From next Wednesday, the daily newspaper Der Landbote will focus even more on events in the city and region of Winterthur. Both sections will be given their own section. The rest of the newspaper will remain unchanged. This was reported by the SDA on Wednesday. Until now, local and regional topics have been dealt with in the same bundle. The reorganization and expansion is the answer to the new free newspapers, according to the Winterthur newspaper house. The Landbote is and will remain the newspaper for the home.
Editor-in-chief Colette Gradwohl will take over the management of the "Stadt" association. The regional section will be managed by deputy editor-in-chief Markus Binder.

 
The Thurgau parliament has clearly rejected an EPP motion calling for cantonal legislation to protect children and young people from pornography. Adoption of the motion could also have affected the advertising industry. Although the Grand Council acknowledged the problem, it considered further legal regulations to be ineffective, as reported by the SDA. Although pornographic content and content glorifying violence are a reality, only education at home and at school can make a difference against the new technologies, which are difficult to control.EVP cantonal councillor Wolfgang Ackerknecht had requested in his motion that the cantonal health law and the school laws be supplemented with provisions on the protection of minors against pornography. He justified his motion by arguing that the porn and advertising industry, the media and the internet were deliberately supporting the trend towards a "sexualization of society". This was leading to the loss of fundamental values in society.

Sticker album Publisuisse invites you to a swap meet in Zurich. 
Anyone who collects Publisuissini stickers will have a problem at some point. At some point, you are on an eternal search for a picture that is either never in a packet or that your agency colleague has already stuck in his album. Television marketer Publisuisse is organizing a swap event for missing or duplicate heads on 2 November. The meeting will take place in Zurich.  
The reason for the campaign is the great success of Publisuissini stickers with advertisers. As Publisuisse advertising manager David Elsasser says, new albums are being ordered all the time. The collecting fever has even spread from the agency scene to customers. Since the launch of the Panini-like stickers, almost 700 users have registered on the official online exchange platform to maintain their albums.
 
The campaign has now also become a self-runner. This can be seen in the Werbewoche advertisements from previous issues. The advertising agency Publicis, for example, placed an advertisement for a new Chief Creative Officer. The subject showed a Publisuissini album with Markus Gut's portrait scratched out. Below it was the invitation to apply: "Who will be our next playmaker?"
 
The Ibl agency also takes advantage of the sticker hour and asks customers: "Why wait until the stars have gathered and formed the sticker album?" David Elsasser: "What could be better for us than for others to advertise with our campaign?"
 
Publisuisse hopes that the swap event will provide a further boost to collections. Participation is worthwhile in every respect. In addition to stickers, prizes can be won. What's more, catering will also be provided.
 
Christian Lüscher
 
 
Game variants  
If the demand for stickers exceeds the supply, bartering or competition is required:
 
"Schäri - Schtei - Papier" for the psychologists among the advertisers,
also known as "Schnick, Schnack, Schnuck". The symbol duel is a puzzle game that is popular all over the world. It is very simple: the two opponents choose one of three symbols. As each symbol can win or lose against one of the others, the outcome of the game is uncertain. The sticker belongs to the player who beats their opponent by choosing the right symbol. The players' psychological characteristics are in demand. No one chooses purely by chance. The correct assessment of behavior leads to success.  
"Klatschen" or "Blöösle" for schoolyard nostalgics
Anyone who grew up with Panini pictures on Swiss school playgrounds will be familiar with "Blöösle" or "Klatschen". The game is child's play. Both opponents place their stickers upside down on the table or on a wall. In turn, each player blows or claps over the pictures. Whoever uncovers one gets to keep it.

Private radio The new owner of Basilisk, Martin Wagner, is very well connected. Martin Ernst Wagner, Basel lawyer and new owner of Radio Basilisk, is - as he announced a month ago - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Roger Köppel's Weltwoche Verlags AG, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Filippo Leutenegger's publishing house Neue Ideen.ch, a member of the Board of Directors of Jean Frey AG (now Axel Springer Switzerland), which belongs to Axel Springer, and Vice Chairman of the two companies Highlight Communications AG and Bernhard Burgener's Rainbow Home Entertainment.  
What Wagner did not say at the time, however, was that he was also closely associated with Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM) until the end of September. He worked for BZM as a legal advisor and supported the media company in the sale of its subsidiary Jean Frey AG. In the past, Wagner also sat on the Board of Directors of various BZM subsidiaries, including Birkhäuser + GBC, Birkhäuser + GBC Spezialprodukte, Verlag Multipress AG, Adic Insurance Services AG and the telemarketing company bc best connect ag.
 
