Matter & Gretener announces a new client: Gallin GmbH, a consultancy specializing in foundation management and fundraising, has commissioned Matter & Gretener to develop its corporate design and website. The implementations will soon be on display.

Swiss Post's employee newspaper Die Post, redesigned by Schneiter Meier Külling, received two awards, one national and one international. The European industry association for internal communications FEIEA named "Die Post" the best European employee newspaper of 2008. It was also awarded the golden feather by the Swiss Association for Internal Communication SVIK as the best Swiss employee publication of 2008.
The interplay of the design elements as well as the reader-friendliness achieved as a result were judged particularly positively, or as the SVIK jury states: "Even after the first flip through, one wishes that all publications, which one believes one cannot do without, were designed in such a clear and thus reader-friendly manner [...] The successful interplay of all design elements such as font attributes, color and images can be described as exemplary."

Maxomedia has created a presentation platform for typical Swiss hotels for Switzerland Tourism. In an online competition on Myswitzerland.com, visitors can try their luck on the one-armed bandit. If the slot machine stops at three identical hotel photos, you win. The prizes include 15 one-week vacations in typical Swiss hotels, Swiss flights from Europe and the USA to Switzerland and 10% vouchers in the Myswitzerland.com souvenir store.
The Slotmachine is advertised worldwide and cross-media. The competition is advertised in a Switzerland Tourism brochure published throughout Europe. The competition will also be published online, in newsletters from the New York Times and Switzerland Tourism and via banners with a Slotmachine look.
The primary aim of the online game is to promote a variety of typical Swiss hotels and to credibly integrate Switzerland Tourism's partners Swiss and Post Shop into the game, says Thomas Winkler, Head of Portal Management, E-Marketing and IT at Switzerland Tourism.
Maxomedia is responsible for the concept, creation and online realization of Slotmachine.

"The 'Bund' is one of the best things ZüriWest has to offer," says ZüriWest singer Kuno Lauener from the poster that is currently hanging on every other corner in Bern. The "Save the Bund" committee, which already has 13,000 members after four months, is once again going on the offensive. According to the promoters, the committee will continue to grow and, in May, a further sponsorship in the form of an association, and later possibly in the form of a foundation, will be set up in parallel. A survey will also be conducted to find out what subscribers want.
Around four months ago, Tamedia announced that it would either merge the Bund with the Berner Zeitung or attach it editorially to the Tages-Anzeiger. The decision is to be made this year. Since the announcement, however, Tamedia has kept a low profile. "There have been no signs from the Board of Directors so far," says committee coordinator Mark Balsiger to Werbewoche, "but there has already been a long discussion between the Board of Directors and a committee delegation."
Impending subscription loss if the federal government is sold off
The committee sees several ways to save the editorial independence of the Bund or to save the newspaper in principle, even if it has no direct influence on the decision. "If Tamedia merges the Bund, there is a risk of subscription losses in the five-digit range, people will run away from the newspaper in droves out of anger," says Balsiger. He expects Tamedia to lose 20,000 to 30,000 subscriptions, which, at CHF 355 per year, would result in a loss of revenue of between seven and ten million francs. "And due to the drastic fall in advertising income, subscription income is becoming increasingly important."
Among the letters from sympathizers, there are voices that want to separate the Bund from Tamedia. "One suggested that Tamedia sell the Bund to a sponsoring organization for one franc," says Balsiger. There is still a lot for the committee to do, as it is still far from clear how exactly the Confederation's loss-making balance sheet with 55,000 subscribers should be dealt with. Among other things, this is to be discussed in a broad Survey be clarified. "What we certainly don't need are defeatists who say: Ringier, NZZ and now Tamedia have failed with the Confederation, so you have to fail too."
(elk)

