Online advertising Social media are becoming the favorites of media buyers in the USA.
A new advertising strategy is spreading in the USA: quantity is no longer the be-all and end-all. Quality is increasingly in demand. "Engagement" is the mantra of the new digital world, i.e. no longer necessarily how many consumers see an advertising message, but how closely a customer engages with it. And what better medium for this than the Internet, especially networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, blogs and video sites such as YouTube, where endless user-generated content can be seen. These sites, where users come into contact with each other and contribute content themselves, are summarized by the industry under the term "social media". According to a report by the US industry service eMarketer, 70 percent of all teenagers and 37 percent of American adults used social networking sites at least once a month last year. Where there is media usage, marketers are not staying away: according to a survey by research company Advertiser Perceptions, 76 percent of all advertising companies surveyed intend to spend more money on online advertising this year, while 78 percent said they would spend less or the same amount on television advertising as a year ago.
In contrast, advertisers spent a total of 920 million dollars on networking sites last year, an increase of 163 percent. "The maturing of interactive channels and the simultaneous development of technical possibilities is leading to a customer-centric future, with interactive technologies influencing all marketing tools", according to a report on the subject by the market research institute Forrester.
The biggest problem, however, is that there are no uniform standards for measuring "engagement". Furthermore, it is a fact that "people use these networking sites because they are interested in other people and not in a product," says Shelby Saville, Director at Spark Communications, the digital media agency of the advertising purchasing company Starcom MediaVest. However, no marketer can ignore the new medium, especially those who want to appeal to a young audience. It is therefore important to "set a clear goal and disclose what you want to achieve with it". Experience has shown that company representatives who keep their identity secret, pretend to be consumers in online forums and praise their product to the skies, end up being exposed and mercilessly ridiculed.
There is no shortage of campaigns, as all major marketers, from Microsoft to Budweiser beer, are taking advantage of the new opportunities. The campaigns range from simple MySpace posting boards, where fans of the Toyota Yaris, for example, can express their love for the car, to sophisticated collaborations. Two years ago, for example, Burger King was one of the first companies in this field to sponsor downloads of the Fox series "24" and was thus able to be sure of the commitment of young Jack Bauer fans. One unsuccessful example of the use of social media is a Wal-Mart campaign on Facebook, where the focus was on the advertising messages but no space was created for users to interact.
Networking sites are particularly attractive because of their authenticity. Many young consumers tend to recommend products or content that they find cool to their friends online. According to a study by the market research company Nielsen, 78% of consumers trust a recommendation from a friend, compared to a meagre 26% who follow the advice of an online advertisement, for example.
To stand out in the maze of advertising messages, small and medium-sized companies in particular use social media creatively. Canadian shoe manufacturer Fluevog, for example, decided not only to set up a MySpace page for its products, but also to involve its customers in one of its media buying decisions. As part of the "Vog Populi" online campaign, the company asked its fans on the company website to choose between three different art and music magazines to decide by majority vote which of the three papers Fluevog should end up advertising in. "Our customers are known for their loyalty to our brand, and we want them to feel that we value their feedback," says Fluevog Marketing Director Stephen Bailey. The proportion of ads selected by clients for the final chosen paper, "Juxtapoz", accounted for ten percent of Fluevog's annual media buying budget for 2007.
Brad Adgate, Research Director at the media research institute Horizon Media in New York, says this is the first time he has heard of such an unusual campaign, but immediately likes the idea: "This falls under the label of the wisdom of crowds," he says. "Consumer-generated content and consumer participation is a hot trend in other areas, so why not in media buying too?"
Gerti Schön, New York
 

 
Rapid growthUS advertising expenditure for social networking
2006-2011 and growth in percent
2006 $ 350 million
2007 $ 920 million (163 %)
2008 $ 1.56 billion (70 %)
2009 $ 2.02 billion (29 %)
2010 $ 2.4 billion (19 %)
2011 $ 2.7 billion (13 %)
Source: eMarketer
Annotation:
The table includes social networking sites such as MySpace and networking offerings from portals such as Google and MSN, but not content sites with networking features such as YouTube.

