The American online advertising marketer DoubleClick announced an advertising exchange on Wednesday. Advertisers and website operators will be able to buy and sell digital advertising on this service, which will function in a similar way to the Nasdaq. For the first time, bidders and providers will be directly connected.  
The service, which is expected towards the end of the year, should further increase the value of the company, which Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are currently vying for (currently around two billion dollars). According to Pressetext.com, there is currently great demand for such a service, but there are still hardly any offers. The biggest challenge on the market is making contact with website operators. The biggest sellers and buyers are already on DoubleClick's customer list, including AOL and MySpace.
The company intends to generate the majority of its revenue from the advertising exchange in just five years.  
The service creates transparency: advertisers often do not know on which websites their ads are running. The same applies to the previously confusing price structures: market participants have the opportunity to see how much their competitors are bidding for certain ads. At the same time, as with eBay, DoubleClick ensures that website operators receive the highest price offered. DoubleClick charges a commission for every ad traded on its exchange.

Fashion The hairstyling brand got2b by Schwarzkopf is looking for a trend scout to go on a world tour for them. Whoever is chosen as a Got2b trend scout this summer will have the absolute dream job waiting for them. The chosen one will get to travel, jet back and forth between six fashion capitals, live at got2b's expense and act as a trendsetter. All alone on the road for the Schwarzkopf hairstyling brand. The mission is simple: to track down trends and street styles. The trend scout's only obligation is regular fashion reporting from cities such as Tokyo or London. The trend scout takes to the streets and photographs people with style. Fashion freaks can apply for this dream job until March 31. The agency behind this trend scout campaign is Noise. It launched the casting for got2b. Since mid-January, candidates have been able to register at got2b-trendscout.ch to take part in the competition. Within two months, 140 applications were received. More than 12,000 users visited the got2b fashion platform. This week, the campaign enters a second phase. The jury, including former Miss Switzerland Mahara McKay, will meet and select the best 20 applicants. These will be presented to the community, which will then select the best 8 in a democratic voting process for the final. In the final phase, the candidates have to present the street style of tomorrow to the jury. The winner is then the official Got2b trend scout.
Campaign with impactThe campaign, which was originally supposed to be a below-the-line story, has become a national casting campaign. This was well received by the urban and trend-savvy shoppers. The media also discovered the campaign and regularly reported on the casting.
With this idea, the Zurich advertising agency Noise demonstrated that it is possible to achieve just as much success with a smaller budget than its competitors L'Oréal or Fructis.
With ingenuity and hard work, Noise shows that creativity has just as much value as a media million. For example, educational institutions with a creative focus were approached directly and their teaching staff were persuaded with an attractive package to encourage their students to take part. Individual classes even incorporated the topic into their lessons. Many such measures characterize the Got2b campaign. Media planning based on the motto: many small streams make a river.
Christian Lüscher

More info: www.got2b-trendscout.ch?

Prevention II The Zurich Women's Center (ZF) launches the "Stop domestic violence" campaign at the same time as the new Protection against Violence Act comes into force. Domestic violence should not be accepted, was the brief given to Publicis. The commercial shows the everyday life of a normal woman with a violent husband. The quiet cinematic realization and the sensitive dramaturgy underline the explosive nature. The poster shows a woman's mouth. Sensual, but with missing teeth, supplemented with the text elements "He loves me" or "He doesn't love me".

