As Managing Director of TradeDoubler in Zurich, Catrin Rubenson wants to help online marketing achieve a breakthrough, and her great-grandfather was the first flying reporter in Sweden. He reported on Swedish emigrants from all over the world for the Swedish Trade and Maritime Gazette. Today, the flying reporter could also write an exciting success story about his great-granddaughter. Catrin Rubenson has been Managing Director of TradeDoubler in Zurich since September. The network was founded in Sweden in 1999 and is now one of the leading providers of online marketing and sales solutions. TradeDoubler is represented in 17 European countries with over 300 employees. Leading companies throughout Europe work closely with TradeDoubler. The objective of the "success-based marketing solutions" is to achieve higher
revenues and the optimization of the online marketing budget. TradeDoubler offers classic branding campaigns, the online marketing management system Media Toolbox and affiliate marketing. The company has been active in Switzerland since 2004.
The new managing director from Sweden, who is now experienced in online business, took her "first career step" as an au pair in Zurich after graduating from high school. She then studied business administration with a focus on marketing and languages - German, French and English - in Sweden and successfully completed her studies with a double degree in international management in Linz. After her master's degree, she returned to Switzerland for love. A Swedish paper manufacturer in Zurich gave her the opportunity to work abroad for a company in her home country.
When the telephone market in Switzerland was liberalized in 1998, the doors opened at another Scandinavian company. At Tele2, the Swedish media group that launched the international commuter newspaper Metro, Rubenson was entrusted with the development of the Swiss business customer sales division.
Rubenson has always been fascinated by new technologies and developments. When she saw an advertisement for a product manager at Jobwinner, there was no question of applying to this start-up. She rose through the ranks at the Tamedia subsidiary to become Head of Marketing. Although it entered the market as a late mover, Jobwinner is now in second place in Switzerland. Rubenson is "very proud" of this success, to which she also owes the offer from TradeDoubler.
She describes her time at Tamedia as "very instructive". In addition to "Schwiizerdütsch", she has also acquired know-how about the Internet business and built up a network in the media industry. She now wants to deepen her management knowledge with a postgraduate degree in business and psychology at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland in Olten.
For Rubenson, it works perfectly that she doesn't have to break off her Swedish roots in her "second home Switzerland". The Managing Director in exile is happy that she regularly has to report in person in Stockholm. After this interview, she traveled to Stockholm for ten days for a meeting of all TradeDoubler's managing directors at the head office.
"Working abroad as a Swede for a Swedish company is ideal. However, my focus is on the Swiss market. It's important for me to speak the language and understand the culture in which I live." Nevertheless, she wants to continue celebrating traditional Swedish cultural festivals such as Midsummer and Santa Lucia, the festival of lights on December 13, here. The festival is now also celebrated in the TradeDoubler office.
Here, one of the six TradeDoublers works in sales. An account manager supports customers in achieving more sales and optimizing their online marketing. "That's why the company is also called TradeDoubler," explains Rubenson. A campaign manager buys media and works closely with the publisher manager, who looks after the entire publisher network. In total, TradeDoubler works with over 115,000 publishers and 1,000 customers throughout Europe. A technical manager sets up the affiliate programs for customers, sets up the systems and supports customers with technical questions.
Companies such as Jelmoli or Sprüngli, which generate sales through e-commerce, can use TradeDoubler's market-leading technologies. On the other hand, TradeDoubler works together with online platforms, portals and websites on which it places advertising for its customers. "We build long-term partnerships with our customers."
Customers include alpha.ch, for example. TradeDoubler carried out a classic online campaign for the launch of this portal. The products are sold online for ExLibris. Other customers include Apple, Dell, Bluewin and LeShop.
TradeDoubler's advanced technical system offers tracking that can analyze everything for the customer. "We know exactly how many impressions, how many clicks, leads or sales have been generated via a particular platform and at what times of day." A customer who does online marketing with TradeDoubler can have total control internally via a solution: Online marketing, affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing - all electronic marketing activities can be controlled via TradeDoubler with one solution.
TradeDoubler is the only provider of affiliate marketing in Switzerland. In Switzerland, the sector is still lagging behind Sweden and the UK, for example. However, it is growing steadily. Founded in 2000, the company broke even in 2002, "at a time when many online companies went bankrupt due to the bursting of the Internet bubble". In 2005, the TradeDoubler Group generated sales of 117 million euros. This corresponds to growth of 82 percent compared to 2004.
For Rubenson, "many marketing managers are still unaware of all that online marketing can bring them". Almost everyone surfs the web, but advertising expenditure only accounts for one percent of the whole pie. She sees her challenge as more than doubling this share with TradeDoubler.
Andreas Panzeri