 The new Blick has seen the light of day with fireworks. The most popular media project in the country seems to be going down well so far. However, some sports fans were quietly disappointed when reading it on Wednesday: The results of the Champions League matches were missing from some of the editions. This may have been due to the hectic production of the first new Blick or the fact that the printing presses had to work at full speed to cope with the large print run of 500,000 copies currently being distributed. In any case, it will soon become clear whether the results from the realm of King Football will be in the paper for all readers in future. Because as the saying goes: "After the game is before the game". Or: Issue number one is followed by issue number two.

 Zurich radio men had a heated discussion on Wednesday at the talk organized by the Interessengemeinschaft elektronische Medien (IGEM) about the current relicensing, radio advertising and legal steps. Dani Büchi (Energy Zurich), Urs Lorenz (Radio Zürisee), Andreas Meili (Belcom AG/Radio 24), Roger Schawinski (Radio 1) and Giuseppe Scaglione (RMC Züri and Radio 105 Züri) sat on the podium, with IP Multimedia CEO Michi Frank moderating. Things got heated. Egos were puffed up and lectures were delivered. The gentlemen got out of hand at times and exchanged jibes such as "You don't understand anything about radio" and "Target groups are being invented that don't even exist". Michi Frank asked the audience with feigned desperation whether anyone wanted to take over his job as presenter.
Intact radio landscape required as an advertising partner Although the verbal battles had a certain entertainment value, they were not met with enthusiasm everywhere. One member of the audience said that the discussion reflected what the advertising industry has to contend with when it comes to radio: You don't need a quarrelling bunch, but rather rely on an intact radio landscape as a communication partner "so that our advertising customers can believe in radio again". So the gentlemen should please get their act together.
Media zampano Schawinski delivered the counterattack: After all, they were in a competitive situation for the concessions, "so you have to understand if we don't fall around each other's necks". And the advertising industry also has its part to play: "Bad advertising on the radio is annoying!". The advertisers should therefore do their bit with high-quality spots, the Radio 1 owner demanded. Whether this will stop listeners from zapping away, however, is another matter. Schawinski, as usual not mincing his words, had nothing good to say about the intermediary Mediasense: they had "thrown themselves at the arch-competitor SRG".
 
Not everyone will win But for radios to be attractive for advertising at all, they naturally need reach. And that depends on the FM license. There will be losers in the awarding process, as there are more stations competing than there are licenses to be awarded. For the existing radio stations, it was clear that the license is a question of existence. Dani Büchi explained that some of the staff would have to leave if Energy Zurich was left empty-handed. Andreas Meili emphasized Radio 24's track record and felt that there was no reason to deny successful radios a licence.
Giuseppe Scaglione, on the other hand, speaking from a different perspective with his cable radio, emphasized that there were only three things for Bakom to consider: The invitation to tender, the law and the applications. In the eyes of the Radio 105 man, there should be no bonus for past performance. Urs Lorenz provided a calming voice, emphasizing that he was not opposed to competition.
Threat of legal action It has become clear that the broadcasters will not simply accept it if they come away empty-handed in the awarding of the license. They will then probably have to go to court. Schawinski provocatively proposed a pact "right here and now": Everyone should undertake to leave the legal process alone if they are among the losers. Probably knowing that his competitors would never agree to the deal, Schawinski declared that he would sign such an agreement immediately. One should accept what the Uvek decides, because anything else would be "an abuse of the system". As expected, the pact did not materialize.
Once again, it was Schawinski who had another solution up his sleeve: he argued that four licenses should be distributed for the large Zurich-Glarus area. He had also suggested this to the Zurich City Council. However, it is doubtful whether Bakom will change the tendered coverage areas again. Büchi questioned the role of the Federal Office in general: It is disturbing that the authority lags behind current media developments and still intervenes so heavily in a regulatory capacity. In the end, however, the federal government will probably have the upper hand.
 