Media planners in the U.S. have access to new data that advertisers hope will help them reach TV viewers in a far more effective way than before: Data that allows them to analyze exactly what their return on investment (ROI) will be. A few months ago, TRA, a New York-based market research firm, launched new services that allow corporate clients, media companies and advertising agencies to take a far more targeted approach than before.
The novelty is that the TV usage behavior of individual households can be compared with their actual shopping habits, so that product advertising can be precisely tailored to their respective needs. TRA collects TV usage data from 1.5 million households that either use a Tivo digital video recorder or have a cable connection. With the help of the corresponding set-top boxes, a record is kept of exactly which programs and commercials are watched. This is then used to compare the purchasing data of 58 million so-called Frequent Shopper Cards, which are microchip cards from major retailers such as Wal-Mart or A&P that record every single product that is purchased. These cards contain demographic data such as the zip code of individual customers, but not their names or addresses.
Up to 176 percent increase
According to the company, TRA customers who took part in this program and changed their advertising strategy accordingly saw an increase of up to 176 percent in the perception of their advertising clips. One group of buyers the companies are particularly targeting are so-called swing purchasers, i.e. consumers who are not necessarily committed to a particular product but are willing to be persuaded by a competitor.
TRA's customers so far include television networks CBS and Discovery, a cable company, a major consumer goods company, and advertising groups Mediavest and WPP. "Set-top box data is the future of our business," judges David Poltrack, media researcher at CBS. "TRA is leading the competition in this regard." The company is currently preparing its expansion into Europe, which includes the German-speaking advertising market.
One consequence of being able to use such precise measurement methods is that TV broadcasters are gradually moving away from the usual focus on the target group of 18- to 49-year-olds. For a long time, the advertising industry placed particular emphasis on a younger audience, assuming that consumer habits were formed at a young age and would subsequently remain that way forever. But TV networks are gradually shifting to the so-called "big tent" strategy, which means that a TV program should appeal to as broad an audience as possible, such as the entire family. Leading the way is leading network CBS, which has been at the top of the ratings scale for years with broad-based series like "CSI," "The Mentalist" and "Lost." "Our philosophy is not limited to a single demographic," CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said in a recent interview. "It's ironic that we now rank number one in every demographic with that strategy."
The CBS recipe for success will become the standard formula in the coming television season, as competing networks have also ordered numerous new pilots in recent weeks that resemble the makings of CBS merchandise. "The other networks are getting closer and closer to the CBS formula," says Joe Adalian, television critic at trade magazine TV Week. "So there will be heaps of well-made shows, but with few new creative elements."
Gerti Schön

Series like "CSI," "Lost" or "Mentalist" focus on several target groups. They also benefit from the newly developed measurement method.

SRG closed its 2008 financial year with a deficit of CHF 79 million. It considers cuts to the range of programs and in-house productions to be unavoidable. What will be cut will be decided "as part of the medium-term planning", according to SRG. Where, when and how much will have to be cut over the next three to five years will keep SRG very busy. In view of the economic crisis, an increase in fees is not under discussion. In 2009, the SRG intends to cap the number of jobs at the 2008 level and increase the savings volume to CHF 100 million by 2010. The wage bill will increase by 2.8 percent in 2009. SRG had budgeted a deficit of CHF 57 million for 2008, partly due to the costs of Euro 2008 and the Olympic Games. Commercial revenues fell in 2008. Due to the financial crisis, the pension fund was also underfunded. SRG closed the 2007 financial year with a deficit of CHF 18.5 million. Until 2007, it had still been possible to largely cushion the real decline in revenue since 2000 with savings and efficiency measures.

Wearing a helmet is trendy. This is not only shown by the colorful covers that fitness-conscious leisure cyclists or mountain bikers put on their heads on their tours over hill and dale. Wearing a helmet also makes sense. This is proven by figures from the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (Bfu). The Bfu has been conducting regular surveys on the wearing rate in Switzerland since 1994. Since then, this has risen from 4 to 38 percent in 2008. Thanks to the bicycle helmet, many people have been saved from serious injuries. And this has an impact on costs: An accident with a head and skull injury results in average insurance benefits of 41,000 francs. An accident without a head injury, on the other hand, "only" costs CHF 5,600.
Suva and Bfu have been working closely together since 2000 to promote the voluntary wearing of bicycle helmets. Ruf Lanz has been responsible for the prevention campaigns since 2002. Every spring, the agency surprises its clients with a new commercial. This year's brief was to continue on the successful path and contribute to even more people wearing a bicycle helmet in the future with stunning dramatization.
The specific recommendation in the current campaign: wear a bike helmet. Even on short journeys. The analysis of the behavior of the various cycling groups shows that, thanks to parents, wearing a helmet has become established among children. The same applies to middle-aged recreational cyclists. However, the largest risk group is still teenagers and young adults. Here, the wearing rate is still well below average. It is particularly low if the bike is only used for short distances. A quick trip to the local shop - I don't need a helmet for that. This is also dramatized in the story in the new commercial. A young woman rides her bike in a familiar neighborhood. Without a helmet, but with a lot of luck, as the film directed by Ernst Wirz shows with a twinkle in his eye.
Andreas Panzeri

