The Zurich-based agency Marti & Partner is supporting Elektrizitätswerk Obwalden in the development and implementation of its marketing and communication strategy. Against the backdrop of the liberalization of the electricity market, the task list includes positioning the company, collaborating on product design and implementing the communication strategy. The multi-phase concept starts with a corporate video. It shows the electricity company and its contribution to daily life in Obwalden, according to the agency. The seven-minute film focuses on information and emotional mood sequences. In the months following the launch, further measures are planned, which will also be realized by Marti & Partner. These include outdoor advertising, advertisements, a company brochure, the redesign and expansion of the Internet, direct marketing and public relations.

 
Activison, the world's largest producer of video and computer games alongside Electronic Arts, has commissioned the agency at the airport to handle its communications activities for Switzerland. Founded in 1979 in Santa Monica, California, the company, known for games such as Quake, Call of Duty and Rome: Total War, has branches around the globe. Recently, the Swiss market has also been served directly, according to the news from the Altenrhein-based agency. According to Activision's Country Manager, Diego Gabathuler, the first advertising campaigns will be launched shortly.

 Many free newspapers are simply left lying around after being read, resulting in considerable disposal costs. The federal government is therefore considering the introduction of an early disposal fee. However, the parties involved should first be given the opportunity to find another solution. For this reason, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has convened a round table for September. Representatives of the cantons, municipalities, publishers and associations have been invited, as Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger stated in his answer to a question from National Councillor Christian van Singer (GPS/VD) published on Tuesday. If no practicable, mutually agreeable solution can be found at the round table, the FOEN will prepare the introduction of the disposal fee. As expected, publishers are opposed to an early disposal fee. Marcel Kohler, Managing Director of 20 Minuten, believes that an early levy is "the wrong approach". It would not solve the problems and it is questionable whether the fee money would go to the right place. In addition, 20 Minuten is already committed to waste disposal: "We already pay considerable sums to partners such as SBB and VBZ in the form of stand fees and cleaning charges," Kohler told Werbewoche. In addition, 20 Minuten attaches great importance to controlling the distribution in such a way that no newspapers are left behind and the boxes are already empty in the morning. Kohler emphasizes that the company is aware of the disposal problem and takes responsibility. However, the publishers also want to raise awareness among readers and rely on individual responsibility: "After all, it's the readers who throw away the newspapers, not the publishers." Naturally, 20 Minuten will take part in the planned round table with the federal government, cantons and municipalities. "We want to show what we are already doing for waste disposal and are convinced that we will find an amicable solution."

 Change of boss at Filippo Leutenegger's magazine for homeowners Neue Ideen: Oliver Knick will take over the position in August. He replaces Marc Caprez, who left the company after around 16 months. Knick, 41, has spent the last six months developing concepts for cross-media projects in the healthcare sector for the AZ Medien Group. He had started his journalistic career at the same publishing house, namely on the editorial staff of the Aargauer Zeitung (formerly Badener Tagblatt), where he wrote for seven years. He moved to Ringier in 2000. There he held various positions in the Health Unit Gesundheit Sprechstunde alongside Dr. Samuel Stutz for eight years: first TV editor/realizer, later Head of Project Management and finally Head of Sales for the media platform. Among other things, Knick launched the major Health Ship project.

 
Sunrise is outsourcing the construction, operation and maintenance of its mobile and fixed network to Alcatel-Lucent as of August 1. However, the network infrastructure, including all telecommunications systems, will remain fully owned by the Group. In addition, internal communications equipment such as telephone exchanges will be sold to the Munich-based industrial holding Aurelius, probably at the beginning of June. This measure is being taken for cost-saving reasons. The savings resulting from the outsourcing of network operations at Sunrise are significant, as CEO Christoph Brand said in an interview with SDA: "It is definitely so significant that we decided to outsource. We wouldn't have done it if we could have saved just one million francs." However, he did not want to name a sum.
The measure affects 520 employees, which is a quarter of the total workforce. However, no redundancies will be announced. According to Sunrise, all employees will receive the same salary and employment conditions for one year as well as a location guarantee. 290 employees will move to Alcatel-Lucent and 230 to Aurelius.
The communications union expressed its "great concern" about the extent of the restructuring. In a statement, it called for negotiations with Alcatel-Lucent and Aurelius in order to secure guarantees regarding continued employment and working conditions in the long term.
Sunrise is following an industry trend by outsourcing the construction, operation and maintenance of its network. Orange also outsourced network expansion and maintenance to Alcatel-Lucent at the beginning of 2008. In Germany, the Group now operates a large part of the E-Plus mobile network. Mobile operators in Italy, the UK and Austria have also outsourced their networks.

 
David Vonplon, who has been working for three years as editorial manager at the industry service Persoenlich.com, is moving to the news network at the beginning of August 2008. He will head the team of reporters at the joint Internet project of Basler Zeitung, Berner Zeitung and Tages-Anzeiger, which is scheduled to launch on August 8. Previously, he was responsible for the websites of Weltwoche and Bilanz at Jean Frey. During his studies in economic history, which he completed in 2004, Vonplon was a freelance journalist for the Aargauer Zeitung and the Bremgarter Bezirksanzeiger.