When it was clear that Wagner would take over the Basel-based broadcaster Basilisk from Tamedia, he gave up all board mandates at BZM companies: The commercial register shows his board resignations as of September 26 and 27, 2007, which shows that Wagner had already arranged them prior to the announcement of his Basilisk deal.
 
BZM Board Chairman Matthias Hagemann confirms the separation from Wagner due to the Basilisk purchase. "Mr. Wagner gave up these mandates of his own accord because he was of the opinion that they were not compatible with his new position as an independent radio entrepreneur in Basel," says the BaZ publisher. However, Wagner will continue to hold the temporary mandate as BZM legal advisor.
 
Because Hagemann had also expressed an interest in the Basilisk channel six months ago, the Basel news portal Onlinereports asked last week whether Wagner was now acting as its front man because of his connections to BZM. Both Wagner and Hagemann denied this theory. And Onlinereports also comes to the conclusion that although there is a close relationship between Wagner and BZM, the straw man theory can hardly be proven. Onlinereports also acknowledges that Wagner could hardly be used in this way.
 
Markus Knöpfli

Television editor Patrick Teuscher of the business magazine «Cash TV» has been awarded the 2007 Pfizer Journalism Prize, which was held under the theme «Beauty Through Medicine.» Teuscher is receiving the award, which comes with a prize of 15,000 francs, for his report ’Forever Young—The Anti-Aging Business.« The SDA announced this on Wednesday. 
The documentary follows a young woman before, during, and after breast augmentation surgery, as well as a manager recovering from burnout. According to the jury, the documentary stands out for its engaging, informative, and scientifically accurate treatment of the subject, which is nonetheless accessible to the general public.

Digital cameras Jung von Matt/Limmat puts Panasonic camcorders in the spotlight. 
Panasonic comes up with new products. As usual, they are advertised by Jung von Matt/Limmat. First up is the Lumix FX55. This little all-rounder has scene recognition and takes care of all the settings for a perfect photo itself. Jung von Matt/Limmat has implemented this with the Rubik motif: an unsolved Rubik's cube in front of the lens of the Lumix appears already solved on its LC display.  
The new Full HD TV camcorder (HDC-SD5EG-K) comes with a feature that was previously only available in the professional sector: the pre-record function starts recording three seconds before the shutter button is pressed. So gone are the days when you only pressed the record button when the most exciting part was over. Or as lyricist Livio Dainese in the team of Alexander Jaggy and Lukas Frei sums it up in a suitably garbled headline: "Never miss the beginning again." The artwork was designed by Fernando Perez with Yves Gerteis and Christina Baeriswyl.
 
Andreas Panzeri

 
The new owner of Basel’s local radio station Basilisk, Martin Wagner, will not participate in the joint advertising venture of Basilisk, Basel 1, and Regenbogen. Basilisk’s 50 percent stake will therefore go to the Basler Zeitung, which owns Radio Basel 1. According to SDA, Basler Zeitung Medien and Wagner confirmed on Wednesday that the Basler Zeitung is exercising a right of first refusal provided for in the shareholders’ agreement. The Basler Zeitung already holds a 33 percent stake in the marketing firm Radio Vision, while Radio Regenbogen holds 17 percent. By acquiring Basilisk’s stake, the Basler Zeitung aims to ensure the continued operation of the advertising company. Wagner had purchased Basilisk from Zurich-based Tamedia in September. At that time, it was announced that the Basel-based attorney and media entrepreneur would also acquire Tamedia’s stake in the joint advertising firm with Basel 1 and Regenbogen, which broadcasts in southern Germany. However, Wagner said he had no interest in doing so. This way, there would be no capital ties, and he would not take a seat on the board of directors. Instead, with a simple marketing agreement, he could exit the venture whenever he wished. Because of the refinancing of the Basilisk acquisition, the revenue was important to him, and without a stake in Radio Vision, the financial burden would be lighter.

