At the press conference on the Swiss media deal of the decade, Martin Kall once again pulled out all the stops and explained in detail and eloquently why he believes the major merger of Edipresse Switzerland and Tamedia is essential for the two companies and their media. All his listeners were familiar with phrases such as "economic and structural crisis". Nevertheless, the Tamedia CEO was able to fill these often misused buzzwords with content and make it clear to even the most hardened of listeners how profound and, above all, irreversible the current change is.
He illustrated the cyclical moment with the Publicitas Index (Chart 28, see below), which has now been showing the development of commercial advertising expenditure in the daily press for over 15 years and had its starting point in December 1993. The long-term comparison clearly shows that the daily press generated 40 percent more advertising revenue in 2001 than at the starting point, then came the crash - below the 1993 level. "There was a small upturn in 2007 and 2008, but this has already disappeared again. We are already in the next crisis, even though we haven't had a real upturn yet," commented Kall. In nominal terms, the revenues of daily newspaper publishers are now 11 percent below the level of 1993, while inflation has cumulatively amounted to 15 percent in the same period. His conclusion: "Compared to then, newspapers today are missing a quarter of their revenues in real Swiss francs."
He illustrated the structural problem of daily newspapers using the job advertisements at the Tages-Anzeiger (Stellenanzieger and Alpha) (Chart 29, see below). Their page volume developed almost parallel to the curve of the Publicitas index, with a peak in 2000 (10,293 pages), a slump to 2,953 pages in 2003 and a small upswing in 2007 (4,310 pages). This was followed by another decline in 2008. The volume of jobs at the Tagi was therefore 58 percent lower at the peak in 2007 than at the peak in 2000. According to Kall, this shows the structural effect: most job advertisements ended up on the Internet.
Kall then turned to one of the publishers' failings: they have missed out on TV advertising revenues. Although these had grown by a gross CHF 800 million over the last 15 years, SRG had been able to grab 25 percent of this and Swiss private TVs only 10 percent. Kall: "The main profit was made by foreign advertising windows, but without any investment in journalistic content."
He does not want to turn back the clock. "The growth market of TV has already passed the Swiss media companies by," he says clearly. But publishers should not make the same mistake again in the online sector. "Online is the growth market of the future. This could be the last chance for Swiss media companies," said Kall. However, similar things are currently happening there as in the TV medium: foreign providers such as Google, Facebook or EBay are also spreading here - also without publishing services. According to Kall's estimate, Google raked in a good 20 percent of Swiss online advertising expenditure (total gross CHF 290 million) last year and generated a profit of around CHF 45 million with fewer than 25 employees (Chart 48, page 27). "This is where we see the danger for Swiss media companies: That we are not in a position to invest sufficiently, even though we are in competition with companies that represent a much larger unit, are active in many markets and can therefore cultivate our market in a completely different way." This is precisely why Edipresse and Tamedia decided to merge. "To be successful in this market, you need a larger unit and a national presence," said Kall.
He explained how he envisages this in concrete terms using the real estate platform Homegate, which Tamedia and Edipresse have been operating jointly since 2002. Since this cooperation across the language border, the number of properties that can be viewed there has tripled to 50,000 today. "This has given us courage, because it shows that we can hold our own against the competition," said Kall.
Tamedia and Edipresse are now hoping for a similar development with the recently merged dating platforms Swissfriends.ch and Partnerwinner.ch. And they have other "interesting positions on the Internet". For example, the news network News.ch, which could be extended to French-speaking Switzerland, the search portal Search.ch and sites in the job advertisements sector.
Nevertheless, the Tamedia CEO is not fooling himself: Tamedia/Edipresse is still miles away from market leadership in its home market in all these areas, with foreign providers leading the way everywhere (Chart 52, page 27). "We have to be quick to participate in the growth of the online market," said Kall. Once the merger has been approved, the company therefore intends to quickly establish new media and business areas on the Internet. With the declared aim of "generating at least 25 percent of annual profits from online activities from 2013".
Markus Knöpfli

The Swiss magazine Eco Life has entrusted the Pepper agency with responsibility for the editorial office. The Bern-based agency coordinates the content planning, implements the editorial content with a network of freelance journalists and is also responsible for the final editing. The print magazine Eco Life, which covers topics relating to social, economic and environmental sustainability, is published six times a year with a circulation of 130,000 copies.
Pepper was also able to extend its existing collaboration with the Swiss Economic Forum team in Thun and this year is also responsible for the media and PR work for the three events Swiss Economic Forum, Swiss Innovation Forum and Climate Forum.
The mandate with Bern Expo was also extended, with the agency responsible for the editorial media work for the Bern Spring Fair from May 15 to 24.

