Election advertising They give so much to talk about that people are getting fed up with them. But you still can't keep quiet about it. René Egger in Winterthur thought so too. The advertiser has therefore taken the infamous SVP poster as an opportunity for an "admittedly modest, but nonetheless personal election campaign contribution against Blocher's distorted SVP propaganda". he poster is being used in Winterthur as part of a project that aims to gather as many black sheep as possible in the "Kunsttreppe" gallery. It remains to be seen whether the artistic solidarity mass rally will have any effect. As we have heard commanders say in the face of a lack of success: too little, too late... (pan)

Criticism of Radio DRS's plans to ban folk music from the normally receivable program seems to have borne fruit: At least until the end of 2008, folk music programs will be broadcast on both Musikwelle and DRS 1. Program director Christoph Gebel informed the representatives of the folk music associations of this on Tuesday, DRS spokeswoman Ursula Kottmann confirmed to SDA in a report by the Berner Zeitung. The Swiss Folk Music Association welcomes the extended deadline, but maintains its fundamental criticism. The collection of signatures for the petition "Folk music for all", which demands an FM frequency for folk music, is continuing, as association president Jakob Freud told SDA on request.

Sunday Press: In an interview, Editor-in-Chief Marc Walder discusses the most important changes in the SonntagsBlick relaunch.  
WW: What are the most important changes to SonntagsBlick in terms of layout and section structure? Marc Walder: The layout is completely new: new fonts, new page layout, new color palette. As for the section structure, we’ve emphasized it even more in the first section: Current Events, Politics, Business, Celebrities.
Will the relaunch affect the composition of your editorial staff? Every editor-in-chief likes to put together their own team, and I’m no exception. I like to surround myself with people who are not only top-notch professionals but also excel at working as part of a team. That’s why the various departments have undergone significant changes over the past five months. We’ve filled several new positions in every department; in the federal news desk alone, there are about twelve new employees. This process is now complete. On top of that, there have been changes in the sports department. There, too, I’ve filled several key positions: sports editor, layout editor, soccer editor, and hockey editor, to name just a few.
Daniel Pillard, head of Ringier Switzerland, says *Blick* needs to become «more magazine-like.» Does that also apply to the redesigned *SonntagsBlick*? Yes. Overall, *SonntagsBlick* is following the international trend toward a magazine-style format. At a time when daily newspapers are becoming more magazine-like, a Sunday newspaper must do so all the more. SonntagsBlick has led the way. First, I redesigned the former Sie+Er; now we’re adapting the first section and the sports section to my vision. As part of the “Blick 2010” project led by Bernhard Weissberg, Blick is following the overall strategy of the Blick Group. Its key points, summarized briefly—and therefore incompletely—are: magazine-style formatting, urbanization, and feminization.
According to WEMF, the SoBli has lost nearly 7,000 copies in circulation and seen a slight decline in reach. What is the reason for this, and how can the paper regain ground? The SonntagsBlick is in a truly excellent position. With a reach of one million, it has remained consistent for years. Sales figures for the past few months have been very positive. The fact that we’re offering our own Sunday magazine as a supplement to the current Bund and the Sport-Bund is well-received by both readers and the commercial market. The new magazine has been a hit!
According to a report in the latest issue of *Bilanz*, the *Blick* brand has driven away large companies and lost advertising revenue due to campaigns targeting UBS CEO Marcel Ospel and Jürg Maurer, chief investment officer of the Rieter pension fund. How much damage has been done? The article in question in *Bilanz* is completely without merit. Let me tell you: there’s simply no truth to it. Or do you see any client who doesn’t advertise in *Blick* and *SonntagsBlick*?
Will the SonntagsBlick’s editorial stance remain the same, or how would you define it? As the country’s largest newspaper, our goal is to be a leader in all areas—including politics, business, news, entertainment, and, of course, sports. To that end, we offer an engaging magazine that devotes plenty of space to the joy of life, as well as in-depth interviews, photo essays, feature stories, special reports, and profiles. That sounds ambitious, I know—the bar is set high, and naturally, we don’t always succeed. But we’re well on our way.
Do you see new players entering the Sunday market as a cause for concern? Competition should always be taken seriously. As a former athlete, I take it all the more seriously.
Do the established Sunday newspapers need to take countermeasures—for example, regionalization, as the NZZ am Sonntag has in mind? I think a Sunday newspaper must have a linguistic-regional character—that is, it should cover all of German-speaking Switzerland—if it is to be successful.
Why should you read the SoBli? Big question. Short answer: Because the SonntagsBlick provides intelligent, high-quality, and honest coverage of what’s going on in this country—and why and how it’s happening. And because it’s actually fun to read.
Is there any overlap at the editorial level between *Blick* and *SonntagsBlick*? The sports editorial team provides services for both publications. Other than that, there is no overlap—except that Bernhard Weissberg and I plan to communicate very closely with each other.
What do you do better than your predecessor, Christoph Grenacher? I can't answer that question.
Email Interview: René Worni
 
