Private television The private TV stations in French-speaking Switzerland have a problem: despite an expanded combi and a new marketer, they are lacking in performance and useful figures. While the latter already joined forces in the last millennium to form a regional-language advertising combination, the TeleNewsCombi (TNC), this was only possible in French-speaking Switzerland a year and a half ago - and still only happened half-heartedly: although the RomandieNewsCombi (RNC) came into being, it was only thanks to the patient pushing and pulling of marketer Radiotele. Moreover, only five broadcasters took part: TVRL in Lausanne, ICI-TV in Vevey, Canal 9 in Sierre (VS), Canal Nord-Vaudois in Yverdon and Canal Alpha in Cortaillod (NE). The Geneva stations Léman Bleu and Tele Bielingue (Biel) were not included, but the RNC no longer exists and was terminated at the end of 2006. The reason: Léman Bleu and Télé Bielingue decided to join after all, which is why the RNC is being replaced by the new Télé Romandie Combi (TRC). This means that, for the first time, the whole of French-speaking Switzerland can be covered by local TV from a single source. The seven broadcasters have also recently chosen SRG marketer Publisuisse as their marketer. However, this caused astonishment among PubliGroupe subsidiary Radiotele, which had also made an offer. "I had expected that we would be invited by the broadcasters in French-speaking Switzerland to talk to them again. At least that's what was announced," says Radiotele Managing Director Bruno Oetterli. The same can be heard from IP Multimedia.
But Oetterli can come to terms with the decision. "Publisuisse will now have to show how successfully it can operate in this market. Up to now, it has primarily marketed SRG TV channels," he says. But is that true? After all, Publisuisse has been co-marketer of the Swiss-German TeleNewsCombi (TNC) since 2002, together with Radiotele, so it should certainly have some experience in the local TV market. Oetterli says: "TNC sales mainly come through us or from agencies that book online via Publiplan." Some TNC broadcasters confirm this. Publisuisse Head of Marketing Markus Hollenstein, however, does not wish to comment.
Comparative data is lackingOetterli points out another point: Despite marketer Publisuisse, "the main problem of local TVs in French-speaking Switzerland remains. Most of them have no Telecontrol data. This means that they are still not comparable with TSR or the foreign broadcasters." In fact, Telecontrol (TC) was already only able to provide global figures for the previous RNC: The five channels had an average net reach of 11,500 viewers in 2006; together with Léman Bleu and Tele Bielingue, this figure is likely to be around 17,000,000. However, due to the low usage of Léman Bleu and TVRL, channel-specific information or even advertising block ratings are only possible for Léman Bleu and TVRL - for the others, the case numbers are too low. Another complicating factor is that some channels only have small TV areas.
However, the inadequate track record does not seem to be a problem everywhere. "Because the local TVs in French-speaking Switzerland are not the lead broadcasters, the lack of TC data does not play a major role," says Gregor Doser, Head of Electronic Media at the media agency Mediaedge:cia Switzerland. Usually, people don't place large sums of money in this medium, but primarily try to optimize campaigns, he says.
But this also makes it clear that if the channels in French-speaking Switzerland want to try to step out of TSR's shadow, they need higher usage and then also TC data. The broadcasters know this too. However, it is unclear what they are doing to improve their program. On the other hand, they are trying to mitigate the lack of data somewhat by joining the basic research of SRG subsidiary Publica Data. Their weekly interviews are to be supplemented with questions on viewer behavior in French-speaking Switzerland, so that around 1500 interviews on local TV usage in French-speaking Switzerland can be evaluated on a quarterly basis. PDAG Managing Director Rolf Müller confirms corresponding talks, but emphasizes that nothing is definite yet. Moreover, PDAG will only do this on an exceptional basis and for a maximum of two years. He also made it clear that the findings from the interviews would also not allow any statements to be made at station or advertising block level.   
Markus Knöpfli