The Most Flexible Poster in Switzerland
EuroMillions promises record winnings in the millions. True to the motto «big jackpots need plenty of space,» Swisslos and Contexta, together with the media agency Mediaplus, APG, and Karl Schwegler, designed an innovative and extraordinary poster campaign. Now, the current jackpot total is no longer displayed only at newsstands but is also prominently featured on large, eye-catching posters. The posters, designed in the style of a slot machine, can be updated with new figures within a few hours if the jackpot isn’t won. This ensures that the current jackpot amount for Friday night’s drawing is visible throughout all major cities in German-speaking Switzerland immediately after it’s announced.

Hot Nights
The Oswald Siegfried advertising agency designed a flyer for Basel’s City Beach inviting people to the Morgenstreich party. On the night before Fasnacht began at 4 a.m., the Waggis, Pfeiffer, and Trommler were able to warm up this year at what is currently the hottest spot in the city on the Rhine for the three best days of the year.

The wrong film producer can end up costing you a fortune
Just about four hours after the trial began, the Munich Regional Court sentenced the «ex-lover» Helg Sgarbi to six years in prison. At the start of the trial, the elegant Mr. Sgarbi had confessed to seducing Klatten and three other wealthy women, defrauding them of millions of euros, and blackmailing them with sex videos. Ruf Lanz took advantage of the scandal in a surprising way for Condor Films. Beneath an image of a blackmail video is the laconic caption: «The wrong film producer can cost you dearly.» It goes without saying that Condor Films isn’t a cheap partner—but it’s the right one.

Wirz Brugger Lüthi Dialog, part of the Wirz Group, has won the pitch for Viseca's My Card mandate. The first issue of a new 8-page customer magazine, which is published four times a year, is now available. In it, new products, services, but also information and tips on using the credit card are presented editorially and enriched with a competition, special offers and entertaining elements. The slogan of the magazine campaign: "My credit card. Cashless payment - and more".

Campaigns need eye-catchers, brands thrive on a memorable image. So you use a photo of Madonna or a statement from Walt Disney for your advertising, design an eye-catching logo - and success is pre-programmed. Celebrities attract attention and arouse emotions, smart icons remain in the memory. There is no shorter way into the hearts of buyers.
But the matter is more complicated: images, statements and works by well-known personalities are protected by copyright. The rights holders are usually the celebrities themselves or their relatives, represented by a specialist lawyer. Trademarks are a hive of activity: in Switzerland alone, there are over 470,000 registered trademarks. So it's no wonder that when setting up a new trademark, you have to be careful not to infringe the rights of the owners of existing trademarks. Because that can be expensive. If you want to be on the safe side, it is best to consult experts, such as Greenlight or the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI).
Professionals check celebrity rights
Greenlight is a company of the Corbis picture agency. The globally active service provider clarifies for companies and agencies whether they are allowed to use intellectual property for their advertising measures or in media, for example in TV formats. Intellectual property includes images and quotes from celebrities, well-known pieces of music, but also company logos and jingles. With 18 offices in more than 50 countries, Greenlight is one of the world's leading service providers in this field.
Logos and trademarks are also part of the IPI's area of expertise. The IPI informs companies throughout Switzerland about why and when it makes sense to protect intellectual property such as trademarks, designs or patents. The IPI is also the only institution in Switzerland where you can have a trademark examined and registered. Protecting your trademark can bring a company economic success. "Nevertheless, trademark protection does not always make sense. And it is not always possible," emphasizes Dr. Eric Meier, Deputy Director of the IPI and Head of the Trade Mark Division. "We can help companies with detailed information or a professional trademark search."
My logo belongs to me
The case of the Gelsenkirchen furniture chain Roller shows what can happen if intellectual property rights are disregarded: in 2007, the company advertised a competition with the slogan "Roller is looking for Germany's ugliest teenage bedroom". The words were combined with a logo that looked similar to the trademark of the RTL series "Deutschland sucht den Superstar". The broadcaster saw its brand discredited and sued for injunctive relief and damages. With success. The Cologne Higher Regional Court found Roller guilty of having "unjustifiably and unfairly exploited the reputation of the trademark protected by RTL". Roller must now disclose the extent of his advertising campaign so that RTL can calculate the damage it has suffered. Even if some things sound absurd or all too humorless - caution is advised in the slippery legal arena.
Green light for Laurel and Hardy
But if you follow a few rules, you can give your creativity almost free rein: Commerzbank, for example, is allowed to decorate its credit cards with images of Marilyn Monroe and the comedy duo Dick and Doof, while Toyota can use a quote from Einstein in its new commercial for Europe and Asia. In both cases, Greenlight obtained the rights to the images and words. "We approached the executors of Marilyn Monroe and Laurel & Hardy, with whom we have had close relationships for many years," says Jan Taubert, rights clearance specialist at Greenlight. "It took a total of five days to clear the celebrities. Quite a short period of time. Some other requests to well-known personalities that you want to use for advertising purposes take considerably longer." Licensing the Einstein quote was also no problem. Greenlight represents Einstein's estate itself, as well as copyrighted material by Maria Callas, Steve McQueen, Andy Warhol, Sigmund Freud, Gloria Swanson, Buzz Aldrin, Mae West, Liberace and the Wright brothers. "We have many good contacts with agents and decision-makers at film and television studios, record labels, publishers and other rights holders," says David Reeder, Vice President of Greenlight. "The contacts have grown over a long time. In the Einstein case, for example, we represent the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and therefore have a direct connection." Greenlight reviews intellectual property rights in more than 5,000 cases a year for clients such as Hallmark, Screenlife, Sony, American Express, Procter & Gamble, Young & Rubicam, BBDO, DDB, Publicis and TBWA/Chiat/Day. With each audit, the service provider weaves its network of contacts.
If a company gets permission to advertise on a poster with the Empire State Building, for example, it has to pay for it. How much is determined by the rights holder. The context in which the intellectual property may be used also varies depending on the motif, personality depicted, quote, brand or music title. Of course, Greenlight's service also costs money. The service provider negotiates what agencies and companies have to pay for rights clearance with its customers on a case-by-case basis. "The initial consultation, which includes the identification of third-party rights and an estimate of the duration and costs of a clarification, is free of charge," says Reeder. "We recommend that our clients involve us as early as possible in the planning of a campaign. This is because we have a wealth of experience and know in advance which ideas might work with which celebrities and which might not. We are also liable for the legal cases that we have clarified."
Caution with capricious celebrities