More on the subject:
Brave Boulevard

 
Study I Gruner + Jahr's latest Brand Profiles study divides the German population into six types. 
The digital revolution has changed our media landscape in a very short space of time. The statement that the internet marks the biggest media revolution since Gutenberg is correct. Anyone who assumes that the population can be divided into online and offline users in their purest form is wrong. The population of 14- to 64-year-olds can be sorted into six types of media use, none of which completely rejects the Internet. What's more, new media have not given rise to new mentalities, at least not among adults, according to an analysis by Gruner + Jahr and the Heidelberg-based Sinus Sociovision Institute. The researchers have analyzed, sorted and interpreted the use of media in connection with views and ways of thinking.
All media tend to be used by everyoneThe observations are based on data from the current "Stern Brand Profile 12". Every two years, the Hamburg-based company surveys the attitudes of 10,000 people towards consumption and media use.
As the study also shows, all media tend to be used by everyone. But to a greater or lesser extent depending on the target group. It is important to note that people's different demands and interests drive media behavior and not the other way around.
The authors are of the opinion that the discussion about user-generated content is overestimated. Despite digitalization and broadband, 90 percent of people will consume rather than produce media content in the future.
In addition to media use, the acceptance of advertising also varies. It is striking that poster and print advertising enjoys a high level of acceptance in all six groups. Television advertising enjoys the highest level of acceptance among "digital natives", as does advertising on the internet. These two advertising channels are also well received by the "Doers", while the "Discerning" are skeptical of both.
Christian Lüscher
Stern brand profiles 12
. New media mentalities. Where does your target group go? 740-page report
can be ordered at www.sternbibliothek.de. The six media mentalities of the aspirational can be characterized as versatile educational citizens with the highest quality standards. They are well off, socially and ecologically interested. They are critical of new media and primarily use sophisticated print offerings. They use the Internet competently and selectively. They watch little TV.digital natives are young, mostly male early adopters, socialized on screens and have grown up in the digital world. They are keen to experiment, curious and in search of self-realization. Their relationship with media is often distanced and characterized by a hunger for stimulation. All media channels are used intensively. Entertainment-oriented people can be characterized as younger people from the lower segment of society. They are always on the lookout for entertainment, distraction and affirmation. They are hungry for life, undisciplined and prone to extremes. (...) Excessive stimulus consumption through the parallel use of several channels (e.g. music, TV, Internet) is widespread. The distance to print is based on a lack of analytical skills. The Internet is used intensively and increasingly. Tangible consumers form the mainstream of society striving for security, harmony and comfort and are recruited from middle age, education and income groups. They are conventional, pragmatic and convenience-oriented. They cope with complexity by focusing and fading out. They rarely have high expectations of the media offering. They are rooted in print, tend to watch slightly more television than average and use the Internet for everyday applications. Decelerators are older modernization losers from the traditional segment of society who find it difficult to cope with rapid socio-cultural and technological change. This type of mentality strives for security and order, is frugal and modest. The modern technology and media on offer overwhelms this type of mentality. Print usage is low, while TV usage is well above average. Although multimedia and the Internet are viewed with detachment, 42% of Decelerators have access to the web.Doers are active, professionally and privately highly committed people. They make intensive use of the latest information and communication media. The range of interests is broad, print and Internet are used intensively, TV affinity is low.Source: Stern Brand Profiles 12

