Local press The Jungfrau Zeitung is focusing more strongly on its region and is launching, among other innovations, Mikro TV After three years of intensive searching for suitable partners for his micro-newspaper concept, both among the large and less important regional newspaper houses in German-speaking Switzerland, Urs Gossweiler, CEO of Gossweiler Media in Brienz and a busy promoter, has given up. The search has failed, as he explains in an interview. Meanwhile, the movers and shakers on Lake Brienz have turned their attention to their own region, which is particularly strongly influenced by the international tourism industry. From next January, they are relaunching their newspaper as Jungfrau Zeitung 2.0 with a few changes. The addition, borrowed from the term Web 2.0, stands for more interactivity.Web TV with commercialsThe most obvious innovations - not least inspired by community sites such as You Tube - are small Flash films in Mpeg4 format on the website. The whole thing is called Mikro TV. The films are an additional service provided by the editorial team, with journalists using the simple film function of their digital cameras and obtaining additional original sounds and images for their reports. So far, the quality of the films has left a lot to be desired, especially in terms of sound quality.
"Not everything is perfect yet," says Stefan Regez, the former editor-in-chief of the Jungfrau Zeitung, who is temporarily coaching the new features of version 2.0. Technical solutions are needed. But the editorial team has no reservations about the medium of film: "They are all young people who came to journalism via the Jungfrau Zeitung."
Mikro TV also offers companies the opportunity to place advertising spots in the films. Apparently the idea appeals, as Migros and Jungfrau Railways have already booked commercials, which is why Mikro TV has been running since December 4. "Jungfrau Railways even placed their MTV commercial with us a month earlier," says Regez happily. The application works without additional programs and plugins, is part of the website and is easily accessible.
More power for the editorial teamThe layout of the event and nightlife supplement 7Tage has also been adapted. The event notices to which advertisers at Gossweiler Media are entitled have been removed from the parent publication. A newly launched real estate and jobs supplement "Marktplatz", a tabloid printed in four colors throughout, also creates more space in the paper. At the same time, the editorial team was increased by 140 full-time equivalents. A two-person team is now responsible for editing and proofreading. "This significantly relieves the editorial team of official tasks," explains Regez. Thanks to the supplements, it will also be possible to use larger images in the paper. Nevertheless, it will not be colorful. Brienz is taking a more restrained approach and is following the example of the NZZ in its use of images.
The Jungfrau Zeitung 2.0 also wants to completely dispense with community elements in the entertainment area. Readers will not be asked to send in their pictures and films, let alone act as citizen journalists. "I don't believe in a medium that isn't made by journalists, because without them the content is just a shell," says Urs Gossweiler.
As an important further development, the editorial team now also has a new working tool, the so-called Publisher, which functions as an interface between the editorial team and production. Writers can feed their texts directly into the layout at any time from anywhere via the intranet.
User-friendlyAll texts in the Jungfrau Zeitung now have an identification number that allows readers to find them easily on the website and directs them to further texts or enables them to carry out research. On the website, which is continuously updated after receipt of the texts in several versions, networking is as total as possible. The main page lists the most read articles. "This can sometimes trigger the ambition to make it there with a text," says Regez. For example, just one hour after the presentation of the Newcomer Swiss Gastro Award winner, the report plus film was already online.
The Jungfrau Zeitung is also one of the first media outlets to operate a virtual cemetery. In addition to current obituaries and acknowledgements, obituaries dating back to 2001 can also be accessed there. According to Regez, even people who are getting on in years can handle it very well. The paper's architecture with its political, social, economic, cultural and sports sections has not been touched. An English version of the Jungfrau Zeitung is also to be launched in mid-2007. This will take account of the international audience and corresponding advertisers. The micro-newspaper should work everywhere, which is why regional features such as the tourist hotspot of the Jungfrau region had previously been ignored. Now the paper will be even more distinctive and no longer conform to the strict grid of a micro-newspaper.
Crisis-resistantThe Jungfrau Zeitung concept
dovetails online and print virtually seamlessly and rigorously focuses its content on the so-called Jungfrau microcosm in the Bernese Oberland. Now in its seventh year, the paper is published online and in print on Tuesdays and Fridays on newsprint. The Jungfrau Zeitung has established itself in the market with 67 percent of the region's 50,000 inhabitants and proved to be crisis-resistant in comparison during the most difficult years of the print industry. The basic idea behind the micro-newspaper concept was to divide the whole of Switzerland into microcosms with local newspapers and associated websites, all of which would work with the editorial system developed by Gossweiler. René Worni

