Football The FCZ fan store has quickly become a hot shopping spot. In addition to the latest jerseys and the new Urban Collection, the iconic FCZ Christmas baubles are now also on sale. Hesskiss, the Swiss champions' in-house agency, has come up with two Christmas-themed motifs for the final offensive of the Christmas sales. The F12 and F200 posters will be on display in the city's fan area from the beginning of December.

TV magazines
Axel Springer repositions TV-Star and Tele to compete with Schweizer Illustrierte and Schweizer Familie.
When Axel Springer Switzerland took over Ringier's TV magazines Tele, TV2 and TVvier five months ago, the company, which already had the TV-Star and TV Digital magazines in its portfolio, announced a repositioning of its range of TV guides. So far, only the (in some cases massive) rate reductions as of 2008 have become visible: TV Digital lowered its price for 1/1 page four-color by 67 percent, TV2 by 17 percent, TV-Star by 1 percent and Tele by 0.2 percent. Only TVvier maintained its current price. Contrary to industry expectations, however, Axel Springer did not discontinue any titles. Some suspected that the Group was merging Tele and TV-Star or discontinuing the obviously unprofitable TV2, which had to make do with just one advertising page per issue this year. Jörg Tobuschat, Publishing Director TV Magazines at Axel Springer Switzerland for the past three months, has now countered this speculation with all clarity: "No title will be taken off the market, nor will any titles be merged," he says. It is also clear that the TV program remains at the heart of every title.
Tobuschat's second message concerns the weekly titles Tele and TV-Star. Previously, both were strongly geared towards People in terms of content and chased primeurs away from each other. But the competition is now over, as the two are now targeting different reader segments. TV-Star, which already has a slightly higher proportion of female readers, is to become even more feminine, says Tobuschat. To this end, the magazine will soon be undergoing some changes in terms of layout. In terms of content, however, TV-Star will continue to focus on celebrities: Swiss female TV presenters, directors and film actresses will remain the center of interest, as well as programming changes, particularly in Swiss television, and background stories on important TV events.
Tele, on the other hand, is being given a completely new concept. The family magazine, which focuses on TV and cinema, will have a much broader range of topics in future. Celebrities will still be featured, but the focus will now be on topics based on the current weekly TV program. If, for example, programs or documentaries about volcanoes, Euro 08, interest on private accounts or tigers catch the eye, the Tele editorial team will provide background reports on these topics, if necessary in cooperation with the broadcaster concerned. "Basically, you can offer all topics in this way, because the TV program is as diverse as life itself," says Tobuschat. At the same time, the concept also offers the opportunity to set up fixed departments, such as health, cars, nature or technology. "This in turn creates interesting environments for advertisers," explains Tobuschat. The latter is sorely needed, as the TV guides in German-speaking Switzerland (in contrast to those in French-speaking Switzerland, for example) are not a goldmine. Tele, for example, has lost around half of its advertising volume since 2004, and the trend is still downwards.
Choice of topics at willWhich departments will be set up at Tele has not yet been decided. "We will gradually introduce the new concept in the first half of 2008," says Tobuschat. For the time being, the editorial team will select the topics at its own discretion, but in future market research will be used to determine whether the interests of the readers are really being met. Interesting and a novelty: one and the same editorial team will prepare the content for Tele and TVStar, but also for the other three magazines. The current TVStar editor-in-chief Gion Stecher will be the overall journalistic director. Nevertheless, Tele will retain its own editor-in-chief: Urs Padel, previously deputy editor-in-chief at the former Ringier title, will take care of the crew that works exclusively for Tele.
There are three things that give Tobuschat the certainty that the new Tele concept could work. Firstly, he has received positive reactions from customers. Secondly, the German TV guide Hörzu, which he was in charge of at Axel Springer Germany until recently, works in exactly the same way. Thirdly, TV-Star has been making attempts in a similar direction since 2006 - with the launch of beauty and car supplements. According to advertising manager Patrick Knecht, these inserts were successful in the market. "Now they are being discontinued at TV-Star - but integrated thematically at Tele," says Knecht, who is now in charge of all five TV magazines.
Eating over the fenceOne thing is clear: As a title that focuses more strongly on TV and film celebrities, TV star Ringier's Schweizer Illustrierte (SI) will increasingly step into the garden in future. Tele, on the other hand, is more likely to eat over the fence with Tamedia's Schweizer Familie (SF) in terms of style and thematic breadth. "We really want to annoy these two titles a little," confirms Tobuschat. This also applies to the advertising market. In future, Axel Springer Switzerland will be offering its program guides as a combination: Anyone booking two of the titles of their choice will receive a 10 percent discount on the corresponding individual rates, anyone booking three titles will receive 12.5 percent, and anyone placing all five will receive 15 percent. So with Tele and TV-Star together, you get a greater reach than with SI or Schweizer Familie, and at a thousand-reader price of 25.96 francs, a good one franc cheaper than with SI. Knecht will therefore focus on combined marketing next year. His main argument: anyone who books all five titles will appeal to around 1.2 million TV-savvy people who, despite the TV program in daily newspapers and free newspapers, also want to and can afford a subscription to a TV guide. The package therefore appeals to one in four German-speaking Swiss - at a TLP of CHF 29.25.
But what will happen to TVvier, TV2 and TVDigital? These will also be made fit. Tobuschat wants to make the fewest changes to TVvier. "After all, the magazine is the best-selling program guide at the kiosk, and the trend is rising," he says. At TV2 and TVDigital, on the other hand, there is a lot to do. "We have many options, but we haven't decided anything yet," he says.
Markus Knöpfli