 
Following Dominic Geisseler’s departure, management at Tele, TV Star, TV2, TV vier, and the Swiss edition of TV Digital will be reorganized. The publications will come under the overall editorial leadership of 39-year-old Editor-in-Chief Gion Stecher. Urs Padel, 55, will become Editor-in-Chief of Tele and, at the same time, Stecher’s deputy. Roger Kuster, 32, will assume the role of second deputy editor-in-chief. The five publications are part of Axel Springer Switzerland’s TV magazine division. As before, they will remain independent in terms of their positioning, content, and design, according to Wednesday’s press release.All three members of the editorial board are already part of the editorial teams for Axel Springer Switzerland’s TV magazines: Gion Stecher was previously editor-in-chief of TV Star, with Roger Kuster serving as his deputy in that role. Urs Padel served as deputy editor-in-chief of Tele, TV2, and TV vier. Axel Springer Switzerland acquired these three titles from Ringier in July 2007. The former editor-in-chief of Tele, TV2, and TV vier, Dominic Geisseler, is leaving the company at his own request and returning to Ringier (See:
)Caption (from top to bottom): Gion Stecher, Urs Padel, and Roger Kuster.

TV Vaud-Fribourg TV is set to become Switzerland’s second-largest private television station. The future regional television station for the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg is taking shape. A project group is bidding for what is, in terms of area and population, the most significant license in French-speaking Switzerland. The group includes the publishing houses Edipresse and Saint-Paul—the publisher of the Fribourg newspaper *La Liberté*—as well as a number of municipalities in Vaud.Just a few weeks ago, interested circles were saying that OFCOM’s proposal for a joint TV broadcast area covering the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg was absurd. Neither in the canton of Vaud nor in the French-speaking part of the canton of Fribourg could anyone imagine creating a television station for two such different regions. And so the criticism went: the connection to local communities would fall by the wayside, the cross-cantonal broadcast area would make it harder to attract advertisers, the interests and independence of the Fribourg region would be sacrificed, and the influence of the major publisher Edipresse—which even owns the advertising agency and thus the «nerf de la guerre»—would be too strong.
Bakom turned a deaf ear to the criticism and confirmed the Vaud-Fribourg broadcast area, which ranks second only to the Zurich broadcast area in terms of size and population density: 40 percent of the population of French-speaking Switzerland are potential viewers of Vaud-Fribourg TV. With 3.2 million Swiss francs—that is, the lion’s share of the license fee fund—the Federal Office intends to take into account the size of the broadcast area and the challenges posed by the fact that there is currently no local broadcaster operating in the canton of Fribourg and that the infrastructure must be built from scratch.
The “manna” from Bern helped melt away resistance, as did the work of a pilot group that refined the project’s content in such a way that fears of losing local content and regional independence have diminished. Accordingly, the television service will be led by an editor-in-chief in Lausanne and one deputy editor-in-chief each in Lausanne and Fribourg. Regional television teams will be based in Lausanne, Yverdon, Vevey, and Fribourg. For the French-speaking part of the canton of Fribourg, a special 15-minute news segment is planned, to be produced by the Fribourg editorial team at the local School of Applied Arts (Emaf).
Is that enough to guarantee equality between the partners? «Yes and no,» says Alfred Noth. As the publisher of La Liberté—one of the last independent regional newspapers—he thought long and hard about whether to join forces with competitor Edipresse on a joint project. Noth still sees a few contentious issues that need to be «nailed down»: He mentions representation on the operational management team and the right to review matters concerning Fribourg. These points will be on the agenda for the next meetings in November. «At the moment, the finances and structures have been clarified; everything else is still to come,» says Noth. However, he is confident that the project is on the right track.
Television as a Model: Vaud-Fribourg TV Could Indeed Become an Interesting Model. This is because the local station TVRL (Télévision de la Région Lausannoise)—which, as the largest existing local television station in Vaud, is at the heart of the project—is not owned by a regional broadcaster, but rather by the city of Lausanne and a number of other municipalities in Vaud. And according to Mayor Daniel Brélaz, the City of Lausanne intends to fulfill its «historical responsibility» as the founder of TVRL: The city executive has decided to contribute 1.2 million Swiss francs and acquire a 21.08 percent stake in the share capital of Vaud-Fribourg TV (see box). It hopes to be able to acquire additional shares worth up to 600,000 francs should other partners withdraw. Unlike the City of Geneva’s stake in the Geneva-based broadcaster Léman bleu, however, the City of Lausanne’s strong financial commitment does not pose a problem: In Geneva, the Federal Office of Communications (BAKOM) had rejected a majority stake by the city in Léman bleu’s share capital. In contrast, in Lausanne, the public sector holds a majority stake only in one of the project’s partners, namely TVRL.
Through its efforts, the city of Lausanne aims to ensure that local news programs do not fall by the wayside and that the criteria of objectivity and public service are met. «We want to guarantee continuity and prevent the content from becoming trivialized,» said Brélaz. The OFCOM mandate is apparently not enough for the «Green Giant of Lausanne» to guarantee that the station’s substance won’t be eroded. «We don’t want a station that airs music videos all day long and a pale imitation of TSR News in the evening,» says Daniel Brélaz.
 