 
Printing Swiss newspaper printers are running at full capacity. Many are already reaching the limits of their capacity. 
The climate currently seems to be particularly fertile for commuter and free newspapers. They are springing up like mushrooms in the media houses and are making a significant contribution to growth in the newspaper market. There are currently no complaints about a lack of capacity utilization in newspaper printing. On the contrary, there is already talk of capacity bottlenecks. Even smaller print shops are now spending money on upgrading their printing technology. Forecasts for the future are rather cautious. The price war is still an ongoing issue. And the Swiss newspaper market could also arouse covetousness in neighboring countries.
Hardly any impact on subscriptionsWith an investment volume of CHF 65 million, Ringier Print Adligenswil AG is massively expanding its market position. Newspaper production, including printing and finishing, is being modernized. Four existing Ringier printing presses and dispatch systems will be replaced by three new systems each, as well as two NLZ dispatch systems. One downside is the associated reduction of 40 full-time positions. "The new newspaper printing presses have a higher degree of automation and the so-called mail break (small fold) at night will be eliminated," says Dominik Hug, Marketing and Sales Manager, Ringier Print Adligenswil AG, explaining the job cuts. Moreover, this will not happen overnight, but will be implemented in stages until 2009. The employees affected were already informed at the end of June that they would receive their notice at the end of September, which would then take effect at the end of March 2008 at the earliest. Hug also confirms that the newspaper market is currently in a state of upheaval. A number of new titles have been launched recently, such as .ch and Cash daily.
However, the increase in free newspapers has hardly had any impact on the subscription sector, but mainly on retail sales, says Hug. Many people no longer buy their daily newspapers at newsstands, but instead pick up commuter newspapers that are made available to them free of charge at train stations and platforms. In general, Hug notes that the Swiss newspaper market has grown in recent times thanks to new free titles, but also due to circulation increases such as 20 Minuten. This can also be seen in the consumption of newsprint.
Bottlenecks in overnight capacityDespite the massive investments made by the major media companies, Hug does not believe that there will be any further streamlining in the newspaper printing sector. There are still many regional editions in Switzerland that also have to be printed in the region. In addition, the newspaper sector is very time-critical, which means that it requires overnight capacities that cannot be expanded indefinitely. In recent times, bottlenecks have repeatedly occurred, forcing media companies to outsource the printing of individual titles. For example, .ch, which has a partial print run in Vorarlberg, and Tamedia have been looking for overnight capacity. Hug does not see any competition in newspaper printing in the immediate neighboring countries either. There are two main reasons for this. The night titles have to be delivered in the early hours of the morning; logistics are therefore an important factor. Long distances are an obstacle to this. In addition, most newspapers in Germany are printed in the so-called Rhenish format, to which the printing presses are also geared. "In Switzerland, however, the broadsheet format and the half broadsheet (tabloid format) are common in the newspaper sector," explains Hug.
External orders for time slots "Our print utilization is still quite high," says Daniel Ehrat, Head of Publishing and Marketing, St. Galler Tagblatt AG. 150 million newspapers are printed each year. The printing center in St. Gallen with its modern production facilities was newly opened four and a half years ago, so there is currently no need for investment. "The new free newspapers launched in recent months have had no significant impact on our own print products, as their circulation has hardly declined as a result." In St. Gallen, the St. Galler Tagblatt is printed six days a week with a circulation of around 107,000 copies and the Anzeiger is printed every Tuesday with a circulation of 200,000 copies. These two publications already ensure regular machine utilization during the night. "We try to fill any remaining capacity with external orders in the available time window, provided the volume and price are right," explains Ehrat. "For example, we print the partial print runs of the Coop newspaper, Touring etc. for Eastern Switzerland." Ehrat is convinced that there will be even more cooperations and market shakeouts in newspaper printing in the near future.
He sees one reason for this in the increasing cost pressure. Capacity utilization is an important factor here. Relocating printing capacities to neighboring countries is less of an issue for him. The time factor and high logistics costs are more of an obstacle to this development.
Participating in the marketThe existing free newspapers will face further competition at the end of the year. The three daily newspapers Basler Zeitung, Berner Zeitung and Tages-Anzeiger are planning to jointly launch the new commuter newspaper News this year with a total circulation of around 330,000 copies. This will also provide more material for the printing presses. For Christopher Wehrli, media spokesman, Espace Media Group, this aspect does not play a role. The realization of News is a purely publishing decision in which the utilization of printing capacity was not a decisive factor. "Commuter newspapers meet a market need that we want to participate in, especially as we can still fill an existing open space with News. A partial run of News will certainly also be printed in our printing center," says Wehrli. "We are not currently planning to invest in new printing technology. With the construction of the new printing center, Espace Media has already made the leap into a new printing era and thus also realized the necessary technology boost and capacity expansion. At present, it is mainly various smaller media companies that are expanding their printing capacities."
Possibilities for expansion "Our printing presses are very well utilized, but capacity expansions are possible in principle," says Wehrli. The printing center has already been designed in such a way that further expansion is possible if required. "We print a large number of different titles such as Berner Zeitung, including Thuner Tagblatt, Berner Oberländer, Solothurner Tagblatt, Der Bund, Berner Bär, Automobilrevue, Schweizer Bauer, various gazettes, customer publications and regional newspapers as well as partial editions of Migros Magazin and Abendzeitung heute," he says, describing the spectrum. Espace Media sees less of a shakeout in the newspaper printing sector. The price war, which will continue to intensify, will be more of an issue. This could also lead to outsourcing to neighboring countries. The printing of the free newspaper .ch in Vorarlberg is an example of such an option.
 