Publishing With Creative Suite 3, Adobe is facing up to the growing demands Since Apple delivered its first Intel-based computers at the beginning of 2006, desktop and web publishers working with Mac OS X as well as video producers have been waiting for the adapted products from Adobe - and therefore above all for the Creative Suite 3 program collection(s). As far as availability is concerned, the American software giant had to wait a long time, as the chip change on the part of Apple came at an inconvenient time for Adobe. In addition to the further development of its products, the company was also busy integrating the software producer Macromedia. In addition, the changeover is said to have been delayed due to partly outdated software code in various programs. In the professional environment, for example, only Adobe Acrobat 8 has so far been able to run "natively" on new Apple computers. New design, inside and outThe wait for Creative Suite 3 has been worthwhile, especially for those Apple users who are already using the new Intel computers. All Creative Suite 3 Design Premium applications tested on a MacBook Pro already run very smoothly in the pre-release version available to us. However, not only users of Apple's new generation of computers, but also users of PowerPC computers or users of the Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems benefit from faster applications. Anyone using the products of the "biggest software release in Adobe's 25-year history" will benefit not only from the increase in speed, but also from the fact that core technologies such as the Photoshop engine will be available across all programs. This means, for example, that filters that can be applied to bitmap data can also be used in applications other than Photoshop. In addition, the significantly improved integration between Adobe applications and the programs originally developed by Macromedia is particularly pleasing. The simpler exchange of images and graphics from, for example, Photoshop and Illustrator with Flash and Premiere or the content exchange between InDesign and Dreamweaver based on the XHTML standard saves users many intermediate steps that were previously necessary.
With the introduction of the new Creative Suite product line, Adobe is also changing the packaging design. The previous motifs on the boxes are being replaced by abstract, colorful packaging. In addition, Adobe is overturning the program images that have been used for many years; Venus (Illustrator), butterfly (InDesign) etc. will presumably disappear from the splash screen forever. The previously used program icons will also be replaced by new pictograms consisting of two letters that refer more directly to the program. Ps (for Photoshop), Dw (for Dreamweaver) etc. are thus easier to identify in the Mac dock or the Windows task bar than the icons previously used. In addition to a new design, the programs' splash screens have been given an additional function with the relaunch: they provide access to documents that are already open, are the basis for creating files or - depending on the application - for creating template-based documents.
More suites - and greater ease of useWith the launch of the Creative Suite 3 product line (for availability, see interview on page 23), Adobe is also updating all of its publishing products in one go - with the exception of Adobe Acrobat 8, as mentioned, which was released last year. Depending on how you count, the Group is putting together four or six software suites to meet the different needs of users (see box on the left). Klaus Kurz, Manager Business Development at Adobe Systems, explained these new product bundles at a press conference held in Zurich, saying that the Group can now better meet the needs of print and web publishing, output to mobile devices and the creation of interactive content or video content with the suites.
Adobe has implemented a more intuitive operating concept for everyday publishing. This allows users to find their way around programs more quickly that they may not have used before. The applications are easier to use thanks to the new palettes that can be docked to the right-hand side of the screen, which Adobe no longer refers to as palettes but as "panels" in the English test version. These panels can be removed as a group at any time and returned to their original location. The main palette on the left can no longer be displayed in two rows in all programs, but now also in a single row, which also creates more space on the monitor for the essentials.
Bridge to new shoresWith the new Adobe Bridge, users of the new Adobe applications/suites can reach new shores. At least when it comes to significantly faster access and management of elements such as images, documents, moving images or even animations. The new Adobe Bridge, which is supplied with every single product as well as every suite, also displays all images contained in subfolders directly on request, without having to access the folders separately. Images managed in the Bridge can now also be compared directly and even color adjustments or other corrections can be made to individual or several selected images based on RAW data (the unaltered raw image data of the digital camera). Adobe Bridge therefore has the potential to become a hub for print, web or video publishing.
Device Central: output center for print, web, video and mobileIn order to meet the publishing trend of displaying interactive content on mobile phones, playstations and/or portable devices, Adobe has developed the Device Central application. This allows you to visualize, sometimes at the touch of a button, how the content you have just produced will appear on an output device - a classic example would be a cell phone. Not only can the application differentiate between brands and models, it can even simulate different lighting environments on the "virtual device" in addition to operation. In this way, an animation, a game developed within a Flash environment or even web content can be adapted to real conditions by changing the contrast or colors, for example.
Illustrator and the new approach to color combinationsIt would go beyond the scope of this article to list the functions of the CS3 applications - those interested can find more information in the box below. One exception, however, is a new approach in Adobe Illustrator CS3 that enables a new way of working with colors. On the one hand, color combinations can be used to experiment with created designs or to develop variants from them. Adobe has also prepared color samples (swatches) that can be used to display design directions very easily and quickly. In this way, for example, a design alternative for a two-color version of a four-color design can be displayed as a preview and then applied. Live Color can also be used to dynamically apply colors to selected objects. The colors can be freely selected in the color space or brightness selected color wheel or brought into relation to each other.
But that's not all: swatches can be compiled, rated, downloaded or made available for download on the http://kuler.adobe.com website. This is a very interesting approach, the potential of which is not yet foreseeable. For example, the decentralized provision of a company's corporate colors is conceivable.
Conclusion: Successful relaunchThere are still a number of minor inconsistencies in the programs tested in the beta version. For example, swatches cannot yet be loaded in Adobe Flash - and access to the preferences with "Command-K" only works in the traditional Adobe products; Flash, Dreamweaver and Device Central must and will probably be adapted at one point or another in later updates or versions. The palettes in Dreamweaver have been improved, but have also not yet been adapted to the new Adobe software design. And the nice feature in Illustrator to adjust the gray value and thus the appearance of the palettes is still missing in all other applications.
However, the sum of the advantages easily outweighs these small deficits. The significantly improved integration between the applications is particularly pleasing. In practice, this results in clear productivity benefits that cannot yet be fully assessed.
The significantly faster Adobe Bridge and Device Central are further key highlights of Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium. Photoshop Design Extended is likely to be particularly popular with developers and packaging designers - the XHTML export from InDesign more so with web publishers.
The advantages that the web and production suites bring with them are another story - and that will be told another time.
19 programs, 4 suites or 6 editionsKeeping track of which program belongs where is no longer an easy task with Adobe products. The 19 applications are now offered in 4 "suites" (program collections) for 4 media channels. All programs, with the exception of Acrobat 8, are being launched in new versions.
Traditional desktop publishing is covered by Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design. InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat 8 are combined in the standard edition. The premium package, Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, also includes Flash and Dreamweaver as well as Photoshop Extended instead of the normal Photoshop version.
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web is also available as a standard package (Flash Professional, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Contribute) and - supplemented with Photoshop Extended, Illustrator and Acrobat 8 - as the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium edition.
There is only one premium package for post-production: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium. This suite includes After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, Flash Professional, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Soundbooth and Encore.
 