Agencies At the top of this year's Werbewoche creative ranking is Publicis, followed by SFLB and Ruf Lanz.  
The ranking reflects the creative performance of the agencies that received awards in national and international competitions. As last year, the competitions and their corresponding weighting were selected in collaboration with a delegation from the Art Director Club of Switzerland. The top ten Swiss creative agencies in 2006 are
Publicis

Spillmann/Felser/Leo BurnettRuf LanzJung von Matt/LimmatAdvico Young & Rubicam and Exxtra KommunikationWalkerWirz WerbungEuro RSCGLoweJWT+H+F

Generic advertising Publicis advertises advertising for Publisuisse: being number 1 is an obligation. That's why a new Publicis campaign for Publisuisse says "Publisuisse makes more of it." The major player in the marketing of electronic media offers its customers "the best advice, the best service quality and the best contacts". Together with the programs of Swiss television, Publisuisse reaches significantly more consumers than the other market players. In addition, TV advertising with Publisuisse achieves the highest recall value and enjoys the greatest viewer acceptance. In other words: Publisuisse gets more out of its customers' advertising francs. In order to communicate Publisuisse's services, the advertising agency Publicis has developed a communication platform. It is based on the new claim "Publisuisse - makes more out of it". A new layout and independent imagery ensure that the product solutions can also be presented visually in the best possible way. The implementations on the topics of brand value, environment, attention and target group expansion can be seen in the trade press.  
And new from 2007: Publisuisse and the two other Swiss TV marketers IP and Cinecom have agreed to reduce the previous three TV booking periods to two from next year. This will simplify planning. TV campaigns can now be booked as early as the end of April for the entire second half of the year.
Markus Hollenstein, Head of Marketing at Publisuisse,

WW: With the new positioning and the associated advertising campaign, Publisuisse wants to dramatize customer benefits. Markus Hollenstein: A range of tools developed in-house - Publiplan, Mediaoptimizer, Digispot - that have been in use for years and are constantly being developed further set the market standard and ensure that campaigns are handled perfectly at all times.WW: How does Publisuisse distinguish itself from other providers? The higher advertising impact of our advertising contacts, proven by our studies, both inter- and intra-media, offer our customers clear added value with the contacts they buy from us.WW: What's new in the range of products? Hollenstein: In recent years, the Publisuisse product range has been continuously expanded both in classic TV advertising - for example Mono-Block, Power Break, publiQuiz - as well as with sponsorship on radio and TV, offers with Teletext, screens Espace TSR. This also enables us to offer individual solutions for each client that achieve greater impact, not only for the very large cross-media offers such as the Football World Cup or the Olympic Games. Andreas Panzeri

Bendicht Luginbühl, former program director of DRS 3 and Virus and current management consultant, is turning to the private radio business. He is in charge of the two DAB projects "Cash Classics" and "Chartradio" for Ringier, as reported by Radiomagazin. "Ringier has submitted license applications to Bakom for the two DAB special-interest stations that I am in charge of as project manager," says Luginbühl. As Ringier had no experience in the radio sector, it looked for a professional, says Hans Jürg Deutsch, responsible for DAB projects at Ringier, explaining why Luginbühl was brought in. "Cash Classics" is conceived as a classical music radio station with business information, while "Chartradio" could one day feature international charts. Deutsch is realistic about the chances of the two applications: "The competition is fierce, but our intention is clear: if we receive licenses, we will implement the projects."

