The Swiss Public Relations Institute SPRI has become a CIPR Qualifications Centre. Thanks to the cooperation with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations CIPR, graduates of the PR consultant training will now be able to obtain the international PR diploma. This means that preparation for the higher professional examination "eidg. dipl. PR-Berater / eidg. dipl. PR-Beraterin" simultaneously leads to the internationally valid CIPR diploma.
The CIPR is the largest PR professional association in Europe, representing the interests of its members, providing information and networking, organizing continuing education and, most importantly, issuing the internationally recognized certificates and diplomas. Training for these qualifications takes place in the UK at numerous universities which, as CIPR centers, handle training and examinations on behalf of CIPR. There are also numerous CIPR Centers at universities worldwide.
Currently, the participants of the course for PR consultants at SPRI have completed the internal certificate examination. In several partial exams, the course participants tested their acquired knowledge - a rehearsal for the federal examination. Eight people received the certificate "PR Consultant SPRI".

The Zurich agency SFLB sends Volvo customers on vacation. The agency has launched a sales campaign for Volvo Automobile Bern under the motto "Safe and affordable vacations". Every customer who buys a used car from June 8 to 13 will receive up to CHF 2,000 in vacation money and a picnic basket from Ikea Lyssach.
Posters and various online measures were created to promote the campaign, which will be used locally during the campaign week. In a media cooperation with Radio BE1, listeners can win additional vacation money via a radio quiz. A decoration concept on site is also intended to create a vacation atmosphere.
Responsible at Volvo Automobile Bern, Gümligen: Roger Ramseier (Managing Director), Miguel Leitao (Head of Marketing). Responsible at Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett: Rolf Zimmermann (overall responsibility), Patrick Suter (CD/text), Patrick Dubach, Christian Stüdi (text), Moritz Stillhart (graphics), Patricia Balliana, (consulting).

The recently created Burda Style Group has established a joint online editorial team. The Burda Style Group emerged from the merger of the Burda People Group and the Arabellastrasse publishing house. The group combines the titles Bunte, Instyle, Star Net One as well as Elle, Freundin and Burda Mode Magazin.
A head for the new editorial team is still open. According to Kress.de, there are several candidates to choose from. However, according to Burda board member Philipp Welte, nothing has been decided yet.

Lion, the magazine of the Lions Clubs of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, has transferred its advertising sales. As of July 1, the Wettingen agency Cemedia will take over this activity.
The Lion magazine reports six times a year on the activities of the Lions movement and currently reaches around 9,000 members. Last year, the magazine was modernized and its content expanded. Alfred Haas, former Managing Director of Presse Suisse, publicist Karl Lüönd and Ambros Zraggen, Head of Communications at Alp Transit Gotthard, are responsible for the launch on the editorial board.

Ruf Lanz is entering into a strategic partnership with the online agency coUNDco. According to the press release, the partnership was preceded by an intensive review process: Ruf Lanz evaluated more than 20 online agencies and, in some cases, tested them as well. The two agencies have already given their initial presentations.
CoUNDco strengthens brands through online marketing, develops online products to streamline processes, and offers collaborative marketing to build online communities.

Natalie Rickli is relinquishing her position as Head of Site Relations at Ad Link Switzerland at the end of June. From August 1, 2009, she will take over tasks and projects in the area of Strategic Partner Relation Management at Goldbach Media and IP Multimedia.
Natalie Rickli joined Ad Link Switzerland in September 2005 and has been in charge of the websites together with her team ever since. In her new role, Natalie Rickli will be a member of the management team and will mainly be responsible for partner companies of Goldbach Media and IP Multimedia as well as other companies. She will be responsible for strategic partner relations management and will oversee corresponding projects in Switzerland and other countries. The focus will be on concepts in the area of media convergence and monitoring technological and commercial development opportunities in Switzerland and abroad.