Finally, the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection includes all applications as the crowning glory.
Selected new features of Creative Suite 3 Design PremiumWith the launch of Photoshop CS3, anyone who believes that nothing can be improved in Photoshop will be proven wrong.
 
- The highlight of the image editing classic is the new option to automatically merge photographed images into a panoramic image. Intelligent filters adjust the images so that hardly any transitions are visible between the individual images.
- The new Quick Selection tool offers a new way of cropping objects or people. Instead of cropping the object from the outside as with the magic wand, this tool starts from the object and automatically recognizes associated areas.
- The high-end black and white conversion is also particularly pleasing: Based on the original colors, individual colors can be selected to make the conversion more contrasting.
- Another significant innovation is that images can be manipulated without changing or destroying the database. This "non-destructive" processing, which was already introduced in Photoshop CS 2 with the Smart Objects technology, has now been extended to the use of filters. This means that a filter does not have to be added to the image and can still be changed. The filter function can be changed or removed at any time.
- Images can be edited in perspective by using vanishing points.
With the introduction of Photoshop CS3 Extended, Adobe is offering an additional program that is included in all Premium Suites and in the Master Collection.
- Thanks to import filters, the program enables the application of imported or created 3D elements. These can be freely rotated, and perspective and lighting can be changed. Photoshop CS3 Extended also contains various functions that are of particular interest in the fields of architecture and medicine.
The InDesign CS3 version is a significant extension of the previous version.
- Photoshop effects are now also available in Adobe's layout program - this would be a different type of "non-destructive" image processing.
- Effects such as drop shadows or embossing can be applied to placed images either directly or via object styles.
- A practical feature for the user is that the page palette now contains small page previews.
- The setting of tables is significantly simplified by new table and cell style templates.
- Images and graphics (text would also be possible) can now be loaded in one go and gradually loaded into image frames without having to switch back to the "Place" dialog. The mouse pointer becomes an image browser and provides small previews. The images can be selected using the right/left cursor keys and placed by clicking on them.
- InDesign CS3 uses XHTML as the interface to the web. The style sheets used can be further processed in Adobe Dreamweaver on the basis of CSS templates, for example, or existing cascading style sheets can be used.
- Formatted text can be transferred directly into Adobe GoLive.
- InDesign documents can now be nested within one another. This means, for example, that advertisements in magazine production or other page sections can be produced separately and easily updated.
- Thanks to new variables, column titles or simple headers and footers can be generated automatically based on sample pages. This is controlled by variables stored in the text on the corresponding page.
- Sample pages can be added from existing InDesign documents.
- Practical: The "Duplicate multiple" function includes a preview function.
- And: Adobe InCopy and InDesign Server will also be available as CS3 versions.
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional has been strongly adapted to the interface of the other Adobe products.
- Photoshop CS3 and Flash CS3 users will appreciate that Flash can now import Photoshop files with all layers and other attributes onto the Flash "stage".
- In addition, vector graphics can also be created within Flash CS3.
- Other new features include a completely new user interface and a revised version of the ActionScript scripting language.
Dreamweaver CS3 provides web publishers with a significantly improved tool that is more intuitive to use.
- The highlight of the new version is a so-called Spry framework. This framework gives users better and more intuitive access to Ajax, which in turn allows individual page elements of a website to be replaced without having to completely reload it. Spry is the developer environment that significantly simplifies the creation of typical elements such as forms, tables, etc.
- Web designers should also be pleased with the improved integration with other Adobe products.
- Another important new feature is the web browser compatibility test, which identifies problem areas and provides workarounds that are available on the Internet for updating purposes.
- Ready-made CSS layouts are particularly practical, especially for users who are not yet familiar with this technology but do not want to do without the advantages of CSS.
Functions of Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Bridge CS3 and Adobe Device Central are explained in the article.
Jürgen Franck

