September 13, 2008 is the official Marionnaud Fragrance Day. The agency Bluespirit Communications, based in Schlieren and Lausanne, has realized a cross-media campaign for print, web, POS and editorial integration with the media partners Punkt.ch and Le Matin Bleu. For around two weeks, the best international fragrance creations, perfume designers, star perfumes and exclusive offers were communicated in advertisements.
Responsible at Marionnaud Switzerland: Peder Casanova (Marketing Manager). Responsible at Bluespirit: Patricia Müller (Account Manager), Kathleen Rieger (Account Coordinator), Peter Trüb (CD), Fritz Kreis (AD), Tizian Walti (Concept/Text), Manuel Griestock (Graphics), Manuel Wagner (DTP).

The annual Swiss Press Congress began on Thursday in Montreux. For two days, participants will debate the current state and future of the local media on the shores of Lake Geneva. In the run-up to the event, experts are painting a picture that is by no means bleak. They do not view the internet or free newspapers as a threat to daily newspapers. It all comes down to the right synergy, they say. In an in-depth interview with the Tages-Anzeiger, Tobias Trevisan, the Swiss managing director of the FAZ, draws interesting comparisons with the German market.
While Swiss media companies are increasingly focusing on print products with the launch of Sunday papers and free newspapers, German companies are concentrating on the Internet, he notes in the interview. A well-designed, comprehensive website by no means replaces traditional daily newspapers. «If we succeed in establishing successful business models online, we’ll relieve print products of fixed costs. That way, it will still be possible to print the newspaper on paper for a long time to come,» Trevisan explains to the Tages-Anzeiger. However, he questions whether the operating costs of a large news portal are worth it.
Generating news on an ongoing basis is very expensive. Moreover, current information offers little opportunity to differentiate oneself or stand out from the competition. Revenue for news portals is also limited because they rely on a single revenue stream: banner advertising. His newspaper, the FAZ, is trying to position its website as a quality platform and link it to vertical topic portals such as online job boards.
«Germany’s media outlets have recognized the importance of the Internet for their future. Most Swiss publishers are not quite there yet. Strong brands are essential in our industry, and quality must be verifiable. Our readers should be able to see the difference—both in the print edition and online,» says the 49-year-old former Ringier and NZZ employee.
Oliver Michalsky, head of the German news portal Welt Online, is also convinced that major publishing houses must not view the Internet as a threat, but must instead embrace this «new» medium. He says it is the medium of the present and the future. The logical consequence of this, he says, is the «online first» principle. The nearly 400 journalists at the newspaper publisher—which is part of the Springer Group—always make their work available on the website first. As a result, readers can find in-depth, well-researched, long-form articles on Welt.de. According to Michalsky, the goal is for readers to say: “When you read something here, you simply know more afterward.”.
The Berlin-based editorial team at *Die Welt*, a latecomer to the online business, has gained significant ground in recent years—without cannibalizing the company’s print products. «The Welt Group has actually grown in the newspaper sector, while Welt Online has exploded,» Michalsky told the Tages-Anzeiger. He doesn’t hear the death knell tolling for newspapers. There will always be people who prefer the tactile experience of holding a newspaper in their hands to that of an electronic device.

A brand in a deep sleep: the marketing of Mum deodorant had come to a standstill due to changing brand owners and distributors. But now Mum is back in the limelight in Europe and on the Arabian Peninsula under the Swiss licensee Doetsch Grether.
The 120-year-old product is the world's oldest deodorant brand and was developed back in 1888. The new campaign also builds on this long tradition: Under the claim "Mum works. For 120 years." Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett has created a campaign that shows that Mum has been bringing people closer together for many years. So it's not just the young people of today. Many older people also got to know each other decades ago thanks to Mum and are still together today. The TV commercial shows just such couples and how they are still passionately together. The movie is available at www.vimeo.com to see. The campaign is currently running in England, Spain, Germany and Switzerland, among other countries.
The website www.mum-deo.com has also been adapted to the new look. In the next step, the international communication offensive will be reinforced with advertisements and POS material.
Andreas Panzeri