 
Carole Scheidegger

Even if the temperatures are freezing at the moment, the next spring is sure to come. The latest edition of the Max Shoes women's shoe campaign is already ready for the warmer weather. It is the third edition of the Lolita campaign, which is being realized by Jung von Matt/Limmat. It again shows the current collection. The new subjects can be seen around the various Max stores in Switzerland in the near future.
Responsible at Max Shoes:
Daniel Widmer (Head of Marketing), Carmela Vetsch (Head of Marketing Services). Responsible at Jung von Matt/Limmat: Lukas Frei (Creative Direction), David Hanselmann (Art Direction), Samuel Knaus (Text), Matthias Fürst (Graphics), Martin Samsel, Sebastian Durband, Jasmin Schmid (Consulting), Didi Knall, Erasmo Palomba (Art Buying), Diego Alborghetti (Photography), Red Department (Image Processing).

Swiss Post's Stamps and Philately Department presented two special stamps for Euro 08 yesterday evening. The Bern-based agency Maxomedia is responsible for the design of the 1-franc stamp. The design is purist and clear, as the agency announced: it shows the outline of a football pitch on a green background. The design of the stamp sheet is intended to emphasize the bond between the two host countries, Switzerland and Austria. The 1-franc stamp is valid immediately and is available at Post.ch/philashop, at Swiss philatelic sales points and at post offices. Maxomedia also designed the motif for the first day cover and the issue stamp for the special stamp.

 
Angelink Yourposition is expanding its management team and broadening its service portfolio at the same time: Beat Muttenzer, who previously worked as a project manager for the Zurich-based company, is now in charge of the newly created Web Analytics division, according to a press release issued on Wednesday. "Angelink Yourposition has always carried out success measurements in search engine marketing," said Beat Muttenzer, explaining the move in the press release. "However, our customers increasingly have a need that does not stop at simple rankin checks or ROI analyses of Adwords campaigns, but concerns web analytics as a whole."

 The TV commercial "Channel Hop" for Amnesty International has been included on the Shots roll by the British Emap Media Group. The London-based editorial team selects the 30 so-called "Creative Showcase contenders" among the best commercials of the last six months. After the Fleurop spots last year, Walker has once again made the leap into the international standard work, as the agency announced. There is also good news for the advertising agency from the other side of the Atlantic. The TV commercial is now also being used in Canada. According to Jenn Farr from Amnesty International Canada, the film will be used in English and French. The commercial uses internationally known TV formats to draw attention to the daily violations of human rights.

 Blick appeared in its new look for the first time on Wednesday. Werbewoche wanted to know how the new tabloid was received and asked exponents from the media and advertising industry what they thought of the Blick relaunch and the planned new free Blick. Dominique von Matt, co-owner of the Zurich advertising agency Jung von Matt/Limmat "I think the new Blick is fresher and more relevant than before, it offers more. The relaunch was an overdue modernization. The strong Blick brand had lost its topicality and is now being recharged. In my opinion, the relaunch can also hold its own with younger, urban people.
It remains to be seen how Blick will be able to overcome the tough competition from free newspapers and Internet portals. But I am confident. If a newspaper offers clear added value, people are prepared to pay for it. And you can feel the commitment to creating this added value in the title
I think it's a very good idea to launch a free evening Blick and thus use the Blick brand as a power brand. It is important that the young, urban readership of the evening newspaper Heute can be retained. I don't see any problems with this strategy if the two products are really different from each other. People have learned through the Internet that they receive content on different channels; some of it costs something, others don't. I think this hybrid strategy is well established today. Blick in the morning should offer research, while Blick in the evening should offer lighter lifestyle topics. The idea of the free Blick might not have worked in combination with the previous Blick, but it should be feasible with the new, younger Blick."
Stephan Küng, CEO Initiative Media Switzerland "I fundamentally like the new Blick. For me, it's impossible to imagine the media landscape without the Blick brand. Instead of constantly criticizing the declining circulation figures, we should be aware of the strength of this media brand. I therefore think it's right in principle for the publisher to invest in this brand.
However, I personally don't really like the fact that you have to turn the newspaper in the middle. When I read a newspaper, I don't want to suddenly have to turn it upside down. I've even made a bet that the "turning effect" will have disappeared from the paper in a year's time.
I think the decision to turn the Abendzeitung Heute into a free Blick is very good. In this way, the strong brand is used properly. As long as the paid-for Blick really offers more, this strategy will work. Of course, Blick is struggling with certain problems in the reader market, but so are all the daily newspapers sold. Blick even has an advantage here as a title with regional coverage. And if it is a good newspaper with clear added value and can prove itself on the reader market, then clever media agencies and advertising clients will know how to exploit this.
Roger Schawinski, media entrepreneur "I have a positive impression, but I'm not exactly thrilled. Blick is much higher quality and more elegant than before, the content is stronger. The thing with the two front pages that force the reader to turn the newspaper: That's a matter of taste. Incidentally, I also had this idea about 30 years ago for the former Tat newspaper, but then rejected it.
I find the planned free view in the evening very problematic. I wonder how the brand is to be split in two. How are people supposed to understand that they have to pay for the Blick in the morning and not in the evening? It remains to be seen whether this will work."

