Lebensmittel Scholz & Friends Zurich grows rice plants in wells for Riso, the organization that promotes rice in Switzerland. 
The oldest evidence to date confirms that humans planted rice 10,000 years before our era. That was in northern Thailand. At the end of the 17th century, this important crop also made it to the New World. The most important rice country in Europe is Italy. Riso, the Swiss rice promotion agency, believes that too few people are aware that this white grain is also grown in Ticino today, alongside fruity Merlot grapes, and that the northernmost rice plantations in the world can be found in southern Switzerland. True to their agency claim "The Orchestra of Ideas", Scholz & Friends Zurich are now moving these plantations even further north. In a campaign for Riso, the Friends had rice plants planted in public fountains in Zurich, Bern, Basel and Zug for two days using a special construction. Passers-by were given the impression of small plantations. With the headline "Rice is a fountain of youth", the fountains were marked with a specially constructed tarpaulin.
The idea of growing rice in a symbolic fountain of youth is, alongside the Riso-Litomobile, a new and unusual idea in outdoor advertising. The campaigns attract attention and direct reactions, as Katrin Seegers from Scholz & Friends is pleased to report. However, the Sponti plantations are only one part of the campaign that Scholz & Friends Zurich is carrying out on behalf of Riso. The aim of the various communication measures is to draw attention to the fact that rice is part of a balanced and healthy diet.
Riso is the association for the promotion of rice consumption in Switzerland. The member companies process, trade or market rice and rice products. By positioning and actively promoting rice as a product, the aim is to sustainably increase rice consumption in Switzerland.
Andreas Panzeri

 The management of the publishing house AZ Medien has decided to appoint two new members to the extended management board. These are Roger Knabenhans, head of the A'Z classifieds market, and Patrik Müller, who has been editor-in-chief of the seventh edition, Sonntag, since April 1. Müller was previously at Sonntags-Blick. The move is part of the further development of the company's multimedia and cross-media activities and its foray into the Sonntags market, according to Wednesday's edition of the Aargauer Zeitung.

The advertising agency Lowe, part of the Draftfcb / Lowe Group, sends the twins Eighteen and Eighteen off in five new commercials. They convey the message that you can now be connected directly with the Swiss information service 1818. With the claim "Just say connect", the two of them are not on the ski slopes this time, but as Baywacht-like lifeguards, on Lake Zurich and at Thai Chi. The commercials can now be seen on television. Responsible at 1818 Auskunfts AG: Peter Josika, Managing Director. Responsible at Lowe Werbeagentur BSW, Zurich: Executive Creative Director: Keith Loell; Art Direction: Sebastian Hugelshofer, Urs Hartmann; Strategy: Kurt Schmid; Text: Dominique Wegmann; Consulting: Rolf Jeger, René Kaiser; Agency Producer: Melanie Auerbach.

Director: Michael Fueter; Production Company: Condor Films; Media: OMD, Georges Bérard, Corinne Kelly.

 The Swiss Advertising Association (SW) and the Commission for Fair Trading want to meet the need for more publicity and transparency. They have therefore published various legal agreements and codes on their homepages. The alcohol industry's new code of conduct, which sets out the rules for alcohol advertising, is now available online. Also new online is the consolidated code of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on advertising and marketing communication practices. This is available in German and French on the SW and LK homepages. Finally, the guidelines for tests have been published. These provide information on the conditions under which the publication of tests is possible.

