WW: It is well known that Jung von Matt/Limmat also worked on the pitch at Christmas. Did the final spurt now also have to take place over Easter?
Alexander Jaggy: I may have to dispel the image that we sat together under the Christmas tree on December 24th and played the recorder. We planned our work over the holidays very carefully in advance so that no one had to work more than three days. There were also a few things to do on Easter Monday. But the majority of the Migros team were able to enjoy the Easter holidays without any worries. Nevertheless, the time between the agency decision and the start of the campaign was extremely short. It helped that we were able to implement many ideas from the pitch package directly. It is often the case that you have to start all over again after winning a competitor presentation. That was not the case here.
The prestigious budget attracts envy. What has Jung von Matt experienced in this respect in recent weeks?
Envious people leave me cold, just like dubious online comments with imaginative aliases such as Trudi Fudi Eiernudi. On the other hand, I take objective criticism seriously. The environment is very tense and the campaign is under the "star of critical appraisal", as Werbewoche wrote in a commentary before the campaign began. We are convinced that with this campaign we have been able to launch an idea on the market that is quickly recognizable, constantly surprises and achieves Migros' goals. The new slogan is already in people's minds just a few weeks after the launch.
The previous campaigns for Migros focused primarily on customers. Now it's the suppliers, at least in the first phase. Will it stay that way for a year?
The protagonists in the films arise from the themes of freshness and regionality. There is no specific concept behind them. You will certainly see Migros customers in advertising in the future. However, I am basically of the opinion that a company should advertise its services and not tell customers what they should think of them.
One critical observer thought that the farmers in the potato commercial were portrayed as a bit clumsy - as evidenced, for example, by the potato farmer's bulbous nose, which was modeled on a potato, or the carrot supplier's buck teeth. What is the intention behind this caricature?
The dramatization with the potato noses and the hare's teeth is intended to show the farmers' passion for their product. Just as dog owners and dogs have also shown a striking resemblance over the years. I think this exaggeration is justifiable.
So far, freshness is the only argument in the opening campaign. Is this a counter-argument to Coop's natural advertising or the lack of freshness of certain discounters?
That's not entirely correct. The chicken film stands for freshness, the commercial with the potato family stands for regionality. The themes are not responses to the competition, but organically grown core values that Migros has stood for for decades.
At the start of the campaign, Switzerland was also surprised with a guerrilla campaign. You changed the place name signs with the Migros M in 57 Swiss municipalities. Did you need a lot of persuasion for this cheeky idea?
Not at all. The potential was immediately recognized and the idea was very well received. Just like the majority of the population. The aim of the campaign was not just to be cheeky, but to thank customers for their loyalty. As part of the guerrilla campaign, 1.2 million free apples were distributed.
Migros and smiles: Is it actually an unwritten law that advertising around the famous M must always be presented with an extra M of humor?
Humor also contains an M. And probably not entirely by chance. The use of humor is not only an unwritten law, but also a way to stand out from the competition's advertising.
In some respects, the two providers Coop and Migros are interchangeable for consumers. Many people shop in both stores alternately. How did you deal with this interchangeability when designing the advertising?
I don't think Migros and Coop are interchangeable. Sure, if you need cooking butter, you buy cooking butter. No matter where. But the profile of the two companies is fundamentally different. This is precisely what needs to be emphasized in communication. In terms of values, attitude and tone, Migros differs significantly from Coop.
Interview: Andreas Panzeri

