A new kind of online advertising is needed. This realization has been spreading since more and more net users have been using ad blockers. Particularly since Apple has also made this possible on its cell phone operating system, the topic is not only being discussed in the media industry, but also among the public. Ad blockers have been around on the Internet for several years and are by no means unknown. The start-up PageFair has dedicated itself to the topic and publishes an annual report on the subject (together with Adobe).

In the 2015 issue, it is reported that the use of ad blockers in Europe increased by 39 percent last year (41 percent worldwide). Once again, Switzerland is not worth collecting data on here, so we note that ad blocker use in Germany is at 25.3% of internet users (or 18 million in Q2 2015), in the UK at 20.3%, in France at 10.4%. In Europe, they are most widespread in Greece (36.7%) and Poland (34.9%).

No alarm in Switzerland

In Switzerland, a survey conducted by Werbewoche among the major publishers did not reveal any alarmed concern or extraordinary urgency. When it comes to concrete figures, only Steven Goodman, Head of Strategy and Marketing at Watson, is specific and reports that the share of desktops is stable at between 15 and 20 percent. And he also speaks plainly about what this means: "We would make around five percent more revenue if there were no adblockers." And the head of Netmetrix, Rolf Schmitz, explained on request that, based on a survey carried out some time ago, it is assumed that 15 to 20 percent of users in Switzerland use an ad blocker. And he confirmed that these effects are "not factored out" of the published reach figures.

As the example of Watson shows, ad blockers are expensive: the PageFair report estimates that online publishers have lost 22 billion dollars in revenue worldwide as a result and assumes that mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) will be the most popular. This prediction was easy to make when the report was published at the beginning of August, as Apple, whose Safari web browser dominates 52 percent of the mobile web browser market, had already announced at the beginning of June that the next version of the iOS operating system would contain an application programming interface (API) to suppress advertising content in Safari. The topic, which had previously received little attention even in specialist circles, gained momentum and hit the headlines following the release of iOS9 in mid-September: Various ad-blocking extensions topped the hit parade of downloaded Safari extensions after just a few days. That was a wake-up call. Especially for the online advertising industry and also for online publishers.

It dawned on me that something had gone wrong here. Although it is easy to install an ad blocker, a few specific steps are still necessary, which nobody takes on without need. And so the rapid spread of ad blockers is a clear response from the online audience: we've had enough! We don't want video ads that start playing as soon as we open a page. We don't want trackers that record our behavior and thus interfere with our privacy. We don't want ads that are so extensive to download that the display of the content is delayed for an unbearably long time. We don't want advertising that overlays content and is difficult to get rid of (the X to close it is hard to hit at the first attempt, especially on smartphones).

These and similar phenomena have increased significantly in recent times because users hardly pay any attention to conventional online advertising formats such as simple banners. Hence the intrusive video advertising, from which publishers earn more money now that the prices for simple display advertising have plummeted.

Who broke the contract?

Publishers point out that there is a customary right between publishers and readers that advertising is part of the product. In the good times, newspapers were financed to more than half in this way. And hardly anyone took offense, the agreement was valid. So who has violated it in the online world? Is it the consumers who use ad blockers? Or is it the publishers who have gone too far with new forms of online advertising, incurring the public's displeasure and bringing about the termination of the old agreement themselves?

But perhaps everything is half as bad and can soon be dismissed as an episode in history. Just like advertising by e-mail and pop-ups. When the Internet became widely available at the turn of the century, electronic mailboxes were soon overflowing with often dubious advertising emails (known as spam). Better and better spam filters came to the rescue, and today a number of rules have been established (above all: the recipient's consent, the option of simply unsubscribing), with which newsletters etc. are recognized as a marketing instrument. And when, in the early days of the mass distribution of the Internet, web browsers were also used to open unsolicited windows (so-called pop-ups) with advertising messages, this annoyance was eliminated by technical measures taken by the browser providers to suppress such pop-ups.

In recent weeks, since ad blockers for Apple devices have taken the public's favor by storm, new proposals and initiatives to solve the problem have emerged, if not daily, then weekly. For example, the association of leading American media brands on the web, Digital Content Next, together with the World Association of Newspaper Publishers, WAN-IFRA, announced a corresponding initiative at the end of September. Other industry organizations have spoken out with manifestos and other proposals. They make it clear: online advertising 2.0 is needed. Advertising 1.0 has developed organically on the web over the last twenty years through trial and error. Standards are needed that specify to the advertising industry what is permissible on a website. Do we want ads that jump around the page? Do we want ads that cover up content? Do we want ads that collect data about users without them and publishers being informed?