Hélén Brügger
Seven Partners at the Future Vaud-Fribourg TV Station
(6.4 million Swiss francs in share capital) currently has seven partners, who provisionally divide the share capital among themselves as follows:– TVRL: 30.3 percent
– Edipresse Publishing: 30.3 percent
– the Fribourg-based publisher Saint-Paul and the local radio station Radio Fribourg: 15.6 percent
– the local station Ici TV in Vevey: 10.9 percent
– the local station Canal Nord Vaudois in Yverdon: 10.9 percent
– the local station Val TV in the Vallée de Joux: 1.9 percent
The local station Max TV in Morges has decided to invest in the project; the amount of the investment has yet to be determined. A local station in the Nyon area has withdrawn from the project. (hb)

Publisher: Before transitioning to independent management, Basler Zeitung Medien reported record financial results but a decline in advertising volume. How does that add up? 
When Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM) presented its financial results for the 2006/07 fiscal year at the end of September, the company referred to them as the «best results in over ten years.» In fact, revenue figures rose for most of its subsidiaries. The parent company, which includes the Basler Zeitung and newspaper printing operations, also saw its revenue increase by 3.5 million to 137.6 million Swiss francs. And at 8.1 million Swiss francs, consolidated net income not only nearly doubled compared to the previous year but also reached a record high.However, the BZM annual report does contain one fly in the ointment: The free newspaper Baslerstab reported a significant decline in revenue for the second time; it is now 4.2 million francs lower than in 2004/05. A look at the VSW advertising statistics shows: Despite the strong economy, the *Baslerstab* has not recovered even in the first eight months of this year. Its advertising volume fell by a good 15 percent compared to the same period in 2006. The losses are particularly high in the job and real estate classifieds.
What makes this even more puzzling: According to VSW statistics, the BaZ has also seen a sharp decline in advertising volume—specifically since last fall, when it launched a large-circulation Friday edition in the Basel region. In the first half of 2007 alone, the BaZ reported 395 fewer advertising pages (–19.6%) than in the first half of the previous year. Among the major daily newspapers sold, it thus has the worst advertising performance; most other titles are benefiting from the current advertising boom. Even in job listings, the VSW statistics show a decline for the BaZ (–6.6%). The real estate supplement, which has been in circulation for only one year, also appears to hold little promise: the decline in these classified ads amounts to 11.3 percent.
Two months before BZM’s transition to independent operation, the BZM publications thus appear to be a major work in progress. Above all, however, the decline in BaZ’s volume does not align with the published record results. After all, how can the parent company increase its revenue with such losses in the BaZ advertising business? Certainly not through low-margin newspaper printing.
Revenue Up in Francs This contradiction did not escape the notice of BaZ publisher Matthias Hagemann either. He clarifies: «The BaZ’s revenue has increased in francs. The 2.6 percent increase in revenue at the parent company is almost entirely attributable to it, while we were only able to keep revenue from newspaper printing stable despite additional orders.» But how does the publisher explain the significant discrepancy with the VSW statistics? «Through our own activities in the advertising sector,» says Hagemann. For example, since its launch a year ago, the BaZ’s mass-circulation edition has been marketed not by Publicitas, but by the young BaZ subsidiary BZM Werbe AG—on its own. «The VSW statistics only include the ad pages acquired by Publicitas; those from BZM Werbe AG are not included,» says Hagemann. This statement is confirmed by Jürg Räber, head of P Basel. He also points out that many ads acquired for the BaZ by Key Media, a second BZM subsidiary (see box), are missing from the VSW statistics.
Either way: P-revenue at the BaZ is declining, while the BZM subsidiaries are apparently more than making up for the shortfall. Hagemann agrees. But on one point, the BaZ publisher has to pass: He cannot specify the exact number of pages in the BaZ. And he does not want to disclose the revenues of BZM Werbe AG and Key Media. But one thing is clear: «The BaZ is in a better position than it was a year ago. And in terms of mass circulation, we’re seeing positive results.» Expectations were exceeded, the product has been very well received in the advertising market, and the higher costs were more than offset in the very first year. The same applies to the real estate supplement. «We started marketing it ourselves because P, which handles the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung—part of the Mittelland-Zeitung—in the Basel region, found itself in a conflict of interest,» says Hagemann.