To the spot

In the ninth European Trusted Brands survey conducted by Reader's Digest, traditional brands such as Migros, Raiffeisen, Similasan and Swatch remained at the top. Nevertheless, the brand landscape is changing; environmental protection is playing an increasingly important role in all product categories. For the first time, the study has therefore also identified those brands whose commitment to the environment enjoys the best reputation. On the list of the most trustworthy brands, Volkswagen has regained the top spot in the automotive category from Toyota. Helsana replaces CSS at the top of the health insurance trust ranking after one year, while L'Oréal has to relinquish its long-standing top position in the hair care products category to Nivea as the most trusted brand. Aspirin beat Dafalgan in the painkiller category. In terms of ecological commitment, Toyota scored highly for cars, Raiffeisen for banks, Swiss for airlines, Migros for trading companies and household cleaners and V-Zug for household and kitchen appliances. In Switzerland, 1,082 people were surveyed.

Heads has won Kia Motors Iberia as a new client in the area of internal branding. As a prelude, the Zurich-based agency is supporting Kia Motors in organizing its dealer event in Madrid with a team motto, a motivational trailer and a dealer gift to introduce the company's new Swiss Vice President Tom Anliker. Further communication measures for employees and dealers of Kia Motors Iberia are planned for 2009, as the agency writes in a press release.

Werbewoche reported it earlier: Swiss out-of-home advertiser Affichage increased its sales revenue by 17 percent to 451 million Swiss francs last year, with just under a third (32.3 percent) of this coming from abroad, more precisely from the various countries of south-eastern Europe. In the previous year, foreign sales accounted for less than 25 percent of total sales. However, unlike in 2007, this time the rapid growth abroad is not primarily due to acquisitions, but is largely organic. Acquisitions were only made in Romania and Greece.
One reason for the strong growth is that the market share of the poster medium in the overall advertising pie is very high in some of these countries. In Serbia, for example, it is 15 percent, in Bosnia-Herzegovina even 18 percent. These are more comfortable conditions than out-of-home advertisers are used to in their home market (15 percent).
Even though the out-of-home advertiser was able to achieve and in some cases even exceed its sales targets in most countries in 2008, the margin in some countries is lower than in this country for various reasons. In addition, Affichage had to contend with some adversity in south-eastern Europe last year: the precarious economic situation in Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania - and the associated sharp devaluation of the national currencies - should be mentioned. And let's not forget the unrest in Greece, to which some of Affichage's facilities and bus shelters fell victim. A decline in the tourism business is also expected this summer.
Nevertheless, Affichage is well positioned for the future. According to Felix Mende, Regional Director and Head of Market Development at Affichage International, the company is now the clear market leader in Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Greece, in Romania it is in a neck-and-neck race with Austria's Epamedia, the previous number one, and in Montenegro and Hungary Affichage is still number two. Only in Bulgaria has Affichage played a subordinate role for years. They are waiting for the capital Sofia to submit its bid, says Mende. This city contract should have been put out to tender a long time ago, but it was repeatedly extended under unclear circumstances. "As long as this is not settled, it is not worthwhile for us to continue investing in this country," says Mende. In northern Italy, Affichage has won a contract for bus shelters in South Tyrol, while the outdoor advertiser from Ticino and Como is moving ever closer to the city of Milan and has already reached the suburbs of the metropolis with its products.
In all its activities abroad, Affichage is never just concerned with geographical expansion, emphasizes Mende. The out-of-home advertiser primarily wants to convince customers with a qualitative offensive - firstly according to the principle "less is more", secondly with high-quality carrier material, thirdly with reliable services and fourthly by literally showing customers the poster locations via the online visualization tool InterMediaMap - just like in Switzerland.
Something else will benefit Affichage in the future: The Group still has a well-stocked war chest. This sets it apart from most other international players. The Swiss group is therefore focusing on country representations of three outdoor advertising companies operating in Eastern Europe: Ströer, Germany's heavily indebted number one, the Austrian Epamedia, which recently had to be taken over by Raiffeisenbank, and the American conglomerate Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO), the world's number one. The latter is probably about to be split up.
Markus Knöpfli

Schärer Partner has created a commercial for Schenker Storen with the claim "Some things are simply beautiful because they are there for us every day". The 25-second commercial is supplemented by 7-second follow-up spots, each dedicated to one of the company's most important unique selling points. The commercial will be launched on national television this spring. The film, produced by Techo, was shot at Studio Gutenswil, among other locations.
Responsible at Schenker Storen, Schönenwerd: Werner Held (CEO), Peter Hochuli (Head of Marketing), Cristina Service (Marketing/PR). Responsible at Schaerer und Partner, Lenzburg: Andi Schaerer, (overall responsibility), Stefania Nicolini (consultant), Patrick Crivellari (art direction), Gerhard Reinecke (text/concept). Production: Techo, Zurich; Producer: Levente Paal. Director: Cello Schnyder. Camera: Roli Schmid
Sound: Jingle Jungle, Zurich.

