With the new advertising motif, Euro RSCG Zurich is expanding SBB Cargo's national image campaign. With this campaign, the transport company is showing the general public how diverse, tailor-made and flexible its services are, according to the agency's press release. Services that Circus Knie also makes use of during its tour. SBB Cargo transports all the circus material as well as the artists from city to city.  

Press The new Tagi large circulation reaches more Zurich households than the Zürcher Landzeitung On February 27, the Tages-Anzeiger launches its large circulation (GA) in the regions of Lake Zurich (districts of Meilen and Horgen), Zürcher Oberland and Zürcher Unterland. In addition to the total of 76,000 copies of normal circulation of the three Tagisplits in these areas, the Tamedia flagship will now distribute an additional 178,000 copies on Tuesdays by early delivery. A total of around 254,000 households will be served. However, as the potential in these regions comprises 313,000 households, the Tagi-GA has a distribution density of 81 percent, unlike the GA of the Zürcher Landzeitung (Zürcher Unterländer, Zürcher Oberländer and Zürichsee Zeitung): It covers a much larger geographical area and is therefore not directly comparable with the Tagi-GA. Nevertheless, this much can be said: in the regions with Tagi-GA, the Züriland newspaper's GA only serves 215,000 households, meaning that its distribution density there is 68 percent. The reason for the difference is that the ZürichseeZeitung does not distribute a GA in the districts of Horgen and Meilen, an (unnecessary) gap that could benefit the Tagi in the advertising market.
A price comparison of the two GAs is tricky because of the different areas they cover. However, a comparison at the thousand-reader price (TLP) level could be interesting: The Tagi-GA, which will reach an estimated 700,000 readers throughout Switzerland with a total of 403,000 copies, has a TLP of CHF 45.11 (basis: 1/1 page four-color). The Zürcher Landzeitung GA with a total of 261,700 copies will reach 345,000 readers in the entire area covered and has a CPT of CHF 68.11.
Markus Knöpfli

Internet commerce Following a comprehensive agency evaluation, Ruf Lanz was entrusted by ricardo.ch, the leading Swiss Internet marketplace, with the conception of a classic image campaign. In the first phase of the campaign, the core product of ricardo.ch will be advertised, namely the online auctions with their countless attractive offers. Full-page and double-page advertisements and posters feature offers with striking price flashes. What catches the eye, however, is not the price, but the absence of it. Because in the online auctions at www.ricardo.ch, anyone can set the price themselves. In the second phase of the campaign, the focus will then be on the entire range of products offered by ricardo.ch. This is because it is still too little known that ricardo.ch also offers thousands of attractive fixed-price offers in addition to online auctions. The second campaign phase will start in March.

Finanzen Publicis launches the "Better accompanied" claim for PostFinance and moves forward with the idea of the yellow stripe. Over the past four years, the PostFinance umbrella campaign has become established and, with the pedestrian crossing as its icon, has become a much-cited model example of integrated communication. The yellow stripe as a symbol of a secure partnership with PostFinance is understood and immediately recognized. Based on this proven foundation, it has now been possible to further develop the overarching basic communication. In addition to product-specific statements, Publicis has increasingly focused on the staging of the brand and the partnership-based approach to customers. This is also reflected in the new claim, which is now called "Better accompanied" - instead of "Everything to do with money". With the new implementation by Publicis, PostFinance is taking "a big step forward on the successful pedestrian crossing", as the creatives are convinced. With this focus on the yellow stripe, a completely independent visual appearance was realized. This concept makes it possible to address the individual target groups and services in a differentiated and yet visually consistent way. The strip is also an ideal vessel for visibly characterizing a story both in film and in print. The image strip makes it possible to tell a story with a chronological development - for private customers child, teenager, adult, senior - or for business customers first beginnings, first successes, expansion...
This development is indicated in the spots with constantly changing visualization in the background, while in the foreground the feet continue to walk - well accompanied by the yellow stripe. 
In four new TV commercials, funny and charming stories from everyday life are told in this style from a surprising angle. Four scenes each, seemingly seamlessly connected in an amazing way, are aimed at the target groups of young people, families, older people and business customers.
In print, too, a wide variety of people with all kinds of shoes, clothes and accessories are on the pedestrian crossing. With sophisticated staging, the PostFinance products and customer segments are communicated in an immediately recognizable way.
The form of the strip has also become a concept in media placement. Ads are placed exclusively in the form of strips, which in special cases can run over several pages.
The commercials can be seen on Swiss television, in the windows (Pro7, RTL, RTL2, Vox/Super RTL, Sat1/Kabel1), on local stations and as 10-second loops before the "Tagesschau". The first wave of the print campaign started with eight subjects in newspapers and magazines throughout Switzerland and will run until mid-March.   
Andreas Panzeri

