GEMI All electronic media combined rose disproportionately by 7 index points in April, reaching a record high of 431 (424) points. All media recorded and published by Media Focus recorded an average increase of 3 index points. The Internet in particular, which has not been spoiled in recent months, increased by 8 to 268 points. TV also shone (+8 to 459 index points). Radio is also impressive with an increase of 5 index points. Teletext followed suit and also grew by 5 points. In comparison to the increase of 7 index points in the Gemi Index for electronic media, the total for all media recorded an increase of 3 to 203 index points. The Gemi provides information on the indexed development of the various electronic media in comparison to the overall market since the introduction of the first advertising window in 1993 (Adscreen December 2004 by AIS, currently missing).

 
Newspaper Rod Kommunikation shows how singles without something to talk about are in a very bad position.  
The situation is probably familiar to all those who have already arranged to meet the opposite sex on online dating sites. You meet up at a bar after a hot online flirtation and immediately realize that you don't really have anything to say to each other. The result: awkward silence. The Rod Kommunikation agency shows such a situation of two love seekers in a new TV and cinema commercial for the free newspaper 20 Minuten. Since the beginning of the year, the Zurich-based agency has been advertising for the commuter paper with the campaign claim "Bring conversation". The campaign features a collection of abridged original headlines. To underline the leading position of the most-read daily newspaper - 20 Minuten is read by 1.634 million readers every day - the viewer is also invited to have a chat with the gardener about "corpses in the garden".
Now the new commercial is going into another round and dramatically shows how painful it can be when even singles give up 20 minutes as a source of conversation. The commercial can be seen immediately at various festivals, in cinemas and on TV in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland.    
Christian Lüscher

 
Competition The Selection vfg has honored Swiss photography for the tenth time.  
Photographer Christian Lutz has won the Ewz.Selection Award 2007 for the best photographic work in Switzerland for his work entitled "Protocol". Lutz accompanied the Swiss diplomatic corps for three years, photographing diplomats and Swiss officials in the course of their work. The juror Herlinde Koelbl justified the jury's unanimous choice by stating that Lutz had succeeded in capturing the gestures, situations and moments up close, surprisingly and precisely. The work enjoys great voyeuristic value.2,752 images judged The coveted photo prize was awarded for the tenth time this year. Prizes were also awarded in the Advertising, Editorial Photography, Fine Arts and Free categories. Betty Fleck from Zurich won in the Advertising category with her work "Roter Faden". Her eight submitted images are part of a series of productions that she photographed for the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK).
The occasion was the merger of the two universities of music and theater (HMT) and design and art (HGKZ) and the associated joint appearance, the Festival of the Arts. The starting point for the commission was a red string and the idea of connecting two objects from different areas.
The two photographers Ferit Kuyas from Wädenswil and Lena Amuat from Zurich were nominated in the advertising photography category, but did not receive an award. Kuyas photographed for the advertising campaign for the Migros Culture Percentage Jubilee Award 2007, while Lena Amuat staged individual pieces of Vitra furniture in a private setting.
The international jury consisted of Veronique Damagnez from the magazine Photo à Mixte, Nicolas Faure, lecturer at the Ecole cantonale d'art de Lausanne, Margot Klingsporn from the Focus agency, the photographer Herlinde Koelbl, Donald Schneider, Creative Director Donald Schneider Studio, and Urs Stahel, curator of the Fotomuseum Winterthur. The jury assessed 441 photographic works and a total of 2,752 images at the beginning of February. The exhibition "ewz.selection - Swiss Photography" is open daily from 12 noon to 8 p.m. until June 8, 2008 at the EWZ Selnau substation in Zurich. The exhibition catalog Swiss Photo Selection 10 was designed this year by Alberto Vieceli & Tanja Prill.
Christian Lüscher

 The Neue Lgk agency in Bern and Zurich has won the pitch for Medgate's communications budget. Medgate is an independent Swiss center for telemedicine. Its more than 45 doctors can be reached around the clock and from all over the world and offer advice on acute and general health issues.