 After a year's break, the advertising film festival Die Klappe is being relaunched. Registration is open until April 15.  
"Action: Die Klappe, zum zweiten!": The leading advertising film festival in the German-speaking world is to be relaunched in a young freshness after a one-year break. The organizers would particularly like to see more participants from Austria and Switzerland.
 
Die Klappe has been around for 27 years. Now, with the 2007 festival, a new size is to be aimed for. As the organizer, the Kommunikationsverband wants to make the advertising film competition "an international benchmark. To this end, Die Klappe 27 is taking another important step on the way from a German-language creative prize to a "leading international award for outstanding film and moving image communication". New categories such as "Internet" and "Mobile Devices" are now also important elements of the competition.
 
The jury will now be made up of one-third each of well-known representatives of agencies, clients and other service providers such as film productions. This should "ensure maximum objectivity and transparency," as Klaus Flettner, president of the communications association, hopes. The president of the jury is Amir Kassaei, the managing director of creation at DDB Germany. Andreas Grabarz (Grabarz & Partner), Guido Heffels (Heimat), André Kemper (kempertrautmann), Delle Krause (Ogilvy & Mather), Johannes Krammer (TBWA/Vienna), Thomas Knops (Nokia Europe), Ralf Lanzrath (Fujitsu Siemens Computers) have already been appointed as further jury members in 2007, Claudia Willvonseder (Ikea Germany), Oliver Klein (cherrypicker), Harald Nebel (new business), Philip Schwinger (ffp Vienna) and Mark von Seydlitz (made in munich Filmproduktion), Jörg Schäffken (InBev), Kirsten Missfeld (Warsteiner).
 
Participating agencies, production companies, businesses and institutions can register online at www.dieklappe.de until April 15, 2007. The decisive jury meeting will take place in May. The award ceremony is in Hamburg or Berlin.

Insurance company Wirz illustrates why it pays off twice over to insure your household contents with Swiss Mobiliar. The irritating word "profit-sharing" has acquired a stale aftertaste since we've only heard it recently in connection with exorbitant bonuses for greedy managers. However, the word has a completely different and extremely pleasant ring to it for the 1.2 million or so people who have insured their household contents with Mobiliar. The number one household insurer in Switzerland regularly gives its customers a share of the profits if the insurance business has gone well for the risk carrier. This means that Mobiliar pays out even if there is no claim. This is made possible by the profit participation that Mobiliar, as a cooperative, pays out to its customers. This year, everyone with household insurance can rejoice - they pay 20 percent less in premiums. Over 100 million francs will be paid out.
For this happy message from Mobiliar, Wirz Werbung developed three print subjects, each of which tells two different stories in one picture. The elaborate, almost photorealistic images were photographed by Ilan Hamra in many detail shots and then recombined or "composed" on the computer.
Two TV commercials are used in parallel with the advertisements, in which the "side-by-side" story is cleverly transferred to the film. Television viewers are likely to think there is a technical error in the production when the same commercial is shown twice in succession. But the irritation is intentional. The audience waits in suspense - only to discover that the second commercial has a completely different resolution. The story with a night-time burglar ends successfully for the burglar in the first case. In the second version, the thief makes a mistake and jams himself against the window. Another story illustrates how a model airplane leaves a window in shambles in the first spot. In the second version, the airplane flies through the house, artfully controlled and thus unmolested, and comes out on the other side. "One damage and we pay," explains the commentary in the first spot. "No damage and we pay too. Furniture. The cooperative that lets its customers share in its success," says the seamlessly following second version.
"These two almost identical spots, one right after the other, form a new mechanism that has never been used before," says CD Matthias Freuler. The production company Wirz & Fraefel, directed by "Cannes Photographer" Ernst Wirz, has once again worked with the old medium of film in this new way for Mobiliar. The wittily mixed soundtrack is by Jinge Jungle.   
 