Sabine Flaxman
Ringier Print
Adligenswil AG,http://adligenswil.ringierprint.ch
St. Galler Tagblatt AG,
Print center, Espace Media print center,

 
Travel With Swiss Geoquest, Maxomedia has designed and implemented an exciting online geography game. The aim of the online game is to find sights and places around the world under time pressure. The player sets off on a search on a Google map: a map section, tips and photos of the destination help him to find them. Each player can also "invent" their own Geoquest games, which can then be played by everyone. The Swiss Geoquest is part of the successful collaboration between the airline Swiss and Maxomedia. Swiss draws attention to the game via newsletters and banners on its website - also created and implemented by Maxomedia.

 In a press release, the radio station Swiss Music Radio is looking for a buyer or partner. The background to this is that the radio station did not receive the digital radio license (DAB+) it had applied for. Swiss Music Radio had applied for the license together with Radio Sunshine and planned to expand its programming on DAB+ with the help of this partner.
According to Swiss Music Radio, the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) justified its decision to reject the application by citing the lack of contribution to increasing the attractiveness of DAB technology. According to the department, innovation, originality and market stimulation played a decisive role in the granting of the license.
Swiss Music Radio does not intend to contest the Uvek's decision. As the planned cooperation with Radio Sunshine will not materialize, Swiss Music Radio is now looking for a new partner or buyer. According to the communiqué, the continued operation of the station in its current form is guaranteed until at least the end of 2008.