Users are difficult to convince

Only if websites can assure users that they will only display unobtrusive (but not boring) advertising will they be willing to do without ad blockers. But the road to new online advertising standards is long and complicated. It is not just a matter of format issues, which have been defined by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB, in recent years after having proven themselves in practice in most cases. Now it is also about content aspects and the use of online advertising elements. This can be debated for years in international standards committees. And if such a standard exists, it will be easy to argue about its correct application. There will always be sites that display advertising without restrictions. Up to what point is it still more profitable to accept ad blockers? So the question is: when will reach measurement show these losses and when will they have a direct impact on tariffs?

This is because it is unlikely that users will remove their ad blockers, but on the contrary will recommend them to all their acquaintances on the basis of positive experiences. And the incentive to activate certain websites on ad blockers will be low. This is why there will soon be an arms race in the use of technical tricks. Websites will detect the use of ad blockers and encourage users to unblock their site or take out a subscription. Websites can also display advertising directly from their editorial system, which means that it can hardly be distinguished from editorial content in purely technical terms. Or other web servers that are not yet on the list of addresses to be blocked can always be used to display advertising. And providers of ad blockers will come up with methods to circumvent these measures.

Christoph J. Walther

This article already appeared in the print edition of Werbewoche 19/2015 from 23.10.2015

GOOGLE AND ITS ILK IN THE STARTING BLOCKS

It is the publishers who must take a pioneering role in countermeasures to advertising bots. Because the stakes are high. It's not just the loss of revenue that will push any hopes of making a name for themselves online even further away. Ultimately, the survival of trustworthy brands is at stake. People like to point to the music industry, which, after the emergence of songs in MP3 format in 1996, failed to offer an acceptable alternative to the distribution of pirated songs online. It was of little use, for example, to cover helpless mothers with multi-million dollar lawsuits because their youngsters had used the net for free.

It was only when Apple offered a practicable solution with the Music Store (later iTunes) in 2003 that the situation eased. However, music publishers had to face up to the consequences of their failure and swallow Apple's commercial dictates. If media companies fail to win back and consolidate the trust of users in the open web, they open the door for platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Google or Facebook to jump into the gap and offer a solution for news distribution that is accepted by the public. And which degrade publishers to suppliers of mass-produced goods, as their brands hardly play a role anymore. But even worse: if online advertising loses its reach, this could mean the end of the open web, which has been largely financed by advertising since its inception. Particularly at risk are well-established small publishers in the American market who earn their money exclusively through advertising. The withdrawal of publishers' offerings behind paywalls and into apps is encouraging this development.

Interestingly, the American technology giants have recently become involved in the media sector. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has bought the renowned Washington Post and is thus taking an innovative approach. To counter the accusations of European publishers (keyword: ancillary copyright in Germany), Google has launched the Digital News Initiative, proposing a partnership in the areas of technology and innovation. Only to be overtaken on the right by Facebook, which offers a concrete solution with Instant Articles, similar to Apple, which not only enabled ad blockers with iOS9, but also offered an app for news distribution. It is clear that the technology giants have smelled blood and are just waiting for the news industry to be weak enough to bite in desperation. The fact that publishers will be able to agree on binding standards and enforce them on the market, firstly worldwide and secondly in the near future, is unprecedented.

The hook is the seamless transition of the TV experience from TV screen to tablet and smartphone. Because with Swisscom TV 2.0, viewers can take the current program with them wherever they go. The campaign was creatively implemented by Swisscom's lead agency Heimat. To coincide with the start of this year's ski racing season, Lara Gut embarks on what is probably the most unusual run of her life. As a TV commercial, this race is also the core of the campaign.

The campaign is told in several phases: At the beginning, the press reported on a new, mysterious coach of the Swiss national ski team and raised questions about his unusual training methods. This was followed by several online films in which the coach and his methods were presented in a humorous way. With Far Eastern rigor, he prepares the athletes to be ready for every conceivable TV usage situation. In addition to Lara Gut, other prominent members of the Swiss ski team also make an appearance.