Azienda Elettrica Ticinese (AET for short) has been supplying the Locarno Film Festival with power for years, lighting up the piazza and powering the projectors. As one of the festival’s main sponsors, AET was keen to raise public awareness of this commitment. «»Our support for the Locarno Film Festival has gone largely unnoticed in recent years,” said Reto Brunett, CEO of AET. The goal was clear: AET wanted to be remembered by visitors to this long-standing film festival as a likable energy provider and sponsor, without coming across as overly ingratiating.”.
No easy task, since it’s common knowledge that the discerning festival crowd in the piazza—which can number up to 9,000 visitors per evening—is prone to booing such sponsorship trailers, depending on their mood that night.
With this looming deadline hanging over their heads, the creative team at Zurich-based Absolutturnus Film set to work on their ideas. The winning entry was the story about the creation of a light and its journey to the big screen in Locarno.
The artistic standards for the film rose steadily during the preparatory phase. New techniques had to be developed. It was essential that the digital light trails look organic, as if drawn by hand in the air. Close collaboration between cinematographer Holger Diener, director Elias Ressegatti, and the post-production team led by Dany Bittel was indispensable and ultimately the key to the film’s success.
According to producer Reiner Roduner, the production was anything but a «nice/easy production.» Filming was plagued by prolonged periods of rain, and some locations were temporarily flooded. Time and again, shooting had to be halted and rescheduled due to downpours—all while the deadline loomed ever closer. Three intense nights of filming across 14 locations, a team of more than 20 people from three different countries and language regions, and a cast of 30 actors and extras pushed the production team to their limits.
After filming wrapped, the footage was developed and edited. But that was only the foundation of the film. The main character—the light particle flitting about—first had to be «born.» The creative team at Elefant Studios in Zurich did brilliant work and gave the light particle its distinctive character. Over the course of four weeks, the trailer slowly came to life, greatly enhanced by the original score composed by Alex Kirschner. The film was an experiment.
The result could be viewed every evening in the Piazza Grande, and for the first time in the festival’s history, the audience applauded a sponsor’s contribution.
Andreas Panzeri

"Annabelle stands out from the crowd of women's magazines," say car manufacturer Peugeot and Zurich-based advertising agency Euro RSCG. That's why they decided to congratulate her on her seventieth birthday.
To this end, the agency has devised a special ad that can be seen in the current anniversary issue of Annabelle. It shows a scantily clad, good-looking man lolling on the hood of a Peugeot 207 CC. A play on clichés that is entirely in keeping with the Annabelle tradition, the agency says.
Responsible at Peugeot (Suisse): Marcus Brugger (Head of Advertising and Promotion), Marion Pfäffli (Head of Advertising). Responsible at Euro RSCG: Frank Bodin (overall responsibility), Jürg Aemmer (CD), Nemi Gajic (text), Marietta Albinus (art direction), Regine Cavicchioli (graphics), Caroline Webb (art buying), Niklaus Huwyler, Fiona Gottwald (consulting), Nancy Fina (photography).
Image processing: Colore Due.