Radio and TV advertising Does Tamedia want to turn SRG marketer Publisuisse into a one-stop store? Advertising on Swiss local radio stations has been stuck at a market share of just over three percent for years. Local TV stations are also dissatisfied with what they get from the advertising pie. How can these media increase their share? By increasing their reach and simplifying handling for media agencies. This is exactly what Tamedia, which has (partly indirect) holdings in two TV stations and three radio stations, is aiming for. Andreas Meili, Tamedia's Head of Electronic Media, has pushed for the expansion of the Swiss Radio Pool to become the largest radio combination. And he is also pursuing a vision in terms of handling: SRG marketer Publisuisse is to market the most important local radio and local TV pools in future. The main reason: Publisuisse has Publiplan, a tool that is well established with agencies and can be used to plan and book SRG's market-leading stations. The tool can also be expanded: The TeleNewsCombi (TNC), the combination of private TV stations in German-speaking Switzerland, has also been available there for five years, and TNC sales have quadrupled since then.Meili is hoping for the same effect elsewhere, for example with the Swiss Radio Pool (SRP), for which a marketer is currently being evaluated. However, the choice already seems to have been made: In mid-January, Meili announced that Publisuisse was in pole position as SRP marketer. He confirmed to Werbewoche: "So far, the proposals made by Publisuisse have been the most convincing to the SRP partners." The Publiplan, which can be adapted to the radio medium, also plays a role here.
But why the advance notice? Meili was probably pursuing a purpose. But what was it? Presumably he was sending a signal to the French-speaking part of Switzerland, where a marketer was also being evaluated for the new TéléRomandieCombi. Indeed, just two weeks later, the local TV stations there announced that they had not only expanded the reach of the Kombi, but had also chosen Publisuisse as their sole marketer. Important reasons for this were the Publiplan (see WW 4/07), the sales growth of the TNC - and probably not least Meili's clear hint.
But why should Tamedia be interested in Publisuisse also taking over the marketing of local TV in French-speaking Switzerland? This would standardize the handling of the local TV medium - which would ultimately benefit all broadcasters. If Publisuisse were now also to take over SRP, this would offer even more synergy opportunities - cross-media between radio and TV, but above all with the SRG media. This could give local radio and TV stations an additional boost.
But there is still one fly in the ointment: Publisuisse is "merely" a co-marketer of the TNC, together with Radiotele. But two marketers make the commission unnecessarily expensive; Publisuisse alone would suffice. Possible scenario: TeleZüri cancels its TNC membership at the end of 2007 in order to force a new "marketer evaluation".
Confronted with all this, Meili says: "These theses are interesting, but they have little to do with the Swiss Radio Pool tender." He says this without denying the theses.    
Markus Knöpfli