 
The current debate over radio and TV licenses, programming diversity, and media concentration is coming too late, says René Grossenbacher, director of the Publicom Institute. Instead of promoting media diversity, he says, it is fostering media homogenization. 
WW: With its statement on the radio and TV license applications in Aargau, the Aargau government sparked a debate: on the one hand, on the question of whether media concentration enables or hinders media diversity; and on the other, on the question of whether a newcomer stands a chance against multimedia publishers. Do you consider these discussions important or pointless? René Grossenbacher:
Both questions are very important. But they’re actually being raised too late. The RTVG is in place, and the license applications have been submitted. Let’s start with the second topic anyway: In 2002, on behalf of Tele-Top CEO Günter Heuberger, you investigated how the St. Galler Tagblatt (SGT) reported on Heuberger’s Radio and Tele Top. What did you find back then? We analyzed the SGT’s coverage over an extended period and determined that the SGT reported on its own media outlets, Radio Aktuell and Tele Ostschweiz, three times more frequently than on the Top media outlets. And that the SGT made very heavy use of its market power—with program announcements promoting its own media outlets and numerous in-house advertisements. I don’t know if this is still the case today.
Roger Schawinski, the founder of Radio AG, is complaining about a similar situation in Aargau. Is he right? I haven’t analyzed AZ Medien’s coverage; I’ve only read a few articles in the Aargauer Zeitung. However, I don’t get the impression that the AZ reported unfairly. But of course, AZ Medien didn’t give the new competitor a platform. That was hardly to be expected.
What was the media coverage like in other regions with dominant multimedia companies—such as Basel or southeastern Switzerland? I can’t comment on southeastern Switzerland. In Basel, it’s interesting to note that the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung, which did not apply for a radio license, reported on the three local radio projects with similar frequency and only slightly more detail than the Basler Zeitung, which did submit an application. The coverage in the BaZ was also fair.
In the 2002 study, you proposed giving preference to independent program providers in the licensing process. Do you still hold that view today? Yes, because from a competition policy perspective, it is problematic when a single company dominates the media market to such an extent that a competitor has no chance of entering it. If that company also receives license fee money, that is all the more troubling from a free-market perspective. But it would be a mistake to assume that independent program providers automatically bring more journalistic diversity. That diversity is most likely to emerge with a high level of competition, because then the individual providers must position themselves in some way. If, on the other hand, only a few providers are allowed, they will all try to reach as large an audience as possible—meaning they will produce similar-sounding mainstream programming.
But aren’t the frequencies too limited to allow for more competition? This is a claim often made in the context of radio, but there are other opinions as well. Perhaps with better planning here and there—for example, in Graubünden—an additional station could be authorized. That would at least open up the possibility for diversity. When it comes to TV, OFCOM can also issue a broadcast authorization for unlicensed stations.
To what extent is the discussion on diversity coming too late? We should have clarified earlier what we mean by it and whether we want diversity of providers or journalistic diversity.
The RTVG actually answers this: There is a public service mandate—and if multiple providers fulfill it, the one that most enriches the diversity of opinion and content is chosen. So, diversity of content takes precedence over diversity of providers. Nevertheless, the political course has been set in the wrong direction. You can see this in Zurich: Radio Tropic, the only station that offered an alternative program lineup, was shut down. Now Roger Schawinski is entering the scene—he sold his radio and TV stations to Tamedia for a hefty sum years ago and now accuses the company of pursuing a monopoly in the Zurich area. But Schawinski won’t settle for being number 3 or 4. That’s why he’ll launch a mainstream radio station that, in its news reports, will cover the same bike accident in Schwamendingen as the other three Zurich stations. But that’s not diversity. To achieve that, policymakers should have set a different course.
Such as what, for example? One could have stipulated, for instance, that radio stations must offer a diverse range of music. But the idea that they should contribute to political diversity of opinion is illusory from the outset.
That’s a bold statement. Why? Listeners tune in to private radio stations solely for the music. That’s why at least 70 percent of radio programming consists of music. And here’s another thing: In 2007, we conducted a study for Bakom on how regional radio and TV stations cover cantonal political issues. The result was sobering: for the most part, they simply regurgitate what the cantonal authorities feed them. Private radio and TV stations hardly ever produce their own substantive news content. Politicians need to finally take note of this. Yet to this day, they act as if the media’s primary role were to promote political discourse and cultural diversity. But radio and TV simply cannot fulfill that role.
So are radio and TV purely entertainment media? Radio is primarily a background medium, while TV is an entertainment medium—worldwide. That’s what the audience wants. Producing good informational programs is also very expensive. License fees don’t change that much. That’s why the result is only a relatively modest output—one more or less discussion program doesn’t make much of a difference.
All radio stations, however, are trying to outdo one another with their planned public service offerings. Sure, right now they’re just playing along with the game the politicians are forcing on them, promising programming packed with information and discussion. They’re focused on securing their licenses, and after that, they’ll go back to doing whatever works.
That sounds pessimistic for the next 10 to 15 years. Not at all—it's just realistic.
 