On Tuesday, national and international TV celebrities met in Zurich at the Screen-Up & Congess 2006. The screenings and appearances of the private channels 3+, Kabel 1, M6, MTV, ProSieben, RTL, RTL II, Sat.1, Super RTL, TVM3, VIVA Schweiz, VOX and the SRG programmes met with great interest, as the organizers report in a press release. Over 650 experts from the fields of media, TV production, media and advertising agencies as well as advertising marketers attended the event at the Abaton cinema.
 
The presentations by Dirk Ziems on morphological research results on brand shaping through TV advertising and by Prof. Dr. Bernd Schmitt from Columbia University New York on the latest scientific studies on the topic of "Media meets innovative branding" were well attended. The interactive television company Betty-TV presented figures for the first time and on the "Versus Chair" the opponents fought a duel on the topic "Will we still need media agencies in 10 years?". TVM3 was represented at the event with plasma shows and the music channel MTV offered participants a networking lounge.
 
IGEM talk: What can TV do for your brand? At the talk organized by the Interessengemeinschaft Elektronische Medien (IGEM), the discussion flared up after just a few minutes. Sat.1 Managing Director Roger Schawinski and SF Director Ingrid Deltenre had a quick exchange of words about the new Radio and Television Ordinance, which is currently being debated in parliament. 3+ Managing Director Dominik Kaiser emphasized the constructive and intensive communication between him and Ingrid Deltenre despite the ongoing legal disputes between his private broadcaster and Swiss Television. The CEO of RTL Television, Anke Schäferkordt, highlighted with factual statements that - after the USA - it is also time in Europe that cable network operators no longer demand money from consumers and program providers at the same time, but that the network operators remunerate the producing broadcasters for their high-quality content. MTV CEO Catherine Mühlemann described the advantages of her niche strategy and mentioned the current and future opportunities of diversification: "Triple play - i.e. the inclusion of TV, online and mobile devices in marketing - is king".

Uta Harnischfeger has joined the Zurich agency Zenhäusern & Partner as a communications consultant. She previously worked for eleven years as a business and financial journalist in Asia, the USA and Europe. Among other things, Harnischfeger wrote for the Japan Times in Tokyo and the Dow Jones news agency in New York and Frankfurt. As Frankfurt correspondent for the Financial Times, she reported on German DAX 30 companies for five years and wrote for the Associated Press in Geneva. She also regularly trained board members of major German companies in media relations and communications.