Local radio NZZ now has a majority stake not only in Radio Ri, but also in Radio Pilatus. When St. Galler Tagblatt AG (SGT), a member of the NZZ Group, acquired a 35% share package in Radio Ri from Goldbach Media two weeks ago and became the majority shareholder in the Rhine Valley local radio station, this was well communicated. No wonder, as changes of ownership of 20 percent or more must be approved by DETEC - with a hearing being held beforehand.Another, no less significant change of ownership in the radio sector, however, has been kept under wraps until now: Since last summer, LZ Medien, which also belongs to the NZZ Group, has held a majority stake in Radio Pilatus. Ringier had quietly sold its stake to the co-shareholders (see below).
This means that the NZZ Group now has a say in four radio stations and, after SRG, has become the media group with the most radio stations in this country: via SGT, it holds 87.5 percent of Radio Aktuell and probably 79 percent of Ri, via LZ Medien it recently acquired 52.6 percent of Radio Pilatus and via Freie Presse Holding it owns 77.6 percent of the BE-1 carrier Radig AG. Not to forget: The NZZ Group also cooperates with Radio Toxic in St. Gallen, which was founded by ETH students. Although it does not hold a direct stake, SGT supports the student radio station and also markets its advertising time. LZ Medien also holds a 16 percent stake in Radio Sunshine and its marketing company.
The question now arises as to why the NZZ Group is still expanding and consolidating its radio portfolio in this way when the new RTVA will soon come into force, which prohibits the ownership of more than two radio stations (§ 44.3). It will also not be possible to save vested rights because all radio coverage areas will be put out to tender again.
Beat Lauber, member of the NZZ Group Executive Board and responsible for regional newspaper publishers, also knows this. He is aware that the NZZ Group currently owns too many radios. But he also knows what should be done with these assets. "Local radio stations make sense if they strengthen the activities of the regional media houses," he says, outlining the NZZ philosophy. This makes it clear that Radio BE1 in Bern no longer really fits in with the NZZ strategy. Since the federal government and the Berner Zeitung implemented their Bern model, "the radio is less well integrated into a media network". "We will have to look for a solution that is compatible with the RTVG," says Lauber. This probably means that the NZZ Group will at least have to relinquish its majority stake. "We have a solution in mind," says Lauber. He does not want to say any more.
The situation is different with the Pilatus and Aktuell radio stations. "They complement the media companies in Lucerne and St. Gallen perfectly," says Lauber. So there's no reason to get rid of them. And what will happen to the newly acquired Radio Ri?
"Ri, which was founded by local publishers, has an important function in the Rhine Valley. We want to preserve this," says Lauber. However, as the station has never really been able to take off financially, the aim is to merge its license area with that of Radio Aktuell and at the same time support the strong local presence for the region. "Of course, we would do without Ri's fee-splitting share," says Lauber. He goes on to emphasize: "Because local roots are so important to us, we are interested in ensuring that Sarganserländer and Liechtensteiner Vaterland remain integrated."
Disappointment with the dealThe latter is questionable, however, because at least the Liechtensteiner Vaterland (LV) is disappointed with the deal between Goldbach and NZZ. "I think it's a shame that NZZ is now in charge at Ri," says Reinhard Walser, Chairman of the Board of Radio Ri and Board member of LV publisher Vaduzer Medienhaus. Like the other local publishers, Walser has an offer on the table from NZZ, according to which the Goldbach stake could be divided equally among all remaining shareholders. "However, NZZ will definitely receive the majority, which is why we are considering whether we should accept it," says Walser. He has two months to make a decision. But he hints that Liechtensteiner Vaterland is even considering a complete exit from Ri.
And what does the Federal Office of Communications think of Lauber's plans? After all, it is still treating the Ri and Aktuell radio stations separately and with two different licenses in the ongoing consultation on future radio coverage areas. Marcel Regnotto, Head of the Local Media and Retransmission Section, does not want to comment on the specific NZZ plans, as they are not yet available in detail. However, he notes that merging coverage areas and concessions is possible in principle and has already happened. "The proposals that we sent to the consultation are therefore not set in stone," says Regnotto.
Achieving the goal with staying powerBoth at Radio Ri and Radio Pilatus
the NZZ Group proved its patience. It held 44 percent of Radio Ri: 35 percent via SGT and a further 9 percent via BuchsMedien (Werdenberger & Obertoggenburger), where it has been the majority shareholder since 2000. If the Goldbach shares are now distributed equally among the other Ri shareholders (local publishers, including BuchsMedien), the NZZ Group will hold at least 67 percent and a maximum of 79 percent.36.4 percent of Radio Pilatus was also held by the NZZ Group via LZ Medien, making it the largest shareholder for a long time, but without a majority. When co-shareholder Coop sold its 10 percent share at the beginning of 2006, LZ Medien was able to increase its stake to 41.5 percent. The fact that Ringier also sold its 18.2 percent meant that LZ Medien now holds 52.6 percent. Leo Fischer (ex-Cablecom) holds 21.9 percent, Migros 11.3 percent and Luzerner Kantonalbank 14.2 percent.
Cautionary letter to BakomThe fact that NZZ now has a majority stake in Radio Ri,
Hanspeter Lebrument, head of the Südostschweiz Group, does not like this at all. In a letter to Bakom, he asks Bakom "not to approve this transaction". His reasoning: since NZZ joined Ri, his own stations Grischa and Engiadina have been at a disadvantage. For example, Bakom had approved Ri's expansion into the Grischa core area (Prättigau, Chur) at the time, but not Grischa's expansion application to St. Gallen. "We consider this to be unfair," writes Lebrument. He also complains to Bakom that his Romansh station Engiadina receives less fee money than Ri. And finally, Lebrument criticizes the Swisscom fees for broadcasting, which favours the stations of the "rich NZZ Group". "All the recent measures taken against Radio Grischa and Radio Engiadina indicate that they want these two stations to go under," he concludes.
Bakom does not wish to comment on Lebrument's letter. Marcel Regnotto merely states that there will be a hearing on the change of ownership of Radio Ri as soon as the application has been formally received by OFCOM. The Südostschweiz Group will also be involved. "With his letter, Mr. Lebrument has pre-empted the hearing," says Regnotto.
And how is Radio Top reacting to the NZZ majority at Ri? Will Top boss Günter Heuberger now apply for an expansion of his territory into the Rhine Valley? "I'm surprised by what's happening at Ri," admits Heuberger. But he won't let us look at his cards. Just this much: "If DETEC approves the merger of the supply areas, I will carry out a new assessment of the situation." And he expects one thing: that Ri will no longer receive fee splitting in future.
Markus Knöpfli