Column We are all global, communicating around the world. But there seems to be a huge problem with short-distance communication recently: you have nothing more to say to your partner? Are the children annoying and the boss anyway? In the past, you would have sought out a conversation. Today, people are withdrawing more and more, refusing any direct communication and fleeing into another life. Second Life" seems to be an ideal platform. In this online game, people construct a new world for themselves - with dreamlike islands, attractive sex partners and the opportunity to earn heaps of money. You are no longer "Werni from the IT department", but suddenly a cheeky gigolo with private possessions that some people on earth can only dream of. But what has actually happened to us? Direct contact with people seems to be becoming increasingly difficult - even in everyday working life. Example: automatic telephone answering machines. At the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine in Zurich, it's no longer a nice lady who answers, but a computerized voice. "Search for department X, dial 1" and so on. What do I do if I don't know where the person I'm looking for works? I'm totally lost! Because nobody wants to talk to the caller. These tape announcements are not only extremely annoying, they also signal defensiveness, too much work, too much stress. Please don't disturb, that's what it means to me.
It seems to me that many people can no longer stand direct contact. They prefer to email and make themselves virtually invisible. So we email halfway around the world, "talking" to America, Japan and Russia. But in the evening, over dinner at the family table, many a man remains silent. He also signals "please don't disturb". The wife no longer seems to be able to get to him. The children want attention, he interprets this as annoyance. "Why am I not James Bond?" some people ask themselves. A hot guy with a hot body and an even hotter sports car. Escape, just get away from this life. It's still easier than confronting yourself. So many people seek their salvation in parallel worlds. This phenomenon seems to be widespread, as is the mistaken belief that there is an easy way to get to the real life.
It's a story about closeness and distance. We can't stand the closeness any more. It's easier to email Natasha from Moscow than to have a sensible conversation with Trudi in the living room next door. "You can't have a conversation with Trudi either", is that what you're thinking now? Yes, but hello? Then why haven't you done something about it already? "Because it's so comfortable", I hear you say. Fears and a latent sense of being overwhelmed in our everyday lives are driving us away. As a platform, internet worlds seem to be the saviors for this distress. But it would be worth simply thinking about burnout. Definitions can be found at www.swissburnout.ch. There you will also find a short self-test that will show you how close you are to the abyss.
And for those who just want to play, I recommend the new edition of good old Monopoly. You can also buy properties there - now even with a credit card. Or how about a good glass of red wine by the fire and a chat with friends? Dear readers, ONE life must be enough.
 
Karin Müller is a communications consultant in Zurich

Print Based on its positive experience with Dico technology, Stämpfli Publikationen AG has once again opted for a DICOweb. The press is to be installed in Berne in January 2008, according to supplier MAN Roland. Stämpfli installed the first DICOweb heatset press in the fall of 2002 - a world first at the time. The DICOweb is still the only offset press in the world with integrated imaging and de-imaging of the printing form. According to Peter Hubacher, Head of Publishing Services and Magazines at Stämpfli, the aim of this additional machine is to expand the company's leading position in the production of magazines in small and medium print runs.

