readers paying for?
«We can’t compete by keeping prices low,» noted media economist Robert Picard. Online users behave differently than print readers. They are “promiscuous,” reading barely one article per site. But what is the service that print readers pay for? Not for the news itself, but for the editorial work of selection, research, and curation into a single presentation. The entire package is the product, not a single text. When traditional media providers move online, they must therefore be aware of what they’re bringing to market and where, so that they can finance their editorial efforts in the long term. Picard’s advice, therefore, is this: Every publisher must decide what works best for their products. However, they must not lose control over customer data, advertising, and pricing—and, above all, they must guide users to their most valuable offerings.
“More and more, cheaper and cheaper, or free” is a formula that works for only a few providers. For the vast majority of medium-sized and smaller players, therefore, the same rule applies as before: develop unique qualities that allow them to meet the specific needs of their audience and advertisers. The combination of traditional media formats with fair online offerings results in a multitude of unique hybrid formulas for success.

It’s February 11, 2009. High above Zurich’s Limmatplatz, in the so-called Migros Media House, Lorenz Brügger is sitting across from me. The man has thinning hair and a broad smile—actually, it’s more of a mischievous grin, as if he knows something we don’t… especially since it somehow doesn’t seem to fit his (energetic) officer’s demeanor. Statements run through my mind that describe him as a tough, downright tenacious communicator who speaks directly and honestly. Words like «abrupt» and «stubborn» have also been mentioned in this context. But as his brother, Chris Brügger, will later confide in me, the 41-year-old has “a soft core inside his hard shell.” Lorenz Brügger still has a close relationship with his brother Chris today. Not least, their offbeat sense of humor binds the two of them together. They can burst out laughing together at the slightest cue, while those around them are completely baffled. That’s why his wife, Niska, coined the term “Brügger humor.”.
Well, I’ll find out just how «soft» he really is as our conversation progresses. For now, though, I’m sitting across from the “tough publishing executive,” as his coworkers describe him.
Brügger speaks candidly and in depth about his career, his «commuter lifestyle»—which takes him to Ticino on the weekends—and his family: his wife Niska and his two daughters, Ambra and Giorgia, while he spends his workweek right here in Zurich.
This early riser seems to have several hours of work ahead of him. I’ll admit, we journalists aren’t exactly known for our early-morning work ethic; Brügger, however, seems fresh, full of energy, and—which makes me, still a bit nostalgic for my lunch break, feel a little uneasy—100 percent ready. Seriously: Is this a human being or a workhorse? I wonder if Lorenz Brügger is one of those executives for whom failure is a foreign concept—at least when it comes to their subordinates—and for whom there’s no such thing as free time; only work and success matter. At this point, I have no idea that I’m completely wrong.
To lighten the mood a bit and put myself on the same level as him, I ask about his move from Espacemedia—where Brügger worked for five and a half years—to Migros Media. After he mentions the major challenge and opportunity that this new position—which he’s held for just under a year—brings him, we engage in a bit of small talk. It can’t hurt. But Lorenz Brügger makes it unmistakably clear to me, still smiling, that he doesn’t think much—in fact, nothing at all—of small talk. And as words like «abrupt» flash through my mind, I change my strategy. Or maybe I’m simply where Lorenz Brügger has been for a long time: right in the middle of the conversation. He is indeed «determined, organized, and results-oriented,» as his former colleague at Espacemedia, Dr. Urs Schweizer, would put it. Or as his current boss, Jean-Pierre Pfister, puts it: «Tough when it counts, but with ethics.».
The longer we talk, the clearer it becomes who is actually sitting across from me. Lorenz Brügger loves lively debate—and certainly not small talk. As we discuss publishing strategies, he juts out his strong chin defiantly, as if to say, «There’s no point in arguing.» My position is clear. His endearing smile underscores his point rather than contradicting it. It almost seems as if, in Lorenz Brügger, hard-nosed business and humanity have formed a perfect symbiosis. A pleasant harmony.
I ask him where that comes from. How he manages to retain that humanity—and thus his personality—which is, after all, a rarity among far too many managers. Again, that friendly smile, as he answers me clearly and directly.
The secret lies in Ticino—or rather, it lives there. Lorenz Brügger has lived here ever since he and his wife, Niska, decided eight years ago to move to Switzerland’s «sunny corner.» At least as far as his private life is concerned. They’ve settled in Niska’s hometown of Balerna, with her parents living right nearby. Their daughters, Ambra, 12, and Giorgia, 9, attend the same school that Niska once attended. Tradition and family: Does that keep anyone from getting completely swallowed up by business? One thing is clear: Lorenz Brügger can count on a strong woman by his side. A woman like Niska, who has been supporting her «Sunnyboy» for nearly 20 years now. It is here with her that his softer side has taken root. This is the haven of peace to which Lorenz Brügger retreats—indeed, must retreat—on weekends to recharge his batteries for his professional challenges. Of course, even here, the manager in him gets the better of him every now and then. Then Lorenz Brügger grows impatient and seeks out in picturesque Sottoceneri the very same challenges he tackles in Zurich. Niska Maspoli Brügger calls these outbursts «dictating the agenda,» and she knows all too well how to handle them: a stern look into his eyes is enough, and the publishing executive gives way to the responsible husband and father that he also is. There it is again, that soft core… A core from which not only his wife and daughters benefit. Lorenz Brügger wouldn’t be a “good boss, a man of class” if he didn’t let his colleagues, his business partners—simply his Zurich circle—share in his true nature.
As simple as the term «human» may be, it hits the nail on the head when it comes to Lorenz Brügger. Few managers are so clear and open—and always fair. No matter how difficult the situation may be, Lorenz Brügger «is a good judge of character and possesses a sensitivity that one wishes others would have.» The workplace might then perhaps seem a little more human… snu

