The Swiss Marketing Day is the marketing highlight of the year. For the first time, Claude J. Dubois, Head of Examinations at Swiss Marketing (SMC), invited the examination presidents and examination directors of the examinations that are organized and supervised by his examination secretariat at Swiss Marketing in Olten. And they all came and met in the VIP examination lounge on March 3, 2009 at the KKL in Lucerne: it is no exaggeration to say that the "Who's Who" of the Swiss examination system met for the first time. We introduce:

Circle of presidents: Uwe Tännler (President of Swiss Marketing and OC President of the Swiss Marketing Day) in the middle, framed by the presidents of the examination committees from left to right: Marc Heim (Head of Marketing), Jean-Paul Zürcher (Head of Sales), Hans-Jürg Gehri (Sales Professionals) and Andreas Balazs (Marketing Professionals).

MarKom admission examination with certificate, Chairman of the Examination Board: Heinz Egli, Examination Director: Claude J. Dubois (1999 examination applications in 2008).

Marketing specialists with a federal certificate (until 2008: marketing planners), Chairman of the Examination Board: Andreas Balazs, Examination Director: Claude J. Dubois (976 examination applications in 2008).

Sales specialists with a federal certificate (until 2008: sales coordinators), Chairman of the Examination Board: Hans-Jörg Gehri, Examination Director: Walter Zeller (615 examination applications in 2008).

Sales manager with federal diploma, Chairman of the Examination Board: Jean-Paul Zürcher, Examination Director: Stephan Günther (280 examination applications in 2008).

Marketing Manager with Federal Diploma (examination every two years, annually from 2009), Chairman of the Examination Board: Marc Heim, Examination Director: Peter Gilli (142 examination applications in 2007).

Under the leadership of Claude J. Dubois, the Examination Secretariat processes over 4000 examination applications every year.
Proof of the professional work of Swiss Marketing's audit secretariat: the SQS certificate of ISO certification.

The hard-working employees: Back row from left: Céline Bucher, Claude J.Dubois, Sandro Husi, Rolf Janz. Front row from left: Evelin Rodriguez, Larissa Camerotto, Karina Stocker, absent: Simone Bürge.
Article and photos: Patrick Bernd Buchert

«Infothriller» is what Levente Paal of Techo calls the new genre. «A thrilling film on a topic that doesn’t interest anyone,» says Armin Murer, head of public relations at Nagra, commenting ambiguously on the briefing. In fact, topics such as radioactivity, waste disposal, and deep geological repositories have long been buried by the Swiss public in a “repository of repression.” There, however, the problem continues to radiate, since 40 percent of our electricity comes from nuclear power plants.
With the film «The Solution,» Nagra once again aims to remind us of our national responsibility and to promote «an objective and informed approach» to radioactive waste and its storage. The film was originally intended to be six minutes long. Ultimately, however, the wealth of complex information found a form that is both accessible to the general public and meaningful—resulting in a 13-minute film. To achieve this, concept developers Levente Paal and Daniel Boschung, together with screenwriter Benito Müller, opted for an engaging «feature film» format. «The Solution» follows a reporter for a major daily newspaper as she uncovers a hot story. Alerted by a radioactive alarm at a waste incineration plant, the newspaper begins its investigation and ultimately discovers an opportunity to use factual reporting not only to deliver a fleeting sensation but also to spark a broader discussion.
Directed by Tobias Müller, the film featured well-known actors. It was shot in six days with a crew of 60. «The scenes in the transit warehouses were a logistical challenge,» says cinematographer Peter Indergand. All this hard work has since been recognized in Dortmund with a Corporate Media Award of Master.
Andreas Panzeri

