The Emmi Group is appointing new marketing and sales managers. Robin Barraclough (photo left) will become Head of Marketing as of June 1, 2009. The 41-year-old Briton, who grew up in Switzerland, is currently responsible for the coffee business in German-speaking Europe at Kraft Foods. Previously, he was a member of the Executive Board at Masterfoods Switzerland, responsible for the animal feed division, and then a senior member of the European Marketing Leadership Team at the European Masterfoods headquarters in Verden.
Marc Heim (photo below) will become Head of Sales at the Emmi Group as of September 1, 2009. In this newly created role, he will be responsible for all sales activities worldwide within the Group. The 41-year-old from central Switzerland is currently Managing Director of Halter Bonbons. He was previously Head of Marketing and Sales and a member of the Executive Board at Kambly.

Marc Heim.

The Maxomedia agency has created a presentation platform for Switzerland Tourism featuring typical Swiss hotels. At a Online Contest On Myswitzerland.com, visitors can try their luck: If the slot machine stops on three identical hotel photos, you win. Anyone who recommends the game to their friends gets additional chances to win.
The slot machine is being promoted worldwide across various media channels. An advertisement in a Europe-wide brochure published by Switzerland Tourism highlights the contest. Online, the contest is being promoted in newsletters from The New York Times and Switzerland Tourism, as well as through banners designed to resemble a slot machine.
Prizes include, among other things, vacations at traditional Swiss hotels and Swiss flights from Europe and the U.S. to Switzerland.

Fredi Büche is unemployed. But he doesn't intend to stay that way. So, without further ado, he creates two posters. "Don't leave me hanging like this—give me a job," is written next to Büche's head. And his cell phone number.
In a press release he wrote himself, told in the first-person narrative style, he draws attention to his campaign. Fredi Büche has experienced firsthand that it’s not easy to find a job in today’s climate, he writes. «He realized that in such difficult times, simple job applications no longer make much of an impression on employers.» So Büche decided to have large street posters put up in Zurich to present himself to potential employers. «He designed a template on his computer, had the posters printed, and had them put up by a distribution company.» The whole endeavor was quite costly; in total, Fredi Büche had to pay 1,000 francs for this campaign. ’Whether the campaign will be rewarded with success remains to be seen. Time will tell whether Fredi Büche will find a job as a result. He certainly deserves it, given his dedication,« he concludes. We can only agree—may he find his dream job through this effort. Go Fredi go!

According to a report, Switzerland is a leader in the use of information and communication technology Study in the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranking, falling from 3rd to 5th place. As in the previous year, Denmark tops the list, followed by Sweden, the U.S., and Singapore. Switzerland thus ranks in the same position on the list of the most technologically innovative countries as it did in 2007. The report states that the U.S. and Singapore have made faster progress than Switzerland in the field of information and communication technology since the last report. However, neighboring countries Austria (16th), France (19th), Germany (20th), and Italy (45th) lag further behind.
The study, published Thursday in Geneva, assesses how information technology affects the development and competitiveness of individual countries. According to the WEF, innovations in information and communication technologies are key drivers of the economy during crises. The development of the most connected countries is closely linked to the high priority these nations place on educational opportunities, innovative capacity, and broad access to networks.

Web2com is launching an online advertising pool with 30 Swiss websites. The sites in the so-called "budget pool" are all well frequented and of high quality, writes the online marketer of Publicitas. The pool aims to provide a cost-effective offering with a wide reach. Advertising formats such as leaderboards, skyscrapers and rectangles are used.

The Zurich-based agency Advico Young & Rubicam has created a poster for Sportplausch Wider in Wallisellen. According to a press release from the agency, the sports store offers an attractive alternative to the candidates for Zurich mayor by allowing customers to customize their bikes to their own tastes. According to its tagline, Sportplausch Wider is the place to go for anyone who finds the standard offerings unappealing.
Contact at AY&R, Zurich: Julia Brandstätter (Text), Isabelle Hauser (Art Director), Annik Weber (Graphic Designer), Markus Gut (CCO).