Point-of-sale advertising Manufacturers and retailers use printed and electronic advertising materials as well as conversations to try and get eye-catching advertising messages across to customers in a cluttered environment. It is a truism: over 80 percent of purchasing decisions are made at the point of sale. It is therefore logical that the advertising industry wants to set the tone here in particular. But as if the many colorful packages were not enough of a stimulus, additional eye-catchers contribute to the now total sensory overload. In some supermarkets, customers prefer to focus on the advertising because the product information signs are completely lost. Printed advertising materialsClassic PoS advertising materials are still displays made of folding carton and corrugated cardboard in their various designs for a wide range of purposes. The cardboard material is either printed directly using sheet-fed offset or flexographic printing (post-print) or pre-printed using flexographic printing and then laminated onto the corrugated cardboard (pre-print).
It is important to consider whether the displays are supplied separately from the goods. This is because the constructions must then be easy for the retail staff to unfold and assemble before the goods are sorted. If they are also to be used as transport packaging, they should ideally be assembled by the packing company and loaded with the goods.
For promotions, displays and brochure stands are also used only for information material, competitions and other campaigns. Or they are used purely for visual advertising, for example in the form of posters, ceiling hangers, shelf stoppers and display stands.
Electronic advertising mediaAdscreens are becoming increasingly important as a dynamic audio-visual alternative to static printed advertising. Interchangeable content is displayed on flat screens in real time. The moving image and sound attract additional attention. The network architecture determines the distribution scenarios: DVDs sent from the head office are played in-store; content management systems provide the audio, video and Flash files for daily download in retail stores; adscreens operated day and night, especially outdoors, are controlled individually via satellites and GPS coordinates. Cell phones are now also increasingly being used for advertising. Infonet points with intranet or internet access provide support.
Frequently used PoS advertising media in alphabetical order
Adscreens:
LCD monitors, RGB diode screens, projection screensDisplays:
Advertising and promotional displays set up on the floorBluetooth hotspots:
Broadcasting stations for mobile advertising or fast, wireless Internet access floor stations:
Displays that stand on the floor Ceiling hangers:
Tasting stands with advertising signs hanging freely from the ceiling:
Supervised or unsupervised promotion counter decoration:
Decorative items and materials for shelves, salesrooms and window displays:
Displays designed as dispensers for small-sized goods, samples or information flyersFlags:
Fabric panels to be attached to poles, usually in the outdoor area of the PoSFloor Graphics, floor adhesive:
self-adhesive films with advertising motifInfo flyer:
Folded or unfolded slips of paper, e.g. with product informationInfonet columns:
Information points where customers can browse the product range on a PC monitor or search the InternetInfo sign for shelf rails:
Signs indicating special product features (use, vitamin content, origin, organic conformity, etc.)Small posters:
indicate special offer prices for individual products at the PoSMatrix codes:
Two-dimensional dot code pallet displays printed on displays, posters, packaging and envelopes:
Mix of transport packaging and display made of printed corrugated cardboard promotional counters:
Quickly assembled counters with advertising print on the front and rear wall Shelf displays:
Displays that are designed as independent, all-round accessible shelvesTrays:
Mix of transport packaging and display; the goods are presented with the tray on the shelfShelf stopper:
paper signs printed on one side or cardboard or plastic take-back stations printed on both sides placed on the product shelf rails:
Recycling containers (e.g. for packaging waste, batteries, etc.) with advertising imprintShop-in-Shop:
Displays or stands that combine samples from a brand's entire product range:
Advertising prints and ad screens on the dispensers and on the dispenser counter displays:
Displays that are placed on the counter in the consultation and checkout areaTopper:
Advertising signs made of plastic, solid or corrugated cardboard (often contour-punched), urns, lot boxes:
Displays designed as drop-in boxes for forms or cards as part of a prize competition Advertising and sales stands:
Cell often modeled on the shape of the advertised product with counter, walls, roof and door wobbler:
UV offset or UV screen printed on one side, contour die-cut shelf stoppersDieter Kleeberg

Copyright If you have a limited advertising budget, you have to go a little further to attract attention. Like the Airport Outlet, which caused a stir in December with posters showing Schellen-Ursli in plaster. Resolution: "Now even ordinary people can afford racing skis." Orell Füssli Verlag AG, which owns the image rights to Schellen-Ursli, also noticed the motif concocted by Ruf Lanz. However, the case was solved in a refreshingly creative way: Airport Outlet Managing Director Peter Wider bought 150 copies of Schellen-Ursli's book from Orell Füssli and will be giving them away to the children of his customers over the next few weeks. So the story has a happy ending after all. And those for whom the popular character from the Grisons fairy tale was invented over 60 years ago will benefit. Andreas Panzeri