Swisscom has always made it its mission to connect people. Through its wide range of services and exceptional customer support, Swisscom builds relationships and fosters a sense of closeness. This sense of community—which customers experience thanks to and together with Swisscom—is at the heart of the new communication strategy.
The one-brand strategy was conceived exactly one year ago. Going forward, all initiatives will focus on the core message «Experience Together,» as Nadine Borter of Contexta explains. The stories tell of experiences that are grounded in everyday life and evoke an emotional response. These are stories that feel authentic and show how Swisscom brings people together. Swisscom developed the new strategy in close collaboration with its two lead agencies, Jung von Matt/Limmat and Contexta. Contexta’s campaign for Bluewin TV is now the first to be implemented based on this new strategy.
The campaign is based on two closely interlinked levels. The first level highlights the shared experience of Bluewin TV. This message is conveyed through two videos that can be viewed on television and online. The first video tells the heartwarming story of two men who couldn’t be more different. It’s only thanks to Bluewin TV that the two realize they have one major thing in common: their passion for soccer. The second film gives us a closer look at two people in their everyday lives who know each other very well precisely because of their typical points of friction: a mother and her teenage daughter. They, too, experience a simple yet shared moment of happiness when they watch a romantic movie together on Bluewin TV in the evening. Both films capture the essence of the new «Shared Experiences» strategy.
On the second, more sales-oriented level, the focus is on Bluewin TV’s content: over 120 TV channels, more than 500 top movies at the touch of a button, and live games from Italy’s Serie A, the Bundesliga, the Axpo Super League, and the Champions League. Bluewin TV’s content is promoted using a clever creative concept that maintains a connection to the first level. In short reminder spots, on sales banners, and in advertisements, we see people enjoying Bluewin TV together.

In Swisscom's new brand identity, the distinction between
Brand and product campaigns are gone.

TBWA/Zurich, in collaboration with APG Affichage, organized a billboard campaign for McDonald’s Switzerland. Approximately 100 billboards featuring eight different designs were displayed at a single billboard location on Wednesday, March 11, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The campaign took place in front of the Zurich Oerlikon train station at Hofwiesenstrasse 369. The posters were replaced every few minutes or seconds. For example, the slogan for the hamburger read: «Our hamburgers are always fresh and never more than 10 minutes old. Just like this poster.».
Responsible at McDonald's Switzerland: Thomas Truttmann (Marketing & Communications Director), Nicole Schöwel (Communications Manager McDonald's Switzerland). Responsible at TBWA/Zurich: Urs Schrepfer (CD), Martin Friedlin (AD), Simon Smit (Copy), Attilio Leonardi (Graphic Design), Toni Rubera (Image Editing), Claudia Beck (Consulting). Person in charge at Allgemeine Plakatgesellschaft (APG): Astrid Kägi (Key Account Consultant).

More than 30,000 degrees are awarded annually in higher vocational education, and the trend is upward. It is the ideal path in the Swiss educational landscape. This is because the broad job market demands practical skills, not just knowledge relevant to the profession. Students must be able to handle specific, job-related work situations. Professions in the field of marketing and sales:
Marketing Specialists with a Federal Certificate
They design and implement professional marketing strategies and ensure that the necessary tools are integrated. They plan marketing initiatives and successfully carry them out. They identify and understand market conditions, economic trends, and legal frameworks, and apply these insights effectively in their professional work.
Sales Specialists with a Federal Certificate
are capable of independently handling all sales-related tasks. They professionally plan and execute one-on-one sales and take responsibility for achieving these goals in their sales territories. Thanks to their comprehensive knowledge of business and economics, they are able to accurately assess their environment and develop optimal solutions.
Sales Manager with a Federal Diploma
are responsible for sales-oriented and managerial roles. Their primary responsibilities include designing, planning, and leading the sales and distribution organization. Flexibility, negotiation skills, emotional maturity, and interpersonal skills are essential. To implement the chosen strategy, they manage and coordinate operational departments such as field and office staff as well as logistics.
Marketing Manager with a Swiss Federal Diploma
are responsible for marketing and sales. Their primary responsibilities center on developing and implementing optimal marketing strategies. A solid understanding of the methods used to prepare marketing analyses and interpret business and financial metrics, as well as knowledge of corporate management and organization, is essential.
Certified Marketing Manager (HF)
are marketing generalists with broad, interconnected technical and leadership skills. They assume responsibility and leadership roles in the marketing departments of SMEs or large companies in the area of operational marketing. They approach challenging real-world situations from a business-oriented, process-based perspective and communicate with relevant stakeholders.