The Western Swiss media group Edipresse generated a profit of 30.5 million Swiss francs in 2008. That is 5.4 percent less than in the previous year. Consolidated revenue also fell by 9.4 percent to 738 million Swiss francs. Edipresse attributes the decline to discontinued investment activities and the removal of certain business segments from the consolidated balance sheet. Adjusted for these effects, revenue would have fallen by only one percent.
Operating profit (EBIT) fell by 12.6 percent to 51.5 million Swiss francs in 2008. The group described the 2008 results as «solid» given the difficult economic situation and far-reaching changes in the media market. Edipresse noted that 2009 had gotten off to a difficult start. The group did not issue a forecast, citing the difficulty in predicting trends in the advertising business.
Profit Margins Maintained Through Cost-Cutting Programs
Edipresse generated just under half of its revenue—353.4 million Swiss francs—from daily newspapers and their online portals. This business is conducted almost exclusively in Switzerland. The group generated 332.7 million Swiss francs from magazines, primarily in foreign markets. Edipresse’s top management expressed satisfaction with the results: «The results are satisfactory and solid given the difficult economic situation and the profound changes in the media market,» CEO Tibère Adler told the media in Lausanne.
Edipresse executives are particularly pleased that they were able to maintain their profit margin. The EBIT margin (operating profit as a percentage of revenue) fell only slightly, from 7.2 to 7 percent. This is due to cost-cutting measures: «Last year’s cost-cutting programs allowed us to maintain our margins,» Adler explained. Edipresse had already implemented these measures last spring. By the end of 2008, expenses across all cost categories had fallen, in some cases significantly.
Personnel expenses, for example, decreased by 5 percent to 254.3 million Swiss francs. According to Adler, the cost-cutting program announced last August—involving the elimination of about 50 positions—was completed in March 2009 and is now having its full effect. The stated goal was to reduce costs by 20 million Swiss francs per year. Adler also expressed satisfaction with the development of the online business. Without citing exact figures, he spoke of significant progress. The investments in Homegate.ch and Jobup.ch are said to be highly profitable and to offset the declining revenue in the daily newspapers’ advertising business.
Bleak Outlook for the Next Two Years
Incidentally, according to Adler, the daily newspapers’ websites are expected to break even this year. In concrete terms, however, this still only means that advertising revenue will cover direct costs (technology, operations). The costs of producing the content continue to be borne largely by the newspapers. “2009 got off to a difficult start,” said publisher Pierre Lamunière, commenting on the outlook. He did not venture to make a precise forecast. He expects that the economy—and thus the advertising business—will not recover before 2011/2012. The next two years will therefore bring poorer results.
Edipresse expects the merger with Zurich-based Tamedia to strengthen its position. Tamedia plans to take over Edipresse's Swiss operations by 2013, as was announced in early March.

