A new image was needed: Kraft Foods Switzerland asked the advertisers at JWT+H+F to refresh the advertising for the Mastro Lorenzo brand of coffee. Previously, the slogan "Mastro Lorenzo. The one and only." and communicated Italianità in its purest form. The agency then decided to closely link the new image with a new advertising medium. An advertising medium that perfectly embodies the Mastro Lorenzo brand image, according to a press release from JWT+H+F: she is Ticinese and therefore represents the perfect symbiosis of Switzerland and Italianità. The campaign idea was then derived from the person Christa Rigozzi: grammatically incorrect "celebrimonials". Just as Miss Switzerland 2007 speaks High German. Incidentally, these quotes were put into her mouth by copywriters who speak German. The campaign starts on April 28 with TV sponsorship of the SF1 program "Glanz & Gloria" and will continue later.
Responsible at JWT+H+F:
Mike Krüll (Creative Director), Isa McInnes, Martin Bettler (Art Director), Mike Krüll, Markus Tränkle (Text), Anna Kindlimann (Graphics), Rainer Bühler (Strategy), Franco Elsener (Consulting), Mirjam Fabrikant (Vertigo Bühler), Hans G. Syz (Camera). Responsible at Kraft Foods Switzerland: Christian Imhof (Brand Manager Coffee Switzerland).

 The Crossmedia Award jury has nominated seven shortlisted entries from 37 submissions. The award, which has counted towards the agency ranking since this year, honors demonstrably innovative and successful cross-media campaigns. The gold, silver and bronze winners will be announced and celebrated at the Goldbach Mediarena 2008 on May 7 at the World Trade Center in Zurich-Oerlikon. The entries were judged by an independent jury of experts headed by Geri Aebi (Wirz Werbung). The jury agreed that the quality of the work submitted for the fourth Crossmedia Award has continued to improve. The works were judged on the criteria of intelligent linking, degree of innovation, creative implementation, track record and overall impression.
The nominees are:
Henkel Switzerland: "Persil Dream Wedding", OMD Switzerland
Federation of Migros Cooperatives: "M'08 Fan Championship", Publicis
Die Mobiliar: "Shit Happens", Wirz advertising
Schweizer Illustrierte Style: "Personal Paparazzi - The stuff of stardom", Jung von Matt/Limmat
Swiss Federal Railways SBB: "Discover Switzerland", Jung von Matt/Limmat
Sunrise: "Free Internet", Advico Young & Rubicam
Swisscom: "Online Karaoke", Contexta

The advertising agency Sulzer, Sutter and the PR agency Dr. Peter P. Knobel use colorful ads to communicate Chiquita's commitment: The company is working on banana plantations to achieve more biodiversity and environmental protection for the rainforest as well as better working conditions and social benefits for its workers. This is backed up by certificates from the Rainforest Alliance, Social Accountability International (SAI) and the International Union of Food Workers (IUF) - to name just a few. Text advertisements were realized in cooperation with Sulzer, Sutter and the agency Dr. Peter P. Knobel AG. Unlike usual advertorials, full-page images dominate the informative text here. The reader can therefore get a picture of the colorful diversity of the rainforest right away.
Responsible at Chiquita Switzerland:
Ralph Huggel (Country Manager Switzerland), Nina Allemann (Brand Activation Manager). Responsible at Sulzer, Sutter: Michael Kathe (CD), Florian Bachofen (Art Direction), Katja Wölfel (Headlines), Lars Bo Müller (Consulting). Text: Claudio Jörg (Agentur Dr. Peter P. Knobel AG), Photo: Stefan Minder, Media: Susana Gonzalez (Initiative Media).
 

 The Bund newspaper from the country's capital moved into the Espace Media Groupe multimedia building over the weekend. In future, it will be under the same roof as the Berner Zeitung and will thus be able to experience the "Bern model" at first hand. However, the newspapers will not remain alone: all media belonging to the Tamedia subsidiary Espace Media will be located in the same building in future. For example, the local television station Tele Bärn is also moving to Dammweg 9. In an article, the Bund editorial team asserts that the move will not change anything in terms of editorial independence. However, the move does provide an opportunity to get rid of some ballast: in the 13 years that the Bund editorial office has been at its previous location at Bubenbergplatz 8, it seems to have accumulated quite a lot. Now the finds are being auctioned off: for example, a red "Resalb-Luxus" folding bike, which served as the cantonal editor Reto Wissmann's company car for many years, is up for sale on the online auction house Ricardo.ch. Or the Hermes typewriter belonging to reporter Walter Däpp. Or a Red Bull from 1994, which was still illegal in Switzerland at the time. If you want to buy a piece of nostalgia, you have until Friday to bid for most of the items. The proceeds of the auction will go to a good cause. So: bid, dear Bund fans, bid!