Claude J. Dubois, Division Manager
Examination System

For over 80 years, Wolfensberger in Bauma has been developing, manufacturing, and machining sophisticated castings for the transportation, energy, and general mechanical engineering sectors. The company, located in the Tösstal valley, is the region’s largest employer. It stands out above all for its ability to transform over 100 different materials into castings with high aesthetic appeal. Crafft Kommunikation has skillfully leveraged this advantage for brand management by presenting these castings as first-class works of art. Thanks to this strategy, Wolfensberger stands out from other companies in this field and enjoys high brand recognition within the industry.
Strong Brand Management
For Crafft Kommunikation, Wolfensberger was a stroke of luck, as the agency was able to begin with the corporate design and thus lay the foundation for strong brand management. In parallel with the brand implementation, the marketing communications strategy was developed for both online and offline channels. From the design of the trade show booth, the advertising campaign, and the website to the corporate brochure and the conversion of print materials into e-papers (Spring 2009), Crafft Kommunikation has implemented the entire communications mix. From Bauma in Zurich, these elegant castings are shipped around the world—with a brand presence that embodies Wolfensberger’s distinctive character down to the last detail.
Cross-Media Newsletter
By launching a newsletter, Crafft Kommunikation and Wolfensberger aimed to create a scalable tool for a specialized target audience. The newsletter is published two to three times a year with a circulation of 6,000 copies. It is written by trade journalists for industry professionals, particularly engineers and technicians. The concept is based on using the information from the newsletter across various media. Each issue addresses a specific topic in the field of casting technology and casting materials. This information is simultaneously posted on Wolfensberger’s website and intranet, accompanied by articles in relevant trade journals. Finally, in connection with the current topic featured in the newsletter, the company also offers recipients subject-specific presentations and guided tours of the facility.
All of these measures give the castings manufacturer a profile that particularly highlights the company’s strengths. And that is set to remain the case in the future, according to Thomas Iten, Head of Sales at Wolfensberger.
Michael Rütti

In connection with the new red, white and silver-grey colors of the SME Helvetic Airways, its current corporate image, the aircraft livery, cabin interiors, cabin attendants' accessories, etc., its in-flight magazine, Mare Helveticum, is also being given a new "coat of paint". Swissness, safe and comfortable travel on direct flights from Zurich, special features of the company's management and outstanding travel destinations are the intensified messages in the content and design. The new issue of the Helvetic Airways in-flight magazine in the "Red-White-Silbergau costume" will be available on board the airline, which focuses on individual needs, from March. Primafila AG has been responsible for the concept, design and editing of the in-flight magazine Mare Helveticum since 2007.
Information: Primafila AG, Simon Froehling, E-Mail: [email protected].
Simon Froehling

Pascale Berclaz has decided to leave the Bern-based "Werkstatt für Kommunikation" Freiburghaus und Partner. After a short break, the long-standing co-owner and head of consulting will take up a new position in May 2009. According to the agency, Berclaz has been very committed to the company for ten years and her departure is not without regret. Both Berclaz and Freiburghaus (and partners) want to continue their friendly relationship in their core areas of communication, marketing and public relations.