Marc Walder has been editor-in-chief of SonntagasBlick since Monday and has appointed Christian Dorer and Peter Röthlisberger as his deputy editors-in-chief. They replace Susanne Mühlemann, who previously held this post. The 31-year-old Dorer is a graduate of the Ringier School of Journalism, worked for Blick in the business department from 2001 and then for SonntagsBlick as a parliamentary correspondent until today. Röthlisberger (39) studied history, was editor-in-chief and program director at TeleZüri, then head of domestic affairs at Weltwoche and until now head of economics at Schweizer Illustrierte. Mühlemann will continue to work for SonntagsBlick. As she told the news agency SDA, she will focus on writing in the political and economic areas. Walder is also bringing Kurt Felix on board. He has worked as a writer for Schweizer Illustrierte in the past; his exact future role will be defined in the coming weeks, as Ringier announced on Tuesday.

The editor-in-chief of the free Basel newspaper Baslerstab, Markus Sutter, is leaving the publication in the middle of the year. As Basler Zeitung Medien announced on Tuesday, he will take up the post of Germany correspondent for Basler Zeitung (BaZ) in his new adopted home of Berlin. The succession plan has been initiated. The 50-year-old Sutter already worked in various departments at the BaZ before moving to the Baslerstab and has been responsible for the Baslerstab since June 2002. The free newspaper is published from Monday to Friday with a circulation of over 92,000 copies.

South African businessman Issie Kirsh presented his new project on Tuesday: He wants to enable direct dialog between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East with a new English-language radio station. The project includes studios in Ramallah and Jerusalem and is due to go on air for the first time on Wednesday morning. Around 20 news programs, contemporary music and talk shows are planned. The radio producer is hoping for 500,000 listeners and a bridge to dialog, which he believes has been lacking in the region for years. Kirsh had already launched a similar project in South Africa in the 1980s. Back then, blacks and whites sat together and talked, which made reconciliation possible.

Anja Fischer joined the Zug-based consultancy Soultank at the beginning of 2007 to strengthen its marketing and sales activities. In her role and as a new member of the management team, she is intensifying market development and is responsible for planning and implementing the marketing and sales strategy. The 30-year-old Fischer has been working in the Internet and marketing business since 1998. As an independent consultant, she spent three years advising small and medium-sized companies on all aspects of marketing and communication. Prior to this, Fischer was project manager at an Internet agency in Berne and supported medium-sized and large companies in the web sector.

The new Ringier Publishing Switzerland wants to strengthen its position in the market with several organizational changes. To this end, it is separating the previous sales and logistics services from the former Publishing Services department. These areas are now the direct responsibility of the Newspapers, Magazines and Print divisions. According to a press release, the aim is to improve reader service at Dufourstrasse by being closer to the market. Thomas Passen is the new Head of Newspaper Publishing (formerly Blick Verlag). He is now also responsible for the management of retail sales, cross-media activities and the MediaMat vending machine business with a national network of 3561 newspaper vending machines. He is also in charge of the international advertising business. Passen has been with Ringier since 1998 and was Head of the Magazine Readership and Advertising Market for the last three years. Beniamino Esposito, Head of Magazine Advertising Sales, is now responsible for the magazine advertising market. Dietrich Berg, previously Head of Blick Verlag, will take over the magazine reader market. In his new role, he will also be responsible for the KKC customer contact center and the publisher's Market Information Analysis (MIA) department. (MIA) department of the publishing house. Publishing logistics will remain in the Services division together with Ringier Print Adligenswil. Andreas Schaffner will now be responsible for this area. Following the distribution of all its core tasks to new areas, the former Publishing Services department will be dissolved.

The hosting provider Hostpoint is entering into a cooperation with Google and will be giving its customers a voucher worth CHF 50 over the next few days. This will allow them to advertise their own products on Google AdWords. Hostpoint was founded in 2001 and has 45,000 customers and 70,000 managed domains (as of December 2006). In addition to the three owners, 23 employees work at the headquarters in Rapperswil-Jona. In addition to Switzerland, Hostpoint is also active in Austria, Germany and Spain.