Andreas Panzeri

Accident Prevention: Ruf Lanz has come up with a new promotional idea for Suva in the «Easter Basket.» Finding the “golden egg”—that’s the new challenge for a creative agency with every briefing. Which medium best conveys the message? Text messages, a viral video, guerrilla posters, or a blimp with a giant poster? None of the above—Ruf Lanz has now rediscovered for Suva the very foundation of our lives as the perfect vehicle for a call to action. On the Wednesday before Easter, promotional teams in Zurich, Basel, Bern, Lucerne, Winterthur, St. Gallen, Geneva, and Lausanne handed out over 20,000 Easter eggs to passersby. Each egg is artfully printed with a human face and the safety message: “Your head is fragile: Wear a bike helmet.”
The Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (Suva) takes many steps to prevent accidents and the associated costs from occurring in the first place. Improving safety during leisure activities is a top priority. This is because, due to more active leisure habits, there are now significantly more non-occupational accidents than occupational accidents. Since 2000, Suva and the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (bfu) have been working together to promote bicycle helmet use. And with success: The helmet-wearing rate is rising year after year. Last year alone, the percentage of cyclists who voluntarily wear a helmet rose from 34 to 39 percent. Ruf Lanz’s multi-award-winning prevention campaigns have contributed to this success.
Andreas Panzeri

Internet TV: In the U.S., companies are upgrading their web TV offerings. But even at Google, no one knows whether YouTube can actually turn a profit.
There’s only one thing on the minds of professionals in the American media industry right now: Internet TV. Online video—as the category is also known—is one of the fastest-growing forms of advertising. In January, the unregulated file-sharing site YouTube recorded by far the most visitors of any video provider, with a market share of 43 percent. The major players therefore have little to offer in response to the phenomenal popularity of Google’s acquisition. Even the community site MySpace, which belongs to News Corporation, seemed far behind in second place with a meager 16 percent, not to mention Google Video and AOL Video with 11 and 7 percent, respectively. Although many providers do not make it into the top ten in terms of numbers—such as Apple TV with its video download service on iTunes—the traditional media companies that produce the content must gradually come up with new strategies so they can compete with the tech giants in the online market.
The project generating the most buzz is the one from NBC Universal and News Corporation, which have now announced the launch of a competing website for online videos. Although it doesn’t have a name yet, it’s said to be more professionally designed than YouTube, where countless amateur videographers are active. But that’s not all: MySpace is also set to launch a sister site, tentatively named MySpace-TV, where users can download content they can’t see anywhere else. «There’s certainly a need for more YouTubes,» believes Eli Noam, a professor of media economics at Columbia University in New York. «The social networking aspect also remains cool and trendy.»
Media Companies Want to Secure Their Share of the Pie Although advertisers are currently allocating only a fraction of their budgets to online video advertising, media companies want to establish themselves as advertising partners early on. Of course, it remains to be seen which Internet TV sites will ultimately be financially viable. After all, it’s still unclear how even YouTube is supposed to turn a profit. «We bought YouTube because of its community aspect,» Google CEO Eric Schmidt said recently. «Ubiquity comes before revenue.» Efforts so far to place ads before the videos have made only slow progress because advertising professionals consider the quality of YouTube videos to be too low.
In contrast, the NBC/NewsCorp project—which doesn’t even have a name yet—already has high-profile advertisers like General Motors and Intel on board. After all, according to NewsCorp COO Peter Chernin, the whole thing is set to become «the world’s largest advertising platform.» It’s clear that the business model of the future for Internet TV is still a long way off. «Media companies are facing financial difficulties because viewer segments are becoming increasingly fragmented. But marketing costs are rising to promote these offerings,» says media professor Noam. «At the same time, however, people are consuming more and more media content, and the number of content providers will consolidate.»
(Almost) everyone is collaborating with everyone else. NBC and Fox aim to distribute their content as widely as possible. To that end, the two networks have entered into distribution agreements with AOL, Yahoo, and MSN, which in turn will also make the corresponding programs available on demand in order to attract as many online viewers as possible. «One of the cornerstones of traditional media has always been limited distribution of content and the attempt to draw viewers to their own media platforms,» says William Richmond, president of the Internet consulting firm Broadband Directions. «Online syndicates capitalize on the Internet’s greatest advantage: attracting as many customers as possible across as many online platforms as possible.»
Competitors ABC and CBS are also eyeing something similar; although they have been courted by NBC and Fox to join their new project, they have so far remained cautious to see where the trend is headed. Nevertheless, CBS content is available not only on its own websites but also via Yahoo and Google. Apple’s iTunes service partners with ABC, NBC, and MTV, among others. The former online bookseller Amazon.com has also launched a video service through which users can purchase individual TV programs. «Even though the networks will face a lot of competition, their content will be available everywhere,» says Michael Sprague, president of the Internet TV company WaveExpress. «Whether that happens on community sites, through Internet service providers, on their own websites, or on iTunes doesn’t matter.»
IPTV is also constantly upgrading. Things are currently a bit more organized among IPTV providers—who distribute content via a high-speed fiber-optic network—even though they are still in their infancy. Unlike the offerings from Yahoo or AOL Video, these systems are closed and require a subscription fee. Although consumers have fewer control options, the video quality is better. IPTV has an advantage over traditional television in that the measurement methodology will be far more precise than before, which in turn benefits advertisers.
The two main players in the U.S. IPTV market are currently the telecommunications companies AT&T and Verizon. While the broadband capacity of AT&T's service, called U-Verse, is considered too outdated to download large-file movies over the Internet, Verizon Fios is regarded as more advanced.
Fios offers a total of 350 TV channels, 22 of which are in HDTV, as well as an extensive library of video-on-demand movies. The service is already available in 200 cities and 5 states and currently has 202,000 subscribers. So far, Fios’s programming lineup still largely resembles that of established cable providers.
But with the next-generation Fios TV, customers will also be able to view Internet content on their TV screens, and Fios will offer search functions for online videos. «The integrated search functions will make it possible to search among hundreds of TV channels and thousands of web videos,» says Verizon’s chief marketing officer, Bob Ingalls. «That will leave cable providers in the dust.»
Gerti Schön, New York
United States: Internet TV (Selection) 
Internet TV
Google: Google Video, YouTube
Apple: Apple TV/iTunes
Yahoo TV
AOL: AOL Video, In2TV
MSN TV
Newscorp: MySpace Video, N.N. (in cooperation with NBC)
Broadcaster Websites
Disney: ABC.com, ESPN.com, and others.
Viacom: CBS.com, Vspot (VH1), MTV Overdrive, Turbonick (Nickelodeon), and others.
NBC Universal: NBC.com, SciFi.com, and others.
News Corp: Fox.com, Foxnews.com, and others.
IPTV
Verizon Fios
AT&T U-Verse