 SRG generated a deficit of CHF 17.2 million in 2007. This is just under CHF 8 million less than in 2006. Nevertheless, the national radio and television operator is not satisfied with the earnings situation in particular. According to an SRG statement on Monday, operating income rose by 1.5 percent to CHF 1.57 billion. The additional income from reception fees amounted to CHF 6 million, while commercial income increased by CHF 7.3 million. The fee adjustment last April did not result in any additional income, as this was largely neutralized by the new fee distribution, the SRG criticized. For example, the CHF 30 million raised by the increase went directly to the private providers to finance their claims. SRG was also unable to generate any additional income due to legal prohibitions and restrictions in the new Radio and Television Act, it added. Only foreign platforms and advertising windows benefited from the restrictions in the areas of advertising and sponsorship, but not SRG and the private television broadcasters in Switzerland.
Massive deficit feared
This year, SRG is expecting a deficit of CHF 50 million. The ever-increasing costs of the broadcasting industry are also responsible for the size of the loss.
sports events, said SRG Director General Armin Walpen on Monday in Bern. SRG is still expecting a loss of around CHF 10 million for 2009. SRG is planning a structural reform to compensate for the imbalance between demands and financial possibilities. The complexity of the structure of corporate governance and company management is not suitable for the future, said Chairman of the Board of Directors Jean-Bernard Münch. The Board of Directors will carry out the reform itself with the support of a number of consultants, including Benedikt Weibel. The new structures are to come into force on January 1, 2010.
According to Münch, the constant convergence of television, radio and the Internet due to technical innovation could also offer potential for savings. Media convergence is therefore a further focus of the structural review. SRG could submit an application for a fee increase in 2010 at the earliest. Walpen left open whether the company will make use of this option. In the area of online advertising, the Director General sees revenue potential that still needs to be explored.

 
The success of the Amnesty International campaign shows no sign of abating. After the posters by Zurich advertising agency Walker were showered with prizes (see ) and can now also be seen in Denmark and elsewhere, the advertising campaign entitled "Not here, but now" has now been honored by the British D&AD. Under the heading "Creativity Works", the British study traces the history of innovative campaigns and examines their success in the market. According to D&AD, this makes the work of Swiss Advertiser of the Year Pius Walker one of the most creatively successful brand campaigns of the year, alongside the campaigns for Dove "Evolution", Sony "Balls" and Ikea. The case study will be published in book form and can be viewed on the .

The agency Department had won Sihlcity's budget in February and launched a teaser campaign in March to mark the first birthday of the Zurich shopping center, mobilizing 33,000 visitors. Now Department is launching the "Fussball Arena Sihlcity". An atmospheric event logo and the tongue-in-cheek goal bag are to promote the event, which offers shopping opportunities, the opportunity to watch football and culinary delights. For the first time, the football arena campaign bears the new claim "Everything for life." The new umbrella campaign will also be on display in May 2008. Responsible at Sihlcity Center Management:
Christina Haag (Center Management a.i.), Nadine Bachmann-Brunner (Head of Marketing and Communication), Philipp Schoch (Project Manager). Responsible at Department, Zurich/New York: Oliver Brunschwiler, Johnnes Eisenhut, Reto Vogler, Fabienne Tschanz, Chantal Baur, Oliver Wagner, Markus Tränkle and Franziska Binz.

 The Swiss Advertisers Association (SWA) welcomes the initiative that has been launched with regard to the media business, as Managing Director Jürg Siegrist told Werbewoche. The association is a co-sponsor of the working group that has been formed. Siegrist explained that the statements made by SW President Carlo Schmid were "not accusations". However, he added that they wanted to ensure that the SWA had made every effort to ensure absolute transparency. Anyone who listened to Carlo Schmid last Friday got the impression that there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among the clients. How does Siegrist assess the situation? "The competitive situation in the media market has grown considerably, and that can have consequences. Our communications industry is very creative, and there are all kinds of discounts. And not everything always goes to the clients - there are outliers," is the diplomatic answer.
So are these just isolated cases in Siegrist's eyes? "Well, it is of course the case that with large budgets, a few cases are enough to make the situation dramatic," explained Siegrist. But there are always two sides to this, according to the SWA Managing Director: "Unfortunately, not all clients pay media agencies fairly. Then, of course, they look for additional sources." However, the association is primarily concerned with transparency: "If a marketer has a policy of increasing sales by 100 percent, but only achieves 25 percent of this as income, we naturally want to know what happens to the other 75 percent," said Siegrist.
The SWA Managing Director does not currently believe that legal action will be taken: "We are only in the initial phase with the working group, and nothing is clear yet in terms of legal measures. But if irregularities emerge, we will have to look further." However, the possibility of an individual client taking legal action on their own initiative "cannot be ruled out".
For the time being, Siegrist welcomes the fact that the opportunity has now come to take prophylactic action. It is positive that all parties are represented in the appointed working group: Clients, marketers and agencies. When can results be expected? "That is still open. But we want to move forward as quickly as possible," emphasized Siegrist.
Carole Scheidegger