If you decide to use a testimonial for your advertising campaign, you should weigh up the options carefully: On the one hand, it is important to meet the tastes of the target group exactly. On the other hand, you need solid stars who won't suddenly find themselves in trouble with the police, drug squad or vice squad - and then share the damage to their image with the brand or product they are advertising. Campaigns featuring Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, for example, were very popular for a while. Thanks to the capers of the two ladies, they are now a no-go. The most recent example of an unhappy union is singer Rihanna and her boyfriend Chris Brown in a Wrigley's commercial. After Brown beat up his girlfriend, the celebrity couple is no longer a good figurehead - even if the reconciliation followed hot on the heels. That's how bad things can go.
Greenlight also advises agencies on choosing the right testimonial. "We use customer-specific research to find out which celebrity is best suited to a particular brand," says David Reeder. According to Reeder, the top 3 most popular advertising subjects worldwide are Albert Einstein, the Empire State Building and works of art by Andy Warhol. Einstein is also ahead when it comes to quotes, while Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" is the most popular music title. The use of well-known pieces of music is becoming increasingly popular with companies. Cover versions of old and new hits are used most frequently, while original jingles are rarely used.
Artists and celebrities can also commission Greenlight directly to represent the rights to their statements, images and works. Since the beginning of the year, for example, the company has held the rights to the Thunderdog Collective. This label brings together 16 illustrators, graffiti artists, toy designers and tattoo and skateboard artists. Their designs can now be used by advertising agencies or product manufacturers for their advertising, licensed by Greenlight.
Brand good, all good
While Greenlight obtains the green light for the use of intellectual property in advertising, the IPI specializes in the examination, granting and administration of rights to trademarks, designs and patents. The Bern-based IPI has been informing companies about the legal requirements that need to be taken into account when setting up a trademark and finding out whether there is anything to prevent a sign from being registered. The IPI is also the only institution in Switzerland that can register trademarks.
If you want to develop a trademark, you should first find out whether this or a similar sign already exists and whether registration would therefore infringe trademark or other rights. This search is best carried out in two steps: In a first step, the company itself can look on the free online databases "Swissreg" (for Swiss trademarks) and "Madrid Express" (for international trademarks) to see which identical trademarks already exist, which have been canceled and which applications for trademark registration have been filed with the IPI. A simple Google search is also important, but by no means sufficient. If nothing is found in the databases, this does not mean that the trademark is available. In a second step, a professional trademark search should be commissioned, either from the IPI or from another provider. A trademark search can also be helpful when creating a trademark. "In a trademark search, we provide all potentially problematic applied for or registered trademarks, but do not make any recommendations. Instead, we refer you to a trademark attorney," emphasizes Eric Meier. "When the Institute receives an application to register a trade mark, it does not automatically check whether earlier trade mark rights exist, it only checks whether there is a general interest against registering the sign applied for. Words that describe the characteristics of a product, for example, cannot be monopolized in favour of a company. 'Apple' cannot be registered for apples or fruit, but can easily be registered for computers." Even if the sign could mislead consumers, the IPI will reject the application: for example, if a chemical product is labeled "Bio" or the trademark contains a geographical indication such as "Swiss" that does not correspond to reality. The IPI only examines the infringement of trademark rights if the owner of an earlier trademark files an opposition against a new trademark registration. If the opposition is upheld, the IPI deletes the new trademark from the register.
Costs and benefits
The fact that the IPI does not make recommendations to companies has to do with its self-image. At a political level, the IPI advises the Federal Council and other federal authorities on all matters relating to intellectual property. "In the private sector, however, we do not want to intervene in an advisory capacity where the free market is already functioning," explains Ueli Buri, Head of the IPI's Directorate and Deputy Head of the Legal & International Affairs Division. "This is a principle of the IPI's market regulation policy." The IPI does not provide decisions, but it does provide the basis for decisions. For example, the Institute offers so-called monitoring searches: Who is applying for which designs? Which trademarks does Nestlé want to register? Which new signs could conflict with my company's trademark? The results give entrepreneurs a good overview of part of the market they are working in.
Incidentally, once the IPI has registered a sign, it is not necessarily protected. "The civil judge who ultimately decides on the protection of a trade mark is not bound by the IPI's decisions," emphasizes Eric Meier. "They can deny protection to a trademark or design." However, in order for the judge to decide whether a sign is worthy of protection, it must first be registered with the IPI. "Every company has to decide for itself when it makes sense to protect a trademark," says Ueli Buri. "Anyone who registers a trademark or other property right incurs effort and costs. These must be lower than the expected benefit. For a young SME that is aiming for the mass market and does not yet have much material value, it can make perfect sense to have its intellectual property protected. Not just the brand, but also designs or patents." In any case, the company then also has something to protect itself against brand and product counterfeiters.
To paraphrase Jesus Sirach: Anyone who goes out in public will die. Unless he prevents his neck from breaking in full view of everyone with an early professional rights check.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm

