Free press Cash daily launches with a problem: How does Ringier bring business-savvy readers to the kiosk every day?Cash daily, which has been under discussion for some time, launches on September 8 with a bang: "From the start, we will be present in 1150 Valora kiosks and thus cover all of German-speaking Switzerland, virtually overnight. This will give us a reach that no free newspaper has ever achieved from the outset," says Christoph Bauer, who recently became managing director of the Cash Group. His optimism is great: "In the first year, we guarantee 75,000 copies sold daily," he says.Indeed, the k-Group's extensive network of sales outlets appears to be an ideal distribution channel. After all, the k kiosks record over one million customer visits per day. So there's a good chance that the cash-daily free copies presented in boxes or in the checkout area of the display will sell like hot cakes. No wonder, five years ago, 20 Minuten and Metropol were also trying to get a place at the kiosk (see below).
On closer inspection, however, the chosen distribution channel offers more than just advantages. Will potential cash-daily readers, who usually help themselves to free newspapers at the bus station or train station entrance, make a detour to the nearest newsstand for the new Ringier free paper - and at worst join a queue? The content is decisive, no question. But will Cash daily - measured against the already existing free newspapers - be so indispensable that people will want to stand in line during the morning rush hour?
In addition, most people interested in the economy buy their newspapers by subscription and hardly ever from newsstands. This is shown by Wemf's 2005 circulation statistics. On an average day, only 2200 copies of Cash, Finanz und Wirtschaft, Handelszeitung, Bilanz and Stocks are sold at newsstands. If the daily single copy sales of the NZZ are added (9500 copies, partly from newspaper boxes), a maximum of 10,000 people with an interest in the economy buy their preferred reading material at the kiosk every day.
Of course, people with an affinity for business not only buy newspapers, but also visit a kiosk for cigarettes or mints - and also take the opportunity to buy cash daily. However, such purchases are made spontaneously, irregularly and at any time of day. But the information value of Cash daily is greatest in the morning, when the stock market starts - and it decreases with every hour. Why should one still take a look at a Cash daily at noon?
If even the paid newspaper Blick sells an estimated 75,000 copies at newsstands, the free Cash daily will succeed all the more. Anyone who argues in this way forgets the huge advertising effort Ringier regularly makes to bring the sold circulation of Blick daily to these heights. Moreover, it is to be expected that the half-life of Blick will last longer than that of Cash daily. It is hardly likely that too many Blick buyers will pick up a free paper at the same time. The reader profiles are too different.
Advantage - and Achilles' heelThe kiosk distribution channel raises another issue: Anyone who wants to get their hands on the free paper inevitably comes under pressure to buy. You may be exposed to this at certain intervals, but not every day and possibly always at the same point of sale.
This shows: The k-Group network is not only a strategic advantage for Cash daily, but also its Achilles heel. What will prevail remains to be seen - and depends not least on the communication efforts of the makers. Ringier is aware of this. "We have set up a launch campaign with the agency Publicis, with which we are promoting both the newspaper and distribution via the k kiosks in a first step," says Bauer. The initial circulation is over 100,000 copies, which will not only be available at k kiosks, but will also be distributed by colporteurs in an initial phase. The new newspaper will also be distributed via 30 other distribution partners such as airports and large companies.
"The focus now is on Cash daily," says Bauer. All the other Cash products - the weekly newspaper, Cash TV, Cash Online, Cash Mobile - will not be widely communicated until the second launch phase. Bauer: "In the reader market, we will only ever push one specific offer and highlight the individual product with its direct benefits for the customer. In the advertising market, on the other hand, we will position ourselves from the outset as a provider of multimedia advertising opportunities."   
Only daily business newspaperFor a long time, the daily newspapers treated
the topic of business either elitist or restrictive. Until 1989, when Ringier launched Cash. The larger daily newspapers (including Blick) followed suit: On the business pages, the language became more understandable, graphics, info boxes and pictures were added. In short, Cash revolutionized business reporting to such an extent that the publishing houses were soon considering plans for a business daily - especially during the stock market boom years. But the plans never came to fruition. Except at Ringier. With Cash daily and a media network, Ringier is now venturing into the second revolution. Whether or not it succeeds will be determined by the added value that the new paper offers compared to the already well-made business pages of the daily newspapers.
Distribution model: nothing new2001 and 2002 free newspapers were already available
at k-Group kiosks: At the time, Valora conducted an extended trial with 20 Minuten (and initially also with Metropol) - against the protest of numerous publishers, including Ringier. After 13 months, Valora abandoned the test without saying why. What was clear was that although the free distribution did not increase sales at the 200 or so selected sales outlets, "no negative impact" could be detected. On the contrary: "The distribution of commuter newspapers at the point of sale increases customer frequency and generates co-purchases," Valora noted. Thus, 31 percent of people who bought 20 Minuten at the kiosk also bought a second newspaper, 8 percent a magazine and 22 percent something else. Thirty-nine percent spent no money. Valora did not disclose how many free newspapers were purchased at the kiosk each day.
Markus Knöpfli
More about Cash daily in this advertising week:
Hardselling for a free sheet

