The cross-media agency Maxomedia has won the pitch for the design of an online teaching application on behalf of Swiss Post against two competitors. The application is being realized in addition to a print teaching aid from Swiss Post. It is intended to generate added value: offline content is taken up and deepened online. The application enables interactive learning and serves to build a community in the long term through virality, according to a press release from the agency. Maxomedia is responsible for the conception and technical implementation of the teaching material application.

 The distribution formula for the new free newspaper .ch is being changed: Previously, 70 percent of the total circulation was distributed via home delivery and 30 percent via SBB, streetcar and bus stations. Now 50 percent will be distributed via the public transport channel. According to initiator Sacha Wigdorovits, the reason for this is that distribution on public transport is very popular. It was therefore decided to increase distribution via public transport. According to the .ch initiator, it is wrong that negative reactions from homeowners and tenants have led to this step. This was reported by Werbewoche based on a report in the Sonntag newspaper. "This is a false report," Wigdorovits told Werbewoche. Around the launch of the new newspaper, there were some incidents in distribution and home delivery had to be further optimized. However, the teething troubles are currently being worked out. The fact that some of the stands have been collected is not a problem, as Wigdorovits explains. The newspaper is distributed to these properties without these displays. .ch started with 20,000 stands, and the publisher estimates that 15,000 are currently in use. "However, some homeowners now want the stands back. They have realized that this is the most orderly way to handle distribution," says Wigdorovits.

 The agency Kunde & Co Pucci Sulzer has won a mandate from Intersport International Corporation, based in Bern. The company has entrusted the agency with an international customer analysis and a retail strategy project. According to a press release, Intersport International Corporation is the world's largest sports retailer with over 4,900 specialty stores and retail sales of around 8 billion euros.

 The Südostschweiz Media Group, based in Chur, is adapting its management structures. The group will now be managed in seven divisions. The organizational changes go hand in hand with a merger of the former newspaper company Südostschweiz Presse and the printing company Südostschweiz Print to form the new Südostschweiz AG. The new structure is aimed at bundling and thus strengthening activities in the areas of marketing, sales, publishing and printing, the company announced.
Andrea Masüger, Editor-in-Chief of Südostschweiz, is in charge of the Newspapers division. Andrea Götz is responsible for publishing and sales, while Toni Thoma is in charge of production, as publisher Hanspeter Lebrument announced on Monday.
Susanne Lebrument is responsible for advertising, Silvio Lebrument for radio and television. Lukas Joos is responsible for Internet and IT; Alois Bearth for the holding company, human resources, finance and services.
Hanspeter Lebrument is Chairman of the Group Management and Andrea Masüger is his deputy. Hanspeter Stiffler (Buchdruckerei Davos AG) and Bruno Hug (Obersee Nachrichten) are members of the extended Group Management. Toni Thoma, previously Head of Prepress and Technology, is a new member of Group Management.

The Swiss search and information portal Search.ch is drawing attention to its advertising platform for banners with the slogan "Start bannering" and a new advertising campaign. The call to start banner advertising is aimed primarily at Swiss advertisers and media planners. Accordingly, the subjects are mainly placed in trade journals and specialist magazines. The advertisements show many hundreds of computer cursors which, on closer inspection, represent well-known products. The Zurich advertising agency Hochspannung is responsible for the campaign.

 The television channel 3+ made gains in September 2007, achieving a market share of 3.9%. This means that 3+ recorded growth of 86% compared to the same month last year. However, it should be noted that the channel had only just been launched in September 2006. 3+ is apparently strong in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland with more than 200,000 inhabitants, namely Basel, Bern and Zurich. Here, the market share is 5.2 percent. This figure relates to the time between 8 p.m. and 10.29 p.m., which the broadcaster defines as prime time for the target group of 15 to 49-year-olds in German-speaking Switzerland. In the target group of 15 to 34-year-olds, the channel achieved a market share of 4.1%.