 
Research Why More, Clear Channel's poster research method, was delayed was never communicated. Werbewoche asked Urs Zeier, Research Consultant at CCO Switzerland. 
Two years ago, Clear Channel Outdoor Plakanda (CCO Switzerland) withdrew from the joint poster research SPR with APG. Thirteen months ago, in May 2006, the company presented its own poster research methodology called More (Mobility and Outdoor Research). According to CCO Switzerland, More was intended to provide performance values for poster networks and individual poster sites on the basis of a broader data basis and to enable a breakdown into socio-demographic criteria, mobility types and mobility motives. At the same time, CCO Switzerland emphasized the importance of an empirically proven visibility concept and announced its intention to use one of the existing international models for More.
However, CCO Switzerland was under pressure in terms of time: advertising clients and media agencies insisted on a joint approach and just one planning tool. They also didn't want to wait any longer. In order to remain competitive, CCO Switzerland had to make as much of More visible as quickly as possible. This is probably why the out-of-home advertiser made an ambitious announcement on May 3, 2006: More would be launched on the market in spring 2007, with the planning tool to follow by mid-2007 at the latest. This date was confirmed again in fall 2006: "More is on schedule - we assume that this will remain the case despite the high complexity of the project," wrote Urs Zeier, Research Consultant at CCO Switzerland, by e-mail on October 30, 2006.
But the advertising industry waited in vain for a market launch. And CCO Switzerland preferred not to communicate. Today, hardly anyone in the industry knows exactly where the project stands. Nevertheless, CCO CEO Beat Roeschlin and Urs Zeier have now given Werbewoche more concrete information for the first time. And this is their assessment of the situation.
Google buys EndoxonWhat was planned last year in the CCO timetable under "Completion of frequency atlas, phase 1" for May 2006 has been fulfilled: The frequency atlas or mobility atlas, at least the one for the canton of Zurich, is available, according to Zeier. It is based on a mobility study by ETH Zurich and forms the basis of More. For the mobility atlas, the ETH modeled traffic census data from the federal government, canton and municipalities, mobility data from the census and from the microcensus survey and other data sources (immission and traffic registers, data on public transport, etc.) in such a way that the average daily frequencies can be seen for any given road section.
Zeier believes that he will be able to present the mobility atlas for the greater Zurich area in the second half of October 2007. This means that the item "Completion of frequency atlas, phase 2" will soon be ticked off the timetable.
What is known as "final modeling" and was scheduled for summer 2006 has not yet been completed. The aim here is to link the mobility atlas with the poster locations and the GPS measurement data (= mobility over the course of the day) and to determine range values on this basis. This coverage model is currently being developed by the Dutch company Pointlogic. The main reason for the delay: More had also entrusted the Lucerne-based company Endoxon with coordination tasks between the various model components and data sources. This company was sold to Google in the fall of 2006. It was mainly this transition that led to the delays in More's work.
The planning tool, which was scheduled for fall 2006, is also not yet within reach. According to Zeier, initial approaches have been presented to the More Advisory Board, but further development will only make sense once the range model has been finalized, he says.
And finally, there is still no visibility model in sight. CCO Switzerland examined various models a year ago and announced a decision at the beginning of 2007. However, according to Zeier, "none of the existing visibility models were really convincing". For this reason, a pilot project on the subject of visibility will soon be commissioned as part of Clear Channel's international research cooperation with other outdoor advertisers such as JCDecaux and Ströer, which will incorporate the latest research findings - including those from brain research. CCO Switzerland is representing Clear Channel International in this research project. Although the decision to join forces with other out-of-home advertisers in this area is a bold one, it has set More back in terms of time. It is also unclear whether a consensus will ever be found.
Either way, one thing is clear: CCO Switzerland will only be able to show the promised reach, which is supposed to be based on actual contacts, when a visibility model is also integrated into More. And how long will this take? Neither Zeier nor Roeschlin want to commit to a specific date.
Conclusion: It will probably be at least another two years before More is completed as a whole. And More will definitely have one handicap: it will only contain the poster locations of CCO Switzerland.
Markus Knöpfli
See interview with the CEO of Clear Channel Switzerland, Beat Roeschlin

 
Newspapers He started out as a pirate with a radio station in the smuggling zone of Como. Then, with a private TV station, he was not above interviewing a pubic hairdresser or Uriella alongside Federal Councillor Blocher. Later on, he made ratings with a soap opera such as "Verliebt in Berlin" and in three years as station boss, he increased Sat.1's net profit to a record 240 million euros with concessions to the audience instead of concession money. Not everyone liked these appearances. But now Roger Schawinski has finally found his well-deserved satisfaction. Peter Hartmeier, Jürg Wildberger and Hannes Britschgi discussed the topic of "The television landscape between ratings, agony and quality" at a talk show on his book "Die TV-Falle" (The TV Trap), which is conquering the bestseller lists. The editor-in-chief of the Tages-Anzeiger was full of praise for Schawinski's writing. "The book is good journalism. You can always work for me," said Hartmeier, consoling the ex-Sat.1 boss about his new fate as a book author. The audience in the ballroom of the "Kaufleuten" was slightly irritated. Was that a charming irony, or had the landlord of the "Sonne" actually made the "Hotelier of the Year" from the "Castello del Sole" an offer as a waiter? Presenter Britschgi confidently steered the chat-up line in the right direction: "That's certainly the highest of feelings for Schawinski." And Hartmeier, who as head of the Tagi is surrounded by more and more commuters and all kinds of journalistic peddlers, was once again certain as the head of a quality newspaper: "We'll stay tuned. (pan)

