In the agency evaluation of Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft, the Sulzer Sutter agency has secured the communications budget for a further three years. In the evaluation process in accordance with EU guidelines, the Zurich-based agency was able to impress in terms of strategy and creation.
Sulzer Sutter has been responsible for marketing South Tyrol in Switzerland since 2001. The continuous market development has already had an impact: The number of overnight stays by Swiss tourists in South Tyrol has risen by 70 percent since Sulzer Sutter took over the mandate. Sulzer Sutter was also honored with an Effie Diploma for this achievement.

The June figures from the Swiss Adex show that click prices for Google advertising have recovered slightly after falling in the last two months. The average click price is CHF 1.59, i.e. 10 centimes higher than in May. A record high was recorded in terms of booking volume: an average of 33 ads were booked per search query (May: 30). According to Angelink yourposition, this figure is likely to rise sharply in the future.
The proportion of advertisements from domestic companies has fallen further and has fallen below the 40 percent mark for the first time. In some sectors, pressure from abroad has increased, particularly in the construction industry, where 80 percent of advertisements in June came from foreign companies.
The monthly Swiss Adex published by Angelink yourposition measures how search engine marketing with Google AdWords is developing in Switzerland. All prices are based on the click prices that Google offers potential advertising customers online.

Digital radio HD radio, which is based on FM, could be a suitable alternative to the familiar digital radio (DAB).
Radio Sunshine, but also an expert in the dissemination of
radio signals. As such, he considers DAB technology for local radio stations
not suitable. That's why Ruoss and his radio recently launched a
trial with HD radio. At the end of June, he presented in Lucerne
experts and media people from half of Europe. But what is HD radio? It is an attempt to improve radio reception
to digitize at low cost.

In contrast to DAB, the system used in the
HD radio, which has been in operation in the USA for around a year, is completely
on the existing VHF infrastructure. The
VHF frequencies with "digital backpacks" that contain up to five
can transport digital programs. This process has the
great advantage that the existing infrastructure in the transmission area
can continue to be used.

However, the technology only works with
new HD-capable receivers. The investments for the
However, radio stations are rather modest compared to DAB (for radio
Sunshine around CHF 200,000), which is why a parallel operation of VHF
and digital radio is also problem-free over a very long period of time.
For him, the digitalization of radio is also an evolution and
not a revolution. DAB, on the other hand, must have an overly long
Avoid parallel operation. Only then will DAB offer cost benefits,
if the FM transmitters can be switched off.

Benefits not sufficiently apparent
Ultimately, the big problem with digitalization is that
the benefits for the public are not obvious enough. Not
This is one of the main reasons why the development of DAB has so far (with
some exceptions) very cautious. Even if the number of
The number of DAB receivers on offer and the number of sales outlets is constantly increasing,
the audience is very reserved. Among other things, this is due to
that radio has become a kind of encore in recent years.
mutated. In more and more devices, an additional
radio receiver module installed. So the consumer is buying less and less
consciously use a radio. This is also shown by the results of the
published by the Swiss Press Association. The
Expenditure on radio equipment has fallen from 52 to 22 million euros since 2003.
francs has more than halved. That is still a whole seven francs per
budget and year.

The DAB advocates (especially the SRG) argue that
that the attractiveness of radio has increased due to the many new
radio programs is rising sharply and that therefore more will soon be available again for
radio devices would be spent. Ruoss counters that every
additional program must be financed first. A study by the
Goldmedia from 2004 has shown that the potential for additional,
The number of channels financed by advertising in Switzerland is rather limited.
The focus is therefore on programs to expand the range,
previously only available via cable or the Internet (such as the
were broadcast by Radio 105). HD radio is for such programs
on the other hand, because they do not have an FM frequency on which to broadcast.
that they can piggyback on.

New perspectives
Now that HD radio technology is also starting to work in Switzerland
seems to be a good thing for the domestic radio landscape.
pleasing prospects: Local radio stations have the opportunity to
HD radio into the digital age, the SRG and the
regional special-interest channels, on the other hand, rely on digital radio. Two
However, important questions remain unanswered: Will the appliance industry
reception modules that can receive both FM and the two digital
technologies DAB and HD radio? And will the manufacturers of
cell phones, iPods, car radios, stereo systems, etc. can integrate these modules into their
Install devices?

If this is the case, the audience is taken along, so to speak. It must
do not consciously opt for devices with digital reception, they buy
the advantages of digital radio and will be able to enjoy the
also rely on this technology when deliberately purchasing a radio set.
pay attention.  
 

Ueli Custer

The German Burda People Group, which operates under
Bunte magazine, among others, is planning its own formats in the
IP-TV. As the head of the group, Philipp Welte, told the newspaper
Die Welt said the first daily broadcast is scheduled to start in September
and called "StarStyleTV". It focuses on stars and entertainment
and is presented by Collien Fernandes. According to Welte, the project is
tailored to young people whose basic media are cell phones and computers
are. The Burda People Group wants to bring its brands into the digital world.
world. Across all media, the company intends to continue
entertainment.