Aids Unicef calls on the community to blog against Aids. The campaign has met with a great response. 
"Every blog post counts. Even if we end up being just a small voice in the din of pharmaceutical, papal and political interests," writes one blogger, calling on the blogosphere to support the Unicef campaign "You and me against AIDS". At the beginning of this year, Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, launched the "You and me against AIDS" campaign. In addition to the classic poster campaign, the campaign's creators also rely on "word of mouth". And in its most modern form: weblogs.
New territory blogosphereWith the "Blogging against AIDS" campaign, Unicef is calling on the blogosphere to blog against AIDS. Bloggers should use their own blog articles to draw attention to the concerns of Unicef and the danger of AIDS. According to Carsten Schmidt, project manager at Unicef, the strength of the weblog as a fast and networked news medium will be optimally utilized.
Since April, the initiators of the campaign have been relying on the multiplier effect of the blogosphere to spread the Unicef messages virally. The figures impressively illustrate that blogs can be used successfully for advertising campaigns. Since the launch of the campaign, around 90 bloggers have registered their weblog on the Unicef website. To date, several hundred bloggers are likely to have addressed Unicef topics in their weblogs and linked to the Unicef site.
Originally, the "You and me against AIDS" campaign was launched without the "Blogging against AIDS" campaign. It was only when the collection of signatures and statements on the Unicef website proved to be a success that the campaign initiators engaged experts from the blogosphere, who then developed a blog concept for Unicef. "After the success of the statement campaign, blogging against AIDS was the logical next step," says Carsten Schmidt.
Unicef broke new ground with the "Blogging against Aids" campaign. Carsten Schmidt: "We didn't know how the mechanisms of a loosely networked virtual community work. Now we know how blogs can be used to activate people and campaign for an important issue."
Together with partners such as Unaids, Unicef has launched the "You and me against AIDS" campaign. One of the reasons for the campaign is the development in Asia, where a second epicenter of the deadly disease is developing alongside Africa. The aid organization wants to draw attention to the many children and young people who are among the "forgotten victims" of Aids. According to Unicef, one child dies every minute as a result of the immune deficiency. With the "You and me against AIDS" campaign, Unicef wants to make the extent of the catastrophe for children and young people visible and mobilize more help for affected children.
Huge supportTo date, more than 480,000 people have supported the Unicef campaign with their signatures. In addition, several thousand users have expressed their support with an individual statement on the Unicef website. Surprisingly many of them cite personal concern as the reason for their commitment. For example, 12-year-old Kevin: "I am fighting against AIDS with Unicef because it is important to protect yourself against AIDS and to learn more about how you can protect yourself."
Unicef wants pharmaceutical companies to reduce the price of AIDS drugs and develop suitable medicines for HIV-infected children. More than 660,000 children in developing countries need anti-viral drugs, but so far only 20,000 are receiving them. Unicef is calling on governments in industrialized and developing countries to provide more information and access to education for all children. And: Unicef is calling on governments to provide more money to support children affected by AIDS. So far, only a fraction of development aid has gone to health services and the care of AIDS orphans.
Christian Lüscher

   Exchange marketplace In a new campaign, the advertising agency Malstube shows how easy it is to turn loveless gifts into good money on the internet marketplace Piazza.ch. In addition to posters, there will soon be radio spots in which birthday boys and newlyweds sarcastically express their gratitude for loveless gifts. In addition, the Malstube was asked to find a solution for small advertisements: In a parody of discount store advertising, items are advertised that no one wants, thus dramatizing the extremely wide range of products offered by Piazza.ch: calcified irons, permanently crashing computers and scuffed carpets.

In the first half of the year, Adcare, the association for the support of charitable organizations, was able to win 15 other websites for cooperation in addition to Sbb.ch. Over four million contacts were gained in this way. In the initial phase, it was the SBB portal with over 1.4 million users per month. In the last 6 months, websites such as 20minuten.ch, Baz.ch, Beobachter.ch, Cash.ch, Comparis.ch, Espace.ch, Partyguide.ch and Tagesanzeiger.ch have been infected by the Adcare idea, according to the association. Media providers and media marketers repeatedly receive requests from non-profit organizations for favorable advertising conditions. Adcare wants to connect leading Swiss media providers with organizations that are certified by ZEWO or recognized as charitable by the federal tax authorities. Every month, Adcare organizes a call for tenders for free advertising space. The association aims to continuously expand the network of advertising providers for the tenders.