In 225 days, the 2009 Ice Hockey World Championship will kick off in Bern and Kloten. As early as 8.09 a.m. on 8.9.2008, the whistle blew for the sale of tickets for the major event organized by Zug-based 2009 IIHF World Championship AG. Reason enough to announce this to the general public in the near future via an advertising campaign. Frank Baumann, founder and owner of the communication company Wörterseh, realized it on behalf of Zug.
To ensure that no lapses happen to us Swiss as hosts, the comedian duo of the same name provides a remedy in whimsical TV spots, with Theo Hitz in suit and glasses explaining technical terms from the world of ice hockey together with Bruno in orange worker's garb. And he does so figuratively in his usual Lapsus manner. There are, for example, the two-line pass, the flat pass and the double pass, which are shown with red Swiss passes. Or the stick shot and the high stick, where potato sticks have to be used, and the storm with a souped-up leaf vacuum cleaner. After that, the viewer is called to "poschten" now the tickets for the ice hockey world championship.
The duo Lapsus also practiced Italian and French. Heinz Mazenauer, Head of Communication & Media Service of the organizing committee and member of the board of directors at EQ Media AG, explains: "The duo's broad Swiss-German accent is not intended to poke fun at the French and Ticino, but at the Swiss-German Français fédéral and Italian. One can find the spots funny or not. But they are certainly a pièce de dialogue, and that's the important thing."
The commercials will be shown mainly in ice hockey stadiums, but also on television. Negotiations are underway with Swiss television and other broadcasters.
Reaching a broad audience
In the spring of 2008, the World Cup organizing committee explored the possibilities of working with a production company to create an advertising campaign for the event. "The advertising budget is not particularly large. That's why we wanted to create something that would attract a lot of attention, be fun and leave a lasting impression at a tolerable financial cost," says Mazenauer. Luciana Crameri, who is responsible for marketing in the World Cup OC and used to work for St. Moritz Tourism, had already organized events with the Lapsus duo. So she suggested them for the campaign. An important criterion was that the two comedians should appeal to a wide audience.
The duo Lapsus didn't have to be asked twice. When the World Cup mascot was christened "Cooly" last April - in reference to the word "Chueli" - the duo discussed initial ideas for the World Cup spots with Mazenauer and Crameri. The idea was to appeal not only to hardcore fans, but to the general public, Mazenauer notes. Now the question arose, with which agency these should be realized. "We quickly came up with Frank Baumann, because he is known for advertising that is a little different. As a journalist, advertiser, satirist, TV and former radio presenter, he combines all the relevant fields," says Mazenauer. Baumann, who knows the Lapsus duo from previous projects such as the legendary Gran Canaria commercial for Arosa, was enthusiastic about the request: "I played ice hockey myself in my school days and think it's a great opportunity for the 2009 World Cup to be held in Switzerland."
Within a short time, Baumann and the Lapsus duo were brainstorming ideas for the TV spots. "We cross-fertilized each other," says Baumann, describing the teamwork. Filming got underway in August. Within a single day, the crew in Schlieren recorded 15 video and 6 audio spots in three languages. Mazenauer recalls that the work was highly professional yet relaxed. New ideas kept coming up, and old ones were developed further. Baumann is convinced that this intensive day of filming was possible not least thanks to the great experience of those involved. "We were virtually a grandfather troupe, a pensioners' collective," says the TV man, who celebrated his 51st birthday two weeks ago. "We got into the swing of things quickly during filming, one thing led to another. It was like windsurfing or sailing, it just went."
Seemingly easiest spots the most difficult
According to Baumann, the spots that look the easiest were particularly challenging: The one with the pig and the one with the chicken. Since you can't quite control what the animals do and when, shooting with them was quite difficult, especially since each spot consists of a single take. Incidentally, for the animal actors, the crew obtained permission from the cantonal animal welfare association in advance of the shoot. "The sow felt like a pig," Baumann believes.
He and Mazenauer are convinced the spots will resonate with a broad audience. "They are unpretentious and beyond glamour or high-profile design. I think they're so goofy that they're genius," Baumann says with a laugh.
Olivia Raths

On Wednesday, AdLink Media, a member of the Goldback Media Group, held its annual Online Advertising Day. Together with over 100 invited guests, the development and future of online advertising was discussed on Wednesday morning, according to a press release from AdLink Media. The Swiss advertising market continues to develop positively and the online advertising segment is at the top of the list.
Among others, Neil Scoble spoke about his experiences in email marketing and the managing director of the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA), Alison Fennah. She presented data on the pan-European online market and international online advertising trends.
Giovanni Piccheri used a practical example to explain the role and advantages of online advertising and Martin Sinning showed how a marketing strategy can be developed exclusively for the online channel.
According to the press release, Stephan Suter from AdLink Media concluded that online platforms and the advertising realized on them are an ideal means of efficiently ensuring sales growth.