 
Study II Swiss marketing managers were surveyed by the University of Basel and the agency Uniplan about communication trends and strategies. There is good news and bad news for advertising agencies. The good news is that Swiss companies still spend the most money on traditional advertising. On average, almost a third of a company's marketing budget is spent on traditional channels. The bad news: as a study by Uniplan and the University of Basel concludes, Swiss marketing managers are re-evaluating their measures. The trend: direct and efficient communication is becoming more important. In concrete terms, this means that companies want to spend more on Internet and event activities in future. Budgets are being shifted in favor of these measures.
There are many reasons for the shift. As can be read in the study, marketing managers would describe the classic channel as tending to decline. Although it will remain the leading medium in the future, it is losing its dominant position in favor of direct and personal activities. This means that live communication tools such as events, roadshows and promotions are gaining in importance. According to the managers, brands that use "live communication" gain a distinctive brand profile and differentiate themselves from the competition. In addition to direct customer contact, the Internet is also gaining in importance. In 2006, web activities accounted for an average of 14 percent of the communication budget of Swiss companies. According to the study, instruments that either promise cost-effective reach or help companies to build trust and customer loyalty will gain in importance in the future.
Unused opportunities Trade fairs remain one of the most important instruments in the marketing mix for companies in view of the high number of visitors. According to the study, trade fairs are often the leading strategic medium, especially for SMEs and B2B companies. Although most marketing managers value trade fairs as an "all-round instrument", their opportunities all too often remain untapped. According to the study, Swiss managers primarily see potential for improvement in the preparation and follow-up of trade fair participation. For example, there is a lack of targeted invitations to visitors in advance, opportunities for dialog during the trade fair and documentation of trade fair discussions for follow-up after the trade fair.
Need for integrated communicationAs the authors of the study write, marketing and communication measures are not coordinated enough. Above all, a lack of know-how, historically evolved structures and departmental egotisms would prevent the networking of instruments in many companies. Yet the need for integration is undisputed. Just under half of Swiss marketing decision-makers stated that they had already been coordinating instruments for two to five years. A good third of companies have been pursuing the goal of integrated communication for more than five years. The majority of the managers surveyed stated that the impact of traditional communication continues to decline as the flood of advertising increases. Marketing managers are increasingly faced with the question of which instrument will prevail as the leading medium in the integration process of the future.
Too little monitoring of successCompanies invest huge sums in marketing activities. However, when it comes to monitoring the success of the money spent, managers tend to exercise restraint. According to the researchers, around a third of the Swiss companies surveyed would allocate a fixed budget for monitoring success as early as the planning phase. Not enough for the authors of the study. For them, performance reviews still have the image of a superfluous cost factor.
Christian Lüscher
 
 
About the study295 companies and their responsible managers
were asked about their strategies by researchers from the University of Basel and Uniplan. In the fall of 2006, the market research institute Konso conducted 30-minute interviews for the study. Large companies are disproportionately represented in the study. A third of all companies surveyed have more than 1000 employees. Around half of all companies have a turnover of up to CHF 50 million. The results of the study
can be requested at [email protected]. (cl)

The communications agency Trio, founded in Lausanne in 1931, is opening a branch in Zurich this fall. According to a press release, the presence in western and German-speaking Switzerland will improve the operational management of national mandates and enrich the creative potential with new influences. The opening in Zurich's Kreis 3 district follows the logic of mastered growth. Since the strategic reorientation in 2002, the agency has been able to record a steady stream of new mandates and growing turnover, according to the press release.
Trio currently employs 22 people. In future, CEO Michael Kamm will divide his working hours between Zurich and Lausanne.