Sigmund Freud only gives advertisers pleasure when the
rights are clarified.

The price is hot - intelligent pricing as a strategic success factor." This was the theme of the Swiss Marketing Day congress on March 3. At the KKL in Lucerne, around 1,000 people were interested in the exciting presentations, a good third of whom were women. In a nutshell, you can summarize what was learned: Price wars are now the order of the day. However, the strategy of the cheapest offer is often a boomerang. Companies must "leave their mark instead of just kicking up dust", was another insight. Or: "Only those who set their goals high enough will rise above mediocrity."
This strategy was probably also the motto of the eleven companies that were honored with the coveted Marketing Trophy in Lucerne. The expert jury headed by Marco Bernasconi awarded four gold medals. In the large companies category, British American Tobacco Switzerland came out on top with the cultivation of the Parisienne brand, for which a strong smoking community was formed.
In the medium-sized companies category, 1818 directory assistance was selected. With "one of the most successful product launches in recent years", it managed to surpass the high level of awareness of Swisscom's directory assistance service and "establish 1818 as a cult brand", according to the jury. In the small companies category, IEU Energie Zukunft Schweiz impressed the judges with its project "100jetzt - das Solardachprogramm für Gemeinden". First prize in the non-profit organizations category was awarded to WWF Switzerland. The Audience Award went to Reka Switzerland with 50 percent of the votes.
The Swiss Marketing Day set new standards in the industry in a variety of ways. "A strong performance" was the verdict of an expert jury, which awarded the three players Dr. W. A. Günther, Frame Factory and Swiss Marketing the Gold Xaver in the "Best Supplier" category.
Andreas Panzeri

Winner in the small company category: IEU with a solar roof program.

WWf won with a campaign that encourages action against climate change.

Miriam Rademacher from BAT accepts the prize on behalf of Parisienne.

Rolf Jeger from Draft FCB is delighted with gold for the funny 1818 twins.