The situation is somewhat different for the Baslerstab: «It has indeed suffered a sharp drop in advertising revenue,» says Hagemann. «After switching to a full-service contract with P a year and a half ago, P was unable to handle the volume of small clients. That’s why we took matters into our own hands there as well.» Jürg Räber from P Basel partially confirms this. «It’s true that we faced challenges with the classifieds during the transition phase between March and June 2006. We then worked with the publisher to identify optimization options.» Later, however, the Baslerstab faced increasing competition from BZM’s own products. «The BaZ’s large-circulation edition, the real estate supplement, and the expanded job listings section made life difficult for it, as did the BaZ editorial team’s increasingly regional focus,» Räber explains.
Preparations in Full Swing: In any case, preparations for the transition to in-house management are currently in full swing at BZM. Full-page ads in the BZM publications are already announcing the change in management. Roland Steffen, Head of Publishing, is confident. «We’re on schedule; 35 of the roughly 40 employees are already on board,» he says. Steffen deliberately hired several people who had previously worked at independently managed publishing houses, such as Key Account Manager Michael Seiler and Head of Administration Andi Lüthi (both formerly of the Berner Zeitung). The key account team also includes Steffen himself, Harry Zaugg, and Erika Sprecher.
Steffen sees the biggest challenge in the back-office area, as structures, processes, and IT systems must be established—something BaZ has not had to deal with for 30 years. According to Steffen, the goal is to offer customers a professional and cost-effective service. «This means we’re doing away with P’s markup policy: We won’t charge any additional fees for target audience analysis or the use of specific studies.» These would only make advertising more expensive. Instead, Steffen is adopting a different strategy: Starting in 2008, he will offer a direct booking discount to customers who book directly rather than through P.
Let’s return once more to the VSW figures: The BaZ’s figures should be taken with a grain of salt this year—but also in 2008. Even if BZM Werbe AG takes the helm on January 1 and then, hopefully, reports the page volume correctly, the year-over-year comparison will still be flawed. This is an advantage for BZM Werbe AG, as it will be able to report rising volumes for the BaZ—even if advertising revenue is declining. The transition to independent management will therefore either actually be successful or, at the very least, appear to be successful.
Markus Knöpfli
What does Key Media do? 13.5 million Swiss francs in revenue
was generated by the BZM subsidiary Key Media in the 2005/06 fiscal year. However, the 2006/07 annual report does not include any comparative figures. The revenue of the young company, which primarily brokers ads for non-BZM print titles and also manages client budgets, is part of the parent company’s revenue, explains publisher Matthias Hagemann. As with BZM Werbe AG, Key Media’s revenue will no longer be reported separately in the future. Hagemann reveals only this much: Key Media has increased its revenue. And further significant growth is on the horizon for the current fiscal year. (mk) TZ’s Experience with In-House Operations What lies ahead for BZM,
The Thurgauer Zeitung (TZ) has been doing this for nearly ten months: After many years under a partial lease agreement, the Tamedia subsidiary took over the entire advertising business itself as of 2007. At the same time, it forged closer ties with the Landbote: The previously loose “Kombi 1A” partnership evolved into the Zeitungsverbund Nordostschweiz (NOS) with a shared editorial staff. According to VSW statistics—which in this case match the publisher’s figures—both steps have paid off: The TZ’s advertising volume, which was already up last year, rose another 20 percent in the first eight months of 2007. The increase in revenue
In Franconia, however, the figure is likely to be lower, as TZ and NOS had reduced their rates. In addition, for most job ads—which increased by 55 percent—advertisers now pay «only» the combined rate, because the new NOS job listing always appears in both newspapers. The same applies to classified ads
in the numerous thematic supplements. TZ Publishing Director Urs Bucher confirms: «The proportion of combined ads is higher today than it was back in the days of Kombi 1A.» But he is very satisfied. «We’ve met our budget pretty much exactly,» he says. Now, for the TZ
The next challenge is already on the horizon: Starting in 2008, she will also take over management of Partner Landbote, which was previously owned by P. Currently, the TZ advertising department, led by Jürg Gallo, is in the process of setting up a nine-person branch in Winterthur to handle local sales. (mk)