Publishers: Since the end of March, Publipresse CEO Otto Meier has no longer served on the board of directors of Basler Zeitung Medien—due to a conflict of interest.Otto Meier’s stint as a board member at National Zeitung and Basler Nachrichten AG—the official legal name of Basler Zeitung Medien (BZM)—lasted only from April 10, 2006, to March 23, 2007, or less than a year. «I resigned of my own accord because I was increasingly caught in a conflict of interest between my role as a board member of BZM on the one hand and my position as chief operating officer of Publipresse on the other,» explains Meier. And he adds: «It was clear from the start that this wouldn’t be a permanent position, because the dual role is too demanding. It might work when things are going well, but when times get tougher, it becomes difficult.»The atmosphere between BZM and PubliGroupe had indeed become more strained, even before Meier joined the BZM board. This was already evident during the protracted negotiations over the new management contract: they dragged on for a year and a half and were not concluded until February 2006. At least at that time, Meier’s role was still clear: he was negotiating as the head of Publipresse.
Newspaper Rivalry in the Basel Region But shortly after he joined the BZM, the first problem arose: The much-courted Basellandschaftliche Zeitung (bz) did not join the Basler Zeitung (BaZ) but instead joined the Mittelland Zeitung (MZ), allowing the latter to expand into the Basel area.
PubliGroupe CEO Hanspeter Rohner explains the implications for Publicitas as follows: «In the canton of Baselland, the bz decision has created a new market landscape that makes the BaZ and the MZ direct competitors in this market area. As the advertising agency partner for both publishers, Publicitas is tasked with resolving this delicate situation professionally and impartially, in collaboration with both publishers involved.» This required Otto Meier to walk a tightrope. He himself speaks of a «major balancing act that cannot be sustained in the long run,» which is why he ultimately decided to resign, he says.
Meier «absolutely refuses» to accept the notion that his resignation from the BZM could be interpreted as a decision in favor of the Mittelland Zeitung. «It’s more of a matter of principle—namely, that the head of Publipresse should not simultaneously serve on the board of directors of a publishing house under its control,» he says. Publipresse avoids such dual roles whenever possible. Meier explains that he ultimately accepted the dual role at BZM because of the sudden vacancy that arose last year following Fritz Schuhmacher’s unplanned resignation from the BZM board of directors.
The dispute is not over yet. Beat Meyer, CEO of BZM, confirms that Otto Meier resigned of his own accord. However, he hints that BZM did not take kindly to Meier’s «conflict of interest.» In fact, BaZ publisher Matthias Hagemann had already demanded «personnel and structural changes» from P last fall.
«Otto Meier's resignation is certainly related to this,» says Beat Meyer. However, he notes that the issue has not yet been resolved with Otto Meier's resignation, and the dialogue with the P continues. He does not specify which demands remain unresolved.
After all, P has already carried out some reorganizations. For example, the P branch in Liestal, which serves the bz, is no longer part of the P Basel region but now belongs to the P Aarau-Mittelland region (along with the branches in Aarau, Olten, Solothurn, and Grenchen). Furthermore, P Basel and P Aarau-Mittelland are no longer under the same regional management.
Rohner, Meier, and Meyer agree on two points. PubliGroupe’s 37 percent stake in BZM will remain unchanged. And the PubliGroupe CEO, who is also a member of the BZM board of directors, apparently does not face the same conflict of interest as Publipresse CEO Otto Meier. «Mr. Rohner operates at a different level and is not involved in Publicitas’s day-to-day operations,» says Beat Meyer.
The Six-Member Board of Directors of BZM: The Board of Directors of National Zeitung and Basler Nachrichten AG currently consists of the following individuals: Matthias Hagemann, Chairman of the Board of Directors; his cousin Ruth Ludwig-Hagemann; Peter Merian, former CEO of Sarasin Bank; attorney Oscar Battegay; PubliGroupe CEO Hanspeter Rohner; and Beat Meyer as the Board delegate. A successor to Otto Meier as the second PubliGroupe representative has yet to be named and must be elected at the annual general meeting this fall.
Markus Knöpfli