Alcohol producers and retailers want to counter alcohol advertising bans. The international producer Absolut Vodka is no exception: to take the wind out of the sails of critics and activists calling for an advertising ban, the vodka giant is promoting "moderate drinking" in its new online campaign, which was launched on March 9. The advertising campaign entitled "Recognize the moment" is intended to encourage consumers to "consume alcohol responsibly".
On the Absolut Vodka homepage, users can find information about the effects of alcohol and video clips of consumers talking about responsible alcohol consumption. The site also contains links to organizations such as the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Cell phone users can use the "Text the moment" function to send the text messages and spread the advertising message further. A dedicated Facebook page has even been launched.

The US cable network operator Cablevision is launching the largest test project to date for customized advertising in the television sector. Targeted advertising, which originated on the Internet, is now to be used to directly address specific user groups in the television sector. The advertising service is to be tested in around 500,000 households in New York and New Jersey next summer.
While user groups can be identified on the Internet by analyzing their online behaviour, this is impossible with one-way television communication. This is why customer data from the information service provider Experian is to be made available. This provides information about the income, gender, ethnic background, marital status or even pets of the people concerned. Although Cablevision promises to maintain the privacy of its customers, the project has triggered fierce protests from data protectionists. The main criticism is that the cable operator provides inadequate information about the project and it is not clear what data is being collected.

The Eastern Swiss cable radio station FM1 Melody can now also be received in Liechtenstein. Following the launch of the radio station on Liechtenstein's two cable networks, the Principality can now also listen to hits, oldies and folk music with hourly news from Eastern Switzerland.
In the municipalities of Balzers, Triesen, Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan, Planken, Gamprin-Bendern, Ruggell and Schellenberg, the station can be received via the Telecom Liechtenstein cable network (96.5 MHz). Around 3,000 households in Mauren, Nendeln, Eschen and Schaanwald are also supplied with the program via the Matt Antennentechnik network (96.3 MHz).
FM1 Melody was launched just under a year ago and already reached an average of 34,000 listeners in the first three months. This makes the station the number 2 private cable radio station in Switzerland. The radio station is broadcast in Eastern Switzerland via the cable networks Cablecom SG and Chur, Rii-Seez-Net, TB Will, GrischaVision and RKO Signal.

Scholz & Friends Zurich staged a guerrilla campaign for the online travel agency Ebookers.ch. In several large cities in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland, life-size dolls were lifted into the air with helium balloons. The inscription on the suitcase "Simply take off cheaper" was intended to draw attention to the travel provider's low-cost offers. The guerrilla campaign was accompanied by a promotional team that distributed competition flyers to passers-by. The winners received free flights from Air France and KLM.

Responsible at Ebookers.com, Geneva: Matthias Thürer (Marketing Manager). Responsible at Scholz & Friends Zurich: Erich Baumgartner (CEO), Joerg Jahn, Markus Hammer, Björn Blöchlinger, Andreas Troxler (creation), Uli Geiger, Merja Rinderli (consulting), Decorbau Oediwood, Yves Gaillard (dummy construction). Promotion agency: USP Partner.

The Basel agency Kreisvier Communications has made a good start to 2009 with three new clients. Thalia Switzerland, a book and media retailer with 22 stores, was added. In the B2B sector, Trivadis, a Swiss provider of IT solutions and services with over 500 employees at 13 locations in Switzerland, Germany and Austria, was acquired. The customer base was also expanded to include Industrielle Werke Basel (IWB), an energy service provider in the region.

Publicitas Web2com is getting reinforcements: Oliver Schibli will lead the sales team as Head of Agency Relations, and Sergio Zappa will take on the role of Account Manager at the consulting firm for online, mobile and search engine marketing.
Oliver Schibli will be responsible for building up and intensifying direct customer and agency relationships. The 34-year-old has many years of experience in online marketing and, among other things, built up the online business of Bluewin and Blick as Head of Product Management. Most recently, Oliver Schibli was Head of Sales at Tilllate.
Sergio Zappa brings expertise in various areas of the
IT support. He gained his experience among others at
Bluewin and Blick.ch. Most recently, the 36-year-old worked as an account manager at Tilllate.
In Switzerland, Publicitas comprises the former Publicitas, Publimedia, Publimag, Mosse, Publiconnect, Radiotele, Cinecom and Web2com, and abroad the companies of the Publicitas Promotion Network. The units generated sales of around two billion Swiss francs in 2007.

Caption: Oliver Schibli (left) and Sergio Zappa (right).