Bank
Bank Linth and the Flumserberg mountain railroads are joining forces. The bank is currently present everywhere in the ski area. 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The largest regional bank and the largest winter sports region in Eastern Switzerland are entering into a cooperation. Due to their local roots, Bergbahnen Flumserberg (BBF) and Bank Linth want to join forces. By working closely with the ski resort, Bank Linth hopes to raise its profile. The Flumserberg mountain railroads in turn want to use Bank Linth as a new marketing channel to communicate their leisure offers in a targeted manner all year round. BBF CEO Heinrich Michel says: "The collaboration creates added value for our guests, our partners and for the entire region." Thomas Eichler, CEO of Bank Linth, also considers the cooperation to be very promising: "This co-branding will enable us to further intensify our customer service. Once again, we are documenting our strong ties with the region." The joint marketing and advertising campaign builds on Bank Linth's current image campaign entitled "Finding answers together".
Appealing to a young audienceThe cooperation between BBF and Bank Linth comprises three levels. The two companies want to integrate the partner into their advertising wherever possible and appropriate. For example, Bank Linth is currently present throughout the ski area with an SMS competition, which is communicated on posters and other advertising spaces. The competition is aimed primarily at younger skiers and boarders and forms the heart of the campaign. The poster subjects show a bizarre winter sports situation. The viewer is asked to send a possible outcome of the story by text message. The stories will be listed on the Internet at Unddann.ch and can be rated according to their originality. Sports vouchers and day tickets will be raffled off among all participants.
On the second level, the partner companies mark their presence on site. The BBF display their current brochures at all Bank Linth counters to advertise their attractive offers. In return, Bank Linth has put a second ATM into operation at the Maschgenkamm cable car valley station. This is intended to ensure the supply of money to over 20,000 guests on a peak weekend. At the same time, it will be present on the Flumserberg with various elements that express the solidarity of the partners. In BBF's own restaurants, for example, the regional bank invites guests to linger comfortably on Bank Linth deckchairs. Various vehicles also appear in the new Bank Linth design.
Animation team on the roadOn the third level, the partner companies are personally ensuring that snow sports enthusiasts have fun. Bank Linth is sending out animation teams on selected days this winter season to give guests on the Flumserberg a friendly gift. The cross-media campaign was conceived by the St. Gallen communications agency Freicom. Together with APG-Montagne, a specialist in mountain advertising, the entire campaign on the Flumserberg was realized in just two months.
Christian Lüscher

Former Cinecom CEO Matthias Luchsinger will take over the management of the film production company Condor Films on March 8, 2008. He will succeed Kristian Widmer, who is co-owner of the company and has managed the business for five years. Widmer will be delegate of the board of directors in future. He intends to devote more time to feature film production. Condor Films announced a new strategy in October and intends to focus more on feature films. The new management organization takes account of this strategy and thus the "potential but also the risk of increased involvement in the feature film sector", according to a press release. The FaroTV division will also be managed directly by Matthias Luchsinger from March. FaroTV was previously the responsibility of Thomas Sterchi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and co-owner of Condor Films.
Luchsinger has worked at Cinecom for the last 14 years, from 1996 as CEO and until 2004 as co-owner. Due to the change of ownership and the associated restructuring at Publigroupe, he has decided to seek a new challenge, according to the press release.