The Weber Harbeke agency is breaking new ground in product placement to promote the new Lancia model. The Lancia Delta is featured in the movie "Illuminati - Angels & Demons" and in return the Lancia commercial announces the movie. Under the slogan "One angel - 200 demons", an advertising trailer was created using original film clips to show the new Delta in action.
This reciprocal product placement was developed by the Armando Testa agency in Turin, which is represented in Switzerland by Weber Harbeke. In addition to the trailer in cinemas, internet banners are also being used to invite customers to take a test drive at a Lancia dealer. The trailer and banners have been in use throughout Switzerland since the beginning of June.
Responsible at Fiat Automobiles Switzerland SA, Zurich: Rudolf Schoch (Responsibility, Marketing Manager). Responsible at Weber Harbeke, Zurich: Thomas Harbeke (CD), Giovanni Pucci, Christina Zvecevac (consulting), Sibill Zellweger (graphics).
To the spot

Since the launch of Bing, eight percent more people have clicked on advertisements next to Microsoft's search results. In addition, the number of search services executed by Bing has increased by 20 percent compared to the week of the launch. This is according to the search engine marketing company Efficient Frontier. Overall, Bing was able to increase Microsoft's market share of online search services from 9.1 percent to 11.1 percent. This was at the expense of Google and Yahoo.

"Box Office" is the name of Swiss television's new weekly film magazine program on SF 1. After around a month on air, the Audience Council draws an initial conclusion: "Box Office" is far too short and also in the wrong slot.
Although most members of the public rate "Box Office" as topical, entertaining and informative, they would like to see more background information on film politics and Swiss filmmaking. The expansion of the range of topics covered by the film magazine compared to its predecessor program "kino aktuell" is welcomed by the audience council. Some council members doubt whether the desired range of topics can be implemented at all given the limited broadcasting time.
The Audience Council was displeased with the broadcasting time and slot. The fringe time at 11.35 p.m. does not do justice to the importance of the film and is not able to attract an additional, younger audience, according to the council members. The broadcast duration of fifteen minutes also does not do justice to a background magazine. The Audience Council would like to see the program either moved to a different time slot or extended.

The consumer program "Espresso" on Swiss Radio DRS is well received by the Audience Council. According to the Audience Council, "Espresso" covers a wide variety of topics and is a competent aid for everyday consumer life. The Audience Council is pleased that listeners are regularly involved in several elements of the program. This promotes the program's proximity to the audience and its appeal. According to the Council's observation report, the program is "a prime example of interactivity on the radio".
The internet presence was viewed controversially. The members of the Audience Council were positive about the possibility of listening to the programs or subscribing to them as podcasts. However, the clarity and structure were criticized.

The Zurich-based film production company Pumpkin Film, in collaboration with the agency Advertising, Art & Ideas ltd., has produced a 2.5-minute, fully visualized film for the dental prosthetics manufacturer Ivoclar Vivadent. This was presented for the first time on the occasion of the IDS trade fair for the dental industry, which took place in Cologne, according to a,a,&i.
> About the film
In collaboration with director and producer Götz Hudelmaier from Pumpkin Film, the electronic media team from a,a,&i under the direction of Jonas Kiefer took on the entire realization. Using 3D visualizations and compositing, artist David Purviance staged the new Phonares tooth series in a museum-like space in the form of valuable art objects.

The journalists' organization Reporters Without Borders has criticized the Iranian media's coverage of the presidential election as unbalanced. Iranian journalists are controlled by the authorities and are unable to report objectively on the event.
According to SDA, Reporters Without Borders complained that at least 15 journalists had been threatened or summoned by the authorities for questioning in the past three weeks. The journalists were prosecuted after criticizing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or expressing their political opinions in articles. In the election campaign coverage, information about Ahmadinejad's political program and the president's self-portrayals clearly predominated. His opponents each received less than two hours of speaking time on national radio and television programs, while the president received ten times that amount. A similar picture emerged in the state newspapers.

Access to Facebook blocked
In addition, the internet is being increasingly censored. Access to the social network Facebook, for example, was blocked from May 23 to 26 on the initiative of the Ministry of Information. Ahmadinejad had called on his supporters to set up blogs: According to him, there should be "10,000 militiamen for 10,000 blogs". Opposition or independent websites and blogs had been subject to hacker attacks.
Finally, embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Berlin, Paris, Rome and Madrid had rejected some applications for accreditation from foreign journalists who wanted to travel to the election. In some cases, the press attachés had demanded an "editorial quid pro quo" for a visa.