Härterei Gerster AG is internationally recognized as a specialist for sophisticated technical heat treatments and employs around one hundred people in Egerkingen, Solothurn. Using various process technologies, Gerster treats large workpieces weighing several tons or the smallest parts from the watchmaking industry, individual pieces and series of millions. Heat treatments are used to make highly stressed production parts resistant and reduce signs of wear.
Simple design, convincing visual language
Härterei Gerster AG works professionally, delivers quality and offers its customers individual solutions. A language that is also spoken by its customer and employee magazine. Its design is simple, uniform and impresses with a clear visual language, while the text is authentic, well-structured and entertaining. Modus is published twice a year with a print run of 2,500 copies and is conceived, written, designed and photographed (with its own photographer) by the corporate publishing service provider Brandl & Schärer AG in Olten. "Our customer and employee magazine should reflect the company's professionalism and quality standards," says Felix Heimgartner, Managing Director of Härterei Gerster AG in Egerkingen. "And it should stand out from the crowd in its design, be something special." With customer portraits and topic-specific reports, Modus circles a specific subject from all sides. For the magazine's theme of "Consulting", for example, the magazine makers took a look behind monastery walls and a security consultant's cards, while the core theme of "Rivers" was approached with stories on traffic and energy flows.
Worthwhile investment
The result is reports that often only have anything to do with the heat treatment specialist at second glance. However, a topic can only be captured in its entirety if all its facets are examined. That is professional. A standard that Härterei Gerster AG also sets for its working methods. Nevertheless: "The Modus magazine is a considerable investment for a company of our size," the Managing Director points out. A worthwhile investment, however, when he thinks of all the positive reactions. An investment whose added value cannot be quantified, an added value that primarily promotes the company's image, an added value that is priceless.
Sabine Schmid

"Although the image is appealing, it has no connection to the exhibition. The positioning is very poor, it almost disappears next to the other posters. It didn't convince me - I wouldn't go to the exhibition."
Andreas Fleischmann (19), apprentice chef
"At first glance, you'd think they were advertising sweets or starving people.
I think the focus was wrong. I wouldn't go to the exhibition for that reason!"
Daniel (26), MTec student at the ETH
"Does it advertise anything at all? It's not obvious. I would have guessed sweets - candy or something. The people who walk past here every day hardly notice it. The exhibition doesn't arouse much curiosity because you don't know what's on display."
Beni Wiederkehr (39) and Jean-Claude Grässli (40), both metalworkers
"At first, I thought it was an advertisement for sweets - or for human rights in Africa. I wouldn't visit the exhibition just because of the poster."
Norbert Oehrli (50), train driver instructor
"It looks to me like an advertisement for trips to Africa. The people depicted also look surprisingly healthy! The illustration itself is beautiful, but it could also be used for about seven other advertising purposes."
Johanna St. (77), retired nurse
"My first guess was travel - somewhere in faraway Africa. The poster looks inconspicuous. Above all, the font should be bigger. The photo is nice, but in my opinion it has too little to do with the essentials."
Valea Klaeren (19), student at the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHDK)

The internet company Google announced the launch of a beta version of so-called "Interest Based Ads" on YouTube and in the Google Content Network on Wednesday. Interest Based Ads are intended to make it easier for advertisers to display messages and offers specifically to those surfers who might also be interested in the offer. It therefore promises to address an even more precisely defined target group. The new system could generate higher revenues for partners in the Google Content Network due to higher click rates.
Advertising cookie as the centerpiece
The Google Content Network (GCN) consists of Google's partner websites, which already provide the internet company with space for third-party advertising. What is new is that when a surfer accesses YouTube or the GCN, they are recognized and therefore shown advertising on the website that is tailored to them. And this is how it is done: the interests of the surfers are assigned to different interest categories via their entries on YouTube or the pages visited on the GCN and then stored in a cookie. The cookie in turn allows the websites on which interest-based ads are placed to identify the interests of the surfer based on the categories and to place appropriate advertising.
Travel lovers get travel advertising
For example, if a user spends a large part of their online time watching videos of exotic destinations on YouTube and travel websites in the Google Content Network, the new system classifies them as a "travel enthusiast". As a result, the Google Content Network and YouTube will show this user more travel-related ads. Or if a user viewed a football jersey on a sportswear website in August, the website operator could show the user an ad on YouTube or GCN websites in December to draw their attention to special offers, for example their winter sales.
Little information about the GCN
At least that's the theory. How well the new service actually works will be tested with a few partner companies in a test phase starting in April this year. During this phase, for example, the interest categories will be expanded and refined. The service will then be available to all advertising customers at the beginning of 2010, according to Google. Interest-based ads can then be booked via the Adwords system. The company did not say at Wednesday's presentation when the new tool was developed or where it was developed. There was also no information about how many advertising partners Google has in Switzerland or how many belong to the Google Content Network. Google Head of Switzerland Andreas Schönenberger spoke of "hundreds of thousands" worldwide. An indication is given by the Reach figures of the market research company Comscore, which are, however, not certified.
No religion, no pornography
Google goes to some lengths to provide information about data protection for this service. It is repeatedly pointed out that the company does not collect any personal data and that it is not possible to tell who the person is from the data stored on the cookie. In addition, Internet users are given the opportunity to opt out in a so-called Ads Preferences Manager to expand or delete the interest categories. And if you don't want any interest-based ads at all, you can unsubscribe. Of course, the new system does not work if someone has deactivated cookies, but that is probably very few people. Google has also decided not to record "sensitive interests" such as religion, health or pornography.