Gemi
According to the Goldbach Electronic Media Index (Gemi), electronic media are driving up advertising intensity with a gain of 6 index points, clearly outpacing the overall media index by 2 points. TV continues its upward trend with another record increase of 7 index points to 400 (393). Radio posted a gain of 1 index point to 258, and teletext also benefited during the election season with a rise of 6 index points to 138 (132). Overall, the electronic media kicked off the fall with strong growth of 6 index points to 387 (381). The market for all media tracked by Media Focus rose by one index point to 188 (187).Media Focus has fully processed and released the Internet data but notes that further verification is necessary. Additionally, the negative Internet index contradicts the figures from the 2007 mid-year financial report of Adlink, the leading Internet marketing company.

Games: Video games are becoming a major medium for guidance and advertising. This was revealed at the Gamehotel conference. 
Gaming is no longer a niche phenomenon. Computer and video games generate a lot of revenue worldwide. In the U.S., they already generate more revenue than movies. Swiss people also regularly immerse themselves in virtual worlds. One in five people in this country spends time playing console or PC games, according to a study by Publica Data. 
If it’s clear that more and more people are playing video games, what does that mean for the advertising industry? After all, people who play more games watch less TV or read fewer newspapers. So: What can games achieve as a marketing and advertising medium? What opportunities do they open up for brand communication?
 
The speakers at the Gamehotel conference last Friday sought to answer these and similar questions. Gamehotel is an international series of events. The topic of advertising in games is no coincidence. «Video games have cultural, economic, and social significance,» says Bruno Beusch. The Bern native, who lives in Paris, is the founder and organizer of Gamehotel. Following events in Paris and California, this year’s conference took place in Zurich for the second time. Video games exist at the intersection of technology and creativity. «Zurich is a high-tech hub and is at the forefront when it comes to culture and lifestyle,» says Beusch, explaining his choice of location.
 
Computer and video games are a territory that has so far seen little advertising, even though games are significant to the advertising industry in many ways. For one thing, because of their demographic reach: gaming is now a national pastime. People play everywhere—across all age groups, income levels, and educational backgrounds. On the other hand, gaming is associated with a wide range of emotions. Joy when you beat your partner in a car race. Pride when you’ve solved a puzzle. Frustration when your character fails to clear a level. Exuberance when singing karaoke with friends. The emotional component is—at least in theory—the perfect foundation for placing brand messages within computer game worlds.
 
Controversial Banner Ads As simple as it sounds, the subject matter addressed by the emerging advertising discipline of «in-game advertising» is highly complex. As was discussed at the conference, game developers aim to open up games as a marketing and advertising medium. However, implementation is difficult, because the mechanisms of mass media cannot simply be transferred to virtual worlds. «Games follow their own rules,» says Bruno Beusch.
 