Markus Knöpfli
One-Size-Fits-All: The Publicom Study «Political PR in Regional Media, 2007»
showed that regional electronic media (in Zurich and St. Gallen) usually report on events covered at media conferences either verbatim or in abridged form. Original reporting and follow-up research are rare. 
In an expert opinion
In 2006, the IPMZ (University of Zurich) compared the coverage by SGT, DRS-Regionaljournal, and Tele Ostschweiz (TVO) on behalf of St. Galler Tagblatt AG—with similar results: TVO rarely stood out from the Regionaljournal and SGT in terms of the variety of topics covered. TVO had no exclusive stories. (mk)

 
Autos SFLB has developed unconventional ideas for Volvo to dramatize the four core values. 
In the 1990s, Volvo advertising from Switzerland was still everywhere. And successful. This is exactly what the management of Volvo Switzerland wanted to build on in 2008 with the strong support of the Swiss Volvo dealers. After all, the brand recorded growth of around 20 percent last year. Now, thanks to Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett, Volvo, the premium brand from Sweden, is once again surprising with large-scale advertising "Made in Switzerland". The budget was won in a pitch.
Based on the four core values of environment, safety, origin and design, the agency has developed a campaign that takes the idea of the 1990s with it, but implements it in a visually contemporary and surprising way. The result is spectacularly staged images that focus on the desire for the Swedish premium brand. "The photo shoots were as elaborate as a film shoot," reveals CD Martin Spillmann.
Depending on the orientation of the individual models, the corresponding core value was placed at the center and supported with the headline "Standard with ...". The word "standard", which normally stands for a long list of equipment details for the public, is given a meaning specific to Volvo, which allows the brand to be charged with new, brand-specific arguments. For example, the environmentally friendly flexifuel engines have been illustrated with desperate oil sheikhs who will soon no longer be able to sell gasoline. For Volvo's multi-award-winning design, SFLB has draped the equally award-winning designer Karl Lagerfeld "as standard" around the Volvo as an admirer or, in a second subject, paparazzi. Safety is dramatized with a Little Red Riding Hood who, thanks to Volvo, need not fear the dark forest.
All pictures were taken outside and not in the studio. For scheduling reasons, the cars were photographed in South Africa. This was followed in Switzerland by an elaborate composition of the countless image elements on the computer. 
The result of this long process has been visible in the Swiss press since the beginning of the year. The first four subjects have been running since January. Further subjects will follow in the coming weeks. Care was taken to ensure that the advertisements "always enjoy a premium placement in line with the positioning of the brand," explains consultant Rolf Zimmermann.
The use of a teaser image from the campaign on the front page of Weltwoche was unique in the Swiss media scene. The "weeping oil sheikhs" were the ideal image for the editor of Weltwoche, Roger Köppel, for his cover story "Panic among the oil sheikhs". The subject was then placed on the first double page of the magazine. This placement alone triggered a strong media reaction in Switzerland.
The reactions to the campaign have also been unusually numerous. Dozens of orders for individual motifs have already been received. And the Volvo subjects have also attracted attention beyond the Swiss border. From Vogue.com, the New York Observer and the largest Swedish daily newspaper to countless news platforms and blogs, the campaign has been widely commented on. Whether the Volvo advertisement developed in Switzerland will also be placed in other countries is currently "still being discussed" in Sweden, according to SFLB.
Andreas Panzeri