 In addition to the excesses in the media industry, Carlo Schmid also criticized the looming advertising bans at Advertising Day in Lucerne, singling out the role of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). Drawing a parallel with the conference venue, Schmid noted that the atmosphere in a casino bears certain similarities to political life. Sometimes one almost gets the feeling that the activities taking place under the dome of the Federal Palace are a game of chance. The SW president finds the various campaigns launched by the Federal Office of Public Health particularly questionable. Protecting citizens from health risks is, of course, a noble goal. However, the question arises as to whether the Swiss should be forced to be healthy: «Must every citizen be as fit as a fiddle and, as a result, go joylessly to their grave?» Schmid asked rhetorically. He pointed out the consequences a ban on advertising would have, for example, for ice hockey: A study by Economiesuisse has shown that a large proportion of clubs depend on revenue from the beer industry. The loss of these funds would primarily lead to a reduction in youth programs, which is hardly in the spirit of prevention.
What gives Swiss advertisers particular cause for concern is the way in which certain federal agencies are said to be acting in an «excessively activist manner.» As has already been reported, a working group has now been formed to counter this «prevention frenzy.» Schmid finds it alarming that the FOPH intends to implement the various national programs—which he claims have a shaky legal foundation—without consulting the affected industries. Last fall, the business community voiced its dissatisfaction over this in a letter to the Federal Council, urging it to rein in the FOPH’s “overzealousness.” The associations were subsequently invited to a hearing, but due to the short notice, only Swiss Advertising attended. According to Schmid, the purpose was to provide information regarding the public consultation on the Prevention Act scheduled for summer 2008. The association’s president promised that the SW would make its voice heard when the law is put out for public consultation.
At the political level, the FOPH’s actions also had consequences, as Schmid went on to say: CVP National Council member Markus Zemp submitted an interpellation during the spring session criticizing the administration-led legislative process. The FOPH, he noted, exerts a massive influence on this process. The Swiss advertising industry, too, has the impression that the FOPH sometimes acts on its own authority and, «thanks to excellent networking» with countless health-oriented institutions, also enjoys widespread support. The association is now eagerly awaiting the Federal Council’s response—at least as eagerly as a player watching the roulette ball spin, Schmid concluded his remarks on the matter with another nod to the casino atmosphere.

 While Tamedia is worried about the new license for Tele Züri, founder Roger Schawinski himself has plans for his old station should it be threatened with closure: he would like to buy Tele Züri back from the Zurich media group and, if necessary, operate it without a license. Tamedia spokesman Christoph Zimmer confirmed to SDA a report by NZZ am Sonntag that the media pioneer had already expressed an interest in buying the station some time ago. Tamedia is facing negative comments from various executive authorities in the ongoing relicensing process. If the Swiss government follows these recommendations, does not grant the station a license and Tamedia therefore closes Tele Züri, Schawinski would be prepared to buy the TV station back.
Tamedia's competitor for radio licenses told the NZZ am Sonntag that, in his opinion, Tele Züri does not need a license at all: without the associated conditions, the broadcasting area could be expanded and regional windows in Schaffhausen and Thurgau would not have to be broadcast. Like many industry experts, he has no doubt that the channel would continue to be broadcast by cable network operators even without a "must carry" guarantee. "Without a license, Tele Züri has much more potential for development. I'm surprised that Tamedia doesn't see this," Schawinski told the NZZ am Sonntag.
For Tamedia, however, the sale of Tele Züri is "not an issue", Zimmer told SDA. Pietro Supino, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tamedia, doubled down in a communiqué sent out on Sunday evening: "Tele Züri is not for sale!". Supino made a special appearance on the "Züri News" program and confirmed that the company still believes in the TV station as well as Radio 24. He was convinced that both Radio 24 and Tele Züri would be successful in the awarding of concessions. Should Tele Züri nevertheless come away empty-handed, Supino went on to explain that "all scenarios will be examined" as to how the successful TV station could be continued without a license.