Wohnen Unikat launches ten good reasons for an Ikea kitchenThe kitchen is the center of home life. A good reason to make this room as homely as possible. You can find plenty of inspiration for this on a shopping trip through the Ikea showrooms and warehouses. Whether it's pot holders, crystal glass, plastic bowls, wood or bar stools, curtain fabric, tables or carpets: there are many good reasons to visit Ikea first for inspiration on how to furnish your kitchen. 10 of the strongest reasons to visit Ikea have now been made the content and concept of a new campaign by the Unikat communications agency in Küsnacht.
Unikat, which has been working for the Swedish furniture retailer for some time, has been commissioned to continue positioning Ikea as a strong player in the Swiss kitchen market. As early as January 2006, Unikat realized a broad campaign in this direction. 
Ikea's further growth as a kitchen and kitchen accessories provider is now to be "pushed with a special campaign for the greater Zurich area", as Carlos Friedrich, Head of Marketing at Ikea, explains. The key point of the statement: anchoring Ikea as a quality kitchen supplier from A to Z.
The basic idea of communicating the ten strongest reasons for choosing an Ikea kitchen dramatizes the arguments of design and homeliness, price and the large selection of accessories. To this end, Ikea is calling for a large-scale search campaign in which the public can find the "10 good reasons for an Ikea kitchen" on posters, in advertisements, on the web and in other media. The accompanying, attractive competition offers participants the chance to win ten times CHF 10,000. More than one million competition cards will be printed and distributed in the daily and trade press as well as in public places and train stations. "People should encounter the campaign as if they were on a kind of scavenger hunt through the region," says CD Daniel Meier at Unikat, describing the campaign's appearance.
The correspondingly large number of media includes posters, megaposters, advertisements, newspaper inserts, banners, the Internet, e-boards, campaigns in public spaces and in-store communication.
Andreas Panzeri

Column Rebellious ideas are not born on the carpet floor. At most, managers there ask themselves about the profitability of their strategy. Chiara took off to save polar bears from drowning at the North Pole. Tobacco was only available on the black market. Fees were paid according to body mass index - to my detriment. 2012, I remember correctly. Commuters were still wading knee-deep in printed paper at train stations. Transport helicopters pelted the country with the Weltwoche, the anti-democratic right's favorite newspaper - and with portraits of President Blocher. Hardly anyone bent down.
Hedge funds had long since taken over Tamedia. Nobody watched television anymore. Roger Schawinksi taught experimental philosophy at the ETH. The kiosks that survived sold aspirin, socks and knick-knacks. Media ecologists chanted around the corners. In short, there was a nice buzz in the air.
It is said to have started in Winterthur. Eleven dismissed journalists set up a studio. They embraced a new media economy. They researched and published, created an Internet newspaper, published a daily newspaper, a weekly newspaper and a voluminous newsletter. Soon they were 32, running an Internet radio station, teaching public storytelling and narration, and all this would have remained the foam of the day had they not broken with everything that the profession considered professional and necessary.
Minimalist style of their papers: hardly any layout, everything for the content. Editorial offices were passé, it was all about the production of knowledge, public discourse. Every publication was aimed at multimedia. Instead of being alluring, they were full of substance; where Fast Think, Shakira's panties and "editorial management" had raged, the Atelieristas served the politeness of relevance, enlightenment and sensuality. Strangely, they found readers, viewers, listeners. BBC came to document the incomprehensible. The British discovered an extensive community that actively participated in the studio's productions. This gave this or that manager in the media corporations the inkling that there might be a connection between the declining quality of their "products", their loud appearance and the public's aversion. Was their strategy economically obsolete? It is clear that such unruly thinking could not thrive on the carpet.
Desire rebelled against order. At the turn of the year, IPMZ researchers counted 16 think tanks, 14 new daily newspapers, countless internet publications, 19 weekly newspapers and a rampant scene across the country. Furthermore: Completely new forms of distribution. A media-ecological party. And, in Biel, an institute for journalism that finally put the training of professionals on its feet.
Exciting. However, the new scene had not solved the essential problem. A host of new voices initially only made a cacophony, a splendid cacophony to be sure - but no public for a long time yet. They got together to argue. Ten wild days in the Jura. We know the result: since then, there has been a polis, a place of debate, in every major town in the country. Ateliers of all stripes distribute their products together, left and right in a combined subscription. They hold general assemblies on important topics all over the country. Blocher should ...
Chiara? I don't know Chiara yet. "Short night, huh?" says the waitress. The coffee is lovely, the woman at the counter black and strong. Everything as it should be. And the future will be even better.
 