In Bern and Basel, the proportion of young moviegoers is falling rapidly. In French-speaking Switzerland, it fell below 50 percent for the first time.  
Of the approximately 530 cinemas in Switzerland, the cinema marketer and PubliGroup subsidiary Cinecom has a good 400 under contract. This is important to know if you look at the cinema coverage reported by Mach Basic. This is because they only apply to those cinemas that are leased from Cinecom and can therefore be reached with cinema advertising. So if Mach Basic 2006-2 shows 435,000 weekly moviegoers for the whole of Switzerland, 2000 more than six months ago, then this does not represent all moviegoers, but only those who have visited one of the Cinecom cinemas. All others are not counted in this study, which does not currently play a major role for the advertising industry. Although around 100 cinemas are not reported, some of these are not operated commercially anyway. In other cases, the operators acquire their (mostly local) advertising themselves. However, as there still seems to be a cautious "get rid of Cinecom" movement among cinema operators (Werbewoche reported on this), the marketer already has six fewer cinemas under contract this year than a year ago. This is hardly reflected in the current Mach Basic figures, as the majority of the survey period was still 2005. In future, however, depending on the development of the critical attitude towards Cinecom among cinema owners, it may be necessary to examine the figures more closely.
For the time being, however, it can be said that the reach of Cinecom cinemas generally remains stable at 22.62 million admissions. No significant increases or losses can be seen anywhere. After all, Cinecom reached 104,000 more moviegoers in the entire survey period than in Mach Basic 2006-1, but also 884,000 fewer than a year ago.
Cinema admissions in German-speaking Switzerland have eroded the most, falling 24,000 below the 2005 figure and 27,000 below the 2004 peak. The situation is different in French-speaking Switzerland, where cinema admissions are rising again slightly and cushioning the losses in German-speaking Switzerland somewhat, but here too they are still below the 2004 figure.
The figures show one thing once again: the proportion of young moviegoers continues to fall. In total, 14 to 34-year-olds still make up 51% of visitors to Cinecom cinemas, whereas a year ago their share was still around
4 percentage points higher. In French-speaking Switzerland, their share fell below 50% for the first time, to 46%.
 
However, the proportion of young moviegoers has fallen particularly sharply in Bern: within a year, it has dropped from 64% to 54%. The situation is similar in Basel: a year ago, young people accounted for 54% of moviegoers there, but now it is 9 percentage points lower. Zurich, Geneva and Lausanne are also below the 50 percent mark. In contrast, the St.Gallen/Schaffhausen pool was able to gain young child visitors, probably primarily thanks to the still young multiplex cinemas in both cities.   
Cinema magazines are also erodingThe reach of free cinema magazines
is declining overall, falling from 743,000 to 697,000 contacts per month within a year (-6%), which roughly reflects the development of reach among young cinema-goers. Interesting: The readership figures for the two Swiss-German magazines Close-up and Film demnächst have converged. The former has grown since 2004 and now has 198,000 readers, while the latter has lost a significant 37,000 readers within a year and now reaches 221,000 readers. Live also shows a strong downward trend in French-speaking Switzerland, reaching 93,000 people, 32,000 fewer than two years ago. Avant Première remains stable at 185,000 readers. Markus Knöpfli