 The new monthly magazine "Reformiert" will be published for the first time on Friday in the cantons of Bern, Zurich, Aargau and Graubünden. The magazine, which has an impressive circulation of 700,000 copies, sees itself as the "weighty voice of the Reformed in German-speaking Switzerland". The twelve-page, four-color publication in newspaper format aims to focus on "people and the world they live in", according to a press release. Reformiert also aims to promote dialog with other denominations, religions and world views. Four different editorial teams are involved in the magazine: The Kirchenbote Aargau, Graubünden and Zurich and the Bernese Saemann. However, those responsible emphasize that this is not a "merger, but a cooperative product". The independence of the editorial offices is guaranteed in a statute and coordination is the responsibility of a supporting association.
Reformiert is published monthly in the cantons of Aargau, Graubünden and Bern and fortnightly in the canton of Zurich. The regional and local roots are to be maintained: The information from the parishes that was previously integrated into the newspapers will in future be published in a second newspaper bundle or enclosed with the newspaper. Logistically, this is a challenge: around 250 different splits have to be put together correctly and delivered to the right delivery address at the right time. Reformiert is printed by Ringier Print Adligenswil. The magazine also accepts advertisements. These are limited to a maximum of 1.5 pages per issue.

 
Packaging Pawi-Verpackungen in Winterthur considers its first appearance at the Interpack packaging trade fair a success. 
As an exhibitor at the Innovationparc Packaging initiated by Pro Carton, the Swiss packaging company was able to present itself excellently at the international Interpack and make valuable customer contacts. At Innovationparc Packaging, companies demonstrated the attractive packaging solutions that can be realized with cartonboard. At five different Centers of Competence (Convenience, Consumer Insights, Imagination, Point of Sale and Sustainability), 19 companies presented their products. "For us as Pawi, the opportunity to take part in Interpack via the Innovationparc was the ideal way to start the trade fair," says Andreas Keller, Managing Director of the Winterthur-based packaging company. Pro Carton provided its members with the opportunity to take part in the trade fair via the Innovationparc.
Discussing specific ideasChristof Schön, Head of Marketing Services at Pawi-Verpackungen, is also convinced that the exhibitors benefited from the Innovationparc concept. "Many visitors came to the Innovationparc to get an overview and stopped by individual exhibitors to discuss specific ideas," he says.
In order to assert itself in the demanding international environment of Interpack, Pawi presented packaging solutions in the premium sector (cosmetics, spirits, salmon) and food sector (thermoformed trays, baking tins), while at the same time focusing on Swiss quality. The demand was mainly for concept and special solutions for very specific projects. "For Pawi-Verpackungen, the involvement in the Innovationparc and thus the trade fair appearance was worthwhile," says Christof Schön.
(sf)

 
Environment KSB/SJ has designed a new website for Coop with Oecoplan. This is for everyone who wants to protect the environment at home. 
Following Coop Naturaplan, the sustainable competence brand for Coop supermarkets, and Coop Naturaline, the sustainable competence brand for Coop City, Coop Oecoplan, the sustainable competence brand of Coop Bau + Hobby, is now also launching a new public image. The concept is being communicated with a campaign by Krieg, Schlupp, Bürge/ Springer & Jacoby. Pioneering roleCoop Oecoplan has been around since 1989 and this pioneering and trailblazing role is now being recalled once again in the current campaign. The message: Coop has been thinking "sustainably" for a long time, and this applies to the entire area of the wholesaler.
The new claim "For everyone who protects the environment at home" is dramatized with four motifs for the time being. Anyone who cares about nature can look after it with products from Coop Oecoplan.
The campaign specifically focuses on paints, varnishes and glazes, for example. These are available from Coop without toxic ingredients such as heavy metals or solvents.
Practical tipsAnother ecological tip recommends refrigerators and freezers with the highest energy efficiency class A in terms of energy consumption.
Environmentally friendly living can also be achieved by installing water-saving taps, showers and inserts in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry room. Timber and wood products from Coop are also available with the FSC seal of approval for sustainable forestry.
The four motifs have recently appeared nationally in the entire press and at every POS. Further motifs will follow. More background information about Coop's Oecoplan can also be found at www.coop.ch/oecoplan.
Andreas Panzeri

 The blogosphere has suffered a loss: Werbeblogger.de founder Patrick Breitenbach . The popular blog, which chews over both good and bad advertising, will have to do without him in future. Breitenbach writes that he has now reached a point where he is so bored with advertising that he is no longer willing to publish about it: "I am simply no longer interested in bad commercials, stupid PR letters and other advertising garbage." He is now doing the same as millions of other people: blinders on and through. What's more, the trade press has now also jumped on the bandwagon and is launching its own advertising puzzles, campaign rants, accusations of plagiarism and tons of short links from the world of advertising. However, Breitenbach doesn't know whether he should see this as an homage. In any case, he is no longer prepared to "litter the web with more useless information". The announced farewell triggered a significant response in the blogosphere - but one dares to hope that it is not a farewell forever. After all, the blogger himself writes: "Perhaps this is also a short-term phase I'm going through, I don't like to set things in stone." It will be interesting to see whether there will be a reunion.