Not everything used to be better - but most things were. Wish lists to the Christ Child, for example. As a little girl, I used to rack my brains just before Christmas as to the best way to start: "Dear Christ Child, I would like ..." Perhaps a little undiplomatic. "Dear baby Jesus, I've been good (ask mummy) and would like ..." That's better. At the beginning of December, my siblings and I wrote our wish lists full of devotion and, just to be on the safe side, drew what we wanted from the bottom of our hearts: Doll or teddy bear, fire engine or store. Maybe the Christ Child doesn't have time to read.
Painting encouraged our creativity as well as our modesty: I found it hard enough to draw exactly the teddy bear I wanted. There was no time to put the doll's pram and the bicycle on paper as well. After all, the wish list had to be on the windowsill outside my parents' bedroom in time for the first Advent.
And what do wish lists look like today? I stopped drawing them a long time ago, but my eldest godchild is just starting. With the same meticulousness as I did back then. Line by line, as precisely as possible, so that the Christ Child knows exactly what to bring.
I'm glad the little one isn't leafing through advertising brochures yet. Last week, the Coop brochure for children's toys was circulated. "For children's dreams" is written on the front. A Christmas tree, baubles and lots of large packages make it unmistakably clear that it's already Christmas. After all, it's already the beginning of November. Oh well.
Even the grown-up child is overwhelmed when leafing through the pages: Teddy or dinosaur, doctor's case or the magical bead weaving frame? "It's not easy to draw something like that," I'm thinking - then I notice the sheet of glue in the middle of the booklet. How wonderful! All the toys that awaken children's desires at the front and back are depicted in miniature in the middle. On stickers. Why draw or paint? Just peel them off and you're done. Thank you, Coop. After all, today's children have little time to worry about their wish lists. The older kids probably take a quick photo with their cell phone and send a wish MMS to their parents. Wish list? The Coop calls it a "wish list". And means "order form". Well then: Merry Christmas!
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm

One of the most common causes of accidents on Swiss roads is driving at an inappropriate speed. The Swiss Insurance Association (SVV) and the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (bfu) want to combat this problem. Through their Road Safety Fund (FVS), a pitch was announced. Rod won the creative competition and can now present a broad-based campaign. The prevention effort is designed to appeal equally to young drivers and motorcyclists of all ages. Rod encapsulated the central idea in a campaign brand: «Slow down. Take it easy.» This is interpreted as synonymous with a slower-paced lifestyle and an engaging creative concept. The aim is to encourage drivers to adjust their speed to the prevailing conditions as well as their own driving ability and to take it down a notch.
The message is communicated through a variety of coordinated measures and advertising channels. Posters serve as reminders along heavily trafficked roads. The ad campaigns also appear as in-game advertisements in popular games such as «Need for Speed,» «Burnout,» and «Trackmania.» A TV commercial features the song «Slow down. Take it easy,» composed specifically for the campaign by hit producer Romand Camenzind. The clip is primarily aired on channels targeting young audiences, such as Viva and MTV.
The song is performed by the guardian angel Franky Slow Down, who thus becomes the key visual for the entire campaign. pan
> «Garage» Commercial»
> «Landstrasse» Commercial»
> Guerrilla Intro to the Campaign

"Franky Slow Down" by the real band Da Sign & The Opposite has the potential to be the key visual.