Bier Ruf Lanz has refreshed both the sub-brands and the traditional umbrella brand for Cardinal. 
Cardinal has been refreshing people with excellent beer since 1788. However, the Fribourg brewery is characterized not only by a great tradition, but also by innovation. Cardinal regularly surprises the country's connoisseurs with fresh beer specialties. Ruf Lanz has therefore brewed a campaign for Cardinal that focuses on the various sub-brands and at the same time strengthens the traditional umbrella brand through its high level of recognition.
The individual subjects dramatize the advantages of the respective Cardinal sub-brand in a surprising way. In doing so, they dispense with the usual regulars' table beer humor and use a more aesthetic and artfully reduced visual language.
Striking subjectsCardinal Draft, which was brewed for night owls, has been stylized into a flashlight by Ruf Lanz. The noble character of Cardinal Spéciale is signaled by wine holders and drip catchers. Coin-like stacked lids indicate that lovers of Cardinal Sans Alcool can save themselves the cab fare even after a night of drinking. The classic Cardinal Lager, on the other hand, crowns everyday life, which is why the inverted cap is strikingly reminiscent of a crown. And the fact that the Christmas beer is not only called that for once, but also looks like it, is guaranteed by a graphically modified foam that pours over the glass like a Santa Claus beard.
Since September 2006, these and other striking images have been displayed on countless billboards and advertisements throughout Switzerland.
Bavaria, Fribourg, Rheinfelden and Fribourg againIn 1788
the landlord of the "Zum Lachs" inn near the Berner Tor in Fribourg decides to build a brewery for his son next to the property. He had completed his training with a Bavarian master brewer. The two of them were breaking new ground, as beer brewing had previously been the preserve of monks and grain farmers. After several changes of ownership, the brewery goes to a scion of the Blancpain watchmaking family from the Jura. This adds entrepreneurial thinking to the yellow barley juice.
In 1890, the Bishop of Fribourg is consecrated Cardinal by the Pope and a special celebratory beer is brewed under the label Brasserie du Cardinal. The brewery quickly expands and moves from the old town to the train station. There it becomes a real Fribourg institution. Beer becomes popular and sales increase.
In 1970, the Brasserie du Cardinal, the Brasserie Beauregard in Fribourg, the Salmen brewery in Rheinfelden, the Brasserie de la Comète in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the Wädenswil brewery founded Sibra Holding. Two years later, the five master brewers compete in a game of Jass to determine the name of the now national beer. Cardinal wins and becomes a nationally distributed brand. In 1996, Feldschlösschen-Hürlimann, which has since acquired the majority of the capital of Sibra Holding, announces the closure of the Cardinal brewery. But there is resistance. Feldschlösschen signs an agreement in 1998 that Cardinal will continue to be brewed.
Andreas Panzeri