More and more people are watching TV via the internet: twelve percent of German-speaking Swiss regularly watch web TV. Internet TV is particularly popular among 15 to 49-year-olds. They watch TV on the Internet on their laptop while at work or on the move, or use the service when their normal TV set at home is occupied. Many no longer have a television at all and get their news and entertainment exclusively from the Internet.
In December 2008, Gartenhof Media, a subsidiary of Solutionpark AG, went live with its browser-based television Wilmaa. Anyone in Switzerland can register free of charge at Wilmaa.com and then receive 22 television channels via their computer. Wilmaa's advertising offer is marketed by the Goldbach Media Group subsidiaries IP Multimedia and Adlink Media. They are also developing new advertising formats together with Wilmaa. More than 137,000 users have registered with Wilmaa since December 24, 2008.
New advertising format
Wherever there are recipients, advertising is not far away. "We offer four forms of advertising at Wilmaa," says Martin Radelfinger, Chief Business Development Officer at Goldbach Media. "Welcome ads, channel switch ads, reminders and our new Click&Mail format. With Click&Mail, we avoid a media break: information about the product advertised in the spot is sent to the user on request via e-mail without them having to interrupt the program flow."
No user can avoid the welcome spot. Anyone accessing Wilmaa lands on a stand-alone moving image in widescreen format that remains until the website has loaded - for up to 30 seconds. The welcome spot costs CHF 90 CPM. The channel switch spot appears every time the channel changes. It is a maximum of 15 seconds long and costs CHF 80 CPM. The reminder is a combination of welcome and channel switch ad. Its sequential placement, like a TV reminder, guarantees the advertising company maximum attention. The investment for the combination of the welcome ad with a reminder: CHF 120 CPM.
Purposeful and intentional
Wilmaa has supplemented the three classic advertising formats with a new, interactive format that can be booked in combination with the channel switch ad: Click&Mail. With this form of advertising, two speech bubbles appear at the top of the screen in addition to the channel switch ad. The user is addressed by name and asked whether they would like to receive further information on the topic advertised in the channel switch ad. They can then agree or decline. An example: An automobile advertisement is shown in the channel switch film, the viewer is then asked in the Click&Mail whether he would like to take a test drive in the advertised vehicle. If they click on "yes, I want to take a test drive", they receive the corresponding offer by e-mail.
"All of our users are registered with Wilmaa," explains Radelfinger. "So we not only have everyone's email address and zip code, but also an interest profile. On this basis, we can send targeted advertising - and we also have the explicit consent of our customers to do so, namely by clicking on the speech bubble in which more information is offered." According to Radelfinger, Click&Mail is a completely new form of advertising that is not yet offered anywhere in connection with web TV. The channel switch spot with Click&Mail costs CHF 100 CPM, and there is also a flat fee of CHF 1,000 for handling the mail.
In a comparison of all advertising formats offered by Wilmaa, the click yield of the Welcome Ads is particularly impressive: they achieve an impressive 15 percent. "The communication objective should determine the choice of advertising formats," says Radelfinger. "If a customer wants interaction in addition to branding, the combination of the channel switch ad with the Click&Mail format is suitable." The package costs CHF 120 CPM.
Up to date
Wilmaa is Flash-based and runs in a flexible development environment. This enables Wilmaa to constantly optimize its offering. "The community also plays a major role for us," says Thomas Gabathuler, Managing Director of Wilmaa. "The hits from our users tell us exactly which services are popular and which are not. We implement this input 1:1." At the beginning of the week, Wilmaa launched a new feature: the "Channel Hit Parade". While watching a program, users can see at the edge of the screen which channels are currently experiencing strong growth in viewer numbers. They are marked with a star. This allows the viewer to see immediately whether there is perhaps a more exciting program on somewhere or - if news programs are very popular, for example - whether a current event is moving the world.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm

Click&Mail: Anyone who is shown a channel-switch film about Peter Fox on Wilmaa will shortly afterwards receive a speech bubble offering further information about the singer's new album. The reply "Hello Wilmaa. Yes, with pleasure. Please email me" generates an info mail in which the viewer not only finds further details about the artist, but also a link to Exlibris where they can download the album directly.