 
René Worni on broadcasting slots for politics 
 
There is no tradition of political parties advertising on television or radio in Switzerland, and certainly not before elections. Until now, the public has been spared commercials for party political causes, programs for legislative periods or the promotion of top candidates. The new radio and TV law does not intend to change this either: it is hard to imagine election advertising on television, and even less so on the intimate medium of radio. What would an advertisement for the Greens or the SVP look like? I'm sure resourceful commercial producers would immediately come up with some brilliant ideas. National Councillor Maja Graf (Greens BL) shaking hands with SVP parliamentary colleague and farmers' association president Hansjörg Walther in front of the Syngenta main entrance? Well, yes. Speaking of the SVP: they have already shown the way with their film contributions (with scenes of beatings); the Basel section went even further, using a filmed (real) murder from YouTube and placing it in the correct party-political context - an unparalleled scandal. However, all of this only took place on the internet and did not reach the living rooms of potential voters and their children via the screen.
However, this could change one day, provided that parliament approves an amendment to the law that Andreas Gross (SP, Zurich) wants to propose to parliament (see page 17): Before federal elections, parties should be given equal and free airtime for their advertising messages on SRG stations as well as on licensed private stations with a broadcasting mandate. For the time being, there is talk of 30 seconds per contribution. This would be great business for the producers of the party commercials. The broadcasters, on the other hand, would lose a few advertising francs. On SF 1, for example, 30 advertising seconds cost an average of 5700 francs, which is deceptive, as the price can easily soar to over 38,000 francs in the evening, between the Tagesschau and Meteo. According to SDA calculations, 3089 candidates are currently standing for election to the National Council and Council of States - you do the math. The example is somewhat absurd, admittedly, but it gives an idea of the dimensions. Without a state media supervisory apparatus - even more absurd - this would hardly be possible.
René Worni, Editor

 You think that powerful machines and delicate women's themes don't go together? You thought wrong. We can celebrate a milestone on the road to female emancipation: The women's magazine Brigitte breaks into a male domain and is the very first women's title ever to be present at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main. What a breakthrough! Who is still asking for equal pay for equal work, more nursery places or more women in management positions? The ultra-original motto of the events in the so-called Brigitte Lounge puts the prevailing self-image into perspective: it bears the meaningful title "Why women park badly...", which is of course meant ironically, as Editor-in-Chief Andreas Lebert assures us. He also wants to make it clear that women "not only drive, buy and build cars", but also have a major influence on men's purchasing decisions. And don't tell me that this influence is limited to dictating the color of the new horsepower car...

 
Relaunch The client magazine of health insurer CSS has had a new look since August 2007. More modern, more reader-friendly and more attractive - this was the aim of the relaunch. Infel AG was commissioned with the redesign and content conception of the magazine. The four sections "What keeps us healthy", "What helps us", "What concerns us" and "What entertains us" give the publication a clear face and make it easier to find your way around.

 
Health insurance The Fruitcake agency shows why Atupri wants to offer even more benefits with Mivita. 
With Atupri, privatization appears in a healthy light. In just six years, the former SBB company health insurance fund has already proved its worth on the open market. During this time, it has been voted the best Swiss health insurance company three times in the Cash Rating. The number of insured persons has risen from 90,000 to over 173,000, almost doubling. With such records, the medium-sized Atupri has become a brand. The Bern-based agency Fruitcake has also contributed to this success. Lahor Jakrlin and his team have been supporting Atupri since its reorientation in 2000 as part of a full-service mandate with classic advertising and contract publishing.
Now the service provider Atupri is taking the next step and launching its own product brand: Mivita. Mivita is Switzerland's first all-in-one solution, "a consumer-oriented combination of all the raisins of conventional supplementary insurance from health care, alternative medicine, prophylaxis, dental care, hospital supplements and protection when traveling abroad", as Christoph Zürcher and Theo Gasser from the insurer's management team announce.
The highlight of Mivita, however, is said to be the competitive market prices despite the density of services and - as an innovation - the automatic adaptation of the service catalog to generation and gender. An "egg of Columbus", say the advertisers about such a briefing. Fruitcake was also involved in product development and developed the name.
Morphing and digital tricksIn terms of communication, the campaign operates at the "interface between image and product advertising", as CD Jakrlin puts it. The content of a TV commercial deals with the change of life phases in different generations, albeit retrospectively. The commercial starts at age 3 and ends at the beginning, namely at birth. Morphing and digital tricks were used.
The B200 illuminated posters and the advertisement once again include all the participants in the TV commercial with five generations and present them as a patchwork group or modern extended family.
Andreas Panzeri