In the age of online TV, TV stations are using geofilters to secure their license business.TV stations are increasingly putting their programmes online for free, and not just in America. However, the television business is territorial, which is why downloads could severely impact the licensing business with local and international broadcasters. Geofilters are now increasingly being used to keep customers of individual partners or from certain countries away from the online offer. As Heise.de reports, Fox, for example, now only allows viewers from the USA to make use of the online offer. As a result, viewers no longer remain anonymous and are currently identified by their IP address. However, a further increase and refinement of geo-filtering techniques is likely to become tricky in connection with data protection.

Digital printing The Dielsdorf-based trading company for printing and packaging, Chromos AG, has integrated CBC imaging solutions from Wädenswil as of September 1. According to a press release, this makes the Chromos Group the only system provider in Switzerland to offer printers for the production of oversized formats of up to five meters in width in addition to the usual DIN formats (covered by Chromos with HP Indigo printing systems). With the integration, the group is expanding its expertise in the areas of photography and graphics. Chromos has set itself the goal of supporting customers and interested parties in all markets from the basic idea to the conception and operation of complete digital large-format solutions.

Television "No master has yet fallen from the sky", as the saying goes. This will change on September 7. "Supreme Master" is the name of a new TV channel that wants to fall from the sky with a new program exactly on the release date of this advertising week. "Supreme Master Television" broadcasts around the clock and can be received via Hotbird 6 at 13 degrees. On the advertising flyer for the new medium, this Hotbird is visualized with a parrot. Or is this bird, which is known for its careless chatter, perhaps intended to hint at something about the program to be expected? "Positive broadcasts", which bring a new dimension of spirituality and fulfillment to life, as well as "words of wisdom" or "heart-warming conversations between master and pupil about the secrets of the universe" are announced to the audience. It remains to be seen whether one of these vessels will lure the lawyer at Swiss television out from behind the stove with a plagiarism complaint. Instead of relying on such PR from the competition, which is appreciated by 3+, for example, "Supreme Master" must therefore continue to rely on unaddressed flyers. Nevertheless, this advertising is interestingly eye-catching - for a medium that actually broadcasts from the forefront of technical development.
Andreas Panzeri