The cosmetics manufacturer Yves Rocher wants to tap into new target groups and has launched "BeauTV", a television program on the Internet. The shopping show is also intended to boost Christmas sales. In the style of a classic sales show, the 30-minute program encourages viewers to either follow the show linearly or to switch to individual product worlds. The Internet TV channel is also linked to a web store where products can be ordered directly. The launch will be accompanied by an online campaign that will be placed on high-reach portals with an affinity for women in Germany. The Internet TV and website were realized by the Cologne-based Internet agency Con Carne.

Radio Goldbach Media sells off small radio holdings. Just under six months before the new RTVA comes into force, shareholders of various local radio stations appear to be reconsidering their shareholdings. Some are selling, others are buying. The NZZ Group is one of the main buyers. Coop and Ringier, on the other hand, have left the scene: both sold their shares in Radio Pilatus. Goldbach Media is also increasingly withdrawing: it is selling its 35% stake in Radio Ri to the NZZ Group and its 6% stake in Radio Central Holding to Alfons Spirig, Managing Director of the Central Switzerland Radio Group (Central, Eviva), which fits in with Goldbach's strategy. The marketer of electronic media has been gradually getting rid of its content suppliers since the end of 2002: First it disposed of the Moneycab financial portal and the content provider Swisscontent, followed by a 49 percent stake in Hitradio Z (today: Energy Zurich) and now the small stakes in Ri and Central.
The last remaining content-heavy investment is the 51% stake in Energy Zurich, which Goldbach still holds and which no longer makes sense - at least from a corporate strategy perspective. This is presumably why this stake is also up for sale. In any case, it is noticeable that the entry in the commercial register of Radio Z AG, the owner of Energy Zurich, has changed several times recently, especially the description of its purpose. Sometimes the name Energy Zürich was explicitly added (July 2005), sometimes deleted (September 2006). Instead, it now states that Radio Z AG may acquire real estate and establish companies in the media sector - a standard addition that was previously missing. A certain nervousness is therefore unmistakable. Is this a bride being prepared for the wedding? Goldbach Media's response is brief: "We do not comment on speculation of any kind," writes spokesman Paul Riesen.
Markus Knöpfli

Mode Lowe delivers customized guerrilla advertising for Artesanos Camiseros.Artesanos Camiseros offers the possibility to have shirts or blouses made according to personal wishes and measurements. Lowe Zürich has come up with a guerrilla campaign under the motto "Every figure looks good in our made-to-measure shirts". To prove how good the shirts are, the team around CD Keith Loell looked for four guys who were fitted with shirts that fit perfectly. Mr. Gross is a lamppost. Kerr Kurz is a fire hydrant. Mr. Dick is a well and Mr. Dünn is a tree. These four types could be seen on December 1 in Zurich's city center at Paradeplatz, Bellevue, Stadelhofen station and Löwenstrasse. They were communicated by means of discount labels.
Andreas Panzeri

Placements The right placement can sometimes make a big difference. This doesn't just apply to advertisements in 20 Minuten. In life, too, the place where a person ends up can often have a decisive impact.