 
Customer magazines A well thought-out modular offline/online customer magazine gives Oerlikon Balzers an additional boost. 
Oerlikon Balzers is on an expansion course. The global market leader for surface coatings is consolidating its worldwide service network with company acquisitions and new branches. The growth and the heterogeneous structure of the national companies with different resources and know-how are challenging conditions for globally consistent, responsive and at the same time cost-efficient and high-quality corporate communication.
Modular concept as a basisThe market-oriented technology company opted for a modular, combinable offline/online customer magazine concept in order to meet the complex requirements.
The print edition of Contact magazine is available to the major national companies for national and international trade fairs. In the technology-driven business, trade fairs are fixed communication points, as they are the ideal way to bundle public interest for the launch of innovations. For smaller national companies, the online magazine is the ideal tool for communicating their services in a high-quality manner.
The large national companies use the online edition in addition to the print magazine as a cost-effective supplement. "The concept is perfectly tailored to our complex framework conditions. It enables an efficient and cost-effective dialog with our customers - globally and with country-specific content at the same time," summarizes Eduard A. Meyer, Global Head of Communications at Oerlikon Balzers.
Kick-off with the German print editionThe first issue is the print edition in Germany, which is published to coincide with the most important European trade fair EMO. The main topic of the issue is the introduction of a new product generation. The print product is characterized by the adaptation of design patterns that are typical for the Internet and offer the reader more freedom of choice. Several topic outlines in different containers enable intuitive reader guidance with individual reading starts. Short texts, such as in the News section, take account of changing reading habits. Portraits and telephone numbers of sales representatives create points of contact for dialog with customers. References to brochures and further information illustrate the close integration of the magazine with other marketing and communication measures. Reports from customers show possible applications and present successful collaborations.
High responsiveness with the online magazineThe second step is now the implementation of the online magazine. The design and sections are based on the print edition and adapted to suit the media. Customers receive the visually oriented table of contents and the editorial by e-mail. Instead of scrolling as with the classic newsletter, clicking on an article opens a browser window with the selected article. This functional principle allows the reader to intuitively select a topic and access the article directly. The national companies produce the online editions themselves or, depending on the service level agreement, with support from the agency. The cost-effective solution allows a high level of responsiveness: "An absolute must for us in the current growth phase," says Head of Communications Meyer.
Internationalization with an editorial systemThe country-specific adaptation of the online and offline editions enables multiple use of the content. While the head office in Balzers provides text and image material for the national companies, these contribute country-specific content.
A web-based editorial system is planned as the backbone of internationalization. It will support process, content and quality assurance management. In addition, the editorial system enables the head office to continuously monitor the publishing projects of the national companies. This creates the ideal conditions for implementing the high standard of corporate communication worldwide during the intensive growth phase.
Gregor Herbst/Philip Meier, m&/ AG
Facts & Figures about the customer magazine ContactFrom September 2007, the customer magazine will be published offline and online in over 20 countries and in more than ten languages. Concept, editing & design: m/& AG, Zurich, www.m-und.chTechnischer Partner: Vertical Vision, Kloten, www.vertical.ch

 
SO-Publicitas Südostschweiz Publicitas is getting serious about going it alone. On September 4, Südostschweiz Publicitas, a joint venture between P and the Chur publishing group, opened a branch office at Förrlibuckstrasse 150 in Zurich. "The aim is to give our title Südostschweiz a greater presence in the national market. Because the distance between Chur and Zurich is sometimes just too long," says Susanne Lebrument. The daughter of SO publisher Hanspeter Lebrument has been managing director of SO Publicitas for a year and has also been a board delegate since the end of August. The office in Zurich will be staffed with 3.5 positions and will be managed by Roberto Blank, who has been responsible for the SO complete edition and national sales at SO Publicitas as a member of the Executive Board since mid-June. The 46-year-old succeeded P-woman Karin Waltenspühl, who has since opened her own placement agency. Another P-man, advertising and sales manager Jörg Lütscher, has also left SO Publicitas in the meantime. "At an operational level, this is a further step towards independence: We are now doing all the ad placement ourselves, both nationally and regionally," says SO publisher Hanspeter Lebrument.
Lebrument already spoke of "de facto self-management" after April 1, 2007. At that time, SO Publicitas left the building shared with Publicitas Chur, relocated to SO-Verlag and P Chur was dissolved. In addition, SO Publicitas separated itself from the P booking tool Pub 2000 in terms of IT. With the takeover of national SO marketing, the Chur publishing house has thus taken the step towards true autonomy.
Almost. Because P is still represented by two people on the Board of Directors of the Chur-based advertising agency - Max Bühlmann and Publipresse General Director Otto Meier. However, Meier is leaving PubliGroupe and with it SO Publicitas, and Bühlmann is retiring at the end of the year. Will PubliGroupe therefore withdraw from SO Publicitas? "That could be the case, but I hope not. I'll be talking to PubliGroupe CEO Hanspeter Rohner about it soon," says Hanspeter Lebrument.
The publisher from Chur had previously emphasized that although he wanted to separate the operational business from P, he wanted to keep it on the Board of Directors - because of its expertise. He is now reiterating this wish. "The new PubliGroup Media Sales division and its management make a good impression on me and seem trustworthy," he praises.
 
Markus Knöpfli