Digital Printing: As expected, Océ is launching a 4/4-color roll-fed color printing system. Océ recently made a big splash. The Dutch corporation, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, invited more than 150 trade journalists to Poing, a production site located not far from Munich. The occasion was, on the one hand, the annual «Océ OpenHouse» customer event, where—in stark contrast to the Hunkeler Innovationdays (see Werbewoche 9/2007)—the leading providers of post-press solutions, and thus key partners of Océ, showcased their offerings. On the other hand, Océ used the opportunity to introduce new products and provide updates on business performance and strategic plans.Growing with Four-over-Four Web Printing SystemsAfter Océ had expanded its VarioStream series year after year by adding a toner-based printing unit, the series reached a new milestone this year with the introduction of a four-color machine. This means that, instead of just black and—depending on the configuration—one or two process or custom colors as before, the system can now produce four-color printed materials on both sides. The newly introduced VarioStream 9240 is thus suitable for a wide range of applications. In addition to black printing and printing with additional process colors for company logos, etc.—as with previous models—Océ’s continuous-feed presses can now, for the first time, produce complex, full-color content, for example in the field of transaction printing. Rokus van Iperen, CEO of Océ, explained that more than 50 percent of all machines installed worldwide in the transactional printing segment are from Océ. «With the four-color VarioStream 9240, we aim,» said Iperen, «to secure our leadership in digital web printing and continue to grow.»
Although Océ is responding to the (slowly) changing demand for color transactional printing with the VarioStream 9240, it became clear in Poing that black-and-white printing still dominates there. 100 billion pages printed in black-and-white (per day!) are offset by «only» two to three billion pages printed in color. It is therefore hardly surprising that Océ continues to make significant efforts to improve the print performance of its black-and-white systems. For example, the VarioStream 9000 produces up to 1,270 A4 pages. By comparison: The top model in the VarioPrint series can produce up to 250 double-sided A4 pages per minute—while the new VarioStream 9240 color system manages «only» 168 pages per minute.
The announcement of the Océ Arizona 250 GT large-format printing system came as only a partial surprise. This printer, which had already been introduced in the U.S. and is now making its European debut, can print on both rigid substrates (up to 1.25 meters wide x 2.5 meters long and 48 millimeters thick) and, with the use of an optional roll module, flexible media up to 2.2 meters wide. The printing system uses UV-curable inks (CMYK) and achieves excellent print results thanks to a technology called Océ VariaDot (variable dot size achieved through the controlled dispensing of ink droplets). The varying droplet sizes enable photo-like print quality. Océ specifies the print speed as more than 16 m²/hour. According to Tom Egelund, who heads the large-format printing systems division at Océ, the Arizona 250 GT—which Océ developed in-house—is expected to cost only about half as much as comparable competing products. And Océ plans to introduce additional products in this category.
If you look at the evolution of Océ’s products, it becomes clear that the company is likely guided by the principle of «slow but steady.» The best example is the VarioStream 9240 roll-fed color printing system, which is now set to be launched as a four-color system—following the single-, two-, and three-color models. For Océ’s customers, this makes the company a predictable partner. As a result, no unexpected surprises are to be expected from the Dutch company.
Europe's Largest Digital Printing Trade Show Under the theme «Beyond the Ordinary,» Océ, together with more than sixty partners, presented solutions from its Digital Document Systems and Wide Format Printing Systems divisions from March 5 to 9, 2007. With nearly 9,000 square meters of exhibition space, the OpenHouse organized by Océ is Europe’s largest digital printing trade show.
According to Océ, more than 5,800 customers and prospective clients from 90 countries gathered in Poing, near Munich, to learn about trends in digital printing as well as new solutions and products from Océ and its partner companies. Visitors to the event—primarily industry professionals and decision-makers from companies in the graphic arts industry and sectors such as financial services, telecommunications, utilities, and the public sector—were able to see for themselves the cutting-edge, end-to-end solutions on display at more than 60 booths.
During its in-house exhibition, Océ signed a promising strategic distribution partnership with China’s Founder Group. The Founder Group’s sales organizations will sell Océ’s digital printing systems in China’s high-volume printing and graphics market, thereby further tapping into this fast-growing market for Océ products.
Jürgen Franck