 The past year has been extraordinarily eventful and moving for the Swiss Training Center for Marketing, Advertising and Communication (Sawi), explained President Hans-Peter Rohner at the general meeting on Friday in Lucerne. This was not just about the move from Biel to Zurich-Stettbach: Sawi is in the midst of a structural change and is facing increased competition in all key training areas, said Rohner. It has lost its nimbus as number 1 in various areas - or is at least under great pressure to defend its position immediately. In Rohner's eyes, it is imperative that international recognition of the upper and top levels of education is achieved. This would require the Sawi to achieve university of applied sciences status "as quickly as possible", the President continued. "Important changes" had to be made in good time. In an assessment of the situation, Rohner hinted that it was questionable whether the two sponsoring associations Schweizer Werbung (SW) and Swiss Marketing (SMC) could continue to be the organizers of federal examinations. Competitors of Sawi would be annoyed by this situation. In addition, the requirements of the markets and the trainees would change faster than the job profiles on which the professional examinations are based. According to Rohner, this leads to differences within the sponsoring associations.

The dilemma here is that if Sawi focuses primarily on market requirements, this would result in "tensions" with the associations that organize examinations. If it focused on the job profiles, the Sawi would gradually reduce its own market, Rohner continued. He also questioned whether it was still feasible today for someone to be an examination supervisor, lecturer and examination expert at the same time. This is becoming increasingly problematic "in the eyes of the interested public". The Sawi will have to discuss how the sponsoring organization should be further developed.
The Sawi management organization was also discussed. Rohner paid tribute to the deceased Director of Western Switzerland, Cédric Hinterberger, with warm words and a minute's silence. Marcello Romano is now managing the business in French-speaking Switzerland on an interim basis and is fulfilling his role to the satisfaction of everyone involved. The search for a permanent replacement is ongoing. The management of Polycom in French-speaking Switzerland will remain in the hands of René Engelmann.
Need for more stability In contrast, the situation in German-speaking Switzerland is less stable. Director Pia Kasper has done a lot of development work in Zurich together with the employees. There were still many "tricky situations" to overcome because a great deal of expertise was lost as a result of the move from Biel to Zurich. Today, this has largely been compensated for, but there is a clear need for "more stability and continuity in management and daily business" at Sawi German-speaking Switzerland, said Rohner. For Pia Kasper, a top priority is the creation of a more stable educational organization in German-speaking Switzerland and the re-establishment of a positive climate at Sawi. The Board of Directors attaches great importance to this.
This statement by Rohner is probably a cautious formulation in view of the fact that there is clear dissatisfaction with the management from various circles. Rohner referred to this by mentioning that a lot had been written about the training center, including a lot of negative things. He did not want to talk away the existing problems, but called on everyone to look on the bright side. There is currently a climate around Sawi Deutschschweiz that includes a "desire for self-destruction".
The atmosphere on the Board of Directors also seems to be very heated: it can be compared to the mood in the Swiss parliament last December. The President welcomed the lively discussions, but in his view, some motions were not only focused on the matter in hand, but also on particular interests of the association or individuals.
The Swiss Advertising Association is critical of the situation at Sawi: the SW is being called into question as the most important sponsor of Sawi because it cannot agree with the current situation at the teaching institute. The SW will therefore consider how to proceed and provide information in due course, the association announced on Saturday.
Black figures at SawiA pleasing financial result was reported at the Sawi general meeting: Despite the investment of over half a million francs in the new training rooms in Zurich-Stettbach, the annual accounts closed in the black. The annual profit amounted to 28,326 francs. In her comments, Pia Kasper pointed out that the construction costs could be reduced considerably compared to the expected expenditure thanks to great efforts. According to Rohner, streamlined cost management, job cuts, sponsorship contributions and the reduction of privileges and special agreements also contributed to the result.
Towards the end of the General Meeting, there were also some changes to the Board: Otto Meier (previously on the board for VSW), Urs Schneider (SW) and Beat Fritsch (Comm-on) stepped down. Moreno Cavaliere (VSW), Daniel Brüngger (SW) and Alessandra Finazzi (Comm-on) were newly elected.

 Carlo Schmid, President of Swiss Advertising, was critical of media agencies on Advertising Day: There are non-transparent conditions and cash flows in the media business, he said. And customers are not always given the discounts to which they are entitled. Neutral and objective advice from media agencies is no longer guaranteed, Schmid continued at Friday's industry meeting in the Lucerne Casino. A working group has been formed to remedy this situation. The Swiss Advertising Association (SWA), Swiss Advertising, Publisuisse, Publicitas, APG and the Publishers Association are represented in this group. According to Schmid, measures must be taken to create transparency in the media business. Otherwise there is a risk that the criminal authorities will deal with the matter - as is the case in Germany, where trials are being held in connection with controversial media transactions.
Schmid explained that there were now three goals: Firstly, the aim was to provide information about grievances and thus create publicity, which could perhaps already remedy the situation. Secondly, contact with the responsible working group of the publishers' association should be arranged. And thirdly, he sees the long-term goal of introducing a seal of quality for those media agencies that undergo an audit.