Michael Kamm wants to conquer Zurich next year with his Agence Trio in Lausanne.10 years, 20 years, 30 years: the editorial team of Werbewoche is currently inundated with reports about proud anniversaries of advertising agencies. After the somewhat wild period of the ongoing crisis, the situation seems to have stabilized again. However, none of the jubilant agencies has experienced as many changing economic cycles, crises and repeated upswings as Agence Trio in Lausanne. The French creative kitchen celebrated its 75th birthday last October. This makes Trio the oldest advertising agency in Switzerland. It was founded on October 19, 1931 by Jean-Pierre De Trey and the two graphic designers Fred Waefler and André Hirsch. These three owners are behind the name Trio. Today, the company is managed by Michael Kamm. He also owns the majority of the agency with 20 employees. Kamm had to take over Trio in 2004 completely "unplanned and spontaneously": Hansjörg Lippuner, the last remaining patron of the old guard alongside Werner Rudin and Georges Perrin, was unexpectedly surprised by death in his beloved office. For Michael Kamm, it "just had to go on somehow". Next year, however, the sole boss wants to be "open to new partners" again. The aim is to have "three to five people" as future pillars of the agency.
Restructured in this way, Michael Kamm will also be able to build on enough strength for his second major goal in the coming year. Trio wants to open a branch in Zurich.
"You need that local feeling - on both sides," Kamm is convinced. Currently, around 60 percent of his customers are from French-speaking Switzerland. The prestige budget for Loterie Romande will soon be added to this. 40 percent come from German-speaking Switzerland. But: "It is becoming increasingly difficult to efficiently implement cross-media campaigns from French-speaking Switzerland in German-speaking Switzerland," says Kamm.
In Zurich, the agency boss wants to set up the branch himself. He is therefore currently not only looking for a suitable office, but also an apartment for his family with five children. The establishment of this branch in Zurich is an important strategic decision for Trio. However, Kamm also sees the move as equally important for his personal life.
For the past few years, the advertiser and his family have lived in the countryside in close harmony with nature in a house with lots of animals. Now he wants his children to experience the other side of life, namely the spirit of a big city. For Michael Kamm himself, the expansion to Zurich is a return to his roots. This is where he literally "grew up with advertising".
His father Hanspeter Kamm ran an agency on Weinbergstrasse in Zurich in the 1970s. Today he lives as an artist and makes "funny objects out of wire". Michael's grandfather probably also gave his grandson something of the artistic side. That was the well-known photographer Emil Schulthess.
Even as a boy, Michael "helped out" a lot in his father's agency, for example posing for photos and cutting paper for the graphics.
When he was ten years old, his parents separated. Michael moved first to Biel and then to Lausanne. That didn't make life any easier. But today he is perfectly bilingual. He no longer knows why he didn't pass his A-levels. But he remembers that even as a young adult he still "really wanted to get into advertising".
That was in the emerging era of the Macintosh. Kamm "tinkered" on such a computer for ten years as a graphic designer. At first he had his own company. Later he worked for a prepress company. When the Internet came along, Kamm helped to set up an Internet service for graphic designers and worked in this field for around three years.
In 1995, he founded an agency for events and trade fair construction together with an architect and a designer. "Pretty quickly, the young company was able to take on good projects," he recalls. Clients included the Swatch Group, for example. After four years, however, things became economically "critical" and they had to give up in 2000.
The CI for this event agency was designed by Trio at the time. The advertisers therefore repeatedly gave Kamm various mandates. So it was almost logical that he moved to a Trio office after the end of the trade fair construction to complete this work. Only three months were actually planned. Since then, however, he has never left. His knowledge of the Internet was discovered at the agency. Kamm was allowed to set up the interactive department. Trio later bought an online game agency and "quickly won a budget for Ovaltine". With SMS games, online advertising and the first cross-media concepts, this not only brought new strength to Ovomaltine. Trio also experienced a strong upturn after the agency was in a dangerous crisis in the 1990s.
"Michael, you could actually take over the management," said the patrons in 2003. The rest is history. In 2006, Trio was again awarded the Grand Prix Romand de la Création.
Andreas Panzeri

Branding The first Helvetic Airways aircraft in the new white and red design with the Swiss cross has landed in Zurich. The airport fire department welcomed the Fokker 100 onto home soil with a "shower". Since December 1, Helvetic Airways has been taking Switzerland out into the world, initially to Brindisi in southern Italy and Valencia on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Thanks to the daily and only direct flight connection from Zurich, the sailors at the America's Cup 2007 can be sure of plenty of support from home.

As part of the ongoing capital increase, the French-speaking Swiss publishing group Agefi has set the subscription price for the new shares at CHF 25 per share. This is intended to finance the expansion into the healthcare business (see ). According to earlier information, Agefi will issue 2.1 million new shares in a first step. The Group is granting existing shareholders subscription rights on a one-for-two basis. As Bank Vontobel announced on Wednesday, the subscription period will run from December 7 to 15. In a second step, a further 2.6 million shares will be issued.