Posters around town and entire walls of posters along the way.

In the third quarter, the surplus fell by almost 40 percent to 661 million dollars. However, the profit of the company, which is one of the world's largest media groups, was still better than analysts had feared. In addition, a one-off gain from the sale of the cable division had boosted earnings in the previous year.
Compared to the same period last year, sales fell by six percent to 7.1
billion dollars. This was also due to weaker DVD and movie business. As Time Warner announced in New York on Wednesday, the latest Harry Potter did not do as well as The Dark Knight a year earlier.
News Corporation, which is controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was due to present its figures on Thursday night. Walt Disney will follow next week.

www.sda.ch

Digital technologies such as HD radio, which is already in operation in the USA, or the DRM+ system developed in Germany considerably increase the capacity of the FM band. According to them, they enable the broadcasting of up to four radio stations on one analog frequency. The Federal Council now wants to improve the framework conditions for local radio stations by approving these new types of broadcasting. According to the Federal Office of Communications OFCOM, digital use of the VHF band is suitable for broadcasting radio stations in smaller coverage areas. Some time ago, the Federal Council considered DAB+ to be a more suitable digital technology for broadcasting radio stations at regional level.
The Federal Council has also decided to exempt telecommunications service providers that only broadcast radio and television program services via cable and have fewer than 5,000 customers from the obligation to register. Municipalities which operate their own cable television network are affected by this measure.

www.sda.ch

According to Marc Walder, Managing Director of Ringier Switzerland, who now has overall operational responsibility for the "Newsroom" project, it is necessary to keep pace with the rapid development of new digital media and supply readers and users 24 hours a day on all channels in order to keep up with the competition. Walder is leaving no stone unturned in the restructuring of the newsroom. In addition to an administration department, eight large departments will be created to supply all channels.
This means that all previous department heads have been removed and must apply for the news, politics, business, people, lifestyle, sport, image and layout departments by November 13. External applications will also be considered. All these positions should be filled by December 1. According to Basler Zeitung, the remaining employees should then also know their place in the newsroom by February 16, if they have one. The four editors-in-chief will coordinate the exchange of news in management teams. In the event of a dispute, CEO Walder himself will decide.

www.bazonline.ch

The spot will be heard throughout Switzerland from midweek, for the first time on November 4. In it, people who have obviously forgotten to do so are asked to return soon from their test drive. The campaign is supported by advertisements and a flyer.
Responsible at Fiat Automobiles Switzerland SA, Zurich: Rudolf Schoch, (Marketing Manager), Maurizio Melzi (Marketing Communication), Director Giusi Brullo (Communication Manager). Responsible at Weber Harbeke Partners, Zurich: Thomas Harbeke (CD), Giovanni Pucci, Christina Zvecevac, Angela Zgraggen (Consulting), Christian Sidow (Text/Direction), Priska Meyer (Art Direction), Ramon Aemmer (Graphics).Sound Studio: Selmi-Tonstudio, Zurich. Producer: Christof Grunder, Renzo Selmi. Narrators: Jeannette Eggenschwiler, Heiner Hitz.
To the spot