 
Three Swiss printing companies have been honored at this year's Sappi European Printers of the Year Awards. Weber Benteli from Biel won silver for the work "Harry Winston - Rare Timepieces" in the catalogs category. Farbendruck Weber from Biel also won silver for "Hermès Printemps-Été 2008" in the Magazine category and Druckerei Flawil took bronze for the book "Roxy - New York Nightlife" in the Self-Promotion category. The global paper manufacturer Sappi has been organizing the competition since 2005, with the award ceremony - this year in Hamburg - always taking place elsewhere. A total of 38 winners in nine categories were selected from 1,500 entries. A total of 34 countries were represented.Weber Benteli, "Harry Winston - Rare Timepieces "Farbendruck Weber, "Hermès Printemps-Été 2008 "Druckerei Flawil, "Roxy - New York Nightlife" 

 Market researcher GfK, headquartered in Nuremberg, and the British company Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) are merging to form the world's second largest group in the sector. A merger of equals is planned to form the new company GfK-TNS, both companies announced on Tuesday. The merger is to take place in the fourth quarter of 2008. The future GfK-TNS will operate in 111 countries and have its headquarters in London. The new group aims to overthrow US industry leader Nielsen. According to Reuters, the Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung (GfK) is the global number five in the sector. In Switzerland, it is represented by the companies GfK m2, GfK Research Matters, GfK Trustmark, IHA-GfK, Liechti, Media Focus, Modata and Telecontrol.
TNS provides data and studies to political organizations, media, retailers, IT companies, car manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies and the financial sector. The Swiss headquarters are in Geneva.

 
The PR and communications company Burson-Marsteller is merging with Asda'a, a major PR agency in the Middle East, to form a joint agency network. The business, called Asda'a Burson-Marsteller, will be fully integrated into the Burson-Marsteller EMEA network. The merger came about because BM owner WPP Group bought Asda'a owner The Holding Group. "The merger with Asda'a is a logical consequence of the strategy that Burson-Marsteller has been pursuing for years, namely the expansion of the network into promising and high-growth markets," says Roman Geiser, CEO of Burson-Marsteller Switzerland and Managing Director Affiliates & Acquisitions for Burson-Marsteller EMEA.
Asda'a has branches in all major markets in the Arab world, including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo, Beirut, Amman, Muscat and Casablanca. The company has 160 employees. According to Roman Geiser, Burson-Marsteller Switzerland now has the opportunity to work for clients from this extremely important region and to support companies from Switzerland that are active in the Middle East.
 

 
The Geneva police force has just become the latest victim of Uefa's rigid brand protection policy and - it has to be said - of its own ignorance. Apparently euphoric about the forthcoming European Championships, they have had 500 police T-shirts and 300 police caps printed with the Uefa Euro logo. Apparently neither the supplier nor the police were aware at first that this would inevitably lead to the first possible trampling on the battlefield of brand protection. The faux pas was only discovered by the police's own counterfeiting department. "We stopped the project immediately," confirmed a police spokesperson in a report by the Tribune de Genève newspaper. The excuse given by the Geneva police was that the supplier had previously enjoyed the full confidence of the police. In this case, however, he had not obtained Uefa's consent. The police, on the other hand, had assumed that everything was in order, said the spokesperson.
The T-shirts, which were primarily intended for the Geneva police corps but also for sale, will now not be sold. Surprisingly, Uefa has not demanded that the textiles, which cost CHF 10,000, be destroyed. They are now simply being distributed free of charge as part of police promotional events. There is something nice about this episode, because it illustrates that everything is actually fine. Taxpayers' money evaporates around Uefa and things are, er, cheaper than the police allow.
 

 The public affairs agency Furrer.Hugi & Partner, together with the Institute for Communication and Media Studies at the University of Bern, organized the Berner Polittage, which took place on Monday and Tuesday on the topic of "Talking about Europe - Talking to Europe". On this occasion, the agency, which was previously based in Zurich and Bern, presented its new office in Brussels. Norina Frey, a consultant at Furrer.Hugi & Partner since May 1, will be working with a Belgian employee from mid-June to support the agency's Swiss clients in EU matters. After studying political science, Norina Frey worked at the Zurich agency Pi.ar and in the secretariat of the Swiss Federal Audit Commission (GPK). From 2007 until the end of April this year, she was responsible for strategic issues and external relations at the State Chancellery of the Canton of Aargau.

 
Metzgerlehner has been a partner agency of the global agency network Worldwide Partners Inc. since 1992. The Erlenbach-based agency has now been named "Perfect Partner of the Year 2008" at the annual world meeting in New Orleans. According to the agency's press release, the award is given to "reliable, innovative and progressive members" within the network, in this case specifically for their commitment to their client Phonak, for whom partner agencies in the USA and Canada now also work.