The TV commercial has been running on all high-reach channels in Switzerland since November 7 and is integrated into extensive poster, print, online, social media, press, sponsoring, event and store measures. Markenfilm is responsible for the film production, Mediaschneider is the media agency, Coundco is the online agency, Emoticom is the web agency and Rod is the PR agency.

 

In its dispatch to Parliament, the Federal Council proposes banning tobacco advertising on posters, in print and online media and in cinemas. However, tobacco companies should still be allowed to advertise their smoking products in kiosks, on vending machines and at festivals of national importance. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Federal Councillor Alain Berset called this an "important step". According to studies, the majority of smokers started smoking before their 20th birthday. And advertising has a particularly strong influence on young people: according to a German study, the risk of young people starting to smoke increases by 46 percent when they are exposed to tobacco advertising.

There is already a ban on tobacco advertising on radio and television. Tobacco advertising explicitly aimed at minors is also prohibited. However, the number of young people who smoke has stagnated or even risen slightly in recent years, according to Health Minister Berset. Further steps are therefore necessary.

Enough leeway for the tobacco industry

The Federal Council's proposals were met with harsh criticism during the consultation process. Health and youth organizations insisted on a total ban on cigarette advertising. The tobacco industry and economic players, on the other hand, opposed the planned advertising bans. Nevertheless, the Federal Council is sticking to its proposals. The bill is "moderate and balanced" and also leaves the tobacco industry sufficient leeway, emphasized Berset. Switzerland is going less far than most European countries with the proposed regulations. Some cantons also currently have stricter rules than the federal government. In 15 cantons, poster advertising for tobacco products is already prohibited. In ten cantons, cigarettes may not be sold to minors, and in a further twelve cantons the age of sale is 16.

E-cigarettes to become legal

The new Tobacco Products Act also ensures that smokers can buy products that are safe, said Berset. He referred to nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, the sale of which is to be permitted in future. E-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-shishas should be subject to the same restrictions on advertising and sales to minors as conventional cigarettes. Anyone who vapes e-cigarettes must also comply with smoking bans.

Commoners against advertising ban

The proposed advertising ban is likely to have a difficult time in parliament. The FDP and SVP spoke out against the preliminary draft of the Tobacco Products Act during the consultation process. Although the BDP and CVP welcomed the protection of minors, they rejected a tightening of the ban on tobacco advertising. In contrast, bans appear to have majority support among the population: 53% are in favor of a general ban on tobacco advertising, according to surveys conducted as part of the Federal Office of Public Health's (FOPH) addiction monitoring. A ban with an exception for sales outlets is even approved by 64 percent. Supporters of the advertising ban are also likely to raise the issue of costs: According to an external study, the new Tobacco Products Act would lead to annual savings of around CHF 400 to 600 million, as Berset said. In particular, health costs and costs for absences from work would decrease if tobacco consumption were to fall. Worldwide, over 5 million people die every year as a result of tobacco consumption. In Switzerland, this figure is around 9500. This makes tobacco consumption the most common preventable cause of death in Switzerland. Tobacco consumption also causes medical treatment costs of CHF 1.2 billion per year. A further 3.8 billion francs are incurred for lost working hours. (SDA)

Heinzer's first Globi book was published in 1980 under the title "Globi in the Wild West". It was an instant success, selling 20,000 copies. The last Heinzer title to be published was "Globi für alle Fälle" in 2003. The Schaffhausen artist also created four "Papa Moll" volumes. The Globi stories drawn by Heinzer with verses by publishing director Guido Strebel are among the most popular and successful Globi books. Looking back, Strebel said that it was not sufficiently recognized that Heinzer had saved the Globi publishing house.

Heinzer was born in 1945 in Stein am Rhein SH. He attended the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts and completed an apprenticeship in graphic design in Schaffhausen. He became a freelance illustrator in 1972. He created comic figures such as the Redi bird, cartoons and animated films before becoming the inventor and illustrator of the Globi stories for two decades. In 1932, the Globi figure was created by advertising manager Ignatius Karl Schiele and illustrator Robert Lips for the 25th anniversary of the Globus department store: A blue bird with checked trousers and beret. The image has changed slightly over the years, but the most important trademarks have remained the same. Globi became the most successful Swiss children's book character.