Clothes make the man; buildings make an impression. Business premises are by no means insignificant for the success of businesses and the image of companies: If a company building is spacious, bright, and airy, customers will infer that the company is creative and innovative. If an office is small, cluttered, and dark, it’s easy to assume that a bunch of quirky, disorganized people are at work here. For a company’s employees, too, it matters where their desks or the machines they work on are located. A pleasant workplace and a thoughtfully designed work environment boost motivation, foster creativity, and strengthen employees’ loyalty to the company—beyond the realm of feng shui. That’s why creative agencies are often drawn to former industrial buildings in greenfield locations. There, they can demonstrate their intellectual openness to their heart’s content—even in the architecture itself. Banks and staffing agencies, on the other hand, prefer to set up shop in historic buildings, as clients are impressed by the serious, experienced aura such structures exude.
All in one piece
Corporate Architecture (CA) strives to create a symbiosis between architecture and marketing. The goal of this architectural discipline is to align a company’s image, products, messages, and objectives with its physical spaces and overall external appearance. The symbolism, forms, colors, and materials used in the design of corporate real estate tie in with the brand’s CI/CD. In this way, the building reinforces a company’s overall image, represents its philosophy to the outside world, and fosters a sense of identity internally. It is not the company name on the building that reveals which company operates there, but the building itself. You can’t get more marketing than that.
But it doesn’t always have to be a white-painted loft with hardwood floors and a white leather sofa. Nor is a modernized historic building with metal and glass furniture necessarily the right fit for representing a company. What works depends on the company. «I estimate that half of all companies now consider CA when building or renovating their properties,» says Harald Echsle, co-owner of the Zurich-based architecture firm Spillmann Echsle. «But companies aren’t giving this topic the thought it deserves. They focus on the building’s location in terms of accessibility and want to look as stylish as possible. They aren’t yet aware that the impact of their property extends far beyond that.»
Vintage Eye-Catchers
Corporate Architecture may sound like a newfangled term, but designing and furnishing spaces to match a company’s image is nothing new. Harald Echsle even considers the Egyptian pyramids to be a form of CA—after all, they symbolize both the power of the pharaohs and their submission to the gods. From the beginning of the 20th century, a clear trend toward brand-promoting architecture has been evident. The designs often come from famous architects, so CA is anything but the “dirty corner” of architecture: The Fagnus shoe last factory in Alfeld was designed by Walter Gropius (opened in 1913), and Le Corbusier designed the Philips Pavilion in Brussels (opened in 1958); the Ricola production and warehouse building in Mulhouse was designed by Herzog & De Meuron (opened in 1995), the Maison Hermès in Tokyo was designed by Renzo Piano (opened in 2001), and the Swiss Re Tower in London by Norman Foster (opened in 2004). The Chrysler Building in New York, the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, the Sony Center in Berlin, and BMW’s “Four-Cylinder” building in Munich are also examples of masterful CA with an image-enhancing design.
Marketing in the Construction Industry
In April 2008, ETH Zurich honored successful contemporary CA projects with the «Award for Marketing + Architecture.» Initiated by Baukoma, the award aims to raise awareness among companies about the potential of CA as a highly effective marketing tool. The undisputed star of the awards ceremony was the Freitag flagship store in Zurich, designed by Spillmann Echsle. The store, where brothers Daniel and Markus Freitag sell their bags made from truck tarps, is constructed from 17 shipping containers stacked on top of one another. It stands in the heart of Zurich’s industrial district; from the top container, you have a perfect view of the Hardbrücke, which is also heavily trafficked by trucks. In short: everything fits together perfectly. The jury—composed of architects, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals—deemed it a brand-strengthening design and awarded the architects 10,000 Swiss francs.
«Architecture is not a statement of status; rather, it should convey the company’s essence to the outside world,» says Harald Echsle, explaining his understanding of CA. «A building must tell a story about the company and the products it sells. The location must also fit into the bigger picture. If the property is harmoniously integrated into the overall design, it has a powerful impact not only on customers but also on employees. Freitag employees identify 100 percent with their employer—not just those who work in the Freitag Tower, but also those employed in the production hall we renovated.» Over the past two years, the Freitag Tower has even become a tourist attraction. And if it ever falls out of favor, it can simply be dismantled and the containers recycled. The architects have thought of that, too.
A Tangible Corporate Image
A total of six construction projects received the Marketing + Architecture Award: in addition to the Freitag store, these included the Regent Lighting Center in Basel (Office and Commercial Buildings category), the Eawag in Dübendorf (Green Technology Special Prize), the set design for Swiss Television (category: Department Stores, Shops, Customer Centers), the Gantenbein winery in Fläsch (category: Industrial and Commercial Buildings), and the Port of Lachen (category: Public Buildings, Museums, Hotels, and Restaurants). Images, construction sketches, and background information on the winners and the twelve other nominated projects are currently on display at the exhibition at ETH Zurich (see box).
Not for eternity
Incidentally, for a company, having a headquarters that aligns with its CI/CD and corporate philosophy isn’t just effective for marketing. Those who do it right also ensure that everything—including branch offices, production facilities, and temporary structures—is consistent. For example, the award jury was particularly impressed by the temporary VBSG pavilion on St. Gallen’s train station square. Customers of St. Gallen’s public transportation system aren’t served in a gray, standard container, but rather in a colorful cube made of wooden elements. «»Anyone who chooses CA has to be consistent,« emphasizes Harald Echsle. »Only when all of a company’s buildings reflect the same design language is standing out guaranteed. The Raiffeisen banks, for example, always have the same signature style: they buy or rent older properties and then renovate them in a modern style.” Recognition guaranteed.
CA isn’t more expensive than «normal» construction. «It costs the same whether you paint a wall blue or red,» Echsle points out. «But the effect of the colors is completely different.» If corporate buildings are truly designed with sustainability in mind, they may even pay for themselves sooner than traditional ones. After all, their very existence contributes to the company’s image and success. The question remains: when is the best time for a company to start with CA? After all, a company that already has ten branches can’t suddenly have all its buildings renovated according to CI/CD. «For new construction—which is a fresh start anyway—companies should definitely consider CA,» says Echsle. «The same applies to renovations or expansions. Sustainable CA will be the way forward in the future.»
Spillmann Echsle is currently designing Freitag stores around the world, with two currently under construction in Berlin and Cologne. While they want to build on the success of the Freitag Tower, they do not intend to duplicate it. «Obviously, we can’t build a second container tower in downtown Cologne,» says Echsle. «But we don’t want to do that anyway. Together with Freitag’s marketing department, we’ve developed CI guidelines for the stores and are now applying them to a wide variety of buildings.» The common thread: the “transportation” theme.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm

The Freitag Container Tower, which opened in 1996, was designed by the architectural firm
Designed by Spillmann Echsle.

Frank O. Gehry's Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, completed in 1989.

Advertising Can Be This Cute
Easter is just around the corner, and with it comes advertising featuring branded bunnies. These chocolate-filled giveaways are a specialty of the Kalfany company in Herbolzheim, Germany. However, this company also offers «sweet advertising» in the form of refreshing pastilles from Ferrero, organic fruit gummies, and various candies. Kalfany’s offerings include its own printing technology center, where innovative packaging systems can be developed. For more information, visit www.kalfany-suesse-werbung.de.