For WattWorld, McCann-Erickson is showcasing the «power outlet bike» with a series of high-profile appearances. Anyone who gets around town by bike enjoys flexibility and unrivaled speed over short distances. Alongside walking, biking is the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation. Amid the climate debate and rising fuel prices, electric bikes are enjoying increasing popularity. A powerful electric motor in the bottom bracket of e-bikes provides extra “tailwind.” The muscle power needed to pedal is practically unnecessary—that’s how effectively these sophisticated systems work. Human effort is amplified many times over. And plug-in bikes are becoming increasingly suitable for everyday use. The technology is barely visible as it’s integrated into the bike, enabling uncompromising mobility. Riders tackle hills with a smile. Speeds exceeding 40 km/h are no problem.
WattWorld is a company based in Geneva that sells these types of e-bikes. The company has recognized the potential of these high-tech bikes and is launching a bold campaign in collaboration with the McCann-Erickson agency. The goal is to get more e-bikes on Swiss roads. Because every pedal stroke requires muscle power, cycling enthusiasts tend to associate electric bikes with laziness.
McCann turns the tables and now turns a supposed weakness into a strength. On the posters, for example, the creatives feature the matador who, instead of preparing to deliver the killing blow with his sword, casually waits for the bull with a pistol. Or the karate fighter who respectfully greets his opponent but is about to enter the fight with a baseball bat. The images are accompanied by simple slogans: «Make your life easier.» (Original in French: «Simplifiez-vous la vie.») Timo Kirez, Chief Creative Officer at McCann-Erickson: «It’s okay to be lazy. Why stress yourself out?» The poster campaign will be on display in Geneva and Lausanne starting in mid-April.
E-bikes have evolved from a niche product to a trendy item. Sales rose significantly from 1,792 to 3,181 units last year, according to a recent announcement by the Swiss Center for Bicycle Issues. In Japan, e-bikes have already achieved a market breakthrough, with over 200,000 sold annually; in Europe and the U.S., the market is still in its introductory phase.
Christian Lüscher

The current advertising campaign for Sandoz, created by Werbeanstalt and centered on the theme «Switzerland’s Largest Fitness Center,» has been creating an unusual scene at Zurich’s main train station since Monday.  
The APG’s “Rail-Rolling-Star” posters at Zurich Central Station encourage passersby to do something for their health. And although some still adamantly insist that exercise is unhealthy, the opposite is true—at least for the Zurich advertising agency. For those who don’t want to remain stuck in their office chairs or in front of the TV, the agency’s creative team designed a running course right in the middle of the station for their client: featuring a starting point, three checkpoints with calorie-burn indicators, and a finish line. Apparently, it’s working, as Tuesday’s photo proves …