Oliver Fahrni, publicist and media ecologist

Special shapes The fuel nozzle with its highly visible advertising message changes hands an average of 28 times a day in Switzerland. That's why FillBoard advertising is a real eye-catcher. The new subsidiary of Credit Suisse did not want to pass up this opportunity. For its credit and leasing start-up Bank Now, Star Plakat has equipped around 100 petrol stations not only with posters but also with effectively printed petrol pumps.

At the beginning of the year, Papier M-real increased the sales prices in Switzerland for its wood-free coated and uncoated large-format papers by five percent. The Group justifies the price increase with the unsatisfactory revenue situation for wood-free coated and uncoated papers, particularly in view of the tight cost situation for raw materials and pulp as well as energy and transportation costs.

In the traditional presentation following the 2007 general meeting of the Interessengemeinschaft elektronische Medien (IGEM), Andreas Meili, Head of Tamedia's e-media, gave an insight into the company's strategy for the electronic sector. His comments on the local television station TeleZüri were of particular interest, as IGEM's managing director announced on Wednesday. At the moment, it still seems to be unclear whether TeleZüri will even apply for a license for the Zurich broadcasting area. Although they are interested in the license, an application only makes sense if the general conditions are right, explained Meili. If the conditions were too restrictive, TeleZüri would benefit from the new option of operating its channel without a license. On the one hand, the restriction to a defined distribution area would no longer apply and, on the other hand, there would be no guaranteed right of access in this case. In this case, it would be possible to expand the broadcasting area as desired. Regional windows are also conceivable. In the radio sector, on the other hand, the possibility of broadcasting a program without a license is far less attractive for Meili, as FM frequencies are still linked to a license. For Tamedia, DAB will primarily have an experimental character in the coming years. Further developments of existing offerings or special interest stations that would be broadcast via cable or the Internet are being examined. Werdstrasse would also like to further strengthen its activities on the Internet - among other things with web TV; 20min.ch is to become the strongest news platform in Switzerland. Meili also sees potential for catching up in job platforms.

Television The "Swiss Oscars" have found a new media home. After Swiss Television and later Tele News Combi, the award ceremony of the show Szene Schweiz is to be broadcast by the young private channel 3+ for the first time this year. The 33rd Prix Walo Gala will be broadcast live from the Casino Kursaal Interlaken on April 22. The list of nominees will be published on February 15. Dominik Keiser, Managing Director of 3+, is looking forward to a glamorous live broadcast. Monika Kaelin, President and Producer of Show Szene Schweiz, also has high hopes for the new collaboration. The broadcast from Interlaken has so far been agreed for the next three years. The move of the awards ceremony from Zurich to the Bernese Oberland has been received with great interest by the tourism organizations in Interlaken.

Television After Sat.1 (Switzerland) and its programs "Joya rennt", "Celebrations" and football broadcasts, the second channel in SevenOne Media's portfolio plans to launch an editorial program window in Switzerland on Sundays. ProSieben (Switzerland) is planning a twelve-minute magazine from Monday to Friday from April. The new Managing Director of Sat.1 and ProSieben (Switzerland), Mike Gut, is responsible for the project. ProSieben wants to cover "the very German-heavy news" at 5.55 p.m. with short magazines that change daily. A cooking show, a dating show and magazines on fashion, trends, lifestyle and going out are planned. The shows will be produced by various freelance producers, "which could also include Ringier TV".
The additional program window will be made possible thanks to the new Radio and Television Act (RTVA), which is expected to come into force on 1 April.
 
Andreas Panzeri

Standardization The Ghent PDF Workgroup (GWG), an international organization, simplifies the production and reliability of digital document exchange within the publishing workflow. GWG recently announced the availability of the new GWG Packaging Specifications. These were developed by the packaging experts within GWG and tested in North America by Kraft Foods Inc. and in Europe by the French company Square. The specifications are published at www.gwg.org.