Praise and criticism from passers-by

Location of the poster: Limmatplatz, Zurich
"I find the advertising funny, especially the peppers in the shape of a mouth. However, this poster doesn't seem dynamic enough to me. I didn't particularly notice Migros' change of advertising, which is why it doesn't appeal to me very much. In general, I rarely look at advertisements."
Pascal Blaser (41), Warehouse clerk
"We didn't know about Migros' new advertising. What's more, we don't find their campaign, in which they hand out an apple to every customer, particularly original. On closer inspection, one wonders in what way 'one M better'? Does this statement refer to the quality of the products or perhaps to the staff? The poster leaves many questions unanswered. We wouldn't buy Migros goods because of the new slogan, we choose them according to other criteria. The goods will probably be more expensive anyway because of the new advertising campaign."
Klara and Rosa, both pensioners
"I think the new Migros advertising is cool. What I particularly like is that it was pulled off so consistently. I think the recognition value is very high, typically Migros! It's quite inconspicuous and discreet, which is good if you want to reach a wide audience. Advertising, especially that of Migros, does not necessarily have to be aggressive. I think it's clever that you discover a lot of hidden things on closer inspection. I also really like the new TV commercials. They fascinate viewers and make them want to watch the commercials to the end. I ask myself, does a company like Migros need advertising at all?"
Claudio Zuccolini (39), presenter and comedian
"We find the new advertising anything but original. Aesthetically designed, but not exciting. Beautiful, but bland. Unfortunately quite classic, which makes it look boring. It doesn't look at all like the Migros advertising, which is usually so funny. We used to find it even funnier than the Coop ad. What's more, the M in the middle of the slogan comes across as a bit of a rip-off. You'd think it was copied from somewhere. On the other hand, we like the slogan itself. It suits Migros."
Anna (27), student, and Simone (27), teacher
"I thought it was extremely imaginative and a successful campaign that the signs in some places were pasted over and ordinary Ms were replaced with the typical Migros-M. It's something different, and the posters also draw attention to the products visually. When I first saw the ads in the newspaper, I immediately wanted to try the fresh fruit and vegetables. I also see the posters as an advertising stunt that Migros has pulled off successfully! I was also expecting a change in advertising design, especially as every large company changes its image from time to time."
Anita B. (60), worked in the medical sector
"To me, the ads seem kind of sexist and obscene, especially when you look at the peppers as mouths. This is the first time I've seen the new Migros ad. I've probably only really noticed it now, which is because it has a rather subconscious effect on me. In my opinion, the advertisement has too few striking features to distinguish it from the previous ones. I don't know whether this will encourage consumers to buy Migros organic products."
Martina S. (37), housewife
"To me, the layout looks unsuccessful, the chopped carrots look strange. What's more, the advertising was not designed in the Migros style. As you know, Migros appeals to a wide audience, and it has succeeded in doing this excellently in its previous advertising. Incidentally, I thought that was much better. I wonder about the message of the slogan - one M better - what does it want to convey to us? It's a mystery to me. The M could have been emphasized more visually. Overall, I don't think the advertising is meaningful enough. Do passers-by and customers, most of whom are under stress, even have time to think about advertising? In my opinion, advertising should be plausible and clever!"
Teresa (33), cantonal school teacher
"I like the new Migros advertising because it's humorous. It's great that Migros has come up with something new again. I find the posters interesting, as well as the successful TV commercials. I think a suitable slogan for Migros would be an M better."
Philipp Pfeifer (50), biochemist
"We've noticed that something has changed in Migros' advertising. But we hadn't noticed the new slogan at all. It suits Migros, but it doesn't say that much. In addition, the overall design doesn't really make it stand out. We clearly liked the previous slogan better. One M better is not particularly imaginative; no effort was made to find a new slogan. The new Migros advertising is not bold enough for us. Now Migros and Coop have almost the same advertising."
Martina Binz (26) and Dana Reber (22), both students

The worst is behind us," Rolando Benedick, the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of retail giant Valora, told investors last September. At the annual results media conference on April 2, 2009, the tone was consequently much more relaxed, almost jubilant. Benedick was already praising "the new Valora" as an "outstanding company!"
The retail giant, which has a presence in seven countries and is the European market leader in its sector, has indeed undergone some changes over the past year. For example, the Board of Directors was replaced after a long tug-of-war, with Benedick's predecessor Fritz Ammann having to step down a year ago. And former CEO Peter Wüest was succeeded by Thomas Vollmoeller, who heads a similarly revamped management team. Valora also decided to refocus on its core business - kiosks, convenience stores, press and books as well as logistics for third parties.

Valora has already taken concrete steps. It has drawn up a new logistics concept for German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. This was previously based at the company's headquarters in Muttenz and is now gradually being relocated to the new headquarters in Egerkingen. The press logistics are currently being relocated. Valora is also putting several depot locations into operation which, although supplied from Egerkingen, will in future shorten the supply routes in the regions.
Valora has also announced a new kiosk concept: on the one hand, the outlets are to be reduced in size and concentrated on the three core product ranges of tobacco, press and lottery. On the other hand, around 20 kiosks at railroad stations are to adopt the German "Presse und Buch" model. A P&B store has already been opened in Basel and Bern. Investments are also being made in personnel. With retroactive effect from January 1, 2009, Valora and the Syna trade union agreed for the first time on a collective employment contract which, among other things, stipulates binding minimum wages, a 13th monthly salary and paid vacations and training days.
Markus Knöpfli