Weekly press
In Winterthur, the free newspaper euphoria is spilling over into the weekend: The city paper will soon be published on Sundays, free of charge and with eleven times the circulation.
From January 6, the small Winterthur city paper will no longer be published on Thursdays but on Sundays. The previous subscription price of 150 francs will no longer apply and the newspaper will now be distributed free of charge to every household. The circulation will increase accordingly from 4377 to 46000 copies. This makes the Winterthur Stadtblatt the first free Sunday newspaper in German-speaking Switzerland - and with home delivery to boot. Whether this heralds a new era in the Sunday market remains to be seen. 
It was not financial hardship that prompted Stadtblatt majority shareholder Guido Blumer to make this change. "The trigger was my age," he says. At 55, he decided to take stock. And because he had always been interested in producing a Sunday paper, he developed a concept and is now putting it into practice.
He has two goals in mind: his newspaper should be able to continue to exist without him one day. It should also be interesting for the national advertising market, if not indispensable. Blumer now expects around 70,000 readers. He is increasing the advertising price from the current 2328 to 3136 francs per 1/1 page in four colors. However, Blumer will have to pay a tribute: His city paper will no longer be the publication organ of the city of Winterthur and the municipality of Seuzach.
However, Blumer does not want to do without subscription income altogether. That's why he is setting up voluntary partnership subscriptions at 100 francs, which in turn entitle the holder to discounted purchases in 28 Winterthur stores.
Aiming for more scopeBut little else will change in the Sunday city paper. The tabloid format will be retained and the editorial section will continue to be colorless. Only the logo has changed slightly: instead of reading from bottom to top, it now reads from top to bottom. And it is only half visible. In terms of content, Blumer's paper remains "a reflective weekly newspaper", which is likely to increase slightly in size (to 48 pages), but remains true to itself and its left-liberal course. Commentary and cartoons will continue to lead the front page, with a weekly focus, arguments, opinions and an agenda. A new feature is a reflective column written alternately by a priest, a rabbi or a Muslim woman. True to the intention of the publisher and the five-strong editorial team, the primary aim is to encourage discussion and build bridges - even across party lines.
The fact that the Stadtblatt exists is a minor miracle, as it has to coexist with the daily Landbote and the weekly newspapers Stadtanzeiger Winterthur (majority owned by Ziegler Druck) and Winterthurer Zeitung (Zehnder). But Blumer does not regard them as competitors. "Because we are not interested in current affairs and news, nor in people and lifestyle," he says.
The city paper emerged from the Winterthur AZ, which was published three times a week. In 1997, Blumer took over from the SP and turned the title into a weekly newspaper. Blumer holds 60 percent of the shares, with two other people each holding 20 percent.
Markus Knöpfli

Pedro Simko is CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi Simko in Geneva. With 92 employees, the second-largest agency in Switzerland will also open a branch in Zurich at the beginning of 2008. Kaspar Loeb will then become the new CEO for both locations. Pedro Simko will remain Chairman of the Board and take on important tasks in the international network. He will become Chief Marketing Officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa and thus a member of Saatchi & Saatchi's four-person European Management Team. For Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide, Simko embodies the ideal combination of a "creative advertiser and a visionary entrepreneur who is very success-oriented." Simko sits on Saatchi & Saatchi's Worldwide Executive Board in New York and has influence over the network's global development. Marketing specialist Pedro Simko entered the advertising industry in 1991 and founded Simko Advertising Agency in Geneva during the recession. He is half Argentine and half Austrian, completed his MBA at Harvard, worked at Procter & Gamble and was marketing director at Jacobs. The boom of his own agency begins in 2002, when Simko wins Cardinal, Carlsberg and Rolex. In 2004, Simko merges with Saatchi & Saatchi and wins the worldwide advertising for Voltaren or Nestlé's Cereals Business, in 2007 also the worldwide launch of Carlsberg light. Well-known Swiss clients are Orange, Seat or Happy Bett.