www.whpartners.ch

We are at level 1 of 10," says Newsnetz boss Peter Wälty about his plans in the area of local content. This also characterizes the state of affairs in the Swiss media landscape when it comes to business on the doorstep of publishers, known in industry jargon as local search: Whereas a year ago (see MTJ 2008 7/8 p. 7 ff) hardly any initiatives in this area could be discerned in Switzerland, the first claims are now being staked out. At AZ Medien AG, management member Christoph Marty even describes the local search business as the "battle zone of the future". For Marty, the goal is clear: "We want to be a strong regional and local first platform."
At the end of July 2008, Aargauer transferred the existing classified ad solutions (real estate, jobs, cars) to the new A-Z portal. Later in the same year, work began on developing the community area, which focuses on clubs, local information and events. According to A-Z project manager Roger Knabenhans, 450 clubs had set up their own presence on the publishing portal by mid-August. By the end of the year, there should be 700 - just under ten percent of the estimated total potential. Ideally, associations should not only set up a one-off presence on the portal, but also regularly disseminate news here. So far, 4,800 contributions have been received in this way. "It's hard work," comments Knabenhans on the efforts to get the clubs to actively participate and then keep them going. "We currently have a member of staff who is working very intensively, persistently and with dedication," he continues. The local editorial team of the Aargauer Zeitung selects and edits a best-of selection, which is published on half a newspaper page (per regional edition).
The extent to which Marty is right in his assessment of the battle zone of the future is shown by Tamedia, where the two online competitors 20 Minuten and Newsnetz (Tages-Anzeiger, Basler Zeitung, Berner Zeitung, Bund, Thurgauer Zeitung) set out to conquer local territory at almost the same time. Although Newsnetz boss Wälty emphasizes that the Berner Zeitung already linked local content with GoogleMaps for individual communities last year, the concept of community pages has been used by the Vorarlberg media group for years and is a role model.
Local information platforms
But Hansi Voigt, Head of Online at 20 Minuten, counters this by saying that he thinks "more" and is more comprehensive. He explains how he successfully used Google AdWords privately at the beginning of the year to place target group-specific ads. From then on, the online boss thought ahead and came up with the concept for local information platforms on the Internet. There will be a separate presence on the 20 Minuten website for all municipalities - around 2,600 of them throughout Switzerland. This will offer a range of news - from 20 Minuten articles to community announcements - as well as club news and local advertising.
When it comes to content, the magic word is aggregation - the largely automated collection and processing of content. For example, 20 Minuten has already tapped into sources for event calendars, cinema programs and sports results from the lower leagues. Information from 220 municipalities that offer corresponding data streams is also available automatically. Voigt is also focusing on activating the community of 20-minute readers so that news from the clubs, for example, can also be entered on the website. After one month, around 200 clubs throughout Switzerland have become active on 20 Minuten.
Local communities are important
For Voigt, such communities are important in the medium term in order to anchor his own offering locally. "We offer the opportunity to transport the discussions to the political base in the municipalities - others can do this too, but only we can do it across the board," he says and is convinced that the decisive factor will ultimately be "which portal is closer to people's hearts".
In order to make triage easier for the editorial team, reader reporters should be able to signal when entering an event that could potentially be of national interest - such as the fishing picture with the catch of the century, which would then appear on the national website and possibly also in the print edition. There are no plans to employ editorial staff for local information other than to accompany the start-up phase. Voigt is therefore considering other approaches: Those who are particularly active and reliable contributors are to be appointed local editor-in-chief - on a voluntary basis, of course.
Wälty is also thinking about how his local offering could become more attractive for clubs and mentions, for example, offering a complete solution for clubs on the web as a white label product or offering local music bands a platform for their songs.
While Wälty has "not yet achieved a significant increase in reach" with his local offer, Voig reports over one million visits to the local portal in September. "That's great," he says, pleased with the 7 percent growth (with around 15 million visits per month, including 20minutes.ch Romandie and Piazza.ch). The local offer has been "very well received" by users, as he knows from various online feedbacks. 20 Minuten first advertised the new online service on its own website as part of a soft launch - it waited to promote it in its own newspaper until it was sure that everything was stable.
Potential in local trade
Content is one thing - advertising is another: This is because there is still a lot of untapped potential for local online advertising, especially on the doorstep of newspaper publishers - this is one of the central premises of local search concepts. Google is an omnipresent player here. Local business ads appear on Google Maps as well as on Google Earth. Businesses can register for free on the Local Business Center and are then displayed on the corresponding map when searched for, and more recently also on Streetview. While neither the creators at Tamedia nor at AZ Medien AG have anything tangible to show here, the visions are congruent: as with Google's AdWords, advertisers should be able to enter ads online, which are then assigned to the appropriate content and displayed to users. Voigt says that an advertising solution for 20 Minuten is in preparation, while Wälty has a group-wide solution in mind ("just like Google, but better") in order to do the AdWords business himself, as Tamedia generates half a billion page views every month. For the time being, Wälty wants to enrich his own articles with additional metadata so that they can be better assigned locally and linked to suitable advertising messages. In Aarau, Roger Knabenhans hopes to soon have established his portal as the first port of call for all kinds of local information for users in the region. Once the critical mass has been reached, the local advertising business can also be fully boosted. However, he also admits that there are still hardly any recipes for success in this area and that a lot of pioneering work is still needed in terms of both technology and market development.
Local business directories
Businesses have long been targeted by others. This is actually the home turf of local business directories, which have had to transfer their long-lucrative business from print to the Internet. In Switzerland, this applies first and foremost to Local.ch, the joint venture between Swisscom and Publicitas. According to Publigroupe's annual report, over 8.5 million copies of the printed directories were distributed to around 4 million households and business addresses last year, generating advertising revenue of CHF 129.7 million; online revenue for the same period amounted to CHF 42 million. A sales team of 370 employees is deployed for this purpose, and for the current year it has been announced that the 26-strong team in the areas of software engineering and marketing will be expanded by ten additional positions. While Local.ch leads in print directories, Search.ch is ahead in terms of user numbers on the Internet. Last fall, Tamedia acquired a 75 percent stake from Swiss Post in Räber Information Management (RIM) GmbH, which operates Search.ch and is considered a true pioneer in this field. To make up ground in the advertising market, CEO Stephan Obwegeser has doubled Salesforce to around 40 positions and introduced standards from the publishing business such as package solutions and workshops for agencies and their customers. Once a good customer base has been established for Search.ch, the company will turn its attention to regional advertising markets and offer additional services for local portals in order to support them in local acquisition with its own expertise from the directory business.
Cooperation with publishers
When it comes to cooperating with publishers, Obwegeser is thinking about a Swiss news portal that is better than Google News. And the local focus makes sense, as this is Search.ch's strength. "We will never generate news content, and other media titles will not link content from other platforms - we want to step into the breach and create a platform where users can get a picture of the Swiss media landscape." He is not only seeking discussions with the Group's news portals, but is also open to active collaboration with other publishers. Unlike with Google, it will be possible to negotiate conditions. Those who participate could benefit from a free traffic engine. In return, Obwegeser wants other news portals to use Search.ch maps on their websites.
Christoph J. Walther