 
KMU-Presse On 23 October, the SME magazine Organizer will be published with a new layout and conceptual changes under the new editor-in-chief Philippe Coradi. 
If the VSW advertising statistics are to be believed, the SME titles listed there are not among the beneficiaries of the current advertising boom. One of the main losers, however, is the Organizer, a magazine about the various aspects of SMEs: from January to August 2007, it reported a 33.6 percent drop in volume compared to the same period last year. That alone would be reason enough to change something about the magazine and give it a facelift. But publishing director Patric Preite disagrees with the statistics. "My figures show a different picture," he says. "Things also went up for the organizer in 2007: with the October issue now available, we have already exceeded our 2006 turnover." But customers are becoming more demanding. "To win them as advertisers, we have to do more and more," says Preite. This additional effort is also reflected in the relaunch of the SME magazine: the magazine, which is published ten times a year, is taking two steps towards the reader. On the one hand, the aim is to increase the utility value, and on the other hand, a more journalistic focus should create a better overview. "The organizer remains a magazine with specialist articles by various experts. However, we want to make this expertise even more accessible for SMEs with additional information, graphics, info boxes and checklists," says Preite. The "more contemporary and crisper layout" and the slightly larger magazine format will play an important role in this.
The new editor-in-chief Philippe Coradi (30), who studied journalism and organizational communication after completing an apprenticeship as a bookseller, is responsible for implementing the new concept. His mission is "to increasingly supplement expert knowledge, which is not always objective, with an outside perspective", he says. In general: more people, opinions, statements, also in new formats. For example, the magazine now starts with a portrait of a person, followed by a focus. Four different SMEs are now being interviewed for the latter. In the current issue, for example, the focus is on the new salary statement and the question of how this has been implemented in the individual companies.
In addition to the previous Leadership, ICT, Marketing and Security sections, the organizer is expanding its view beyond national borders with the new "International" section - with interviews and field reports from Eastern Europe, Russia and the USA. Also new are "Scene" with photos from industry events and trade fairs as well as "Compact" with brief news from business and politics - always focused on SMEs.
The Organizer is probably the oldest SME magazine in Switzerland. It was founded in 1919 and has steadily increased its circulation in recent years despite growing competition. Its current print run is 13,200 copies, of which almost 5,500 copies are distributed free of charge via trade fairs, mail order advertising and further education institutions. The Wemf-certified paid circulation is 7,179 copies, of which 2,844 copies are compulsory subscriptions thanks to cooperation with trade fairs and nine industry associations. The organizer is one of the few SME titles with the Q-Publication seal of approval from the Swiss Press Association.   
Markus Knöpfli
The organizer is not aloneMagazines for SMEs
are almost a dime a dozen, but only a few have certified figures. In addition to the organizer, the following titles have their circulation audited by Wemf: KMU-Magazin sells 7,569 copies and distributes 5,701 issues free of charge. KMU-Manager, on the other hand, distributes its entire circulation (101,921 copies) free of charge. And SKO Leader achieves a paid circulation of 12,285 copies, primarily thanks to compulsory subscriptions. Other SME titles: io new management with 4,796 and the French-speaking Swiss PME Magazine with 12,053 copies sold.io new management, PME Magazine and KMU-Magazin
can also be ascertained in the MA Leader. In 2007, io new management achieved a reach of 6.5 percent among the top leaders in German-speaking Switzerland, the SME magazine reached 16.4 percent and the PME magazine covers a good third (36 percent) of the decision-makers in French-speaking Switzerland with 9,000 top leaders, according to VSW advertising statistics.
the following SME titles suffered advertising declines in the first eight months of 2007: KMU Manager (-23.4 %), PME Magazine (-16.5%), MQ Management und Qualität (-9%) and io new management (-2.7%). KMU-Magazin is no longer listed - although as a Q publication it would actually be obliged to do so. (mk)

 
Newspaper printing Dietschi AG Druck & Medien in Olten is expanding its newspaper printing system to four-color throughout. The Board of Directors has given the green light to expand the existing Uniman newspaper press with two additional 8-color Geoman printing units. In addition to customer demand for continuous four-color printing, the launch of the Sunday edition of the Olten Tagblatt, which is produced at Dietschi, is one of the reasons for the expansion. The Olten-based company wants to remain independent - within the Mittelland newspaper network - and continue to print its own newspapers itself. The new printing towers are scheduled to be ready for operation on May 1, 2008.

 
Coffee JWT+H+F clones for Mastro Lorenzo and the Italian coffee drinkers. 
Swiss Italian coffee consumers like to drink their coffee "the Italian way". Kraft Foods knows this and is launching the Mastro Lorenzo coffee brand in three new strengths: Crema, Classico and Intenso. To make the decision easier for Swiss coffee drinkers, the Zurich advertising agency JWT+H+F is cloning the Italian. In the current campaign, the agency is looking for the right Italian lover for the female target group: softie, classic or macho - depending on their mood.
The highlight of the campaign: all three types are embodied by one and the same Italian. Despite different strengths, a Mastro Lorenzo remains a Mastro Lorenzo. The campaign will incorporate the idea in print, online, at the POS and on the packaging. On the coffee market: this is subject to a general weakness in consumption. In addition, the market has been increasingly exposed to the price wars of the major brands in recent decades.
Christian Lüscher