 The newly founded Young & Rubicam Group can announce its first comprehensive mandate win with ÖKK Kranken- und Unfallversicherungen (ÖKK). The agency group is supporting ÖKK in the areas of brand strategy, corporate identity and design, web presence, traditional and online advertising, sponsoring, customer magazine and collaterals. The starting point for the collaboration is the differentiation in the market presence of the ÖKK companies in Landquart (ÖKK KUV AG) and Basel (ÖKK Basel). In future, the two companies will no longer divide up customer service by region, but will cultivate the market with separate brands. The differentiation will come into effect on January 1, 2008: ÖKK KUV AG will remain ÖKK, but will have a new corporate identity developed by the Young & Rubicam Group. ÖKK Basel will operate under the new brand Vivao Sympany.

 The activities of the former Jean Frey and the Handelszeitung publishing group will now be combined under the joint name Axel Springer Schweiz. To this end, Jean Frey will be renamed Axel Springer Schweiz AG, as the publishing house announced on Monday. The future market presence of the Handelszeitung publishing group, consisting of Handelszeitung and Finanzrundschau AG as well as Handelszeitung Fachverlag AG, will also be under the joint umbrella brand. Both Jean Frey AG and the companies of the Handelszeitung publishing group are subsidiaries of Axel Springer AG, Berlin. "The renaming to Axel Springer Switzerland is the logical consequence of our expansion steps and underlines the new, strong market position of our companies", said Ralph Büchi, CEO of Axel Springer Switzerland, in a press release.
With immediate effect, the management organization of Axel Springer Switzerland will also be adapted to the merger. The new Group Management comprises the central publishing divisions Business Publications, TV Magazines and the Beobachter family. Marcel Hürlimann (CFO), Jörg Tobuschat (TV Magazines) and Roland Wahrenberger (Beobachter) will join the four-member Group Management Board chaired by CEO Ralph Büchi. The business publications division will be managed directly by Ralph Büchi.
At the second management level, an extended Executive Board will be formed, in which the areas of journalism, publishing/marketing and services will be represented and to which the following persons will belong: Journalism: Balz Hosang (Editor-in-Chief Beobachter), Martin Spieler (Editor-in-Chief Handelszeitung), Editor-in-Chief Bilanz (vacant), Dominic Geisseler (Editor-in-Chief Tele), Gion Stecher (Editor-in-Chief TVStar)
Publishers/Marketing: Patrizia Serra (Sales Marketing). Daniel Truttmann (Specialist Publishing) Services: Hansjörg Gerster (IT/Sales Logistics), Urs Hürlimann (HR/Accounting)

 Radio 24 and Das Goldene Ohr will be awarding the special Radio Advertiser of the Year 2007 prize at the Golden Ear Night on November 15 at the Zurich Chamber Orchestra House. The prize is being reintroduced after a break of three years. It is endowed with radio advertising seconds worth CHF 20,000 and goes to a Swiss company that has made outstanding use of radio spots in its advertising over the past 12 months. The winner of the 2007 prize is decided by 100 personalities from the worlds of advertising, business and the press.

 Two annual reports from Trimedia won awards at the International ARC Awards 2007. Syngenta International's annual report won a Bronze Award at the 21st ARC Awards for its overall concept and a Silver Award for its editorial content. The Novartis International report won a Silver Award in the overall assessment and took the Gold Award in the "Photography" category. Novartis was also successful in the Swiss annual report rating of Bilanz, taking second place behind Straumann in the overall assessment. The Vision Awards of the LACP (League of American Communications Professionals) also saw laurels for the reports produced by Trimedia: here, the Novartis report was ranked 10th among the 100 best annual reports and won a Gold Award in both the "Pharma" and "Most Engaging" categories. The Syngenta annual report took 34th place in the overall ranking and was honored with a Platinum Award in the "Agribusiness" category and a Silver Award in the "Best Letter to Shareholders" category.

 Scandinavian Airlines Systems(SAS) has decided to work with Jenni Kommunikation after a thorough review. The Zurich-based agency will be responsible for media relations with immediate effect, as detailed in a press release. Thanks to its experience in the travel & tourism sector, Jenni Kommunikation can ensure optimal support. The agency's main task is to provide technical advice and implement SAS's communication strategy in Switzerland.

 Econ Verlag is extending the deadline for the 2008 Advertising Yearbook competition. Agencies and companies from Germany, Austria and Switzerland can still submit their best advertising until October 22, 2007. Entries will be judged in the categories of print, cinema/TV commercials, radio commercials, multimedia, online advertising as well as ambient media, events and direct marketing.