Virtually all experts advise against simply plastering virtual game worlds with banners. Achim Jenner of the advertising agency Jung von Matt/Limmat, in particular, is critical of banner advertising. The advertising professional sees weaknesses in this form of advertising because certain types of players—due to their playing style and behavior—simply don’t notice the ads. «We need new approaches. We mustn’t overload games with banner formats, as was done in the early days of the Internet,» says Jenner.
 
The managing director of Jung von Matt/Limmat’s Digital Media Unit warned the audience of further «bubble bursts.» He noted that companies are willing to invest in computer game worlds. In the case of Second Life, however, more and more brands are pulling out, according to Jenner. The reason, he said, was the media hype and the disillusionment of many users. Added to this is the fact that virtual worlds represent a legal gray area. «If everyone is allowed to do as they please, it can’t end well for advertising,» says Achim Jenner. The range of legal violations in Second Life extends from drug and arms trafficking to child pornography.
 
The speakers at the conference were largely divided on what form advertising in video games will take in the future. Given the complexity of the topic, the question of advertising in video games could—to put it dramatically—turn out to be a matter of life and death. In no other medium are users as sensitive as they are in video games, says Bruno Beusch.
 
According to some of the speakers, traditional advertising formats are causing long-term damage to the medium. That is why hopes are pinned on new game formats. Gamehotel organizer Bruno Beusch is convinced that familiar game worlds are being replaced by increasingly complex structures. The trend is toward more competition among players and «user-generated gaming.» This means that, in the future, users will create their own gaming environments.
 
Relevant Advertising Target Audience – Jung von Matt and the Typology of Gamers  
For a large portion of the population, immersing themselves in virtual worlds has become part of everyday life. The average age of the majority of casual gamers is over 40. This is according to a study by Jung von Matt, video game publisher Electronic Arts, and the trade magazine GEE. The study resulted in a typology of gamers:
 
Recreational player
More than half of all gamers can be categorized as casual gamers. With an average age of 44, they are also the oldest group of video game players. Casual gamers are predominantly employed and play only occasionally. They are considered open-minded and receptive to in-game advertising. They play to relax or pass the time when other leisure activities, work, or family commitments allow. Popular games: sports and racing games.
 
Regular players
This type of gamer is around 30 years old. Ever since he played on the C64 and Atari 2600 as a child, he has remained a loyal gamer. Today, he plays less than he used to, since he doesn’t have as much time left after work and family. He has a positive attitude toward advertising. Video games have a firm place in the life of the casual gamer—for example, during game nights with friends. Favorite genres: retro games, action, and strategy.
 
Intensive care patient
Heavy gamers are also commonly referred to as «gamers.» They make up the youngest group among gamers—80 percent are under 30—and spend the most time in front of the screen. School, college, vocational training, and the absence of family obligations leave them with plenty of time to play. Favorite genres: all. Because of their heavy gaming habits, they aren’t receptive to in-game advertising.
 
Fantasy Player
He is a family man. 75 percent of role-players live in households with three or more people, where the net household income is in the low to middle range. Video games offer him the opportunity for self-fulfillment that he lacks in real life due to sociocultural constraints. At 6 percent, role-players are a minority among gamers. Popular genres: role-playing games, adventure games. Due to their behavior in games, this type of player either does not notice advertising or finds it disruptive. They are too preoccupied with creating their own world.
 
Puzzle Games
In terms of demographics, consumption, and leisure behavior, this group aligns with casual gamers. However, their motivation for playing is quite different: they aren’t looking for relaxation or distraction; they want to strategize, solve puzzles, and be challenged. Furthermore, at 38 years old, their average age is significantly lower. Popular genres: strategy, simulation, and skill-based games. For the strategic gamer, advertising messages are distracting because they are too engrossed in the game’s content.
 
Christian Lüscher
 
 
Gamehotel  
Gamehotel was founded in 2003 by Bruno Beusch
It was founded in Paris and, one year later, was included as a European organizer in the program of the world’s largest game developers’ trade show, the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. In 2006, Gamehotel made its first stop in Zurich. Gamehotel produces TV and radio shows, conferences, and studies on the significance and influence of video games. In March 2007, the Gamehotel Think Tank was launched. Together with partners from the business and media sectors, the think tank analyzes key trends in interactive entertainment. Due to the high level of interest from visitors, the event in Zurich will be expanded even further next year. (cl)