The print reach study Mach Basic is slowly reaching its limits: In a few years, it will no longer be representative enough. In recent years, the general conditions for print media research have changed so rapidly that the AG für Werbemedienforschung (Wemf) has already been thinking about the third Mach generation for two years. Unlike the last generation change, however, this time it is not primarily a matter of improving the currency. "The LpA value is still absolutely state of the art, even in international terms," says Wemf research director Harald Amschler. The goal, however, is to maintain the current currency quality. Because this is at risk.
Amschler cites two main reasons. Since it is no longer necessary to have one's own telephone number entered in the phone book, more and more landline and even more so cell phone numbers are missing. People who do not have a landline phone and only have a cell phone can no longer be contacted in this way. This group of people is "still manageable," says Amschler. But the number is growing and will sooner or later call into question the representativeness of the Mach sample. The second reason for a threatening decline in quality is that there are more and more titles with similar names in the Swiss press. "Sonntag," for example, is the name of the seventh edition of MittellandZeitung, but also a weekly magazine published by CAT-Medien. Other examples: NZZ and NZZ am Sonntag, Schweizer Illustrierte and SI Style, 20 Minuten and 20 Minuten Week, Blick, SonntagsBlick and Blick am Abend. For these titles, this increases the risk of confusion when queried purely by telephone - and thus leads to incorrect information. The same applies to brand changes such as from TR7 to TVStar or from 20 Minuten Week to 20 Minuten Friday.
Quality problems are eliminated
In the meantime, Wemf has already evaluated a number of new survey methods, including electronic measurement systems. But Amschler and the Wemf Board of Directors came to the conclusion that the technology is either unsuitable or still too immature for electronic measurement of print usage (see box). The consequence: Wemf is sticking with surveys in terms of methodology, as, incidentally, the research organizations in our neighboring countries also do. However, Wemf modifies them in such a way that the quality problems mentioned above are eliminated. Specifically, it has opted for a multi-stage procedure ("two-part CATI with RDD"). The numbers are no longer searched for from the (incomplete) telephone directories with the aid of a computer, as is the case today, but are compiled by a random number generator (RDD) (including those with mobile prefixes 079, 078 ...) and dialed automatically.
Once the number is in operation, the person in question can be asked to participate in the study. If the person is willing to participate, the basic data (age, gender, place of residence, etc.) is collected in an initial short telephone interview and the person is informed that he or she will be sent a set of sample materials by mail. Among other things, the print titles to be surveyed are shown with their logo. At the same time, an appointment is made with the person for the main interview (inquiry about the titles read). The interview is also conducted by telephone, with the interviewee using the display material to avoid confusing titles.
Essentially, then, Wemf wants to switch from a purely verbal to a combined supported survey (verbal and visual), similar to what it already does today with the MA Leader. At the same time, it wants to guarantee that all persons who can be reached by telephone are again included in the initial sample.
It is not yet clear whether the survey content will change along with the methodology. However, Amschler assumes that reach will continue to be surveyed using the LpA approach (for newspapers, for example, "read yesterday"). "Other additional questions will probably be added - for example, on cross-media use of channels and content," he says. But Amschler warns against overloading the Mach3 Basic questionnaire. "It's already difficult to get people to participate. For additional needs, there is the possibility to conduct parallel surveys in the Mach system," he says.
More expensive than today's study
Next year, Wemf plans to conduct an initial Mach3 pilot study in parallel with the current survey method. It will not only show whether the new methodology works, but also how much the results differ from those of the current survey. In any case, Mach3 will be more expensive than the current study.
If everything goes according to plan, the Mach3 Basic will be fully surveyed for the first time as early as 2010. In this case, Wemf could publish the results in 2011. But Amschler emphasizes: "Thanks to our proactive approach, we have enough time to carefully develop and test the Mach3. In the meantime, however, the Mach2 continues to do its job reliably."
Markus Knöpfli

With Mediawatch, MediaScan, Arbitron, Eurisko or Handycameras, there are several approaches for electronic measurement of print usage, but the active cooperation of the test person is always required: He or she must speak into the device, enter what he or she is reading via a key, take a photo or scan it - and for how long. This requires a lot of discipline. And according to Harald Amschler, it hardly leads to more reliable results than the memory on which the Mach interviews are based.
At present, only one method measures passively, i.e. without the conscious intervention of the test person. The print titles to be examined are fitted with an RFID tag, a flat chip similar to those used today to prevent theft under labels. The measuring device worn by the test person then uses emitted and reflected radio waves to detect which medium was used when and for how long. The problem here: For the purposes of media research, this technology is only in its infancy. It is therefore still very expensive and, above all, prone to error. For example, the radio waves are reflected by other metal objects, which leads to false signals. (mk)
Mach generationsWhen the terms Mach1, Mach2 and Mach3 are used more frequently in Swiss media research in the future, we are not talking about the speed of sound. Mach stands for Media-Analyse Schweiz (CH) and the numbers are used to designate the study generations. We are currently in the age of Mach2, which since 2000 has provided the official reach currency for print and cinema with the LpA value (readers per copy). This is based on 23,500 telephone interviews of around 35 minutes each on the use of print and cinema, conducted per year and spread over 365 days (the so-called CATI method). Incidentally, the first Mach generation with the fuzzier K1 value was on the market from 1991 to 1999. Before that, there was the "MS" media study from 1965 to 1989. (mk)