Culture TBS Identity has created a subscription campaign for the Lucerne Theater that sits, takes a seat and takes off: The Lucerne Theater has just started its new season. The start of the season at Switzerland's oldest three-genre theater is accompanied by an intensive subscription campaign. TBS developed a special campaign idea together with the theater management. In Lucerne and the surrounding area, theater chairs are placed in suitable but preferably unexpected locations - for example in local pubs, stores, shop windows or at the lido - on which the Lucerne Theater confidently addresses its audience. The folding seats and backrests bear claims such as: "Take a seat and take off" or "Whoever sits with us sees the distance".
A poster campaign stages these communicating theater chairs and invites people to buy a subscription. "This interplay between real objects and the accompanying media campaign is ultimately intended to represent a theater that approaches its audience, gets involved and wants to be present in the city and region," says Dominique Mentha, who has been an active theater director in Lucerne since 2004.
Born in Bern, he initially studied concert and opera singing at the Musikhochschule in Munich. His busy career as a concert and opera singer made him well-known in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland. In 1987, Mentha became head of the music theater at the Stadttheater Würzburg, then at the Städtische Bühnen Münster. In 1992, he was appointed director of the Tiroler Landestheater in Innsbruck, and from 1999 until his move to Lucerne, he was artistic director of the Volksoper Vienna.
In Lucerne's "province", which has long since ceased to be regarded as such in theater circles, Mentha opens the season with two world premieres: A new play by Gisela Widmer premieres at the former Lucerne slaughterhouse
and the grotesque "Atoll".
This will be the first time that the site, which was approved by the Lucerne electorate in February, will be used for the theater, which will also house the new rehearsal rooms from 2008 following renovation work. "The unusual choice of location also stems from our desire to anchor Lucerne's theater even more firmly in the city," says the director - which TBS Identity has thus implemented with its chairs in an absolutely logical way.
Andreas Panzeri

Press TV RingierTV gives its program konsumTV a more positive slant and finds a new main sponsor in Coop. However, Ringier is holding off on a consistent multimedia strategy, whether with Cash, Gesundheit Sprechstunde or al dente, Ringier is expanding its cross-media offering with print, TV, Internet and mobile. The goal is always the same: consumers should be able to access content at any time and from any place. And advertisers should be able to address consumers via the various channels in as many different situations as possible. konsumTV is a television program in which Ringier is still driving its multichannel strategy with the handbrake on. Not that Ringier is neglecting its fortnightly Sunday evening program, on the contrary. It too is being rebuilt and its concept changed, most recently a year ago. At that time, the program on PresseTV was given a pair of co-hosts in Eva Camenzind and Marc Caprez, viewer participation in the studio was expanded and new sections were added.
Completely renewed appearanceOn October 1, 2006, the next renovation is already imminent. Hannes Britschgi, program director at RingierTV for the past year, speaks of a "completely renewed appearance". Visually, the new Frame eleven logo and a studio decor designed by set designer Carlo Angelini (sternTV and TV total) catch the eye.
But there is also a conceptual break: "Instead of critically examining what can go wrong in the world of consumption, konsumTV now provides information about trends and new products, gives tips for the home, leisure and hobbies and advises on money matters," says Britschgi. There are two reasons for the new magazine's more positive and entertaining approach: The live studio program is intended to stand out more from Kassensturz on SF 1. They have a smaller budget for product tests anyway.
Another difficulty: konsumTV is financed by sponsorship. "Whether justified or not - we always had a credibility problem. We now want to put an end to this balancing act," says Britschgi, who once worked at Kassensturz.
Despite the realignment, konsumTV will not be completely overhauled: the team of co-presenters will remain, as will the home and garden, hobby, multimedia and money sections. Furthermore, there will still be one auction per show, the proceeds of which will go to a charitable organization.
It remains to be seen how viewer numbers will develop. Today, the live studio show has around 170,000 viewers and a market share of nine percent. Britschgi is confident: "Our market research shows: The Sunday evening slot is well received. The show will therefore continue to find an audience."
The new concept meets with a positive response: Coop joins as the main sponsor on October 1. The number two supermarket chain sees its involvement in konsumTV as "a contribution to open and useful information on all those topics that are closely linked to our consumers' quality of life", as stated in a press release. Britschgi, for his part, praises Coop as a discussion partner "with a lot of experience" that makes its laboratories and expertise available when required.
However, a consistent multichannel strategy is still a long time coming at konsumTV. "Internally, such a strategy has already been discussed, but we have put it on hold due to the relaunch," says Britschgi. In the print sector, however, the media partnership with the CoopZeitung can be relied upon. "This is already a new dimension for us." And what will happen with the quarterly, eight-page free magazine konsumTV (circulation 260,000 copies)? The RingierTV program manager does not want to change anything here for the time being.
Markus Knöpfli