Market data
Valora estimated the kiosk market in Switzerland at CHF 1.7 billion in 2008. With its 1149 outlets in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, Valora estimates its own market share at 60 percent. Valora also supplies some 1100 other outlets (Coop, petrol station stores, SKIV kiosks) with goods on a daily basis. In 2007, Valora generated 48 percent of its kiosk sales from tobacco products (margin: 15%), 23 percent from press and books (margin: 30%), 17 percent from food (margin: > 50%) and the remainder from non-food and services (margin: > 50% and 100%). (mk)

The Zurich advertising agency Matter & Gretener has developed further advertising measures for natural gas. On the one hand, TV commercials and advertisements have been created, and on the other, publicity reports are being used.
The Zurich agency's campaign for natural gas is entering its second round. Once again, the ecological and economic advantages of natural gas are emphasized. There are two levels of communication: Broadcast with TV commercials, advertisements and rail posters as well as narrowcast with banners and small ads for investors, which are placed in the real estate sections of newspapers. Publicity reports in interview form are also used.
Responsible at the Swiss Gas Industry Association: Urs Zeller (Head of Marketing), Daniel Bissig (Head of Advertising). Responsible at Matter & Gretener: Daniel Matter (Creative Direction), Dominik Imseng (Text), Karin Beerli (Art Direction), Marcus Gretener, Jochen Hennecke (Consulting); Photography Advertisements: Stefan Minder, Zurich; Photography Publication Reports: Markus Bühler-Rasom, Zurich.

While competitor Google is doing brilliantly, things are looking critical for Yahoo: After another decline in profits and sales, the Internet company is cutting around five percent of all jobs worldwide. This third round of cuts will affect around 700 of the 13,500 employees.
The Group is also planning further major cost reductions, as Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz, who has been in office for around 100 days, said at a press conference on Tuesday evening.
Bartz promised that the new job cuts would be targeted and not based on the "lawnmower method" as was the case recently. Last year, Yahoo cut a total of 2,400 jobs. Immediately after taking office in January, Bartz launched a corporate reorganization and caused a major shake-up in management. While Google was recently able to increase its advertising revenue by five percent, Yahoo's revenue fell by 13 percent to just under 1.6 billion dollars. Google primarily runs text advertising around its search function.
Yahoo generates the majority of its revenue from banner advertising. Google is benefiting in particular from its size during the crisis. Many advertising customers currently seem to be concentrating their tighter budgets on the leading platform.
Yahoo's consolidated profit fell by almost 80 percent to 118 million dollars in the first quarter. However, the Group had achieved a high one-off profit a year earlier. For the current quarter, outgoing CFO Blake Jorgensen expects sales of between 1.43 and 1.63 billion dollars. The operating profit is expected to reach 80 to 90 million dollars.

Maxomedia has launched the Travelsong for Gleis7.ch, SBB's youth portal. Every Friday, users can download a current Sony Music hit from the site for 77 credits. Gleis7.ch users receive credits by regularly surfing the platform. The community decides which of three songs will become the weekly travel song via online voting. An integrated video player also shows the clip of the current hit. According to a Maxomedia press release, the service is intended to motivate the young target group to visit the platform on a regular basis.
The travel song is advertised in PR articles in free newspapers and in the Gleis7 subscription supplement. Online, the Gleis7.ch newsletter and banners on Sbb.ch will draw attention to the offer. The Travelsong logo will also appear on Sony Music's artist fan pages.

Rose-Colored Glasses
This summer, Europe’s gay community will once again celebrate EuroPride, which—following events in Stockholm and Madrid—will take place in Zurich from May 2 to June 7, 2009. Werbeanstalt Schweiz AG has designed a special advertisement for its client, the Zurich City Police, that truly deserves the title «image-building for the police.» Featuring a pair of pink handcuffs as the visual element, the ad welcomes the more than 100,000 guests expected from Switzerland and abroad. The message: «We ensure safety so that Zurich remains a cosmopolitan and tolerant city.»

Heaven Can Wait
Anyone who has ever witnessed a serious car accident won’t forget those images anytime soon. Rega’s new commercial capitalizes on exactly this effect. Pius Walker’s agency brings this very situation to life through the unusually gripping perspective of a young boy. For 90 seconds, we sit on the edge of our seats in the theater, holding our breath with him as we fear for a girl’s life. The film is accompanied by the gentle sounds of Jonas Bjerre. It was directed by Martin de Thurah for Academy London. The message: «One in twelve people will rely on Rega at least once in their lives.»