 The Zurich marketing and communications agency CFG has been commissioned to market the cultural newspaper Kult.um in terms of advertising. Kult.um is produced by the agency Punkt.um and is aimed at people interested in culture. The 16-page newspaper has been published in the Schaffhausen and Winterthur area for around one and a half years. It is now available throughout Switzerland: Kult.um is published ten times a year with a print run of 110,000 copies in the free newspaper Cash daily and can be obtained from newsstands and bulk stations. In addition, 30,000 copies will be available at the most important cultural venues. This brings the total circulation to around 140,000 copies. It will be distributed throughout Switzerland with a focus on urban centers in German-speaking Switzerland and the Zurich economic area.

 
The Swiss Training Center for Marketing, Advertising and Communication SAWI is now offering a training course to become a media planner. The practice-oriented course starts in March 2008 at the SAWI training centers in Biel and Zurich. It is a basic module in various respects. It contains the MarKom basic modules and is one of three modules of the "Communication Planner" course. This can be completed within three years by taking the Communication Planning and Production/Realization modules in order to be optimally prepared for the federal examinations.

 Euro 08 is approaching, and Zurich is steadily preparing for it. The organizers were able to win over prominent Zurich residents for spots to promote the claim "We live Zurich" developed by AY&R. Among them are the German ex-footballer and TV commentator Günter Netzer, Nobel Prize winner Rolf Zinkernagel, DJ Tatana or ex-Miss Switzerland and actress Melanie Winiger. According to the Zurich project management, these ambassador clips will be used in a very targeted manner. On the website Euro.zuerich.com, other celebrities such as Carl Hirschmann, Andi Stutz or Stefi Talman speak out in testimonials for the Limmat city. As advertising for the so-called Host City Zurich, a charm offensive is also launched abroad. Since the top teams Italy, France and Romania play in Zurich as well as in Bern, the Zurich and Bern city presidents are teaming up on the promotional tour. They will be going to Rome, Paris and Bucharest together next year to promote their cities.
Zurich is planning a fan mile and public broadcasts of the soccer matches. A call for tenders was running for the fan mile, for which around 180 different projects were received. In January, one of them will be selected, Zurich Euro delegate Daniel Rupf said Tuesday, according to SDA. For the public broadcasts, called public viewing, and the fan mile, he expects costs of 9 million francs.

 Uwe E. Wirth has been the new Managing Director of the Laufenburg publishing house Binkert Medien since the beginning of November. He takes over from Karl-Heinz Müller, who had renewed the publishing house in terms of personnel and led it through difficult economic times, according to a press release. Since 2003, the new Managing Director Wirth has worked as an independent publishing consultant for media companies such as Verlag für die Deutsche Wirtschaft and Verlag Moderne Industrie. At the latter, a subsidiary of Süddeutsche Zeitung, he previously worked in the publishing management of trade journals. Prior to that, he was Publishing Director at Redmond's Technology Publishing in Würzburg. Elvira Christen, Head of Marketing, will remain a member of the Binkert Medien management team. The publishing house publishes the magazines Polyscope, Lebensmittel-Technologie and Sysdata, among others.

 
Over the weekend, there was one main topic on the Internet in Germany: the hacker attack on the online portal of tabloid newspaper Bild. It has now emerged that this was actually just a marketing stunt to draw attention to the imminent relaunch of the site in mid-December. The flickering and slightly graphically disfigured website read: "We will be shutting down this website in a few days!" and "Hacked by Cyberduckz". The message from the "Duckz" was a hoax. Bild has yet to comment on the fictitious hack. "From a marketing perspective, I don't think this kind of action is necessarily effective," said Harald Schrefl, owner of the online marketing agency Webperfect, to Pressetext. It might work in the short term, but such gimmicks wear off very quickly. And: "If users think that a website has been hacked, this doesn't really have a positive effect on the image of the website operator." Most people probably won't take it that seriously. But it remains to be seen whether the gag strategy works or not.

 
The Zurich-based Internet and communications agency Update has realized the websites of the Swiss Press Association and the media institute affiliated with the association. The agency is responsible for the overall concept, design and technical implementation. The aim of the overhaul was to present the pages to users in a clearer and tidier way in terms of content in a light, contemporary design, according to a press release. The new features include an expanded search function and a newsletter function that enables active communication with members and interested parties. The widely used open source CMS Typo 3 was used, which allows those responsible to manage the site independently.