The editor-in-chief of the Geneva daily newspaper "Le Courrier", Marco Gregori, is leaving the paper at the end of 2006. According to the news agency SDA, family reasons are responsible for this decision. Gregori worked at "Le Courrier" for twelve years, the last two as editor-in-chief. Nothing is known about his future plans.

From Thursday to Saturday, students of Visual Communication at the University of Art and Design Zurich (HGKZ) will be designing the fifth edition of the Tages-Anzeiger. As Editor-in-Chief Peter Hartmeier explains in a press release, this graphic and journalistic experiment is taking place against the backdrop of the "Festival of the Arts", which is taking place in Zurich this weekend. The Tages-Anzeiger has decided to enter into this media partnership because the festival marks the start of a cultural policy change. The HGKZ and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (HMT) are merging to form the Zurich University of the Arts.
The students have a free hand in the design. They can use their work to show the public what kind of newspaper they would like to develop as the designers of tomorrow, Hartmeier continues. The Tages-Anzeiger also wants to trigger a discussion about graphics and visual communication and expects answers to the questions of what kind of newspaper a future graphics elite would have in mind, what the design priorities would be or how a newspaper that the students would like to read in the future should be designed. The Tages-Anzeiger readership also benefits from the experiment: they can experience what graphics designed by young people could look like in everyday newspaper life.

In an online survey of the largest media customers, the Media Trend Journal (MTJ) has been determining the best media providers and media marketers for nine years. This year, NZZ won the coveted trophy for the best Swiss media provider for the third time. NZZ thus relegates last year's winner 20 Minuten to second place. The Handelszeitung is in third place. The other rankings up to 10th place are, in this order: Tamedia (newspapers), Clear Channel Plakanda, Tamedia (magazines), APG, Gruner & Jahr, E-advertising and Ringier (Blick). Among the media marketers, Cinecom made the breakthrough to the top for the first time. Marketer Publisuisse is in second place, with third place going to Radiotele. The other rankings up to 10th place are, in this order: IP Multimedia, Mediabox, Adlink, SevenOne Media, Belcom, KI Media and Web2com.
35 advertising agencies and 24 media agencies took part in this year's survey. 29 media providers and 17 media marketers were judged on the criteria of service, advice and value for money. The survey was carried out in the first few months of this year as part of the Media.Research.Group's advertising market study.

Cigarettes In Germany, they became the
A big hit. Now it should also work in Switzerland: Smoleys, the
small pieces of glue that death-defying smokers have been smuggling over
the health warnings are affixed to cigarette packs.
"More carbohydrates" or, for example, "Less chocolate patties" proclaim
the alternative sayings that can be ordered via www.smoleys.com.
And what is possible with fun texts can of course also be done with advertising.
be creatively developed. Per Amman from Creative Consultant in
Geneva wants to develop the idea together with the Lenzlinger print shop in Neuchâtel.
effectively on the packaging. 

Agency The World Cup will soon be over - time,
recover from the exertions and take a well-deserved summer break.
to treat yourself. Except for the team at the Zurich agency Rotor, which has given its
customers and colleagues a relaxing summer break with a card
wishes. For the topical realization CD Alexander
Gessert was able to win over the illustrator Isabelle Folath.

Berner Kreativschmiede has updated the CD/CI for the ICT consulting company. The website was also renewed in this context. The CD/CI was gently revised and the brand logo and lettering updated accordingly, according to the agency. The new website communicates the competencies of the consulting firm and uses the tangram as a core element. Thanks to the new screen design and the targeted use of interactive elements, even abstract information is presented clearly.

Achille Casanova, Ombudsman DRS, was unable to find any errors in the reporting of the May 1st riots and therefore rejected a complaint as unfounded. A television viewer had complained that the riots of 1 May 2006 were played down in the Swiss Television (SF) programmes "Tagesschau" and "Rundschau" and equated with the appearance of right-wing extremists on the Rütli on 1 August 2005. This was deliberate disinformation, the viewer further complains, and accuses SF of having influenced viewers. In their replies, the editors responsible for the "Tagesschau", Heiner Hug, and the "Rundschau", Belinda Sallin, firmly rejected the accusations. "The "Tagesschau" did not in any way trivialize the events on 1 May," Hug concluded in the statement. Moreover, the main edition of May 1 that was the subject of the complaint did not mention the events on the Rütli at all. Meanwhile, Sallin makes it clear that in the "Rundschau" report of 3 May, a comparison was made with the obstruction of the Rütli speech by the then Federal President Schmid. However, this comparison was limited to the fact that a Federal President was unable to give a speech as planned. Casanova concluded by describing the reporting as extremely successful. The reporting was factual, comprehensive and comprehensible.

Advertising market April was already characterized by a
up 6.2 percent on the previous year. Outperformed
However, it was exceeded by the advertising month of May, which was up 15.2 percent on the previous year.
lies. Cumulatively, 2006 has already exceeded the previous year by 6 percent.
exceeded. Almost all media groups recorded year-on-year growth.
Teletext is an exception, where a slight decline was recorded,
and television advertising, which remained at the previous year's level. In the
Compared to April, daily newspapers, posters, Internet
and cinema advertising easily. (kf)