Insertion rates More and more daily newspapers are switching at least partially to the new, somewhat simpler rate system. Even the Tages-Anzeiger is following suit at the beginning of 2007. 
The mishap is well known: From the point of view of advertising clients and agencies, the rates for print media are too different, too confusing and often not in keeping with the times, but rather rooted in old (printing) traditions. The handling of the print genre is correspondingly complicated. If you want to know where the clients' shoes pinch, you can browse through the annual reports of the Swiss Association of Advertising Clients (SWA): the longest list of demands is always addressed to the print media. The 2005 report still lists 18 points (see below) - despite the efforts of Publicitas and some publishers (including the NZZ) to standardize the publishers' tariff system.
After all, there are around 15 major daily newspapers that have been offering a color millimeter price since this year. This also includes a number of daily newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland, which had already taken this step earlier. 13 of these titles also introduced fixed-format rates in 2006, i.e. fixed prices for four-color advertisement sizes (such as panorama pages, full and half pages). In most cases, these fixed formats are even somewhat cheaper than if they were calculated on the basis of the color millimeter price.
However, the Basler Zeitung, the Tages-Anzeiger, the Berner Zeitung and the three Ticino dailies Corriere del Ticino, la Regione Ticino and Giornale del Popolo have not yet taken this step. Not to mention the smaller daily newspapers with circulations of less than 50,000 copies. No wonder the SWA doubled down last week in a communiqué and demanded that "all publishers" should finally introduce the new tariff model in view of the Publimedia Forum on September 27 (WW 33/06).
But the publishers' guild is not quite there yet. Nevertheless, Rainer Sauser, Marketing Director at Publicitas, can report some progress. "More titles are tackling the price reform again this year," he reveals one day before the Publimedia Forum. His trend report is based on a sample of 40 P-directed daily newspapers, some of which are smaller. "Of these, around a fifth have decided to introduce fixed formats as of 2007," says Sauser. Together with the 13 titles from last year, there should soon be two dozen daily newspapers implementing the core of the new system with integrated color millimeter rates and fixed formats. According to Sauser, the number of papers that are simplifying their rates is also growing.
For example, eight titles will only list a black-and-white and a four-color rate in their next rate documentation, and the surcharges for two- or three-color ads and for Pantone, house or Euroscale colors will be dropped. Two further points, the discounting of job advertisements and a weight tariff for inserts, will even apply to most of the 40 titles. "There are only a few that don't have this yet," says Sauser.
PubliGroupe's Marketing Director is satisfied with this interim result: "We are once again seeing a strong movement towards the planned industry solution. This is becoming increasingly broad-based." He expects it to become even stronger, as experience shows that some reluctant publishers will decide to participate towards the end of the year.
Sauser is wisely not naming any names. Because as long as the tariffs have not been published, nothing is set in stone with the publishers. But one thing is certain: the six titles mentioned are not (yet) involved in Sauser's reported progress, as he has not received any feedback from them to date. Werbewoche is different: it can at least report good news from Zurich: Tagi is also switching to the integrated color millimeter rate as of 2007. It can be assumed that the Metropool partners BaZ and BZ will also follow suit.
SWA demands on the print media "Advertising marketing
is not focused enough on customer benefit", complains the SWA in its 2005 annual report, calling for "more service mentality, more flexibility and better advice" in general. Specifically, it considers the print tariffs to be "too different". "The prices are often based more on tradition than on proven performance," he criticizes. Accordingly, his wish is: "The color millimeter price should be introduced for more titles." Price surcharges for colors and overrun should be reviewed in view of today's printing technology. In addition, the SWA expects various standardizations, such as for insert prices or discounting and closing principles. The fact that job advertisements and financial advertisements cost more than comparable commercial advertising is also not acceptable to the SWA. It therefore insists on "clear new regulations and a simplification of the price structure - and that it should also have a say in this.
New philosophyThe new tariff system,
Publicitas is working to persuade customers of the benefits of this new format, which is based on a changed philosophy: instead of starting from a base price and "scaring" customers with surcharges, the company now offers fixed formats that tend to be cheaper, with deviations from standards possible but somewhat more expensive in relation to the fixed formats. The aim is also to reward customers with a price reduction if they deliver their advertisement in a fixed format and in accordance with certain technical standards. Today, this is often handled differently: those who deliver good quality are "penalized" because they pay the same as a customer whose advertisement first has to be entered.
Markus Knöpfli

Advertising Market: Gross advertising spending in electronic media continued to rise in August. The Goldbach Electronic Media Index (GEMI) shows a combined increase for TV, radio, the Internet, and teletext from 330 to 332 points. The index for the overall advertising market rose slightly in August, from 171 to 172 index points.Starting in August, the GEMI now also includes Adscreen, which immediately posted the highest growth of 14 index points to 205. Because the Internet also jumped by 4 index points to 225, these two «New Generation Media» are catching up. Radio, at 250, and teletext, at 148 index points, showed no increase, however. Television continued its growth, rising by 1 index point to 333.
The GEMI is based on data published by Media Focus regarding advertising investments in Switzerland and on the WEMF's AIS advertising expenditure statistics for Adscreen, with an index of 100 in December 2004.
 
Rona Grünenfelder

 

The Publimedia Forum took place for the 13th time on Wednesday in front of around 400 advertising clients and communications experts from publishing houses, advertising and media agencies. Daniel Strobel, CEO of Publimedia, opened the annual event at the World Trade Center in Zurich with facts and news about changes in newspaper and magazine offerings in 2007. The conclusion of his presentation: The press is maintaining its market share in the reader market and is increasing its competitiveness in the battle for the distribution of the advertising pie with innovative offers and attractive price models. The central theme of this year's Forum event was "Media is the new creative". Presentations by Peter Magnani, Managing Director, OMD International in London, and Dominique von Matt, Managing Director/co-owner of the advertising agency Jung von Matt/Limmat, highlighted the dynamic developments in the media market and their lasting effects on the distribution of tasks and roles of media and creative agencies, media providers and advertising clients.
This was followed by a lively and controversial panel discussion chaired by Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief of WerbeWoche, on how media and creation should approach each other in the future. The conclusion of the discussion: there will be no uniform models for success, but the areas of responsibility of an advertising agency and media agency are likely to overlap more in future. The advertising client will play a decisive role in this, as they will have to assume more responsibility and control over the efficient use of media expenditure in the future.
 