Take Off with Ebookers.ch
Balloons are always a great advertising tool. Scholz & Friends Zurich has developed a guerrilla marketing campaign for the online travel agency Ebookers.ch. In the campaign, two very realistic, life-size mannequins attempted a rather unusual flight maneuver: using several large helium balloons, they took off for their vacation in an unconventional way. «Just take off for less,» reads the slogan on the travelers’ suitcases. The guerrilla campaign was accompanied by a promotional team that handed out contest flyers to passersby. Winners stand to receive free flights—with Air France or KLM. The humorous flight attempt took place in several cities across German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland.

Award-winning adhesive with no side effects
With its Stafix film, the Finnish company Stafix presents a printing material that combines the lightness of paper with the advantages of a sticker—but without their limitations and drawbacks. The innovation was showcased for the first time this year at trade shows in Germany and France and was awarded an innovation prize by the Finnish graphic arts industry. Stafix is a printable, statically charged polypropylene film that adheres to any smooth, clean surface. The «sticker» requires neither adhesive nor any other fastening materials. Thanks to its ease of use, advertising messages can be applied anywhere at short notice without leaving any residue after being just as easily removed. This is very practical at the point of sale (POS) or for «printing» on promotional gifts. The product is also suitable as a «second skin» on the cover of magazines. More information is available at www.stafix.eu to find.

As every year, there are long faces on the losing side and beaming ones on the winning side after the release of Mach Basic. There are plenty of explanations for this. The losers try to talk down their defeat, while the winners come up trumps.
Sonntag from Wanner was a success with 355,000 readers. But for Patrick Müller, editor-in-chief of the title, that is apparently not enough. In an interview with the Mittelland-Zeitung, he says: "The number of readers of the Sonntagszeitung seems to me to be too high. Everything points to a measurement error, because many Sunday readers refer to our newspaper as a Sunday newspaper in the Wemf survey. I very often receive letters to the editor with the title "Editor-in-Chief Sonntagszeitung". (...) In other words: Effectively, Sonntag has even more than the reported 355,000 readers." Well, well! Doesn't sound entirely implausible, but there is no proof.
Sonntagsblick may have lost significant readers, but the in-house commentary in Blick states: "Even on Sunday, the Blick brand remains ahead by a wide margin. 871,000 readers reach for our sister paper. If you count the readers of the Sonntagsblick magazine, it's well over 1 million." The statement is not entirely wrong, but it ignores two not entirely unimportant aspects: the development over time and the fact that adding the two readerships together results in a gross readership at most.
20 minutes devotes half a page to its success story and proudly announces an increase of 67,000 readers. And to top that, you add the French-speaking part of Switzerland with 20 minutes and you get 1.853 million readers.
The Tages-Anzeiger is quite modest. After suffering a significant loss of seven percent of its readership, it is content with a short report of 13 lines in the "Companies and Markets" section. Did the aggressive online-first concept of Newsnetz contribute to the loss? The new editor-in-chief and the new concept can fix it. We are curious.
For understandable reasons, Cash made no announcement at all. Cash Daily did indeed reach 118,000 readers in the new Mach, the increase over the previous year was an impressive 62 percent. But who cares, since the beginning of this week Cash Daily is no longer published. Tempi passati!
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]

The sports portal Sport.ch, in cooperation with the free newspaper .ch, has launched a 12-page special supplement on the topic of motorsports. It was produced as part of an editorial joint venture and printed on pages 27 through 38 of the March 25, 2009, issue of .ch. In addition, it is also available as an e-paper at www.sport.ch Available. The car manufacturer Seat is the sponsor of Sport.ch’s first print special, according to a press release issued Wednesday. The print special reaches a total of 345,000 .ch readers and over 450,000 online users. Additional sports specials are in the works.
The motorsports issue will feature interviews, background information, and news briefs on all things motorsports. The focus will be on prominent figures in Swiss motorsports, including an in-depth interview with Christina Surer, as well as up-and-coming Swiss talent. In addition, there will be interesting facts about the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), its stars, and the latest technical highlights. The issue will also feature a profile of Sébastien Buemi from Vaud, who, as the 23rd Swiss Formula 1 driver, is about to begin his first season.

The German search engine optimization company Searchmetrics and the Kloten-based online marketing firm Swissclick have announced a partnership. It began in late 2008 and is now set to enter a new phase. Both companies will have a booth on April 1 and 2, 2009, at «Swiss Online Marketing» in Zurich, the Swiss trade fair for digital marketing, which is being held for the first time this year. Furthermore, the two companies plan to collaborate in the area of search engine optimization (SEO) and through the implementation of Searchmetrics software at Swissclick.