The NZZ put us on the trail. The Vatican, reported its correspondent in Rome, blamed two "anti-clerical French journalists" for the furor surrounding the negationist bishop. Caroline Fourest and Fiammetta Venner were named. Together they had orchestrated a plot against the Pope. The Vatican trapped by two women? Thanks to the internet and the archives, it is relatively easy to follow the traces backwards.
As the scandal over the four Integrist bishops, whom the Pope had welcomed back into the fold of the Church, was approaching its climax, Caroline Fourest published an article in Le Monde entitled "Peter and the black sheep". The author reported on the activities of traditionalists who regularly read masses for the fascist writer Maurice Bardèche. Who regularly make pilgrimages to Auschwitz to reverently commemorate a genocide - not the Shoah. But the "genocide of aborted fetuses". Caroline Fourest knew that Pope Benedict was very popular in these circles.
Caroline Fourest is a regular columnist on religious issues for Le Monde. She can be heard on the radio, works as an editor for a magazine and is also a welcome guest on talk shows because of her contentiousness. Her most recent book was on the Vatican's links to the ultra-nationalists. This is one of her specialties.
Caroline Fourest has also published books and articles together with Fiammetta Venner. They have taken on the fundamentalists of all religions - Jewish, Islamic and Christian. Also because of their homophobia. Fourest, not yet much older than thirty, fights for gay rights, presides over their association and appears on television with Fiammetta Venner as a relaxed couple.
Conspiracy theories - even if they come from the Vatican - must be distrusted. However, the question of whether Fourest and Venner really wanted to pull off a coup can certainly be asked. That would not be a scandal in itself. They know the negationist swamp inside out. And the detour via Swedish television also proves to be extremely clever. Perhaps the dubious Bishop Williamson was well informed. And was happy to go along with it. The two French women arranged the interview, which was recorded last November. Fiammetta Venner was a guest on the program in which it was broadcast.
"We tipped off our colleagues," she explains in response to the accusations from Rome. And speaks of a "bad joke": "We've also been lumped in with the Freemasons. Because we are anti-clerical - but it seemed to me to be about fundamentalists. Neither we nor Swedish television know the papal calendar in the
Ahead."
Was the timing so perfect just by chance? The fact that Fourest and Venner were well informed about the imminent rehabilitation of the expelled bishops is shown by their publications in the weeks beforehand. The Williamson interview was a great prank, a brilliant staging. And it is a cynical lesson in how politics and the media work.
It is not Caroline Fourest's role as instigator and mediator that is scandalous. But her journalistic appearance as a commentator on a production in which she played a central role leaves a stale aftertaste - because the reader learns nothing about it. This aspect was also not mentioned in the interview that Le Monde conducted with Venner.
These contexts are not conducive to the credibility of the relentlessly writing, mercilessly arguing French journalists. But they are even less of an excuse for the Vatican and the Pope. However clumsily they have fallen into the trap of two women: The case of the bishop who denies the existence of the gas chambers and calls this a "free expression of opinion by a non-historian" is more than a communication problem.