 The agency Saatchi & Saatchi Simko has won two shortlist places for Groupe E and WWF at the New York Festivals. Both works are nominated in the "Poster Advertising" category. The agency realized the "Plugs" campaign for Groupe E, an energy company based in western Switzerland, which uses advertising in 3D format. The WWF campaign "Give a hand to wildlife" showcases hands painted with endangered animals. Whether Saatchi & Saatchi Simko will win precious metal in New York with these two works will be announced on June 30.

 
Showbusiness LG reveals the secret of "Scarlet". The campaign played with the term TV series and caused confusion among consumers.  
The new TV series "Scarlet" would have lacked for nothing: a gripping story, charismatic beauties, action and a big secret. For weeks, a trailer for the supposed new TV spectacle circulated on the internet and later on television. The Norwegian model Natassia Malthe took center stage as "Scarlet". Her mystery: a scarlet eye. At the beginning of May, Hollywood celebrities gathered at a premiere party in London and Los Angeles. Behind the globally advertised TV series, however, was not a TV hit, but a new flat screen from manufacturer LG (short for Life's Good). "Scarlet" turned out to be a million-dollar joke, but also a clever advertising coup. For weeks, the media in over 37 countries, excluding Switzerland, reported on the mysterious television project. Even the reputable industry service Internet Movie Database was taken in by the PR hoax and later even deleted its articles.
A real TV series producer, a fake trailer and a mysterious starlet are the ingredients that turned the Scarlet campaign into a spectacle and fooled millions of fans for weeks. The strategy behind the project was to give the new flat screen its own personality to make it stand out from other products. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the global launch campaign cost the electronics manufacturer LG around 100 million dollars. The investment can be described as the largest LG has ever made for a single product.
The "marketing hoax", as the American trade media called the fake, was the brainchild of the agency Agency.com and its TBWA subsidiary Tequila. The personification of a television set is a worldwide novelty and breaks the rules of all previous marketing efforts. With Scarlet, electronics manufacturer LG is consciously relying on the power of stories to strengthen the emotional bond with consumers.
The fact that LG is looking for long-term success with the series concept can be read in a press release from the South Korean company. The manufacturer wants to launch another episode of "Scarlet" and is rigorously aligning the design of the devices with the series. It remains to be seen to what extent LG will succeed in winning over consumers. No sales figures are yet known. For LG, the project is a necessary step to set itself apart from the competition. The majority of consumers are guided by price when buying a new device. "It has become a real challenge for TV manufacturers," said Kwan-Sup Lee, responsible for brand marketing at LG. "Flat screens are high-tech products for which consumers want to pay a low price. It is becoming increasingly difficult for us manufacturers to make a profit. Stories and a clear brand profile are the key to success."
The "Scarlet" fake started with a viral campaign at the beginning of the year. Rumors about the television project circulated on the Internet for three months. In the final weeks of the campaign, LG ran commercials on television worldwide. The director and actors gave interviews in the media and appeared at film premieres. The company was never mentioned. Only the red eye of the main actress, on which the trailer focused at the end, hinted at the LG logo. The movie ended with the sentence "Find out why things aren't what they seem". For many marketing managers, this was an incredible idea, considering that LG invested 35 percent of its marketing budget in "Scarlet" and the brand name was not mentioned once for months.
In addition to the extremely attractive Natassia Malthe in the leading role, who was seen in the video game adaptation "DOA: Dead or Alive" in the cinema in 2006, Hollywood director David Nutter was also teased. The director is a well-known figure in Hollywood. He has been involved in series such as Lost, The X-Files and Alias.
Surprisingly, the fake behind Scarlet remained hidden for a long time. The reactions are now more violent than the makers probably expected. Some consumers are expressing very negative opinions about the new TV set because they feel they have been taken for a ride by LG. For Kwan-Sup Lee, it is clear: "We are taking the risks to be different. But it is a necessary step. Even for me today, it is difficult to distinguish our own products from those of the competition." And Lee justifies the expenditure for this form of "non-traditional" advertising according to the motto "Any publicity is good publicity". LG, the third-largest manufacturer of flat screens behind Samsung and Sony, is coming under increasing pressure. Its competitors have recently increased their marketing budgets considerably.
Christian Lüscher

 
Mediafocus Compared to the previous year, advertising pressure rose by 15.2% with a cumulative increase of 10% since the beginning of the year. Political campaigns recorded the strongest growth with an increase of 53.7%. The consumer electronics/photo/movies segment again performed well (+43.4%). The television advertising market increased by 290%. Pharmaceuticals/health also increased by 22.5%. Image advertising also increased by 43.3% across all product markets. The telecommunications (+24.7%) and watches and jewelry (+23.7%) advertising markets also grew.