The presentations, list of participants, photos and further information on the 13th Forum are available at
to find.

Column Today, a member of the government is to be commended. Once is not a time. And in times of rampaging PR, what does praise weigh...No, not the Minister for and against Justice. He has other worries, such as caricatures. After all, he has just won two votes against foreigners, and he will present us with this topic in all conceivable variations in the election year 2007, seconded by the compliant part of the journalists. No small achievement also his victim gesture. He crafts the laws, he has economic power, he commands the largest communications machine ever owned by a Swiss politician, and a weekly newspaper and ample space in all other media; the mainstream is neoliberal, the government is far to the right, and corporate profits are flashing astronomically - yet this man manages to portray Switzerland as a threatened country in the clutches of a red statist elite. Untruthful like much about him. Actually, a case for the media...The chapeau, on the other hand, we lift shortly before a Federal Councillor: Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey is the other Switzerland. Persistently and against some hostility, she has criticized the Israeli war campaign in Lebanon (and the attack by Hezbollah), called for an end to the fighting, for a rapid withdrawal. In Palestine, it insists on a negotiated settlement (Geneva Initiative). A new UN Human Rights Council was created under her impetus. She cleaned up the diplomatic corps after the visa affair - personally, in Islamabad. Women's rights, also in the FDFA, the fight against human trafficking, reform of the United Nations, conflict prevention and peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and development - MCR sets priorities. The Swiss presence gets it. "In human rights and international law issues, we have great credibility. We can deliver, and many countries expect us to."
It calls this active neutrality. This is irritating, especially for those who think that the lower the country's political profile, the better the offshore financial center. In this area, at least, Switzerland is now the world's number one, and the basis for business is a hissed "shhhh.
Not that Calmy-Rey would revise fundamental foreign policy positions - rather, she is working to bring this self-image of a country of freedom and human rights into line with its practice. She does not raise a dissenting voice, for example on the Federal Council's cover-up of the secret U.S. prisoner transports - but she insists on the binding nature of international law at every opportunity.
Probably, all this would be only half as enervating for the isolationists if politics and the media would support them with the usual macho grumblings. The leading Helvetic newspaper murmured barely audibly about emotional politics that knew nothing about military necessities. With MCR such things do not catch on. Even less any attempt to use her femininity against her, to put hairstyle, husband or tenue in front of her (not even in the softcore version "amazing how well she combines emotions and professionalism"). She has tamed the laws of attention economy. Smilingly determined, sometimes dressed in urbane parlando, is her appearance. Sovereign in the true sense of the word. Loosely she carries a message that could read: I may be doing a very good job because I am a woman. Turbulent times need stateswomen.
Presumably, the commodity aesthetics of gender have no grip on her because she doesn't do that, she is. The former entrepreneur and Geneva head of government, grandmother and minister has nothing to prove. Something like this can infuriate someone like SVP leader Ueli Maurer. Calmy-Rey should be deprived of the FDFA, he said, when she brought up the idea of a Swiss seat on the UN Security Council. This is Black & Decker country: Anything overhanging the hedge, anything reaching for the light, is immediately trimmed straight. Could it be that Switzerland does not deserve its foreign minister?
Oliver Fahrni is a freelance journalist, was deputy editor-in-chief of Weltwoche until 2001, then foreign editor-in-chief of Hamburger Woche.