Guest commentary Ad-financed free music downloads should have come much earlier, says Alec von Tavel Rarely has an announcement caused so much excitement in the music industry: Universal, the world's largest music producer, wants to make its music available online "for free" via Spiralfrog. In return, the music consumer must consume advertising during the download. Unlike many of my colleagues in the industry, this news neither shocked me nor restored my faith in the future of the music industry. It's been about five years since I presented the Spiralfrog business model to my colleagues on the board of IFPI Switzerland (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), with no hope that the idea would find favor with the IFPI board, which is dominated by the major companies. In the minds of most music managers, free downloads are still the reason why the music industry is doing so badly today. The merger between Universal and Spiralfrog could be a solution. But the right approach is also crucial here.
Music companies and advertisers are now facing new challenges. The question is, which products can be advertised with which music? Which audience can be reached with ad-financed free music from the web? Surely there are also artists who don't want to be paid by McDonald's and Toyota. Whoever has the right answers to these questions will be just as successful with the new model as the free newspaper 20 Minuten has been. I dare say that 20 Minuten is not a worse newspaper than Blick, just because 20 Minuten is free and Blick costs something. And that doesn't make 20 Minuten any less profitable.
Music producers, advertisers and advertisers have a new playing field with Spiralfrog. We don't yet know the rules of the game in detail. In any case, it is a game in which everyone can win, but everyone can also lose. The important thing is that, in addition to the rules of the game, we also understand the tactics and strategy that lead to victory. Google, MySpace and YouTube are business models that show how good money can be earned with free services on the web.
But the news also had a moment of surprise for me. When I visited the Spiralfrog website, one name caught my eye: Jay Berman. He is the first director of Spiralfrog, just behind the chairman. This very Jay Berman used to be Chairman of the IFPI in London and in this function was virtually the world's top music pirate and peer-to-peer hunter. Has he now changed sides because he has realized that the music industry's battle against free downloads is lost, or is it the realization of where the music industry's income could come from in the future?
Alec von Tavel is the founder and head of the independent music label Disctrade.

Viral marketing The trendy tool holds extraordinary opportunities, but also a number of dangers. In the winter of 2005, an 85-year-old British lady made headlines. Together with her dachshund Daisy, she wanted to climb Everest. The story turned out to be a clever advertising campaign by the Swiss mountain sports outfitter Mammut. Marketing professionals call such or similar campaigns viral marketing. The idea is quite simple. While classic advertising campaigns seek consumers through advertisements, for example, viral marketing focuses on the consumer. Because of its unusual character, a message is transmitted virtually from user to user via websites, blogs, e-mails or chat rooms. In this way, messages are spread to private individuals within a very short period of time. Social networks are exploited to spread the word. The motto is word-of-mouth propaganda. Since the network-like spreading resembles the behavior of a biological virus, this form is therefore also called viral marketing.
Since the Internet has been spreading and networking has been growing, the processes of spreading unusual messages have been running at a fast pace and have become veritable epidemics. A prominent example: the grouse. The Johnnie Walker company offered the game for free download, and it became an absolute cult game on the Internet within a very short time. Another example: the film "Blair Witch Project," which was released as a low-budget production in 1999. The film was a success not least because the filmmakers succeeded in generating word of mouth via e-mail and on forums.
Too small for big campaignsViral marketing is definitely in vogue in Switzerland, too. However, still on a modest scale, says Markus Gabriel, owner of the Zurich-based crossover agency Angelink. "Viral marketing is not yet so strongly in the consciousness of the clients," says Gabriel. In addition, Switzerland is very small for larger campaigns and is therefore not considered a hotbed of viral marketing.
However, Swiss companies will not be able to avoid monitoring the Internet and its development more closely. Monitoring the blogosphere, for example, is not yet being done quite as seriously, says Gabriel. The fact is that people communicate and exchange opinions on the Internet. That's why Gabriel systematically analyzes the networks on the Internet that can be used for viral marketing. Today, 80 percent of all Internet sites are operated by private individuals.
Even though viral marketing is highly dynamic and the worldwide spread of the Internet is conducive to it: the networked pool of opinions presents not only opportunities but also dangers. One of the dangers is often underestimated: the boomerang principle. Even though today messages can be spread within a very short period of time, it is possible for users to quickly launch a counter-attack or a counter-campaign.
Take Jean-Remy von Matt, partner of the Jung von Matt agency: When he sent an e-mail of frustration to his employees, criticizing the way bloggers were criticizing the You Are Germany campaign, it only took a few minutes for his letter to be posted on numerous blogs. Consequence: Von Matt put some of his statements into perspective and apologized for his remarks. Or take Chevrolet: In mid-March, Chevrolet launched a website that allowed visitors to complete a number of video clips with their own advertising slogans. Many Internet users reacted cynically to this and referred to the problem of global warming.
For Markus Gabriel, viral marketing has a future despite its unpredictable momentum. Gabriel: "In every company there is a prankster who tells jokes during breaks or sends an email laugh to his colleagues. You have to take advantage of that."    
Christian Lüscher
Vegetarian GameMiss the Chicken
is the name of an online game similar to Moorhuhn. The winner is not the player who shoots the most chickens, but who exceptionally hits none. The game, which was specially designed for vegetarians in cooperation with Wirz Werbung, attracts younger customers to the Hiltl restaurant. The game was produced by the Zurich-based company Visioprint (www.hiltl.ch).