Two Perspectives
The new WOZ advertising campaign features prominent figures on the world stage as seen through the eyes of opposing interest groups. Naturally, these groups have very different perspectives. The newspaper’s tagline sums it up: «Form your own opinion.» To make a portrait look completely different depending on the viewpoint, the creatives at Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett used an optical trick. When looking at faces, people primarily focus on the shape of the eyelids and lips. If I rotate the lips and eyes in an upside-down portrait, the human eye cannot detect this error. Only when the image is rotated back does the discrepancy become visible. This way, the very same image can suddenly appear completely different—for example, from the perspective of American banks versus that of Swiss banks.

After winning the lottery, everything is different: instead of working as a sales clerk in the supermarket, a lucky winner suddenly finds herself shopping in an elegant shoe store. Or instead of the machines in the workshop, a craftsman suddenly finds himself steering the motorboat of his dreams as a leisure captain. "It can happen that quickly" is the logical core message of the new campaign that Contexta has created for Swiss Lotto. Under the new claim "Millionaire tomorrow", the campaign gets to the heart of the new positioning: thanks to Swiss Lotto, dreams can become reality overnight. To this end, six TV commercials show how winning the lottery can positively change your life from one moment to the next. A bricklayer in charming company is delighted with his new pool, a road worker enjoys his new freedom on his Harley and a secretary no longer taps on her computer keyboard but on the keys of her new grand piano.
The campaign also works according to the same mechanics in print. There, life before and after winning the jackpot is staged according to the "before/after" principle. Radio spots also use a surprising sound morphing to show how quickly a lottery win can change the life of the winner. Both the radio and television commercials were pre-produced with various trimmings so that the current jackpot amount can be communicated in the commercials.
In ten years of collaboration, Contexta has continuously developed the Swiss Lotto brand and positioned it in line with the market. For the new campaign, Swiss Lotto's corporate design was completely revised for all communication measures. The new Plus supplementary product is also being introduced with the current campaign. Anyone who ticks one of three Plus numbers increases their chances of winning. With this campaign, Swiss Lotto is also differentiating itself more strongly from its rival product Euro Millions. A conscious decision was made not to stage any grandiose luxury. The Swiss Lotto millionaire is characterized by the fact that he enjoys his wealth, but does not flaunt it.
Andreas Panzeri

The crime novel by Hesskiss co-owner Tamás Kiss will be published in the middle of this week. Naturally, Hesskiss has developed the campaign for the new book itself. Posters, POS posters, ads, flyers and placemats feature the bony hands of the Grim Reaper, who plays a central role in the story. With one hand he presents the title page, while with the other he gives the thumbs up - the book is obviously to his liking. The debut work "Früher im Licht" is published by Salis Verlag in Zurich.
Responsible at Hesskiss: Roland Hess (Creative Director), Manuel Bächler (Graphics) and Barbara Kummer (Consulting).

The decline in advertising in the Swiss press continued in March. The index compiled by the advertising company Publicitas fell by 1.3 points to 84.7 points in March 2009 compared to the previous month. This index measures the development of advertising expenditure in the daily press. Two additional issues were published in March compared to 2008. Unfortunately, however, this was not enough to offset the negative effects of the economy. The advertising company recently announced that this was also unable to halt the decline in advertising.
All advertising categories saw a decline in volume. Broken down by sector, insurance companies and car importers placed more ads again in March. In the other sectors, on the other hand, restraint continued to be the order of the day. The declining number of job advertisements reflects "the adverse conditions on the labor market". The job advertisements sub-index fell from 169.9 to 163.4 points, while the real estate advertisements sub-index fell from 66.0 to 65.1 points.