Fascinated by the forest

In 1996, Heinzer and his wife moved to Hemmental near Schaffhausen, where he devoted himself entirely to painting. Far away from the hustle and bustle and noise, he explored barren plateaus and forests in the gorges and on the steep slopes and captured them on canvas. Heinzer's oil paintings are characterized by an almost photorealistic depth of field. (SDA)

Each truck has a number and drives out into the country on the corresponding Advent day to delight the population with free Cadbury chocolate. Hashtag: #cadvent. The integrated campaign is a joint effort between the agencies Golin, Elvis, PHD, Drum and RPM. The shining and beaming children's eyes are filmed and turned into a heart-warming, festive casemovie at the end. Whether the award is enough for awards is questionable, because the idea is not that special after all. But the image of the trucks in formation is quite something - and someone has to ring in the pre-Christmas season here if the weather doesn't do it. (hae)

Completely redesigned by Valencia, the Fine Food magazine surprises with a new look this year. In line with the current trend towards more naturalness and the redesign of the packaging, the magazine celebrates the new simplicity. With recipes for which you don't have to spend hours in the kitchen and pictures that make the joy of enjoyment tangible. Real, close to people and full of pleasure - that's how the magazine is designed according to Art Director Gianna Burghartz.

This time, too, the focus is on top chef Ivo Adam, who has created three recipes for "Moments. However, the magazine now features more background reports on fine food specialties. The recipes are structured according to different occasions of enjoyment around the theme of cooking with friends. The launch of the new magazine is accompanied by advertisements and at the POS by F4 posters and push posters.

Responsible at Coop: Thomas Schwetje (Head of Marketing/Services), Philipp Schenker (Head of Marketing Staple Foods/Beverages), André Deiss (Project Manager Controlling Staple Foods), Sacha Zuberbühler (Head of Advertising), Estelle Schöpfer (Project Manager Advertising). Responsible at Valencia Communication: Tommy Schilling (Senior Art Director), Gianna Burghartz (Art Director), Sebastian Refardt (Senior Copywriter), Serdal Aktas (Team Leader Polygraphy), Anke Wehner (Polygrapher), Stephanie Waller (Consulting); Production: Martin Graf (Photography), Tobias Rauschenberger (Foodstyling), Claudia Schilling (Locationstyling), Studio Frei (Dresses), K-Pony (Hair & Make-up).

 

Roman Reichelt holds a master's degree in media studies. Before taking over as head of the umbrella brand department in the Marketing Communications Directorate at MGB in 2012, he had already worked in strategic marketing planning for three years. Through his work as a consultant for a consulting firm working for Migros, he already gained insights into the Migros world in 2008/09.

"I am very pleased to have found in Roman Reichelt a passionate boss to lead the Marketing Communications Directorate and wish him much joy and success," Hansueli Siber, head of the Marketing Department and member of the General Management MGB, said in a statement. "I congratulate Marc Engelhard on his move to the Globus magazine management team. I thank him sincerely for his excellent work over the past six years. He and his team have firmly anchored the Migros brand in the hearts of our customers through forward-looking and effective marketing communications strategies," Siber added.
 

Groupe Mutuel now works with Franz & René

Franz & René stands out from the competition in a national pitch and wins Groupe Mutuel's communication campaigns for the next few years. The first online and offline measures will be seen from spring 2016.

 

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Suan shows the way to Baselbiet

The young Basel-based design agency Suan Conceptual Design, founded on January 1, 2015, is redesigning the road traffic signs for Basel's landmarks. The canton had awarded Suan the contract in a competitive process in which the proposals of the two designers Susanne Hartmann and Andre Konrad beat out the competition. The canton of Basel-Land must redesign the road signs for tourist attractions due to a binding requirement of the Federal Roads Office (Astra).

 

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Airport agency wins Caples Awards in NYC as new client

Since 1978, the Caples Awards have been among the most important international creative prizes for direct, digital and interactive marketing. Every year, 60 creative directors from around the world gather in New York City to judge the campaigns of numerous international dialog and advertising agencies in a wide range of categories. It is a great honor for the agency at the airport to have been commissioned by the international committee with the relaunch of the award as well as the application campaign.