 
Sponsorship With Euro 08 and the Olympic Games, 2008 is a dream year for sponsorship. This also raises questions, says expert Martin Platzer. Can the offer be too big? Will it result in overkill, confusion or even a hangover? "Neither," say the experts - if companies tackle their sponsorship in the right way. The sponsorship market in Switzerland is relatively small. With an estimated volume of 350 to 400 million francs - and simultaneous advertising expenditure of over 5 billion francs - 90 percent of expenditure is covered by 10 percent of sponsors. And these 10 percent are made up of 20 to 30 top sponsors.
Euro 08 in Switzerland and Austria will absorb more than 50 percent of the Swiss sponsorship volume in 2008, whether in the form of official sponsorships or ambush marketing campaigns. Sponsors who are not involved with this major event would therefore be well advised to postpone their commitments until the second half of the year. After all, Euro 08 is and will remain the main focus until the end of June. Other campaigns run the risk of getting lost in the hype.
New events have a hard timeWhat other events can survive alongside the one-off Euro 08? New sporting events and individual events in the cultural sector have a particularly difficult time, because anyone who sponsors efficiently today wants to do so in a sustainable way. In other words, they want to be more than just a situational presence and therefore integrate entire sports, series of events or already well-established events into their sponsorship strategy. One example of efficient and effective strategically anchored and long-term sports sponsorship is the commitment of Schweizer Mobiliar. The insurance company is positioning itself as a sponsor in the floorball environment and thus in a sport which, measured by the number of licensed players (29,000), is the number three team sport in Switzerland after football (230,000) and volleyball (30,000). With this commitment, Mobiliar is focusing its sports sponsorship on a broad base and wants to play a significant role in shaping the image of the floorball scene. For example, the National League A is now called the Swiss Mobiliar League, and the Swiss Cup is now called the Swiss Mobiliar Cup. Mobiliar is also the main sponsor of the Swiss national teams and all referees and is also involved in the youth sector.
At the same time, national sponsors in particular are becoming increasingly price-sensitive. Aware that the budget item for pure sponsorship must be doubled with at least an equal amount for accompanying measures in order to successfully implement a sponsorship, they are calculating very carefully, especially when continuing a commitment. For example, Swisscom is withdrawing from its name sponsorship of the Swiss Football Cup for cost reasons. When the main sponsor changes, the rights marketers also change.  
Music for the young target groupIn addition to major sporting events, music in particular - and especially the big summer festivals - will receive a boost in 2008 and in the coming years. The reason for this can be found in the intensive presence of music in everyday life - especially among the young and affluent target groups of 14 to 49-year-olds: iPods and YouTube are part of the modern, trendy lifestyle in which many companies and products want to be perceived. The cultural and event sector also traditionally has a high share of the sponsorship market in Switzerland, not least due to the positioning of the telecoms and mobile phone industry.
A well-known example of this is the mobile phone provider Orange with its multi-year sponsorship of Orange Cinema (open-air cinema) and Orange Opera (partnership with the Zurich Opera House). The company has now also positioned itself with a younger, music-loving target group as a partner of the Swiss Music Award, which was presented for the first time in 2008. Cell phone manufacturer Nokia has also been active in the youth sector for some time and is involved in sponsoring music festivals such as the Nokia Greenfield Festival and Openair Frauenfeld, as well as being the main sponsor of Freestyle.ch, where the world's best snowboarders, freeskiers, FMXers and skateboarders will once again be performing the most daring tricks, flips and jumps on Zurich's Landiwiese this August.
Euro 08 or not, the requirements for organizers and sponsors alike are professionalism, experience, a network and consistent cost control. In addition to content and thematic evaluation, the extent to which a sponsorship commitment can and does contribute to the achievement of company-specific sponsorship and marketing objectives is also important.
Continuity is half the battleThis automatically results in an ever-increasing professionalization of corporate sponsorship activities. After all, even the best sponsorship that suits the company is useless if it is not professionally planned and implemented. Companies that plan their sponsorship strategically generally rely on continuous and long-term commitments. Ideally, depending on the focus and concentration of the sponsorship, Euro 08 has already been an issue there for some time - or not at all for appropriate reasons. So even in this sponsorship-intensive year, there will only be a hangover if sponsorship is used incorrectly or inconsistently.
Martin Platzer is the owner and CEO of MPM Sponsoring Consulting, based in Vienna and Zurich.