 On Tuesday evening, Ringier celebrated the Blick relaunch at the StageOne Event & Conevntion Hall in Zurich-Oerlikon. Around 400 guests from the worlds of business, advertising and media attended the party. The evening was hosted by the duo Lapsus, who played the somewhat uptight Theo Hitzig with his rather dim-witted assistant Bruno. Publisher Michael Ringier and CEO Martin Werfeli, on the other hand, were not present: they spoke via video message from Beijing. Instead, Daniel Pillard, Head of Ringier Switzerland, Editorial Director Marc Walder and, of course, Blick CEO Bernhard Weissberg spoke on stage. In his speech, Weissberg promised that the tabloid would be "sometimes nasty, sometimes serious, sometimes light-hearted". Politically, the paper will be "not left-wing, not right-wing, but partisan where necessary". Marc Walder explained that the video with Ringier and Werfeli was actually a primeur: the news of the new evening "Gratisblick" - but the media had already spilled the beans. The free view was also an important topic among the party guests. The new Blick was finally announced with an opulent firework display and a synchronized swimming performance by Duo Lapsus - in the children's paddling pool, no less. The freshly printed editions were in the hands of the visitors at 10.20 pm. Incidentally, these first copies for the party guests were printed by the NZZ in Schlieren. The 64-page paper with two front pages reveals the identity of the Rütli bomber, announces the pregnancy of weather fairy Sandra Boner and, as announced, brings back the topless girl. Also as announced, the newspaper has a more "magazine-like" layout and is divided into four clear sections: News, People, Life and Sport. In the initial phase, Blick will be printed in a print run of 500,000 copies and distributed free of charge in larger cities over the next five days.
 
  

 
Muller Martini is represented worldwide. Muller Martini has been developing solutions for the graphic arts industry for over 60 years. Production takes place in Switzerland, Germany, the USA and China - here exclusively for the Chinese market. Muller Martini has sales companies all over the world. The communication, which is conceived and designed by Brandl & Schärer AG in Olten, is correspondingly international.professional journalismFor example, the customer magazine Muller Martini Panorama, which has been published four times a year for 23 years with a circulation of 38,000 copies in five languages. The editor-in-chief is Dr. Markus Angst. From his office at Muller Martini's headquarters in Zofingen, he writes customer reference reports, background reports and interviews, which are then translated into English, French, Spanish and Italian. Customers and experts from various countries check the texts several times to ensure that the content and language are correct. "This is an important part of quality assurance," says Dr. Markus Angst. "And correspondingly time-consuming."
The latter also applies to on-site research, explains the editor-in-chief, who travels all over the world for his interviews. "I gather a lot of impressions on site, of the people, of the company, of the print products, of the entire cultural environment - that justifies any journey, no matter how far." Impressions that flow into the stories. The reports are authentic, experienced, based on personal encounters. No digital means of communication can replace these experiences. This is professional journalism.
Responsibility and respectQuality and professionalism are a top priority at Muller Martini, not only in development, production and customer service, but also in communication. And here not least in the visual language, which presents a cross-section of all continents, skin colors and cultures and at the same time takes cultural taboos into consideration. For example, Brandl & Schärer sometimes adds extra fabric to a T-shirt so as not to offend readers in Islamic countries. This is also part of the professionalism of Muller Martini, which is aware of its responsibility towards other cultures down to the last detail.
Sabine Schmid