The New York Times is facing the most serious crisis in its 158-year history. In an age of competing internet content and changing media consumption, the newspaper is increasingly having to cut back on more than just its journalistic importance. Above all, the New York Times Company is in financial difficulties.
The reasons for this are manifold: the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., bought back shares worth a total of 2.7 billion dollars from other investors between 1998 and 2004, at a time when shares were at their most expensive. In 2003, the company became the sole owner of the still loss-making International Herald Tribune with an investment of 65 million dollars. And last year, the staff moved into the new Times Tower, a 52-storey skyscraper in Manhattan designed by star architect Renzo Piano, which cost the company 600 million dollars.
Although the Times Company was able to report a profit of 300 million dollars in 2008, this was a third less than in the previous year. In addition, the share price has plummeted in recent years and is currently worth just four dollars. But not all media observers see the situation as bleak: "It's true that the Times doesn't have the same financial cushion that the Washington Post has with the education company Kaplan," says Todd Gitlin, professor of journalism at Columbia University. "But the Times is still one of the best newspapers in the world, so it's too early to spread doom and gloom. A savior will be found."
Although the Times pursued a sophisticated Internet strategy early on and its website is one of the most successful English-language content offerings, the income from online operations - as in the publishing industry in general - cannot make up for the declining sales in the print advertising business. Online advertising revenue currently accounts for just 12 percent, while advertising revenue has fallen by 20 percent in the last two years. Many industry managers, including Sulzberger, are therefore considering whether they should charge for their online editions. "It looks like the industry is turning back to the paid model to protect its core content and promote its brand at the same time," says Amanda Richman, Director of Digital Services at marketing group Mediavest.
The Times Company had to take drastic measures to counter the shortage of funds: The company sold its share in the Times Tower in order to subsequently rent the premises again, but reserved the right to buy it back within ten years. At the same time, it borrowed 250 million dollars from Mexican media entrepreneur Carlos Slim, the largest shareholder after the Sulzberger family, to pay off its debts. The company announced that it would lay off 100 employees on the publishing side and cut the salaries of all employees by five percent to prevent further redundancies. It plans to sell its stake in the Bos¬ton Red Sox baseball team and senior editors are asking staff to come up with ideas for cost savings. However, the Times' core product will not suffer, according to editor-in-chief Bill Keller: "The solution to a bad economy can't mean less journalism for us."
Another Times subsidiary, on the other hand, could well go under the collar: the Boston Globe. The Times has threatened to close the newspaper, which is expecting a deficit of 85 million dollars for 2009, unless 20 million can be saved. Half of this is to be imposed on the editorial staff. The proposed measures include not only salary cuts and smaller severance packages, but also reduced contributions to employees' health and pension insurance. The trade union responsible calls the demands "draconian" and "scandalous".
But the New York Times Company has no other choice. A comprehensive report on the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger, in Vanity Fair summarizes how serious the situation is: "Almost everyone hopes Arthur will succeed. Few believe he can succeed."
Gerti Schön

The Times Tower in Manhattan cost 600 million dollars - a sum that the company could not afford.

Under massive pressure: publisher Arthur Sulzberger.
Michael Wolff, media columnist at Vanity Fair and author of a Murdoch biography: "Practically every decision made by publisher Sulzberger was flawed"
WW: In one of your columns, you talk about the end of the New York Times. How did you come to this drastic conclusion?
Michael Wolff: All newspapers are doing badly and the Times is no exception. Many newspapers are poorly run and the Times' management is particularly inadequate. It starts with the publisher, Arthur Sulzberger. Virtually every decision he has made has been flawed.
What do you think were the biggest mistakes?
They are primarily strategic in nature. In particular, the investments in other newspapers such as the Boston Globe turned out to be colossal mistakes, as did his decision to buy back shares when they were at their most expensive. The choice of managers he hired under him was not only misguided, but did serious damage to the Times that can no longer be undone.
Do you think the Times can survive as an outstanding journalistic organ?
The notion of what kind of journalism sets the standard is changing, and I don't think the New York Times will be one of them in the future. But I don't think it will be shut down either, it will just be sold to someone who would like to adorn themselves with its property, such as New York mayor and media entrepreneur Michael Bloomberg or Rupert Murdoch.
What will happen to the Sulzbergers' publishing family?
They'll just have to look for another job.
Interview: Gerti Schön

Michael Wolff.

Cost-cutting is the order of the day: jobs are being cut or not refilled following redundancies, retirements are being brought forward, departments are being merged and workloads are being reduced. The pressure on the remaining employees is growing. Even in advertising agencies. Regular overtime is part of everyday life. Do employees really have to work without end?
According to the Swiss Code of Obligations, employees are generally obliged to work overtime. However, this only applies if overtime is necessary for operational reasons and can be reasonably expected of the employee. What is reasonable depends on the individual case. For example, overtime is not reasonable for an employee with a health condition, for a mother who has to pick up her child from nursery after office hours or for a customer advisor who wants to attend further training after work. It is also unreasonable if the same employees in a company are always "ordered" to work overtime.
When must overtime be compensated?
According to the law, overtime must be compensated by time off of the same duration or by a wage plus a supplement of at least 25 percent. However, this regulation may be contractually excluded. However, such an agreement is only valid if it is set out in a written employment contract. Employees are therefore not always compensated for additional working hours. In practice, it is becoming increasingly common to find clauses in employment contracts stating that overtime is included in the basic salary. Without such a provision, overtime is subject to compensation, whereby the employee can choose between financial compensation and compensation in the form of time off.
Most employees would like to reduce their overtime with additional time off, preferably in full days rather than by the hour. However, if orders fail to materialize in times of crisis and there is too little work available, an employer may require its employees to reduce their overtime by the hour. The law expects employees to accommodate their employer in difficult economic situations as part of their duty of loyalty.
If compensation for overtime is no longer possible, for example at the end of the employment relationship, the overtime must be paid out together with the supplement. Compensation for overtime is part of the insured earnings under social insurance law. The salary deductions for AHV/IV/EO, ALV and pension fund must therefore be made from the overtime compensation. Some pension funds stipulate in their regulations that "occasional salary components" are not part of the salary. If there is no such provision in the regulations, overtime payments must be included in the insured salary.