Following a strategy presentation, the Zurich-based communications agency Rotor was commissioned to position Degen Bier as a new beer brand in the premium segment. From packaging and market launch to long-term brand management, Rotor is developing all communication tasks for the new microbrewery. Its specialty: the various types of beer are brewed unpasteurized and unfiltered and are clearly aimed at a niche audience thanks to the characterful and unique recipes. The first results will be on show from the fall.

Regional press The Basellandschaftliche Zeitung announces new times to its readers On September 16, the Basellandschaftliche Zeitung (bz) takes over the concept, jacket section and layout of the Mittelland Zeitung (MZ). With one difference: the words Basellandschaftliche Zeitung will continue to be emblazoned at the top of the newspaper in Gothic script, with a red bz abbreviation in between. However, the red line below the logo now reads Mittelland Zeitung. "We will introduce the MZ newspaper header in spring 2007 at the earliest," says publisher Mathis Lüdin.
For the communication, Lüdin can adapt the teaser campaign that the Aargauer Zeitung realized a year ago for its own relaunch: a poster and advertisement subject shows a covered bz front page, with the cover torn open at one point, giving the viewer a glimpse of the layout change. The resolution posters then show the current bz front page in full. With the claim: "Now at the kiosk and with a subscription - your bz and even more".
Markus Knöpfli

Do good and talk about it: Cablecom is now supporting the Swiss Special Olympics Foundation. This foundation organizes sports events for people with mental and multiple disabilities. Cablecom supports the events in two ways: firstly financially and secondly through Cablecom employees as helpers at the events. The time spent on these events can be compensated by the employees as working time.
The support is based on Cablecom's new sponsorship strategy. The focus is now to be placed on social commitment. The company's commitment will enable the Special Olympics program, which comprises 14 sports, to be expanded to include sports such as golf and sailing, which were not previously offered. The cooperation will kick off with the Special Olympics national summer games in Zug on September 15-17.

The St. Gallen-based communications agency Freicom has strengthened its design team with Nicolás Durán. With Durán, Freicom has had a second art director since the beginning of August. Together with Caroline Noser, also an art director, he heads freicom's graphics department, which competently implements sophisticated CI/CD projects as well as print and multimedia communication media. Most recently, Durán worked at the Erat Design Group in Arbon.