Nothing works without a brand
First of all, all media companies that dare to get involved in local search and thus document the innovative strength of the industry and, unlike other publishers, are able and willing to take risks with new projects are to be congratulated. These risks should not be underestimated:
If you want to receive local content directly and regularly from communities around associations at no cost, you first need an outstanding brand that is well positioned in the online world. This must be perceived as a credible popular figure, which requires animators rather than journalists. Such employees must first be found and built up. But even then, it remains difficult to achieve a unique selling proposition (USP) in the market: Even association secretaries who enjoy writing want to achieve reach and will therefore feed their sermons to several websites without much grumbling. And where this is not the case, local portals will also automatically collect such content from the competition - those who pay nothing will hardly be able to claim usage rights for themselves in order to prevent such activity.
The situation is no better in the advertising sector: Here, regional newspaper publishers lack the ground crew to explain online advertising to bakers, florists and bookshops and, at best, to sell it profitably. Once small businesses get to grips with online advertising, they will quickly discover that the entry and booking procedures hardly differ significantly between providers, but that they can achieve better reach with AdWords from Google. This is because publishers' websites play a subordinate role in the daily surfing menu of most people, while AdWords ads via the AdSense program are widespread. Publishers run the risk of falling over themselves to explain the benefits of online advertising to customers on their doorstep, with the result that they end up with arch-rival Google.
Publishers can only counter their fearful opponent if they take a joint and consolidated approach and manage to establish a dominant online brand in their catchment areas. In view of the revenue potential in the Swiss online market, even Tamedia would do well to streamline its commitments and initiatives, at least operationally. Publishers that are still on the sidelines here and do not defend their own territory are not only missing out on opportunities for online revenues, but are also falling behind in cross-media advertising space marketing. The window of opportunity is beginning to close