Book tip
Irmtraud Bräunlich Keller, Arbeitsrecht - Vom Vertrag bis zur Kündigung. Beobachter-Buchverlag, 272 pages, paperback, Fr. 36.-.
10th, expanded and updated edition, April 2009,
ISBN 978 3 85569 412 9.

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We have few problems with Valora, but we also have very little to do with them." With these words, Markus Jörin, Head of Reader Market at Basler Zeitung, summarizes his publishing house's relationship with the retail giant to date. Tamedia has a similar view: "In fact, the cooperation works, but it doesn't make any big waves," says spokesman Christoph Zimmer. Despite the storms that have raged over Valora in the last two years, there are currently no areas of conflict, he adds. Words of praise can be heard on Zurich's Falkenstrasse: "Valora has improved a lot in press distribution over the last two years," says Markus Will, Head of Reader Market at NZZ. And at Ringier, Valora's largest publishing customer? Andreas Schaffner, Head of Services, has "always found a sympathetic ear" with the retail giant.
But overall it is clear that the relationship with Valora is on ice. There are four reasons for this: Firstly, they want to give the new crew credit. That's why they are cautious in their criticism. Or formulated positively. Andreas Schaffner, for example, puts it this way: "Thanks to the new concept, I assume that the press will be given the necessary weight again, more than in recent years." Christoph Zimmer adds: "If Valora returns to its core business, this could have a positive impact on the newspapers." And Markus Will is cautious: "Our relationship with Valora still has potential."
Another reason for the cool relationship: Valora's strong market position in Switzerland remains unchanged. In the past, the Group was "cumbersome" and "inflexible", according to rumors behind closed doors. In short: Valora remains "a monopolist - with all the advantages and disadvantages". One of these disadvantages: The margin Valora demands from publishers is often perceived as too high. However, a discussion about this does not seem possible. "Valora sets the rates - just like the post office. It doesn't make us understand that we are partners," say several publishers.
Valora alone also determined the direction of press sales at post offices. The new sales channel was introduced in May 2007 after months of testing, but Valora, which was in charge of the logistics, suddenly ordered its discontinuation nine months later - over the heads of Swiss Post and publishers. Valora spokeswoman Stefania Misteli still does not feel the need to explain why. When asked, she only said that the cooperation with publishers and Swiss Post had been good and that the sale of post offices had not resulted in any loss of sales for Valora's own kiosks. Which only makes the closure of the additional press sales channel seem even more arbitrary for the publishers.
The "Kiosk customer card" project seems to be going down a similar path. The card - similar to a telephone card - was to enable customers to obtain press titles of their choice at any K-Kiosk and whenever they wanted. Valora gave the go-ahead at the 2008 Publishers' Congress, but the project has been on hold ever since.
The publishers certainly understand that Valora has been "primarily preoccupied with itself" in recent months and years. Especially as the service has remained more or less the same. However, they would have expected more in terms of direct information. For a long time, some of the publishers contacted only found out about the various changes via the media. Valora only approached some publishers in the last few weeks.
Ringier's experience is different. "Valora has remained in regular contact with us over the last two years, so we are relatively well informed about developments," says Andreas Schaffner. The new Valora is viewed far more positively at Dufourstrasse than elsewhere. Schaffner is pleased that the new, decentralized logistics concept will significantly shorten delivery times for magazines from the current 48 hours and thus enable faster replenishment when demand is high. "The new Valora crew is making a noticeable effort to address the publishers' concerns," praises Schaffner. However, he emphasizes: "We will measure people by what they do."
Markus Knöpfli