The Federal Administrative Court has ruled: The private Swiss regional television stations are allowed to shoot their own short reports of ice hockey and football matches on location. According to a decision announced on Wednesday, SRG must accept this encroachment on its exclusive rights.
In 2006, the private television stations Tele Bärn, Tele Basel, Tele M1, Tele Ostschweiz, Tele Südostschweiz, Tele Tell, Tele Top and Tele Züri received a letter from the SRG. They were informed that in future they would no longer be granted permission to film short reports for football and field hockey matches for which SRG had exclusive rights.
SRG also set the rates for broadcasting its own match recordings or short reports. Last October, the Federal Office of Communications ruled that SRG must allow regional broadcasters to make their own video and audio recordings. The tariff structure was declared partially inadmissible.
According to the recent ruling, the right to short reports also includes the right to create one's own images. When the new Radio and Television Act was passed, the aim was to strengthen local broadcasters.
The right to short reports on public events was also intended to promote diversity of opinion. This requires reporting from different perspectives and the production of their own images by the various broadcasters.
The interference with SRG's exclusive rights was also not serious or disproportionate, especially as a short report lasts a maximum of 180 seconds and may only be broadcast after the end of the match. The decision can now be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.

The retailer Coop wants to be associated with various buzzwords: Variety, sustainability - and now also affordability. The company has commissioned the Zurich agency KSB/SJ with a new campaign to get the message across that the Coop Qualité & Prix ("For 500 times cheaper & good.") own brands in particular offer low prices. It is intended to communicate "price leadership" in a competitive, yet charming and appealing way.
The advertising measures have been seen on advertisements and posters throughout Switzerland for some time. According to the agency, it is intended to make people smile, discuss and comment.
Responsible at Coop: Jürg Peritz (Head of Marketing/Procurement), Lydie Goltdammer (Head of Advertising Realization), Andrea Schaller (Project Manager).
Responsible at KSB/SJ: Flo Wacker (Creative Direction), Christian Kahl, Tino Heuter (Art Direction), Sabina Meyer (Graphics), Andy Lusti, David Hugentobler (Text),
Dany Kielholz (consulting manager), Rahel Isler (consultant), Nadia Bachmann, Bettina Beyeler (DTP). Photo: Laurent Schmid photo studio, image processing and litho: Rtk Reprotechnik Kloten. Media: Coop Media, Karin Heliopoulos & Initiative Media.

The New York Times, probably the most important newspaper in the USA, is dissolving its sales subsidiary. As of January 2009, the newspaper, which is worth millions, is parting ways with around 550 employees. Intermediary trade is simply no longer a profitable business model, the publisher announced dryly. In future, the newspaper intends to outsource this task to external companies that work more cost-effectively.
After the newspaper, founded by Adolph Ochs in 1896, had feared the trade unions for years, especially the one whose members delivered the newspaper, it set up its own distribution subsidiary in 1992. In addition to the newspaper, it currently supplies around 200 publications to kiosks, bookshops and cafés. This will soon be over. According to the New York Times, the Internet and high fuel costs in particular have taken their toll on the subsidiary.

Xing networks with success. As the operator of the network for business contacts announced on Wednesday, the German company recently passed the 500,000 paying user mark. In a press release, Xing presented the pro forma figures for the first half of 2008 and spoke of a doubling of sales and a tripling of the half-year profit compared to the previous year. Around 140,000 new paying members were gained in the first six months of this year.
The sustainability of this business model is proven by a high customer retention rate. According to Xing, more than 75 percent of all paying members are still using their Premium membership three years after signing up.
In addition to its headquarters in Hamburg, Xing AG is also represented in Barcelona, Beijing and Istanbul. The company has been listed on the stock exchange since December 2006.