 

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Nine new clients for KSP

Brand new on the client list after a pitch is Zurich's Stadtspital Triemli, for which KSP will produce the next annual and quality reports. Also with its healthcare expertise, the agency recently began serving the Schön Klinik clinic group, which operates 17 hospitals in Germany. KSP is now acting as lead agency for the traditional Swiss ski and bike manufacturer Stöckli. To this end, Swiss Post Krieg commissioned Schlupp Partner with a campaign that will be on air in Zurich next month. KSP is currently managing the Facebook presence for Tchibo Switzerland. For the trade association Infra, KSP is currently realizing a new CD and a new appearance with a new campaign to start the year. Rutschi, the service provider for advertising, architecture and industry also entrusted KSP with its entire branding and communications budget. And KSP has recently also been active for the Swiss Hiking Trails and the Swiss Demeter Association.

 

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Transformer with new customers

Transformer announces three new mandates in the fourth quarter: The Department of Earth Sciences at ETH Zurich has commissioned the agency with a complete overhaul of its website. Also new on the client list are the Berufs- und Weiterbildungszentrum Wil-Uzwil BZWU and the ETH spin-off CLIMATE-KIC, a Europe-wide community that pools and exchanges expertise in connection with climate change issues.

 

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Translation-Probst translates for Werbeweischer

After a test phase of several weeks, Translation-Probst convinced Werbeweischer with the quality of its translations and will translate various communication tools such as website, newsletter and presentations into French and Italian for the cinema marketer.

 

Various Swiss banks have convinced with their business figures and thus distinguished themselves from their problems in the past, write the experts of the Research Institute for Public and Society (Fög) at the University of Zurich. In addition, the public does not take good business performance in difficult economic times for granted. The experts have also noticed that moral reports on tax debates related to the Swiss financial sector have declined. Since Switzerland gave in on the automatic exchange of information (AEOI), the financial center has offered less target for the management of moral criticism.

The improvement is reflected in the reputation monitor compiled by fög. While the reputation of the financial sector still lost 2.3 index points in the fourth quarter of 2014, the development is positive in all three quarters of 2015. There has also been an improvement compared with 2008. By contrast, the reputation of the Swiss economy deteriorated for the second time in a row in 2015. For the Reputation Monitor, 97 companies from 16 sectors were analyzed. In terms of the media, the researchers evaluated reports in selected daily, Sunday and weekly newspapers as well as television reports. (SDA)

Appenzellerland Tourismus AI has adapted its image just in time for the winter season. The tourism organization's new corporate design makes it possible to experience in words and images what Appenzellerland wants to be perceived for: the destination stands for an original connection between new and old or between tradition and modernity, the offers are authentic and genuine. Guido Buob, Managing Director of Appenzellerland Tourismus AI, is delighted: "Our new image reflects the core messages of the marketing strategy in a coherent way.

Emil Koller (Managing Director, Koller Werbung) and Rosalia Keller (Head of Marketing, Appenzellerland Tourismus AI) as well as Andrea Mathis (Graphic Design, Koller Werbung) and Guido Buob (Managing Director, Appenzellerland Tourismus AI) with the first publications in the new look. (from left to right)

New and proven elements

The corporate typeface is fundamentally new to the corporate design. When choosing the font, those responsible paid particular attention to recognition and good legibility. In the publications and media, images will be given great weight in future: a strong Appenzell imagery sets fundamental emotional accents and is now given plenty of space. The choice of paper was made in favor of the natural, high-quality "Lessebo smooth white". Those responsible have stuck with the tried and tested "tourism green". This color still serves as the main color and ensures a high level of recognition. However, the color palette has been expanded to include a few new shades. This will give the design more freedom in future. The brand image also remains unchanged: the logo still consists of the lettering "Appenzellerland.", the golden Edelweiss of Switzerland Tourism and a claim.

Host in the center

At the heart of the new communication strategy are hosts from Appenzellerland. People from different areas who do something for guests are placed at the center of the publications. Each brochure therefore contains a face or a portrait of a local person. On the Website visitors can expect a short video. Walter Motzer from Gonten kicks off this series. He graces the cover of the new "Winter Experience 2015/2016" brochure and the new "Winter Panorama Map 2015/2016". The story behind it: Walter Motzer is a village baker in Gonten. He also maintains the winter hiking trails and cross-country ski trails through the Gontner Flachmoor in winter. The portrait provides the reader with background information about Walter Motzer. New portraits of various hosts will follow over the next few weeks.

Cooperation with local advertising agency

Appenzellerland Tourismus AI has developed the new image in collaboration with the Appenzeller agency Koller Werbung. Koller Werbung has already developed the strategy for Appenzellerland Tourism and is now closing the loop with a creative, atmospheric implementation of the advertising measures on all channels.